Weight loss subreddits provide science based guidance, community support, and accountability for people working to lose weight in healthy and sustainable ways. These communities cover nutrition, exercise, calorie counting, and the psychological aspects of weight management.
17.5M
Total Subscribers
15
Communities
Promo Tolerance
Weight loss subs are split between calorie counters and lifestyle approaches. Both crowds require concrete data: starting weight, current weight, timeframe, and method.
Posting before and after without your calorie target, exercise level, and any medication context is dismissed as misleading.
Detailed timeline post: starting stats, calorie target, exercise routine, plateaus, current stats with date
Steal these openers verbatim. Each one mirrors a thread pattern that consistently passes the early-vote filter in weight loss communities.
“Lost 67 pounds in 14 months. Starting weight 247, current weight 180. Here's the exact calorie approach.”
Specific start weight, specific end weight, specific duration. r/loseit requires this format to take a progress post seriously. The sub has seen enough vague 'I lost a lot of weight' posts that it now applies a silent quality filter requiring real numbers.
“Plateau at 1,650 calories for 6 weeks. What I changed and why the scale finally moved.”
Plateau posts are perennial high-engagement content because every person in a deficit eventually hits one. Specific calorie target + specific duration + resolution = the format that gets saved and upvoted because it is directly actionable.
“Full day of eating at 1,400 calories, no food scale. How I eyeball portions after three years of counting.”
Counterintuitive post from a person who has graduated beyond the scale. r/CICO and r/loseit readers at different stages of their journey respond to this because it shows a trajectory, not just a static method.
“What MyFitnessPal has not been able to log accurately for me, and how I adjusted my estimates.”
Tool limitation post with a specific named tool. r/loseit respects people who push back on app accuracy rather than trusting it blindly. This signals a practitioner with real experience rather than a newcomer following instructions.
These are the patterns mods in weight loss subs flag fastest. Spot them in your own draft before you hit post.
r/loseit moderates progress posts that omit methodology because the sub has been flooded with posts from people selling supplements who post dramatic results with no context. Even genuine transformations get dismissed without the data.
Instead: Use the r/progresspics title format: gender, age, height, starting weight, current weight. Then in the body: calorie target used, exercise approach, total duration, any plateaus encountered. Every variable matters to someone trying to figure out if your approach is replicable for them.
Weight loss subs universally ban supplement promotion. The history of predatory marketing in this space has made mods aggressive. Even unpaid, genuine recommendations for products that cost money get removed quickly.
Instead: Stick to free and well-understood tools: MyFitnessPal, Cronometer, Eat This Much. If someone asks specifically about a paid tool in a comment, you can answer. Never introduce a paid product as part of a post about your method.
Weight loss subs get flooded with 'why am I not losing weight' posts from people who list no current calories, no exercise frequency, and no current weight. The sub cannot help without this information, and regulars have learned to skip these posts.
Instead: Before posting a stall question, use Cronometer or MyFitnessPal for one week to get your actual intake number, then post that number alongside your TDEE estimate. 'Eating 1,600 calories per day according to two weeks of logging, TDEE estimated at 1,900, losing nothing in 5 weeks, female, 5'4', 163 pounds' is a post the sub can work with.
A user started posting monthly check-ins on r/loseit at 283 pounds with a specific format: weight, calorie target, exercise log, what went wrong that month, and what they were changing. Sixteen months later at 183 pounds, they compiled all 16 posts into a single thread. The compilation post hit 15,000 upvotes and was linked in the r/loseit wiki within a week. The person received 600 DMs. They never promoted anything. Their only profile link was to a free Google Sheet template they had made for tracking monthly data.
Takeaway
Real-time documentation across a long timeline is the format weight loss subs value most. A single before-and-after has one data point. Sixteen monthly posts have sixteen data points and a complete methodology the community can actually use.
The largest weight loss community on Reddit focused on sustainable, healthy weight loss through calorie awareness and lifestyle changes. Very supportive and welcoming.
Best Content Type
Progress posts and strategy discussions
Posting Tip
Include your starting weight, current weight, goal weight, and the methods you are using for context.
A visual transformation community where members share before and after photos of their weight loss journeys. Incredibly motivating and one of the most positive places on Reddit.
Best Content Type
Before and after transformation photos
Posting Tip
Follow the title format with gender, age, height, starting weight, and current weight for consistency.
Dedicated to the Calories In, Calories Out approach to weight loss. Focuses on the fundamental science of energy balance without promoting any specific diet.
Best Content Type
Calorie counting tips and meal ideas
Posting Tip
Share your daily calorie target and examples of meals that keep you satisfied within your budget.
For people eating around 1200 calories per day, typically shorter or less active women. Shares low calorie recipes, meal plans, and volume eating strategies.
Best Content Type
Low calorie meals and full day of eating posts
Posting Tip
Include calorie counts for each item and the total when sharing meal photos or full day logs.
