From Fiverville to Twoberland... 231 Pounds Down (with Pics)

I hate posting pictures of myself. I've done it once before on this board... and I told myself the next time I'd post was when I hit the 200s. I think it's inspiring and motivating to see that this whole weight loss thing can be done... especially when you think you have such a long road ahead of you that you want to quit before you even begin. Been there... done that... for many, many years as I "die"ted my way to weighing 530 pounds at my highest. It was mortifying to me that I'd been "die"ting since the age of 7, only to weigh 530 pounds in my twenties... TWENTIES!

That's why I will ALWAYS say that DIETS DON'T WORK!! I don't care how many people come at me with the... but the HCG diet or the Atkins thing or the cabbage soup kerfuffle crap... NONE OF THEM ARE LONG TERM OPTIONS! I have been on all of those diets and pretty much anything else that came out over the years... they only served to make me fatter. I'd lose weight on the diet, but you can't sustain that kind of eating for a lifetime, so as soon as I'd go back to eating regular food, I'd put on the weight like it was donut night at the Overeater's Anonymous meeting. Don't believe the hype. Take it from someone who knows and has been there. Don't do it to yourself.

The new method. Living life... one day at a time... in moderation. NO starvation and NO restrictions! Sure, I'm a food addict and sure I'm an emotional eater, but I had to work on the whole package... and that started in my head space. Work out the demons up there first and then you'll find yourself dropping pounds without even thinking about it. I've been on this journey for about 2 years now and so far I've lost 231 pounds, finally hitting the 200s (Twoberland) for the FIRST time in my ENTIRE adult life... I'm 33 years old next month. The last time I'd seen a 2 in front of my weight I was 14 years old, weighing on my parent's bathroom scale for one of my many "die"ts. I am absolutely NOT cured of my emotional eating... absolutely NOT and probably will never be. But life is about choices... you take it one day at a time. If you mess up one day... big freaking deal. Get up and start back on it. A few bad days, weeks, months, etc., should not derail you... this is a lifestyle... NOT a "die"t! Life brings with it curves and valleys and peaks... take them in stride.

To all of you in the 3s, 4s, and 5s, etc.... Believe it can happen! BELIEVE IT! If I can do it... ANYONE can do it!

If you want to follow the rest of my journey into Onederland, check out my blog: http://www.cravingalife.wordpress.com I post 5 days a week. Humor is a must for me... so check it out and have a laugh too... usually at my expense!

Blah, blah, blah... onto the pictures... right? This is hard for me... these pictures because I'm still a big girl... I have about 120 left to go, but when you've lost 231 that ain't nothing!

The following pictures are as close to "before" as I'm gonna get... they are not me at my highest. I can't find any of those pictures because I never wanted anyone to take any and if they did I'd tear them up. This is probably around 450 or so... and were in my sister's things, thus the reason I could not tear them up! :P



After... about 2 or 3 weeks ago: