I almost can’t believe I’ve been on this journey for four years.

It hasn’t been four years of perfect eating, never missing a workout, or watching the scale consistently move downward. It has been four years of starting, stopping, trying again, figuring things out, gaining some weight, losing some weight, changing my routine, learning about my body, getting frustrated and then choosing to keep going anyway. And honestly, I think that’s the part of this journey I’m most proud of.

It Started With a Mirror Selfie

In January 2022, I took a mirror selfie with my friends, and I looked visibly wider. They teased me, as usual, because I’ve always had curves, but I knew I was wider than I remembered.

I started working out again and paying more attention to what I was doing. My weight has always fluctuated throughout the years, so I didn’t initially think it was a big deal. I’d also been intermittently fasting for years and mostly doing OMAD (one meal a day), so I genuinely didn’t understand what was happening. I just knew that something had changed.

Then 2023 came, and I had lost some weight, but grief made me gain some of it back before the year ended. Since then, my weight has continued to fluctuate as usual. While my inner circle sometimes thought I was going crazy and obsessing over it, I could feel the changes in my clothes. I gradually moved from a Zara size 10 jeans to a size 12 and then a size 14. The annoying part was that my waist still looked visibly smaller in clothes, and I always had to fit the waist of the jeans to my waist, even though my jeans size had increased. At some point, I weighed 74kg!

I Started Walking A Lot – 10K Steps

By 2024, I became obsessed with my step count. There was a period when I was doing 13,000 steps a day. Did I lose some weight? Yes. Was it significant? No. But I didn’t stop. I had also started going to the gym at least twice a week, and I kept going. In 2025, I took the gym more seriously and continued with my steps, alternating between 10,000 and 13,000 a day. I took breaks, but I didn’t stop. I even completed my step count on Christmas Day because I was THAT determined.

2026: Something Started to Click

Then 2026 came, and I still didn’t stop. I added home workouts to my routine, kept up with my steps and gym days, and recently started running once a week, too. This time around, my consistency was up a notch. I didn’t dilly-dally on my home workouts. I made sure to bank a workout on every weekday. I rested on the weekends. One of the biggest changes I’ve made in the past three months, in addition to everything I’m doing, has been the way I eat, the frequency of my meals and what I eat when I do. I still eat everything I want. However, I’m proud of myself because snacking has become a thing of the past, and my cravings are much milder.

For years, I kept trying different things without really knowing what worked for me. I think I’ve finally found it. The results started becoming more obvious. I first noticed it in my thighs while taking a shower. Guess what? I’m finally under 70kg, and I can wear a Zara size 10 pair of jeans without forcing myself into them. The funny thing is that I’m fitting comfortably into some clothes I haven’t worn in years, and I’m actually really happy about it.

The Numbers Don’t Tell the Whole Story

One thing I’ve learned throughout this journey is that the scale is only one way of measuring change. There were periods when the number wasn’t moving the way I wanted it to, but my clothes were fitting differently. There were times when my waist looked smaller even though my jeans size had gone up. There were times when I felt stronger. And there were times when I simply felt better in my body. Those things count too. As you can see from my measurements, I still have some stubborn areas, AKA my arms. The hips aren’t going anywhere, apparently, but did you notice the significant reduction in my thighs? I’m honestly alarmed!

It Hasn’t Been a Straight Line

My results have been slow. And somewhere in between all of this, I was also dealing with hormonal issues and difficult PMS and cycle symptoms. It made understanding my body even more complicated. I’ve learned that some of what I experienced is actually common, which made me feel a little less like my body was working against me. In case you aren’t aware, as women, our body changes throughout the month. One week, you’re dealing with intense bloating because of your impending cycle, and the next, your hormone levels reset, and you suddenly feel lighter, more energised, and comfortable in your clothes again. Once I hit 35, it was as if my body knew and attacked me in every way imaginable.

Apparently, I’ve Added Weight Again

And just to prove that bodies really do what they want, someone told me last week that I’ve added weight. After all the weight I’ve lost. I laughed because, honestly, what else was I supposed to do? Four years into this journey, I’m not going to let one person’s observation make me forget how far I’ve come. Weight fluctuates, bodies change, clothes fit differently, measurements change, and life happens.

I’m Proud That I Didn’t Stop

If there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it’s that progress doesn’t always look the way you expect it to.

• Sometimes it is slow.
• Sometimes you lose weight and gain some back.
• Sometimes you have to change your approach.
• Sometimes your body changes in ways you didn’t anticipate.
• Sometimes you work hard for months and barely notice a difference.
• Sometimes someone tells you that you’ve gained weight after you’ve spent years working on yourself.

I’m sharing this because I know what it feels like to be frustrated by slow progress. To wonder whether what you’re doing is working. To look at the scale and think, “Is this it?” If that’s where you are, I hope you remember that you don’t have to see dramatic results immediately for your efforts to matter. Your body may be changing in ways you can’t see yet.

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I’ve also watched the conversation around weight loss change dramatically, especially with the rise of weight-loss injections and GLP-1 medications. I’m not here to tell anyone what they should or shouldn’t do with their body. Everyone’s journey is different, and what works for one person may not work for another. For me, I’ve chosen to keep figuring out what works for my body through movement, food, consistency, patience and plenty of trial and error. And that’s what matters to me.

The journey might take longer than you expected, but that doesn’t mean you’re not making progress. Four years later, I’m still not stopping. I’m pretty proud of that.

You got this.

Mariam Shittu