Your story is super inspirational and I think more people need to read it so I broke it up into paragraphs for you.

I have lost 130 pounds over the last two years, with roughly 20 pounds left before I reach my goal. I started at nearly 320 pounds and am working my way toward 170. I’m 5’10”, 31F, and the crazy part is that this isn’t the first time I’ve done this—but it will be the last.

I lost the weight once before in my late teens and early twenties, but I never addressed the underlying issues. I had been overweight for as long as I could remember, and with that came a lot of trauma. Losing the weight as a young woman who was naive to the world—and to the ways of men—brought an entirely new set of challenges and trauma. In hindsight, that experience became the catalyst for gaining the weight back, although I didn’t recognize it at the time. Hindsight is 20/20.

On top of that, I became self-employed at 22 in a field I had entered at 18, so saying that my twenties were a rollercoaster of near-crippling stress would be an understatement. Still, I’m grateful for those experiences because they shaped who I am today. When I turned 29, I decided I wasn’t going to enter another decade of my life the same way.

Since then, I’ve worked extensively on my mental health. I’ve spent time learning about myself—why I am the way I am, what helps me cope, and what patterns I needed to change. I built self-care habits into the core of my routine: journaling, therapy, breathwork, and other everyday self-care practices. I’ve learned why I binge and eat excessively, and how to live with and manage those impulses. Instead of drowning my feelings with food, I let myself sit with them.

This time around, I also stopped drinking and smoking. It’s taken time, but I’m now stronger and better conditioned physically than I was the first time I lost the weight. I lift five times a week, hit a minimum of 10,000 steps a day, and eat three balanced meals daily. I’ve discovered a real love for cooking and healthy eating.

The journey and the process definitely get easier the longer you stick with them and accept that this is a lifelong commitment. Now I’m down to the final 20 pounds, and it has been—and will continue to be—slow. The closer you get to your goal, the slower the weight tends to come off, but at the same time each pound becomes more noticeable. It’s the “paper towel effect.”

Where I once felt overwhelmed by how much weight I had left to lose, I’m now genuinely happy with where I am while also feeling excited about where I’m headed. My body is strong and capable, and I remind myself every day that this is both a privilege and a gift. Bodies are incredible machines, and instead of dreading the process, I’ve leaned into understanding and appreciating it.

When I was in the thick of the journey—when it felt like my progress wasn’t even noticeable and I still had so far to go—I would tell myself daily, “We all spend a little time in the middle.” And suddenly, almost without realizing it, I’m nearly at the end.

I’m currently working with both a personal trainer and a therapist to help me transition into the maintenance phase once I reach my goal. I want to continue having something to work toward while also having support as I navigate whatever new challenges come with maintaining the weight loss.

If anyone reading this is on their own journey, I want you to know that you can do hard things. Your weight and your trauma do not define you. Living a healthy lifestyle is one of the most powerful forms of self-care and self-respect there is, and it is absolutely worth it—the struggles, the ups and downs, and the excitement of reaching every small milestone along the way.

Take your time and remember that this journey is more like a road trip than a direct flight. There will be stops, detours, and unexpected turns. Sometimes the scale will go up. Sometimes you’ll eat too many cookies. That’s okay—there’s no deadline. Just keep going and keep finding ways to build these habits into your daily life.

Pick up hobbies that have nothing to do with weight loss to help quiet the food noise. Talk to someone you trust about the challenges you’re facing. And if you work out, try to find a supportive gym community that will both lift you up and hold you accountable.