Trying to drop a large amount of weight can feel so daunting that it stops people from starting at all, but one man who had struggled with his size since childhood says losing 100lbs “completely turned his life around.”
The change showed up in obvious ways—he went from XXL to a medium—but he says the bigger shift was how people responded to him, from relatives to strangers and potential partners.
“I grew up a massive introvert, rarely got any dates or women interested in me,” the man who was once 300lbs shared on Reddit. “Now, women regularly flirt with me, I’ve been catcalled, and I’ve been on more dates in the last 3 years then I ever had in my entire 20s.”
According to the 27-year-old Redditor, who is 6’2, the transformation happened quickly: he lost around a third of his body weight in under seven months by sticking to a structured diet and exercise routine—without using medications like Mounjaro or Wegovy.
Keeping weight off typically calls for long-term habit changes and patience, plus consistent movement. And for many people, it also means leaning on “safe” meals that are easy to track and repeat.
That was the case for the user, who posts under the name ‘MuscleCrow’. Over those seven months, he relied heavily on simple staples and paired that with steady daily activity—an hour-long walk after work and regular strength sessions using weights.
He explained: “I changed my diet, went on a keto diet for the most part, and I walked 5-6 days a week for 1 hour. Would go outside, put on music, and just walk..”
As part of the approach, he cut down carbohydrates—something he later framed as “fear”—and aimed for roughly 1600 to 1800 calories a day. For context, general guidance often puts active men at around 2500kcal to maintain their weight.
He says he didn’t just lose it—he’s sustained it. “I have been maintaining it, I’ve kept the weight off for about 3 years now. Mainly doing strength training, been building up some serious muscle over the past 2~ years.”
He also reflected on how hard it can be to grow up bigger than other kids, especially when constant comments and jokes start to stick.
And he noticed that bias doesn’t stay confined to schoolyard cruelty; he says the way people treated him in everyday life shifted dramatically once his body changed.
“I rarely got compliments as a kid, or an adult, especially unprompted. Now, compliments kind of just fly my way,” he shared.
He believes part of that difference may be tied to how weight loss affected his mindset and how he carries himself socially.
He added: “My friends of all told me that I am much more positive person now I’m more outgoing and just generally I’m much happier overall.”
He also pointed out that for many people, harsh comments about weight don’t begin in public—they start at home, shaping self-image early on.
The weight loss enthusiast explained: “My parents would mildly fat shame me as a kid, they don’t do that anymore. My dad actively tells me how good I look, and that I should keep doing what I’m doing.”
After spending most of his life being known as “the bigger one,” he says extended family reactions changed too once they saw him after the transformation.
He added: “All my other relatives were impressed the first time when I saw them. I only see my distant relatives once a year, they were admiring my muscles at the last pool party. Lol.”
When it comes to dating, he said confidence plays a major role—and he thinks living in a culture that often equates attractiveness with thinness can make that confidence difficult for larger people to build.
After dropping from XXL to medium, he says attention became a common part of his nights out.
This was only confirmed for the weight losing Redditor when he went from a XXL to a medium. He said: “When I go out, which is usually the weekends, I get flirted with at least once. Lots of arm/bicep touching.”
He suggested that the shift may be linked to feeling better in himself, and also to physical changes. He said that when he was 300lbs, he experienced erectile dysfunction with ‘the very few partners that I did have before my weight loss.’
Now, he says his dating life looks completely different. “All my dates have ended in hookups, except for one.”
Even with the positives, he acknowledged he made mistakes while pushing hard toward his goal, including taking calorie restriction too far at times.
“I definitely overdid it,” he said. “I was so focused on my goal that I had some bad weeks where I would severely under eat, and just suffer with a hungry stomach until the next day. I definitely don’t recommend that.”
‘MuscleCrow’ also said he’s dealing with some loose skin after losing 100lbs, estimating around “5 percent,” though he’s seen improvement since settling at about 200lbs.
He explained: “I do have some loose skin which has gotten better over time as I’ve used a ton of moisturizer and built muscle to try and help. It’s not too bad, but I’m not at a low body fat yet to see how much more loose it would become.”