MikeNYC_runner said:

Body image adjustment with mental health: I've lost 79 lbs but when I look in the mirror, I still see my old self sometimes.

Genuinely useful, thank you. I had the facts and not the framework.

roxy_nash said:

Before/after narrative for mental health — one year in: Before (282 lbs): Winded climbing stairs, chronic back pain, pre-diabetic, on 3 medications,…

One year anniversary on mental health — reflections:

What I wish I'd known: the side effects are temporary, the benefits compound over time, protein is more important than I thought, and the mental health aspect needs as much attention as the physical.

What surprised me: how much my relationship with food changed, the cascade of health improvements beyond weight, and how supportive this community is.

What I'd do differently: start therapy earlier, prioritize resistance training from day 1, and stop comparing my progress to others. Everyone's journey is unique.

lucas_SP_BR said:

My mood has been flatter since about month four and I genuinely cannot work out whether that is the drug, the deficit, or the fact that I no longer…

Therapy insights from my mental health journey: my therapist introduced me to the concept of "identity updating" — the psychological work of becoming a new version of yourself.

Key realizations: I used food to manage emotions, I had internalized fatphobia that I'm still unpacking, my social identity was partly built around being "the big guy/girl," and learning to accept compliments is surprisingly hard when you've been invisible for years.

Physical transformation without emotional processing is unstable. Do both.

Moderator note: the sourcing question belongs in the vendor section and has been split out. No action needed from anybody.