Before getting married on April 26, Matthew Coffey and Alex Burnsides decided to lose weight together
The couple’s drastic weight loss transformation photos have gone viral on TikTok
“They could barely recognize us,” Coffey tells PEOPLE of his wedding guests’ reactions
Newlyweds have gone viral on TikTok for their wedding weight loss transformation.
After getting engaged on April 15, 2023, Matthew Coffey, 22, and Alex Burnsides, 23, knew that they wanted to look and feel their best at their wedding two years later on April 26. So, the couple decided to lose weight together.
“When you take the wedding diet a little too seriously,” Coffey wrote in the caption and in an onscreen text overlay over before and after photos posted of him and Burnsides on TikTok. Since being posted on May 4, his slideshow has amassed more than 8 million views and 1 million likes.
The groom included the hashtags “#100lbs down and counting” and “#150poundsdowntogether” in the post’s caption.
In the after photos, the North Carolina-based couple appear drastically slimmer. Some TikTok users even argued that they now look years younger.
Coffey tells PEOPLE that a handful of his wedding guests were in such disbelief by his and Burnsides’ leaner physical appearance that they could hardly tell they were the same people.
“[Some were] surprised after not seeing us for a while,” he remembers. “They could barely recognize us.”
Coffey and Burnsides — who met on the dating app Tinder and started dating on March 19, 2022 — began their wedding diet in early 2024.
“We didn’t start losing weight and dieting until last year,” Coffey explains. “We somewhat started in the new year with ‘Dry January,’ but didn’t really take it super seriously until February-March with watching our calorie and protein intake.”
Losing weight can be difficult, but having “very supportive” family and friends helped the pair work toward their goals. The duo were also grateful to be able to lean on one another.
Matthew Coffey
Engagement photo of Matthew Coffey and Alex Burnsides
“It definitely wasn’t easy at times because you want to see instant results, but I’m glad that we stuck with it to see where we are now,” Coffey says. “It definitely was easier having someone going through it with you and supporting each other.”
Thousands of people in Coffey’s comments section asked for the secret to shed pounds and “the diet word for word.” Nearly 33,000 people saved his post and 40,000 sent it, which indicates mass interest in his weight loss advice.
“CALORIE DEFICIT!!” Coffey wrote in a pinned comment with more than 100,000 likes. “All you gotta do is cut out the processed foods and prioritize higher protein meals. Throw in 30-45 mins exercise daily and the scale will start dropping fast.”
Matthew Coffey
Wedding photo of Matthew Coffey and Alex Burnsides
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He noted in his TikTok bio, “No Ozempic here.”
Coffey reiterates to PEOPLE that he and his wife “lost the weight by being in a calorie deficit and working out.”
“Just by making healthier choices,” he adds. “We never cut anything out, just had it in moderation.”
He advises soon-to-be brides and grooms who also hope to lose weight before their wedding to “just do your best and keep working hard it will be a magical day no matter what!”
Read the original article on People
