When 27-year-old Passion Knight looked in the mirror last winter, she knew something had to change. Weighing nearly 310 pounds, the betting-shop worker said she has given her “blood, sweat, and tears” to drop 112 pounds.
Now weighing 186 pounds, Knight, from Nottingham, England, told Newsweek about her eight-month transformation journey, which began in January and quickly went viral on TikTok (@__.xpash)—racking up over 18.2 million views and more than 2.2 million likes.
Knight described herself as an emotional and binge eater, turning to food whether she was happy or sad. She added: “I’d binge then feel guilty, so I’d eat again. It was a toxic cycle.”
A Turning Point
In November last year, Knight became single, left her job, and decided to transform her life. “I said, ‘In 2025, I’m going to be a new me.’ I don’t know what made it stick this time,” she said.
Her father suggested she look into weight-loss options, including Ozempic, while her mother offered to pay for a gym membership.
“I was struggling with sciatica; my confidence was so low. Everything felt like a battle,” she said.
On January 4, she walked through the gym doors for the first time.
Intermittent Fasting, Routine, and Discipline
Knight began fasting, eating only between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., with a diet of yogurt and fruit for breakfast and meat with salad for lunch. She estimates she previously consumed up to 8,000 calories a day, often eating at multiple fast-food chains within hours.
“I used to get a Big Mac and 20 nuggets from McDonald’s and then head to Burger King 30 minutes later,” Knight said. “Now I eat 1,600 calories a day. It’s crazy how much I used to eat.”
Knight completely overhauled her lifestyle by cutting out sugar and carbs, spending hours in supermarkets comparing labels, and training in the gym four times a week.
Knight said: “Friends called me ‘carrot girl’ for three months. If I wanted mash, I’d mash carrots. If I wanted rice, I’d grate them. It wasn’t easy, but it worked.”
Losing Over 110 Pounds
Knight lost between 42 and 56 pounds in the first three months through fasting and gym sessions. Each workout lasted two hours and included strength training, plus 20 minutes on both the StairMaster and cross trainer.
“I cried on the cross trainer some days,” Knight said. “I was healing while losing the weight.”
After four months, she added carbs back into her diet, introducing sweet potatoes and Subway sandwiches once a week. When she hit a plateau in month five, she increased her gym sessions to five days a week.
Knight also developed rituals to stay motivated. “I’d put a pebble in a box for every pound I lost,” she said. “When I felt stuck, I’d look at that box and remind myself how far I’d come.”
In August, she shared a montage of clips captioned, “POV [point of view]—you locked in for 8 months,” showing herself in the gym. The results have blown away internet viewers.
“This video shows that [you] don’t need surgery to work on physique—stay consistent, eat good, drink water, but always have balance and be patient,” one user commented.
“People still underestimate the power of strength/weight training! You go, queen,” posted another.
‘I Felt Invisible’
Alongside the physical changes came emotional revelations. “I wasn’t happy with myself,” Knight said. “I lived under constant scrutiny about what society likes. I felt like I never fit in.”
She has noticed how people treat her differently now. Knight added: “I work in customer service, and people are much nicer to me now.
“When I was big, I felt invisible. People didn’t pay attention, which is crazy because you’d think you’re more noticeable at that size.”
Knight said she hopes to use her journey to inspire others. “It makes me want to hold all the big queens’ hands,” she added. “I’ll be nice to them no matter what. I’ll never forget where I came from.”
Now just 28 pounds away from her goal weight of 161, Knight is focusing on mental health and self-love.
“I felt like I’d never find love because I didn’t even love myself,” she said. “Now I’m confident, sociable, and using what I’ve learned to help others. I don’t want any other girl to feel how I did last year.”
