Everybody loves an inspiring body transformation story. Losing weight and gaining muscle—especially when you’re starting from square one—may be incredibly difficult, but the results are also amazingly motivating. 

Today’s motivation? Meghan Gilbert, a 21-year-old from Dallas, TX.

In high school, Gilbert was often bullied by her classmates who told her that her legs “jiggled” so much that “thunder struck” every time she walked into a room. Depression and a binge-eating disorder, only made worse by the taunting she received at school, led Gilbert’s weight to spiral out of control so much so that at one point she weighed north of 200lbs.

 

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The girl on the left was 200 lbs of depression, anxiety, and sin. I was addicted to drugs and I partied every night. I woke up in the morning wanting to forget that I had to wake up this morning.. my life was just..sad. I hated every part of my body and being until I took one too many pills and sipped one too many drinks, waking up after 36 hours of straight sleep. Well, could be longer. When I woke up from my overdose, I saw my tattoo "walk by faith not by sight" and that's when I knew I wasn't doing life right. The Bible PREACHES LOVE! That's Jesus's commandment. So that's where I started. I loved myself. I loved the gym. I loved the hardship. I loved the pain and soreness. I loved the people around me. And most of all, I loved God. When you first start to lift weights and someone pushes you to go harder, most the time you say no I can't do that much! But then you try, and you get one Rep out. You think you can't do it, but in reality you can. It hurts. You build muscle by tearing it down… Same thing goes in life. You gain strength through hardship. You will always have gloomy times in your life, and what matters most is your mindset. Saying no, I can't do it and not trying. Or saying yes, I can do it. I will try. I won't give up, no matter how hard it is or how much it hurts. I trust You, God. After the pain and trials, you end up stronger. I started at a 5lb dumbell, and now I'm lifting a 25lb. It hurt when I first lifted that 5.. so bad. But I kept on going. To 10. It hurt. To 15. It hurt. The same goes for life. Trials are like God's gym. Building you up to prepare for what is to come next. ❤️ 80 lbs downs plus a gained mindset of strength and endurance. Clean for 2 years and one month ?????????????

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Gilbert first started by working out in her local park every day before eventually falling in love with exercise and hiring a personal trainer. The now-Instagram-famous young model, who has nearly 45,000 followers, has since lost more than 80lbs and achieved a toned physique with visible muscle—silencing all the bullies who once put her down.

See more of her incredible transformation in the Instagram photos below:

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Lifting is not about how I look. (And yes my posing is messed up, I have a roll over my shorts, and my legs show the chubby side.❤️) I do not workout to have a nice body. I lift because it makes me stronger. It gives me a challenge to be a stronger and better me every time I walk into the doors of the gym. Within every rep, im bettering myself. What I learn in the gym, I apply to my life. It's heavy and hurts, but the next time you do that lift, you'll be stronger and it will be easier. Your muscle has to hurt and tear in order to grow. And the same goes for your life. If times are hard, keep pushing and then things will get better, and the next time this situation comes along you'll be SO much more strong and able to handle it without as much stress. I body build because it not only helps my physical health, but my mental and spiritual health as well. Growing up, I didn't have this concept about that and it has been LIFE changing❤️

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LEG DAY! TAG SOMEONE WHO NEEDS INSPIRATION "God prepare me for the war Comfort be the thing that'll make a king fall Eyes on the Lord, gotta grip that blade of the sword Tell me how you plan on gettin' swole if you don't ever get sore (hold up) They say, "Andy, this ain't music for your core" If they jumpin' ship now, they was never on board I got enemies, man they wanna see me on the floor I got frenemies, couldn't even tell you who they are If you're not driven by the mission, you'll be driven by the cars Focused on what you been gettin' more than becomin' who you are I tried to point 'em to the Son, but why they callin' me a star? Who woulda thought we set they minds free with these bars? In this game, in this biz Want the fame, want get rich Comfort, everybody wantin' it Never knew I could be lost in this This my sophomore, gotta go hard When the show over, no encore I got enough but I want more, want more!" – @andymineo song uncomfortable

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