Liliana Lerch, 26, from Australia’s Gold Coast, has lost 88 pounds after a humiliating public weigh-in at a skydiving center forced her to confront her health.
Liliana had struggled with her weight since childhood. But after she suffered a humiliating moment in front of strangers, she knew something had to change.
Her transformation has since gone viral, inspiring thousands on TikTok.
Highlights
- Liliana Lerch struggled with food since childhood, binge eating in secret by age 15.
- A humiliating weigh-in at a skydiving center was the moment she knew things had to change.
- She began intermittent fasting and walking daily with her partner, eventually losing 88 pounds.
Liliana had struggled with her relationship with food since childhood
Image credits: lilslerch
Liliana stated that her issues with weight and emotional eating started early.
“I remember I had a personal trainer at 10, and just always struggled with my weight. When I was 15, it started to snowball. I felt like I was getting bigger despite living an active lifestyle,” Liliana said.
Image credits: lils.lerch
Eating became her coping mechanism since she felt “emotionally connected” to food. This meant that she ate when she was feeling sad, happy, or anxious.
Once she had a driver’s license, Liliana got into the habit of secretly buying food and hiding the packaging in her car. According to her, this meant that she could “get away with it more.”
Image credits: lilslerch
She tried everything from crash diets to medical interventions. But while the programs offered her a “quick fix” to her weight problems, she would often give up after two weeks.
According to the New York Post, Liliana felt like she had tried every diet available, and was already considering medical intervention for her weight issues.
That is, at least, until a gift from her partner became a life-changing event.
A humiliating skydiving experience became a turning point for Liliana
One day, Liliana’s partner surprised her with skydiving tickets. She dreaded the activity because she knew she would be weighed before the jump.
“I remember we were going, and I had to pay extra. I was weighed in front of everyone. It was the most humiliating thing.”
“It was a big ego hit. I was like, ‘No, you’re not even healthy anymore.’ I was at risk of getting diabetes. I was puffy and inflamed, and they thought I had PCOS. I found my health was starting to deteriorate,” Liliana said.
The humiliating experience forced Liliana to face the truth.
Image credits: lils.lerch
Her body was not healthy anymore, and she needed something more than a “quick fix.”
Initially, she tried 75 Hard, but she didn’t complete the program. She didn’t even lose any weight on it.
Image credits: lils.lerch
Small, sustainable lifestyle changes made all the difference
Liliana and her partner started walking to get coffee each morning. It was a small lifestyle change, but it was a start.
“That walk helped me build structure into my day,” she said.
The walks evolved into a routine, and eventually, Liliana started intermittent fasting.
“The diet was the hardest thing for me. I always loved walking, and living near the beach, it’s easy to, but I pretty much started intermittent fasting. I then noticed I lost 5 kg (about 11 pounds),” she said.
These small lifestyle changes later helped Juliana create more structure with her meals.
“I started to focus on it more mindfully, and have some more structure with my meals and food. I found it helped me be more balanced,” Juliana stated.
Image credits: lilslerch
Liliana started losing weight, and by the end of 2024, people were noticing that she was getting a lot healthier.
Now 88 pounds lighter, Liliana is using TikTok to inspire others
Image credits: lilslerch
By the end of 2024, Liliana had already lost 66 pounds. People were noticing it, but Liliana didn’t really believe them, at least until she saw her before-and-after photos.
“At the start, I didn’t really believe them. But then I compared photos side-by-side, I was like ‘Oh my gosh, I look so different,’” she said.
Image credits: lilslerch
After losing 88 pounds, Liliana stated that her confidence started to improve. She also felt strong and fit.
Image credits: lils.lerch
“I feel like we’re so critical of ourselves as humans, it’s hard to look back and recognize how far we’ve come,” she said.
Liliana has since built a healthy social media following, especially on TikTok, where she has garnered over 58,000 followers.
“If I have a message, it’s to make it into a lifestyle and fall in love with the journey. Find things that work for you, and what you enjoy.
“I hate going to the gym, but I like going to pilates and walking, so that’s my thing. Incorporate the foods you love into your diet. You need to have balance all around,” she said.
Netizens are extremely proud of Liliana and her weight-loss journey, especially since she did not rely on surgery to get results
