Meet Maci Ono, a fitness influencer who transformed her body and discovered that the physical journey was only half the story. In this raw conversation, Maci reveals how she went from 250 pounds to losing 100 pounds—and the surprising darkness she found at her "after" photo.
"I felt like a prisoner to my health when I was at my biggest, and then it's funny because I felt even more like a prisoner when I was at my smallest," Macy shares, pulling back the curtain on the mental health challenges that weight loss influencers rarely discuss. From obsessive calorie tracking that kept her from social gatherings for a year to struggles with loose skin, Maci's journey illuminates the complex relationship between physical transformation and mental wellbeing.
What makes Maci's story powerful is her approach to sustainable change. Unlike previous attempts driven by self-hatred, this time she built her transformation on self-love: "I love myself, so I'm going to work out. I love myself, so I feed myself good foods." She emphasizes the 80/20 rule—eating whole foods most of the time while still enjoying life's pleasures—and calls out the "propaganda bullshit" of restrictive diets that set people up for failure.
Beyond fitness advice, this episode offers a thought-provoking look at how society treats people differently based on their appearance. Maci describes the resentment she initially felt when noticing how differently people interacted with her after weight loss, and how this experience now fuels her commitment to treating everyone with kindness regardless of shape or size.
Whether you're on your own fitness journey or simply interested in the psychology behind physical transformation, Maci's perspective will change how you think about before-and-after photos forever. Subscribe to the Above the Bridge Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts and follow @Maci.Onolicious on Instagram to continue following Maci's inspiring journey.
