Woman Sheds 180lb Naturally in Under Two Years Doing 'Invisible' Exercise

Anyone who wants to lose weight knows that shedding excess pounds can be a hard thing to do, at least, that's how Leah Hope feels.

The 34-year-old portrait photographer lost an astonishing 180 pounds last year and now looks unrecognizable. She attributes her weight loss to her prioritization of gentle, "invisible" exercise and her determination to not pressure herself to workout or count calories day and night.

"I've spent the majority of my life in a larger body and became comfortable in my discomfort at that size. Last year, I had a horrible experience at Disneyland with my sister's family. What was supposed to be the happiest place on Earth was anything but that for me. I got a migraine a few hours in, my feet hurt, my back hurt and I was profusely sweating and exhausted," Hope told Newsweek.

"That's when I decided that I couldn't continue living the way I was living and I would need to make a change if I didn't want to continue missing out on so much," she added.

March 2022 was when Hope decided that she needed to reconsider her diet and lifestyle, but what helped her become a happier and healthier version of herself wasn't a strict gym routine or a clean eating regimen, but an exercise so low-maintenance and stress-free that it's practically invisible. In fact, the Arizona-based woman deems the secret to her new sense of wellbeing to be so obvious that it's "silly." Her secret? Walking, or sometimes marching, on the spot in her downtime.

Hope has recently received plenty of attention online after she shared her weight loss hack in a viral TikTok video, which has been viewed by more than 2.6 million users to date. The video captured Hope practicing her light marching exercises, which helped ease her into walking outdoors, and showed a montage of her getting slimmer as she walks.

At her heaviest weight in 2021, she had been very close to 400lbs and for long periods of time, had been hard on her body, refusing to go on walks or exercise in public for fear of being seen and sneered at. To combat this, she began walking on the spot indoors, which is what she calls giving herself "permission to start small," making it a firm part of her daily life from March 2022 onwards.

"I started adding movement into my life by marching or walking on the spot inside my home and by walking outside in my backyard. I would often split up my movement throughout the day to reach my original goal of 8,000 steps a day so that I wasn't overwhelming my larger body with too much all at once," she said.

Taking things easily and keeping consistent with the new and healthier lifestyle changes is exactly what personal trainer David Mason encourages his clients to do.

"One of the biggest challenges with weight loss is maintaining healthy eating and living habits," he told Newsweek.

"Most of us know what we should be doing, and often start a new diet with enthusiasm, but maintaining it around the business and stresses of daily life is where the hard work comes in. It can be especially tricky if you are travelling and out of your usual routine."

Dietician Kimberly Gomer backs Mason, arguing that the best way to lose weight is by going about it healthily, gently and in a way that can be sustained as a new approach to life.

"Every individual has their own unique needs, including health and lifestyle and including both mental and physical challenges, the best weight loss plan may vary greatly from person to person," she told Newsweek.

Hope is currently 211lbs and considers herself to still be on her weight loss journey, because she's shifted what she'd learned to help her shed a few pounds into a long-term lifestyle. She still walks on the spot at home for five minutes at a time while watching television or waiting for something to cook in her oven, and she can't see herself "ending" that anytime soon.

"I've learned that the amount of time it takes to lose the weight doesn't matter. What matters is that the behaviors you are changing are sustainable in the long run. If you are adapting to a new lifestyle, it doesn't matter how long it takes to lose the weight because there is no end date, this is simply your new life," she explained.

She went on to share that since making these lifestyle changes she's been feeling healthier and more confident than ever, and is keen to never miss out on opportunities and experiences again.

"I'm feeling so much more capable, strong, energized, confident, resilient and fulfilled and those are the things that matter most to me! It's not a smaller body I'm after, it's a bigger life I'm chasing," she said.

"And that's exactly what I'm getting! Being healthier has impacted my life in every way! My relationships are richer, my days are fuller and my dreams are bigger than ever! I feel true freedom for the first time in my life and that is priceless!"

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