36 Before & After Photos That Prove Your Weight Is Meaningless (New Pics)

When people try to get fit, they often use a bathroom scale to track their progress. There are, however, a number of reasons why it's not a good idea. Probably the main one is that your weight only tells how heavy you are, and nothing about your body composition, which is the proportion of fat and fat-free mass in your body. And to make our argument even more convincing, Bored Panda has collected a series of before-and-after photos of people at the same weight but in a very, very different shape. You'll see, there's no need to starve yourself to achieve great results. All it takes is just good old-fashioned dedication. And after you're done scrolling through this list, check out these 28 Before & After Photos That Prove Your Weight Is Meaningless for more inspiration as well.

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"If You're Consistent At Lifting And Exercising And Hitting Protein, Don't Quit Because Things Are Happening Whether The Scale Reflects It Or Not"

Final score:

61points

POST

Rachelle 5 years ago

THIS is truly inspirational! I've been eating clean and exercising for just over two months now and was disappointed about only losing 10 pounds. My SO took pictures on day one & day 60 and there is definitely a noticeable change for the better! Keep up the great work - you look amazing!

15points

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The Number On The Scale Doesnt Tell The Whole Story

Final score:

56points

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Lorena Magee 5 years ago

less fat, more muscle

14points

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You Know What The Main Difference Is Between These Two Photos? Besides The Underwear It's My Confidence

Final score:

56points

POST

incoherent screaming 5 years ago

And new, really nice glasses

15points

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"Screw The Scale, It Legitimately Means Nothing. It Has Never Reflected My Healthiness Or Fitness Level At All"

Final score:

54points

POST

Blackjack JK 5 years ago

people need to understand that weight means nothing when you are fit. it just means muscle which weighs more than fat but when you are bigger i mean morbidly obese weight means a whole lot. just saying

18points

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Reminder That Long Term Consistency Trumps Short Term Intensity

Final score:

53points

POST

Laura w 5 years ago (edited)

Except that cardio (about 20 mins per day) helps your heart and lungs to stay healthy, makes you less prone to several types of cancer and most likely will help you avoiding neurodegenerative diseases when you're older. Not saying you shouldn't be doing weight lifting, but looking fit isn't the same as being fit and healthy.

14points

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Don't Forget That The Scale Means Absolutely Nothing

Final score:

45points

POST

incoherent screaming 5 years ago

Muscle mass!

9points

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We Are Giving The Scale Too Much Power Over Us

Final score:

41points

POST

Oliver Casasola 5 years ago

Fat vs Muscle, that's why

9points

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Heavier, Healthier And Proud

Final score:

36points

POST

SunflowersAreGold 5 years ago

Good job!

5points

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The Scale Doesn't Always Tell Us The Truth, But Pictures Do

Final score:

36points

POST

SunflowersAreGold 5 years ago

Good job! The scale doesn't matter!

8points

#10

My Body Composition Is Completely Different Through I Weigh Eight Pounds More Now

Final score:

36points

POST

Patty cake ;3 5 years ago

It doesn't matter what you look like, as long as you're happy! Also good for you! :)

7points

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#11

They Say It Takes 21 Days To Create A Habit. It’s That Habit Of Discipline And The Determination Of Wanting To Create A Healthier Life For Myself That Has Been The Backbone Of My Training The Last Two Years

They Say It Takes 21 Days To Create A Habit. It’s That Habit Of Discipline And The Determination Of Wanting To Create A Healthier Life For Myself That Has Been The Backbone Of My Training The Last Two Years

Final score:

35points

POST

SunflowersAreGold 5 years ago

You look happier too!

8points

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#12

2014- Burnt Chicken Nugget 2018- Gardein Chicken Nugget

Final score:

35points

POST

incoherent screaming 5 years ago

Actually really like your face on the first pic, nice tattoos though

8points

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#13

"There Was Nothing Wrong With My Body. But There Was Everything Wrong With The Way I Viewed It, And How I Treated It"

Final score:

33points

POST

Lily Grace 5 years ago

Wow!

6points

#14

7 Years On, 7 Rounds Of Bbg Down And About 7 Kg Heavier

Final score:

30points

POST

Catherine Todd 5 years ago

What is "BBG?"

3points

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#15

What You See On That Scale Is Not A True Indicator Of Your Health

Final score:

30points

POST

Patty cake ;3 5 years ago

You're so pretty!

