How I Lost 200 Pounds Naturally | My Health Journey Q&A (Part 1)
I lost 200 pounds naturally, no surgery, no medication, just consistent habits, mindset shifts, and grace. In this first part of my health journey Q&A, I’m answering your questions about how it all began, from my wake-up call to my first steps toward a healthier, happier life.
If you’re looking for weight loss motivation, guidance on how to be more healthy, or just need hope that change is possible, this is for you.
In this video, I share:
✿ The moment that inspired me to start my weight loss journey
✿ How I decided what to eat and how much
✿ My calorie goals, mindset shifts, and early mistakes
✿ How I stayed consistent, found balance, and learned to love myself
▶︎ Watch Part 2 here:
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🔗 LINKS
🧮 Basal* Metabolic Rate Calculator:
⭐️ Getting Started Guide:
✅ FREE Health Tracker:
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⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 – Intro
0:19 – Was there a specific moment or wakeup call that pushed you to change?
3:08 – How did you start? What were your first steps?
4:32 – How did you decide what to eat and how much?
10:12 – What was your calorie goal in the beginning?
11:29 – Did you work with a nutritionist or coach?
13:11 – Did you do it all naturally, or did you use medication or have surgery?
14:43 – What would you do differently if you had to start over?
17:06 – What are the mindset shifts you made to make this change possible?
23:36 – How did you stay motivated long term when results were slow?
26:32 – How do you stay consistent when life gets busy or stressful?
29:07 – How did you learn to love yourself during the process, not just at the end?
31:44 – How did your mindset toward food and your body change?
35:06 – What did a typical day of meals look like on your journey?
38:00 – Did you eat carbs, sugar, or treat foods?
40:32 – How did you handle cravings, emotional eating, or binge eating?
44:04 – What vitamins or supplements do you take?
45:10 – Did you ever have cheat meals or cheat days?
47:21 – How did you start exercising when it felt hard or uncomfortable, and what was your first consistent form of movement?
47:40 – Did you have a daily step goal?
50:29 – How did you find confidence to go to the gym when you were heavier?
51:19 – Did you work with a personal trainer?
52:42 – Did you ever gain weight back during your journey?
54:24 – Are you afraid of regaining weight now?
55:52 – How do you maintain your current weight, and what changed between weight loss mode and maintenance mode?
57:42 – Would you do the journey again if you had to?
58:52 – Did you ever struggle with body dysmorphia?
1:01:26 – Did you see a therapist during your journey?
1:03:30 – How did your faith or spirituality impact your transformation?
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LEAH HOPE HEALTH
💜 Not chasing a smaller body, but a bigger life! ™
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🎬 Produced, Filmed & Edited by @PaigeMajor
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, nutritionist, or medical professional. Everything I share in this video is based on my own personal experience and what has worked for me. Always consult your doctor or a qualified health provider before making changes to your diet, exercise routine, or health plan.
Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links in this description may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps support my channel. Thank you for your support!
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BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate
Slight typo in the video. 🙈
❤thank you for sharing
Good stuff, thx
Europe and Asia don t count calories they choose foods that gives them a high metabolism. They also drink alcohol with a fatty meal to burn body fat.
You look amazing-bravo bravo
Thank you for sharing your beautiful spirit and testimony ❤. It’s so inspiring! God bless you ❤
Thank you for giving the fact that it takes reducing calories to lose weight. and for health, better food choices.
Leah, you are so inspiring for so much more than your weight loss success! Your blessed attitude and outlook is beautiful, inside and out.
Leah you are so inspiring. God bless you for sharing your journey with us. I only lost 50 lbs but I did it after 60 so it was a challenge and I did it for my family because I love the, too. Small changes are so important! Super thankful to meet another woman sharing her story.
I have been on the shot for over a year and seen a nutritionist and have not been able to get past 27 pound weight loss. I need to lose about 70 more pounds. I probably need to stop the shot and go your route. It sounds much healthier, physically and mentally.
You are AMAZING!!!!! And you exude LOVE!
I appreciate that you shared that you already loved yourself and that is why you chose better health. Thank you for your transparency and example. The Lord bless you!😊
You were so wise to start with just a couple small, manageable habits. And I love that you said you'd go slower if you could do it again. I've been alternating between cuts and maintenance so I can practice both. 8 weeks in a deficit followed by 8 weeks at maintenance. It's been eye opening
so wise. AND the BMR info was something I didNOT know until this video. That whole part was super helpful. thanks!!
