I Lost 215 Lbs and Transformed My Health Without GLP-1s or Dieting—Only These Simple Mindset Shifts
How Leah Hope, 36, ditched restrictive diets and gained energy, freedom and a life she loves
Arizona-based photographer Leah Hope, 36, lost more than 200 pounds—without GLP-1 meds or weight-loss surgery—using super-real, tough-love, full-of-grace advice. No wonder her story went viral. One Reddit user called it “the most beautifully articulated health journey I have ever seen!” Leah’s philosophy: “It’s not about chasing a smaller body. It’s about living a bigger life!” Here, the woman who is inspiring millions talks exclusively to Woman’s World about the choices that worked for her and can help you, too. Keep reading for the sustainable mindset shifts she used to achieve a life-changing transformation.
How Leah knew it was time to make a change
“Driving home after trying to spend the day at Disneyland with my 3-year-old nephew, I was disappointed with myself,” recalls Leah. “I couldn’t believe I thought I was going to be able to handle it. Even making a bed felt hard at 398 pounds. So, of course, at the park I was exhausted, stuck on a bench, nursing a migraine. I suddenly realized how small my life had become. I didn’t have choices. My body, health and limited endurance made them for me. I knew I had to change my daily habits to bring me closer to the future life I wanted to live.
“I’d tried plenty of diets, starting in the third grade. But if plans only worked for a little while, they didn’t really work. I needed something I could sustain forever.
Woman's World Answers
5 mindset shifts that spurred Leah Hope’s weight loss
“This was the first time I ever tried the mindset: I want to gain health more than I want to lose weight. I intentionally used these shifts daily to get there:
1. Discipline beats motivation
“People asked me, ‘How did you stay motivated?’ I didn’t. Motivation is fleeting. Instead, I focused on discipline and how I was going to feel proud and strong after doing something good for myself. Look, I’ve never once been motivated to do my taxes, but I do them. So I decided to follow through on my healthy habits no matter how I felt. Motivation is something that happens to you, and discipline is something you choose. It’s funny. Before, I thought I was living an easy life by not being disciplined. But it made life harder. Now I do the opposite: Daily discipline is hard, but it makes everything so much easier!
2. Try all-or-something
“I used to get stuck in perfectionism. Then I traded all-or-nothing for all-or-something. Doing anything toward my goal was better than not. If I didn’t have 45 minutes to workout, but I had five, I took a walk or marched while my coffee brewed. The consistency of the habit mattered more than the time spent doing it. Numbers weren’t my focus, but for those who are curious, I lost 58 pounds in six months.
3. Live the future now
“I stopped thinking about what would get me the fastest results. Instead, I imagined who I wanted to become. What habits did that person have? In that dream, the best version of me woke up and took a walk. She made a healthy breakfast, then sat down to do a devotional. I realized I could do those things now. Don’t wait.
4. Find movement you enjoy
“While wearing a size 6X, I didn’t like physical activity. But I had to find ways to intentionally move my body. I experimented: walking, chair yoga, swimming. Pickleball was the first time my body started to crave activity. That led to hiking. It took a year, (123 lost pounds) for movement to no longer feel forced. I liked the fast results: having more energy and feeling accomplished. I aimed to burn 1,000 calories each day.
5. Keep a food and mood journal
“I decided to eat what helped me feel good. So I tracked everything I ate and how it made me feel, like what foods gave me a headache or a stomachache. I liked high protein (cottage cheese, air fryer chicken) and healthy carbs (fruit, sourdough).
“Tracking on an app kept me organized. (My counts changed. In the beginning, I could eat 2,700 calories per day and still lose. Now it’s closer to 1,700.) Some weeks we lose, some weeks we don’t (due to things like hormones). But by tracking, I knew 100 percent that I was in a calorie deficit and doing what I was supposed to be doing. The rest was beyond my control.
Why you need tools to help along the way
“I wanted to lose weight naturally, without medical intervention, bypass surgery or GLP-1 drugs. But I didn’t do it on my own. I had an accountability partner, a personal trainer, a counselor. I had my Apple Watch and my food-tracking app. I had compression garments for my lipedema condition. We all need tools. It’s just a matter of each person deciding what tools will be the best option for them.
Leah’s amazing weight-loss results
“I started in March 2022 and was patient, persistent and gave myself grace. No need to rush. No finish line. This was forever, so I took it one day at a time. I’ve lost 215 pounds, 24 inches in my waist and 24 inches in my hips. My pant size fell from 32 to 12.
“I just had skin-reduction surgery (lower body, breasts, arms) to remove 10 extra pounds of loose skin. My favorite compliments aren’t about my appearance but are when people tell me I ‘glow.’ My body, scars and all, is a scrapbook of my life. Now I love how my life is bigger. I have freedom to go horseback riding, zip lining and kayaking. I can ride Space Mountain and play in my nephew’s fort. This lifestyle change was absolutely worth it. I gained so much more than I ever gave up!”
Mindset shifts are an expert-approved weight-loss approach
Leah did everything right in her weight-loss journey, says food-addiction specialist Vera Tarman, MD, author of Food Junkies: Recovery from Food Addiction. “Many people don’t need GLP-1s because mindset shifts are so effective with weight loss.” In fact, she adds, “70 percent of your ability to achieve lasting weight loss is tied to making mindset shifts. It’s critical!”
Dr. Tarman knows that firsthand. She has kept 100 pounds off for 16 years with mental tools like Leah used. She says, “It’s hard at first, but it only takes three or four weeks for those mental shifts to get easier!”
Fuel up like Leah: Enjoy a sample of her satisfying meals
Leah ate three meals daily, plus healthy snacks. She focused on protein and minimally processed whole foods. “I didn’t track carbs or fat.” Instead, she ate a good amount of healthy carbs. And she doesn’t love vegetables, so she skipped them. “Enjoying my food was really important,” she says. See her winning weight-loss routine below and follow her on Instagram @LeahHopeHealth to stay inspired!
• Breakfast: Opt for eggs (any style) and seasonal fruit. Or try a cottage cheese bowl with fruit and granola.
• Lunch: Leah loves open-face sandwiches made with local sourdough, cream cheese, ham and berry jam.
• Dinner: Try protein pasta with chicken sausage and marinara sauce mixed with cottage cheese.
As told to Lisa Maxbauer. Additional research by Courtney Shapiro and Claire Reinthaler
This story originally appeared in the January 5, 2026, issue of Woman’s World
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