From the other side of the consultation, briefly.

Before/after narrative for mental health — one year in:

Before (264 lbs): Winded climbing stairs, chronic back pain, pre-diabetic, on 3 medications, dreaded mirrors, avoided photos, social anxiety about my weight.

After (194 lbs): Run 3 miles regularly, pain-free, A1C normal, down to 1 medication, bought a swimsuit for the first time in a decade, actually enjoy being photographed.

Total weight lost: 79 lbs. Total life gained: immeasurable. This isn't just about weight — it's about reclaiming your identity.

quinn_sf said:

One year anniversary on mental health — reflections: What I wish I'd known: the side effects are temporary, the benefits compound over time, protein…

Therapy insights from my mental health journey: my therapist introduced me to the concept of "identity updating" — the psychological work of becoming a new version of yourself.

Key realizations: I used food to manage emotions, I had internalized fatphobia that I'm still unpacking, my social identity was partly built around being "the big guy/girl," and learning to accept compliments is surprisingly hard when you've been invisible for years.

Physical transformation without emotional processing is unstable. Do both.

quinn_sf said:

One year anniversary on mental health — reflections: What I wish I'd known: the side effects are temporary, the benefits compound over time, protein…

Saving this. It is the first explanation that did not require me to already understand it. I will report back once I have actually tried it.

Adding the clinical framing, because it changes how the question reads. The honest answer is that the effect is real, the magnitude is contested, and the individual variation is larger than either. Those three things can all be true at once, and most arguments here are two people holding different parts of that.

Moderator note: the sourcing question belongs in the vendor section and has been split out. Carry on.