I have no discipline with food yet I have never been overweight. It's easy when you have learned to love real food from childhoor.
So I’m going for surgery in a few weeks tight lift and arm. Any suggestions for recovery. Healing and moving around how quickly did you started.! In and out off bed and restrooms 🚽 was it extremely painful
Thank you for sharing! I have watched ALOT of weight loss and health tip videos but this is the most easy to follow and relatable one I’ve ever seen. So many of them feel like you’re listening to someone who forgot what it was like to start at the beginning and not know what a BMR is or why it’s important to understand how the food we eat fuels us internally so we shouldn’t cut the calories too far for the sake of the scale. I appreciate how you broken down the beginning process and was honest about how you made small changes and kept the timeline open ended. Well done! 🎉
The face i made when you said "sometimes you have to learn to love whay is good for you" 😆😆 that took me back to my Twihard days.
Thank you for this encouraging and positive video.
Honest tracking made the biggest difference for me too. I just snap a photo of each meal in AI Calorie Tracker & Counter and it does the math, way less painful than weighing everything by hand.
Say something about lipedema surgery cost and procedure
Hi just found your channel, my first step starts July 1st 2026, giving myself until then, to give up alcohol and soda by the 1st, then I'm doing sugar and walking in the first 7 days.
I want a bigger life! Not just a smaller body… Love that! 💕💕💕 I also love what you're saying about loving yourself even with an extra 80 pounds.
Saw you with Sal that I saw on Will Tennyson.
Your journey is so inspiring and so impressive. I loved your segment on self-worth! Thanks for putting so much positivity into this world.
Love this!! Thank you!
I have lost 148 pounds without medication or surgery. Way more vegetables than I ever ate before is my new norm.
❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Are your lips natural or filler?
"You can still choose discipline, when you don't feel motivated. " I LOVE THIS QUOTE!!!!❤❤❤
Dear Leah, thank you for sharing! ❤Thank you for being such a smart young lady! ❤
I am 68 years old and have been struggling with my weight all my life. Your words made me think of many things… Thank you, my dear! You are amazing! ❤❤❤
Where do you come from ? 😊
You are truly an inspiration! I have lost 70 pounds I'm 66 pounds away from my goal. I lost 150 pounds 20 years ago in 9 months and gained it all back. So, Im back on this journey but this time is taking me longer to lose weight because my health was not the best, then my husband got sick with cancer, we completely changed our lifestyles to become healthy. God created nature, so Im sure we can heal with wholefoods.
You lost me a few minutes in. "Healthy Animal products?"
You are the only person doing this without GLP-1s that I can find so far. It’s unbelievable how hard it is to find content from people who have success without peptides anymore and I suspect some even lie about it which is super frustrating and sad.
My BMR is 1390 and my average active calories are 419 according to my Apple Watch which equals 1809 but I know for a FACT I don’t lose weight unless I eat less than 1300 calories/day. Depressing side effect of being a 49 year old very very short woman I guess. I used to be able to lift heavy and eat more but I have a grade II spondylolisthesis at L5-S1, progressing towards grade III, and I’m scared of making it worse.
Thank you for sharing your insights!
I love what you said, "You cannot hate yourself into a body that you love." I have struggled with self loathing for years, and the only times I have been able to lose weight were times when I felt ready to love myself, when I felt that maybe I actually did deserve to be healthy. Every time the weight came back, it was because my depression told me I wasn't worth the effort anymore. Now I'm on a weight loss journey again, and trying to give myself grace when I make choices that aren't "right." I'm hoping so hard that this is the last weight loss I'll ever need, and that I can find the love for myself to keep going
Вы невероятная! Крепкого здоровья вам!
Wow! Hugely inspirational – I find myself in a mindset very similar to where you started, and have set out on a journey to lose 100lbs plus. I decided to create a YouTube channel at the same time to track my journey and to find a community to share it with, hoping to help people on a similar journey as I go, but what has surprised me most of all is just how powerful a motivator that community would be for me – YouTube is an amazing platform for this. Did you find that sharing your journey on social media helped to keep you going?