4points

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#16

2 Years Later And An Entirely Different Body Composition. Just To Prove That

Final score:

30points

POST

Fanny Westwood 5 years ago

wow

5points

#17

I Started To Care Less About What I Weighed, And More About How I Felt

Final score:

28points

POST

SunflowersAreGold 5 years ago

And that is the key to a healthier, happier body. Focus on how you feel.

9points

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#18

Don't Be Afraid To Gain Weight, Build Muscle And Eat More Food

Final score:

26points

POST

SunflowersAreGold 5 years ago

💕

3points

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#19

Eat Healthy, Train Hard, Sleep Well And Give Your Body The Time It Needs To Transform From The Inside Out

Final score:

26points

POST

#20

Screw. The. Scale

Final score:

26points

POST

SunflowersAreGold 5 years ago

Yes! Screw the scale!

4points

#21

Why Are We So Hung Up On How Much We Weigh?

Final score:

23points

POST

SunflowersAreGold 5 years ago

Look at the muscle in the legs and arms! Nice job!

4points

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#22

Transformation

Final score:

23points

POST

Carmen Elena 5 years ago

WOW! GREAT ABS!

7points

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#23

So I’ve Been Working On My Nutrition For The Last 13 Weeks

Final score:

22points

POST

SunflowersAreGold 5 years ago

You go girl!

3points

#24

"One Year Ago, Weight Was Everything. But Honestly, My Perspective Is Shifting "

Final score:

22points

POST

Slune 5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

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#25

Proof That Just Because You Weigh More Doesn’t Mean You’ve Got Fat

Final score:

19points

POST

SunflowersAreGold 5 years ago

Does anybody have any tips on how to start a habit and stick with it? Especially healthy eating and running. I've been having a hard time sticking to them.

4points

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It Gave Me Routine That Still Embodied Balance And Diversity

Final score:

18points

POST

SunflowersAreGold 5 years ago

Look at that muscle!

4points

#27

I Started This Program As A Birthday Gift To Myself And It Was The Best Thing I Have Done For Myself All Year. January 1 I Set Out To Lose 20 Lbs. I Haven't Done That. This Is What I Did Instead

Final score:

16points

POST

Pretty Pangolin 5 years ago

Cute haircut in both pix too.

2points

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#28

Yeah, I’m Gonna Stop Using A Scale

Final score:

16points

POST

JillVille 5 years ago

That face of triumph!! You go girl!

7points

#29

"Three Years Ago I Decided To Make Fitness A Priority Because I Was Tired Of Looking In The Mirror"

Final score:

15points

POST

#30

"Throw Out The Scales. Your Weight Doesn't Matter"

Final score:

15points

POST

Kaitlyn T 3 months ago

You look much happier in the more recent one too!

2points

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#31

Weight Is Not A Good Measurement Of Progress

Final score:

15points

POST

#32

Transformation

Final score:

15points

POST

Patty cake ;3 5 years ago

cute phone case

3points

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#33

Weight Is Just A Number, You’ll Be A Happier Person Once You Realize That

Final score:

12points

POST

dreamer_panda 5 years ago

She's Kim Kardashian's trainer btw

4points

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"I've Been Able To Track My Journey And Every Time I See Old Pictures It Gives Me So Much Perspective!"

Final score:

9points

POST

Pungent Sauce 5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

#35

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#35

4 Years Later... And A Completely Different Body Composition!

Final score:

-13points

POST

Lorena Magee 5 years ago

actually first photo looks better, in my opinion

21points

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#36

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#36

Stop Focusing On Your Scale Weight

Final score:

-21points

POST

Nia Loves Art 5 years ago

Looks exactly the same.

19points

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What do you think ?

Nora H. 5 years ago

Hmm.. well, I actually think most of these women look perfectly fine and NORMAL in the before pics. It's great to be in good shape, but I think this post is making a lot of normal healthy women look (and maybe even feel) bad. The after pics are of women, for whom fitness is a lifestyle, who have the time, money and opportunity to focus a whole lot on their training. Obsessing over fitness is not necessarily healthy. And women are meant to have a certain amount of body fat by nature. Just stay healthy and happy, and maybe stop focusing so much on your looks.

I agree that the way you look isn’t the most important thing. I do admire these women though for the work they put in and am glad that they did what made them feel happy about their bodies.

