I’m 25, 450lbs, and I hate what my weight has done to my life — can I turn it around?
A young person describes crippling pain, shame, and overwhelming fear about how much work it will take to lose weight — then shares surprising progress after medical help and lifestyle changes.
I’m 25 and reached roughly 450lbs — back pain and shortness of breath made simple movement unbearable. I felt trapped, ashamed, and sure I needed to lose weight before I could live the life I wanted; after an update months later, I share how medication, swimming, and a new routine have moved me forward.
I felt crushed by my size and pain — I started medication, began swimming, and with my husband’s help I’m finally losing weight.
I’m 25 and for a long time I could barely stand for two to three minutes without severe back pain and being out of breath. I felt embarrassed and ashamed, convinced I had to lose weight before I could do anything meaningful. In late spring I reached out publicly about how overwhelmed I was by the scale of the challenge.
"I feel disgusting and embarrassed... I don’t know how it got this bad."
After that post I saw a doctor who prescribed weight-loss medication in May, and I started swimming a few times a week. I had been skipping breakfast and lunch and overeating at dinner, plus a weekend habit of buying many snacks. I changed to meal replacement shakes for breakfast, packed sandwiches for lunch, and my husband began meal-prepping dinners on weekends to help me stick with it.
"Sometimes I wish I just didn’t exist at all."
Those changes—medication, swimming, more structured meals, and my husband finishing my snacks when I can’t—led to measurable progress: I recently weighed 395lbs, down about 60lbs since April. Mobility has improved; I can move a bit longer before needing a break, and that progress has given me motivation to keep going despite the long road ahead.
🏠 The Aftermath
Since the update, the OP is actively engaged with medical support and exercise and has adopted a more structured eating routine with partner support.
They went from roughly 450lbs to 395lbs; swimming is part of their weekly routine, breakfasts are meal replacement shakes, lunches are prepared sandwiches, and dinners are meal-prepped by the husband.
Concrete consequences include improved—but still limited—mobility, less severe back pain during short activities, and an emotional lift from seeing the weight change; social life and long-term health goals remain a work in progress.
Progress happened when medical help met routine and partner support.
There are mixed emotions: relief and hope from the 60lb loss, but also ongoing frustration about the long journey ahead and lingering negative self-image.
💭 Emotional Reflection
This is a story of severe frustration and shame that slowly shifts into cautious hope. The OP’s feelings of disgust and despair were real and intense, but the practical steps—medical care, exercise that’s easier on the body, consistent meals, and a supportive partner—created momentum. It shows how medical intervention plus simple routine changes can make a difference when starting from a very difficult place.
At the same time, the emotional burden remains: losing 60lbs is meaningful but doesn’t erase years of pain or overnight the sense of being trapped. The update highlights the mismatch between urgent emotional expectations and the slow, steady nature of weight loss and recovery.
Reasonable people may disagree on what the next best steps are—more therapy, different exercise, or surgical options—but the clear takeaway is that multi-pronged support (medical, practical, relational) helped the OP move forward.
How did readers react to the update?
Seeing a 60lb drop is huge — medical help and a partner who meal-preps clearly made a difference; keep going.
The mental struggle is real — anyone who says weight loss is only physical misses how much shame and despair are involved.
Celebrate the small wins, but also check in on mental health — that "I don’t want to exist" line is serious and deserves support.
Responses mix encouragement for the weight loss and concern for the OP’s mental health; commenters note the practical wins while urging continued medical and psychological support.
🌱 Final Thoughts
This is a hard, honest update: the OP was overwhelmed and ashamed, then found a combination of medication, gentle exercise, and partner support that produced real, measurable results. It’s a reminder that progress often arrives in uneven steps, and that small routine changes can compound into major gains.
The dilemma remains emotional as much as physical — losing weight helps, but healing self-image and rebuilding stamina take time and care.
What do you think?
Would you have left, or stayed and kept trying to make it work? Share your thoughts below 👇
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