People want to lose weight for a variety of reasons. From the obvious health benefits it brings, to simply looking good in a certain outfit, the motivation to drop the junk food and shed those excess pounds is a step in the right direction.

For Aussie teenager Josie Desgrand it was Instagram. At 16 years old and already tipping the scales at 127kg, she knew that something had to change. She felt particularly glum when scrolling through her feed to see pictures of slim models smiling back at her, and after a few failed attempts at weight loss dieting, she was eating more and more in a vicious cycle of feeling sorry for herself and binging on junk food. She was also the victim of bullying, which had destroyed her self-esteem. She decided that something had to be done. “I went into my room and stripped down to my underwear.” She told Bored Panda. Then she made a pact with herself. “No longer fat Josie.”

“I took pictures of myself at different angles, excited for my next weight loss journey. I used a tape measure and wrote down my dimensions knowing I had a long way to go from being so overweight, but I wanted to track every change, no matter how small.”

Setting herself small goals, sticking to her fitness plan, and keeping track of her progress, Josie started to notice the changes her methods were making. She adopted a low-carb, no-sugar diet and upped her water intake. Her dad, Mark, joined in with his own weight loss goals and the pair supported and encouraged each other. “Being competitive with him pushed us both to go the extra mile, it was great to have my dad along for the ride.” Having slimmed down to 90kg through eating healthy meals alone, she gained the confidence to take the next step and join the gym. “No longer fat Josie,” she said with determination. “Sticking with the exercise program gave me the extra push to reach my goal weight.”

Instagram, instead of being a source of envy, became an inspirational support network that continued to push Josie toward her healthy lifestyle goals. “I shared my meals and progress on my Instagram account @nolongerfatjosie. My followers quickly grew, and each was more supportive than the last. ‘You look great!’ They wrote. ‘Mmm, do you have the recipe?’”

“With people from all around the world along for my journey, I never thought about quitting. Putting aside an hour each night, I responded to every person. Being in their position before, I now wanted to help as many people as I could. ‘Keep going,’ I would write back when someone thought they couldn’t do it anymore.”

Now a svelte 63kg, half of her previous weight, Josie couldn’t be happier. Her transformation into a new healthy lifestyle is complete, what began as a diet has become a life-changing experience for the 18-year-old. Her final triumph came at her high school formal, where she wowed her friends and family in a figure-hugging dress that showed off her new figure. Now writing a book about her experience, Josie hopes to help others in their own weight loss journeys. “Now I want to be the push to help people get back up,” she said. “Because everyone deserves to feel as happy as I now do.”

Scroll down to check out Josie’s transformation for yourself below, and let us know what you think in the comments!

More info: Instagram | Facebook

This is Australian teen Josie Desgrand before, when she was 16

Image credits: nolongerfatjosie

She weighed 127kg at her heaviest, but she decided to take important steps and change her life

Image credits: nolongerfatjosie

Josie suffered from some bullying for her weight, which destroyed her self-esteem

Image credits: nolongerfatjosie

But the girl surprised everyone when she showed up with a form-fitting gown, having lost 60+kg in only 12 months

Image credits: Josephine Desgrand

Image credits: Josephine Desgrand

Instagram was a source of inspiration for Josie, becoming a support network that continued to push her toward her goals

Image credits: nolongerfatjosie

“I shared my meals and progress on my Instagram account,” she told Bored Panda

Image credits: nolongerfatjosie

My followers quickly grew, and each was more supportive than the last. ‘You look great!’ They wrote. ‘Yum, do you have the recipe?’”

Image credits: nolongerfatjosie

“With people from all around the world along for my journey, I never thought about turning back”

Image credits: nolongerfatjosie

“Spending an hour each night, I responded to every person. Being in their position before, I now wanted to help as many people as I could”

Image credits: nolongerfatjosie

“’Keep going,’ I would write back when someone thought they couldn’t do it anymore”

Image credits: nolongerfatjosie

Now a svelte 63kg, half of her previous weight, Josie couldn’t be happier

Image credits: nolongerfatjosie

Her transformation into a new lifestyle is complete, what began as a diet has become a life-changing experience for the 18-year-old

Image credits: nolongerfatjosie

“Now I want to be the push to help people get back up”

Image credits: nolongerfatjosie

“Because everyone deserves to feel as happy as I now do”

Image credits: nolongerfatjosie

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