Okay - this is hard for me: Old Fat Pictures

I don't have many pictures of myself from age 15 - 22. I was fat, I ran away from the camera. I ran across ONE pictures on my computer of me when I was large... and awkward... and... uh... it doesn't look good.

But Chris said it would be good for me to put it out there.... after all, my blog focuses on health and weight loss. It's not a secret I was fat. But to PUT IT OUT THERE?? On the internets, forever?? Tough. Toughie toughie.

But here we go, so you can see where I was at and where I have come from...

Me at my college graduation (I had no idea how to take care of my curly hair):

I actually think I DON'T look like I was almost 200 pounds. But I was... I hid it as best as I could. And... that necklace? Slimming, it's not!! Wow. College was not a great time for me, haha.

But that is pretty much what I looked like when I made that decision one painful day that things needed to change (I was about 22).

Anyway, here I am about halfway through losing weight, the year after college. Got my hair a little under control, at least! Face slimmed down a lot. This was one of the first times I went out with people, I was very unsure of myself:

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And here I am, almost exactly one year after I started trying to lose weight. I was at my best friend's wedding, as a bridesmaid. I had ordered a size 16 dress 9 months before the wedding... went down to a 12 a few months later (they had to reorder it), and then finally reordered a size 10 a month before her wedding and then they had to alter it smaller! 

Obviously, I was liking my new life. A cute guy had his arm around me and I felt LOVELY :)

So now, eight - nine years later, I am still keeping it going, with varying degrees of success. I got heavier for a time in late 2010-early 2011. That slip-up actually led to me starting this blog in 2012 as I was getting back on track, really into health and fitness to make sure there were no more slip-ups! So, I was about 145ish here (May 2011):

But, since early 2012... I have maintained 135 pounds or under! I actually even was SUPER light for a while (122ish). And since the summer, I have maintained under 130 pounds... right now, I am 129, so I am struggling. BUT STILL! I am better than I was. I am progressing :)

So, these are pictures of me from the past year that I am VERY proud of!!!

I am not quite as buff as that anymore, since I stopped my super intense work out regime when my dad passed away.

But, this is cathartic and good for me to post... to see where I came from, where I went. How CAPABLE I am :D

So... this was good for me to post. I hope it does some good for someone else out there.... If I could help just one young, awkward, overweight woman see that it is MORE than possible and SO freaking worth it, I would be happy.

Love and light, friends <3