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Melamei 2 years ago

You don’t need money to workout. Plenty of workouts are free on yt.

0points

Odin 3 years ago

That's what I'm saying. I like women to look natural. Who cares about a little fat it's just more to love

spirals 73 5 years ago

#14 looks absolutely PERFECT in the before with gorgeous curves.

Linouchka 99 5 years ago

Agreed. I actgually found a lot of them sexyer and prettier in the first pic, with a little softness and roundness, and I'm a hetero woman...

-2points

Randomcthulu 5 years ago

Muscle is 3x denser than fat, so of course you weight more once you shift to fit vs skinny fat

24points

Weigh

diane a 5 years ago (edited)

@Whatevers & Zori. I guess you are kids - as you are in "classes". A kilogram of chicken breast (no fat) is smaller in size than a kilogram of whipped cream. end of argument - Lol

1point

Whatevers not taken 5 years ago

George Beckingham 5 years ago

I've seen ads for weight loss/muscle gain products where they use every trick in the book to exaggerate the difference. In the before pics, the people are always pale, slouching, shot in harsh direct light. In the after pics, they're flexing, spray-tanned, shot in light that enhances their muscle tone. The difference in appearance far exceeds the actual fat loss/muscle gain.

Full Name 5 years ago

I watching a YouTube video where a shredded guy does the "after" pic, then stuffs himself with pop and salty/fatty chips and then takes the "before" photo a couple hours later and looks way worse.

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36 Before & After Photos That Prove Your Weight Is Meaningless (New Pics)

"If You're Consistent At Lifting And Exercising And Hitting Protein, Don't Quit Because Things Are Happening Whether The Scale Reflects It Or Not"

The Number On The Scale Doesnt Tell The Whole Story

You Know What The Main Difference Is Between These Two Photos? Besides The Underwear It's My Confidence

"Screw The Scale, It Legitimately Means Nothing. It Has Never Reflected My Healthiness Or Fitness Level At All"

Reminder That Long Term Consistency Trumps Short Term Intensity

Don't Forget That The Scale Means Absolutely Nothing

We Are Giving The Scale Too Much Power Over Us

Heavier, Healthier And Proud

The Scale Doesn't Always Tell Us The Truth, But Pictures Do

My Body Composition Is Completely Different Through I Weigh Eight Pounds More Now

They Say It Takes 21 Days To Create A Habit. It’s That Habit Of Discipline And The Determination Of Wanting To Create A Healthier Life For Myself That Has Been The Backbone Of My Training The Last Two Years

2014- Burnt Chicken Nugget 2018- Gardein Chicken Nugget

"There Was Nothing Wrong With My Body. But There Was Everything Wrong With The Way I Viewed It, And How I Treated It"

7 Years On, 7 Rounds Of Bbg Down And About 7 Kg Heavier

What You See On That Scale Is Not A True Indicator Of Your Health

2 Years Later And An Entirely Different Body Composition. Just To Prove That

I Started To Care Less About What I Weighed, And More About How I Felt

Don't Be Afraid To Gain Weight, Build Muscle And Eat More Food

Eat Healthy, Train Hard, Sleep Well And Give Your Body The Time It Needs To Transform From The Inside Out

Screw. The. Scale

Why Are We So Hung Up On How Much We Weigh?

Transformation

So I’ve Been Working On My Nutrition For The Last 13 Weeks

"One Year Ago, Weight Was Everything. But Honestly, My Perspective Is Shifting "

Proof That Just Because You Weigh More Doesn’t Mean You’ve Got Fat

It Gave Me Routine That Still Embodied Balance And Diversity

I Started This Program As A Birthday Gift To Myself And It Was The Best Thing I Have Done For Myself All Year. January 1 I Set Out To Lose 20 Lbs. I Haven't Done That. This Is What I Did Instead

Yeah, I’m Gonna Stop Using A Scale

"Three Years Ago I Decided To Make Fitness A Priority Because I Was Tired Of Looking In The Mirror"

"Throw Out The Scales. Your Weight Doesn't Matter"

Weight Is Not A Good Measurement Of Progress

Transformation

Weight Is Just A Number, You’ll Be A Happier Person Once You Realize That

"I've Been Able To Track My Journey And Every Time I See Old Pictures It Gives Me So Much Perspective!"

4 Years Later... And A Completely Different Body Composition!

Stop Focusing On Your Scale Weight

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