Half Way - 45 lbs down - with pictures-

This is painful to post, but I'm also very proud of how far I've come and I didn't really see the difference until I took a picture for comparison the other day - wow! I still see the much heavier me in the mirror - but, pictures don't lie!

I know how motivating other posts are with pictures so I hope to do the same. *deep breath* Here goes...(this is excrutiating to admit how fat I really was...)

For the record, I'm 5'5".

I've always been "the fat kid". I was roughly 220 in high school and maintained. Then, came a crappy relationship, sedentary job, and no money for healthy food.

This is close to my heaviest - I don't think I have any pictures from that time as I, like many, avoided the camera. I was 236 *gulp* (that's horrible to admit!) at my highest. Here I was prob 230ish, so...very close to my highest.



This one makes me want to crawl in a hole and DIE...




I started losing weight (about 4 years ago) and lost 36 lbs (with calorie counting (and exercise) then, too - but I didn't have this wonderful site at that time and all of you wonderfully motivating and supportive people!) ONCE I got to 199...just once...stuck at 200- then, came nursing school and my now ex cheating one me with my then best friend - I kept most of it off despite being an emotional disaster. I bounced between 200 and 210-215 and back down - so I give myself credit for keeping any of it off. During the summer's I would get down to 195 or so, and go back up during the school year. If only I had kept losing, and not losing and gaining, I would be at my goal and then some!

This picture was taken last September. I think I was roughly 205-210 here - nursing school graduation, boards, and job interviews (along with celebrations due to such) were not helping with the weight loss.



Finally, I'm back at it and in it for the long haul this time. This one is from two weeks ago - roughly 195, but definitely toning up.



I'm now 192.2, which is the lowest I've ever been able to get (previously 193) and know I'm on my way. My first mini goal this time around is under 190 and then 175. My ultimate goal being 145 and then I will re-evaluate. I know I will get there!

Here's how much I've changed looks, too!

(The look on my face in the first one shows how painful it is being fat! Haha)



and

vs

One last one - I was cleaning out my cloest yesterday to donate bunches of things that don't fit me. I was going thru a box that I had already started and found a skirt and thought "Now why is that in there. I love this skirt". I put it on...it promptly fell to the floor -ooooh, that's why. It was a size 18 - I'm now a comfortable 12! This is that skirt! (I think it was even TIGHT at one point!!!!!