One year progress pics - 87 pounds and going!

My sweet little baby girl turned one year old today. And although this in itself is cause for celebration, it has also been one year since I made a resolution to change my life. Being pregnant forced me into a doctor's office, where I had not been since I was a child - it forced me to look at the scale and my vital stats. At the end of my pregnancy I weighed 269 pounds and had extremely high blood pressure.

I have been fat my whole life. I'm talking, kindergarten age. Aside from one desperate and failed attempt to lose weight the summer following 6th grade (by route of anorexia), I have never attempted to lose weight or be active. I decided for myself, and for my daughter, that I had to do something. I do not want her to go through what I went through - the teasing, the tormenting, the self-hate and loathing, the self-induced reclusive nature, the low self-esteem, the building up of emotional walls and reluctance to love or let love... nope, not my daughter.

The last year for me can pretty much be split up into three different phases:

Phase 1: August-December
Had no idea what the hell I was doing. Resolved to watch portions, but I refused to change anything that I ate or do exercise. I lost about 50 pounds after giving birth (water weight from being on an IV drip for 2 days mostly). This happened in the month following getting home from the hospital. Slowly started gaining again.

Phase 2: January-March
Realized I had no idea what the hell I was doing. Resolved to add a bit of light exercise into my master plan. Still not losing weight.

Phase 3: April-Current
Resolved to educate myself on nutrition and do more physical exercise. This is also the time when I downloaded MFP and began tracking my food. BAM! The weight came falling off. Just since April, I have lost 40 lbs. I feel like I finally have it figured out.

I've still got a way to go - but one year is a huge accomplishment for me. I'm so thankful for my daughter and my super supportive husband, and most of all - so PROUD of myself.

---

So, TL;DR

Height: 5'5

SW - 269
CW - 181
GW - 150
UGW - 140

Starting size - 18/20, XL/XXL
Current size - 13/14, L
Goal size - 8, M/L


Picture time!


BEFORE (Around Dec. 2012):



AFTER (Today):




BEFORE (Around Dec. 2012):



AFTER (Today):




BEFORE (Around Dec. 2012):


AFTER Today:




BEFORE (Around Feb. 2013):


AFTER (Today):