My last 9-to-5 job came with the unusual perk of free lunch every day. We'd usually go out for Chinese food, or get a burger or a kebab or something. Despite not being paid for, it did come with a pretty high price. I put on a lot of weight.

With 2014 having just arrived, I've made a resolution to lose a bit of weight. Reddit is a great resource for this, with its useful subreddits and even some for those eager to reach a healthier weight. Here are some of the best that I've discovered.

/r/loseit

On Reddit, loseit is the ultimate weight loss community. With almost 190,000 subscribers all aiming to shed some pounds, it is a hugely active and vibrant place to be with an emphasis on being welcoming. In their own words:

If you need to lose 2 pounds or 200, this is the reddit for you. This is a reddit for support and advice -- please respect each others feelings.

As a community, it exists for people to share advice and keep each other motivated in their struggle to be healthier. Indeed, some of the top posts on the site are those who have lost huge amounts of weight, with others commending them on their progress.

/r/keto

The science behind ketogenic diets is quite fascinating. Originally used to control severe cases of epilepsy in children, they've been found to actually result in significant weight loss. Here’s how it works.

When you eat food rich in carbohydrates, the body produces large amounts of insulin to make use of the glucose found in the food you eat. The excess is then stored as body fat. With a ketogenic diet, you eat a diet rich in protein and fat, but with very little carbohydrates. This means that instead of burning glucose for fuel, your body burns fat. This results in impressive weight loss.

/r/keto is one of the most popular dieting subreddits with over 90,000 subscribers. People tend to share photos of their weight loss progress, diet information, recipes and good old food-porn photos.

/r/fitness

It’s often said that losing weight is 80% diet with the other 20% being exercise.

 

/r/fitness is the hub for exercise junkies on Reddit. What's really awesome about the fitness subreddit is that it's not intimidating; regardless of their level of physical conditioning, all are welcomed. Posturing, rudeness and hostility is very strongly frowned upon.

People tend to share weight loss stories, motivational photos and videos, photos of their progress, as well as advice on how to make the most of a weight loss session. And with half a million subscribers, it is a very active community.

/r/progresspics

Feel like you’re losing momentum? Need to get motivated? Progresspics is the perfect subreddit for you.

Here, 70,000 readers share photos of themselves as they work towards their ideal weight. Whilst you might be reticent to submit photos of yourself to Reddit, it's worth stressing that positivity abounds here. Much like the previously mentioned subreddits, it’s highly frowned upon to be anything other than supportive and polite.

/r/conclusion

Reddit is an incredible weapon in the arsenal of anyone trying to lose some weight. These four subreddits should be enough to get you started. Did I miss any? Let me know in the comments below.

Image Credits: Four Kinds Of Steak (Stevesworldofphotos), Exercise calisthenics (Ed Yourdon), Salad (joebeone)