Similar to 1200isplenty but for a slightly higher calorie target. More inclusive for taller women and less active men pursuing moderate deficits.
Best Content Type
Moderate calorie meal ideas
Posting Tip
Show how to create satisfying, filling meals within the 1500 calorie daily range.
Covers all forms of intermittent fasting including 16:8, OMAD, and alternate day fasting. Members share results, meal timing strategies, and fasting tips.
Best Content Type
Fasting results and schedule discussions
Posting Tip
Specify your fasting protocol, eating window, and what you typically eat when sharing your approach.
The largest ketogenic diet community covering low carb, high fat eating for weight loss and health. Includes recipes, science discussion, and progress stories.
Best Content Type
Keto recipes and progress updates
Posting Tip
Include net carb counts when sharing recipes and mention your daily macro targets.
Focused on eating large portions of low calorie dense foods to feel full while losing weight. Shares high volume, low calorie recipes and snack ideas.
Best Content Type
High volume, low calorie recipes
Posting Tip
Show the portion size alongside the calorie count to highlight the volume eating advantage.
A safe and supportive space for people starting their weight loss journey at very high weights. Focuses on the unique challenges of significant weight loss.
Best Content Type
Early journey support and milestone celebrations
Posting Tip
Be extra compassionate and recognize that every small step is significant at higher starting weights.
Covers fitness and weight loss specifically for shorter individuals who have lower calorie needs and different body composition goals.
Best Content Type
Petite specific fitness and nutrition tips
Posting Tip
Include your height when sharing advice as calorie and exercise needs vary significantly by stature.
A straightforward advice community for weight loss questions. More focused on getting quick answers than the longer form content on r/loseit.
Best Content Type
Quick questions and practical answers
Posting Tip
Include your current stats, diet approach, and specific question to get the most useful answers.
A smaller community focused on obesity as a medical condition, covering treatment options, advocacy, and reducing weight stigma in healthcare.
Best Content Type
Medical treatment discussions and advocacy
Posting Tip
Approach weight loss as a health issue and be respectful of different treatment approaches including medical interventions.
A support community for people struggling with binge eating disorder. Focuses on recovery, understanding triggers, and building a healthier relationship with food.
Best Content Type
Recovery strategies and peer support
Posting Tip
Focus on emotional support and recovery rather than calorie counts, which can be triggering.
While not weight loss specific, this community excels at healthy, budget friendly recipes that naturally support weight management through whole, nutritious foods.
Best Content Type
Healthy budget recipes
Posting Tip
Include cost per serving and basic nutritional information when sharing healthy budget recipes.
Covers whole food plant based eating which many people use for weight management. Focuses on fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains without processed foods.
Best Content Type
Plant based meal ideas and health results
Posting Tip
Share complete meal plans with protein sources to address common plant based nutrition questions.
Each subreddit has its own culture around self-promotion. Knowing the tolerance level before posting helps you avoid bans and build genuine credibility.
These communities welcome product mentions and project sharing as long as you follow subreddit rules. You can include links to your product in posts and comments, but genuine value should still come first.
Self-promotion is allowed in specific threads or under certain conditions (like designated weekly threads). Read the sidebar rules carefully. Build some post history before sharing your own products or content.
These subreddits strictly prohibit self-promotion. Focus on providing value through comments and educational posts. Build karma and credibility first. Mention your product only when directly asked for recommendations.
This list covers the top communities, but there are hundreds more niche subreddits where your target audience hangs out. MediaFast's subreddit finder analyzes your product and matches you with the most relevant communities, including hidden gems most marketers miss.
Common questions about finding and using the best weight loss communities on Reddit.
r/loseit is the best starting point because it welcomes all experience levels and focuses on sustainable, healthy approaches. The community quick start guide explains calorie counting basics and how to set realistic goals. r/CICO is also excellent for understanding the fundamental science behind weight loss.
No, weight loss fundamentally comes down to consuming fewer calories than you burn, which r/CICO explains well. Specific diets like keto or intermittent fasting are tools that help some people maintain a calorie deficit more easily. The best diet is the one you can stick to long term, so explore different approaches and find what works for your lifestyle.
Research and community experience suggest that progress photos are highly motivating for most people when shared in supportive environments like r/progresspics. However, they can be triggering for people with eating disorders, which is why dedicated ED recovery spaces often avoid them. Know your own triggers and choose communities accordingly.
Weight loss subreddits universally prohibit promotion of supplements, diet pills, and weight loss products. These communities focus on evidence based methods like calorie management and exercise. Promoting products will result in post removal and likely a ban, as the communities prioritize protecting members from ineffective or dangerous products.
MediaFast identifies which weight loss and nutrition subs match your specific approach (CICO, keto, IF, volume eating) and formats your posts to meet the exact data requirements each community enforces.
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