37 Pounds Down (with Pics)

This is the first time I get to post pics and a success story, because I've never done this long enough to be successful. Some quick history:

-I have hypothyroidism and PCOS. Both of these disorders make weight gain easy and weight loss harder.
-I have been a big girl my whole life. I don't know what healthy looks like on me. I grew up in a really poor home where hamburger helper was a staple diet and I thought that Kraft Mac and Cheese was a vegetable. I had never seen or eaten any vegetables besides carrots, corn, peas, potatoes, and green beans (all out of cans or frozen bags) before I became an adult.
-Because of the PCOS, I struggle with fertility issues. I always thought that when a woman wants to have kids, she just had unprotected sex and got pregnant. I didn't know that one day a doctor would look me in the eyes and say I cannot have kids right now, no matter what I do. The doctor gave me this ultimatum: lose 50 pounds by the end of the year, and she'll write me a prescription for fertility medication if I am still not ovulating.
-I am 23 years old. I'm 5'3", and started at 269 pounds (my heaviest ever) on March 13th, 2012. Today, I weigh 232 pounds. I went on a modified diabetic diet (because PCOS causes insulin resistance) and I exercise 30-60 minutes a day, 6 days a week. I tried the shred, and I didn't do it consistently because I didn't like it too much. I picked up two sports: swimming and tennis. Because I LIKE what I'm doing, I am willing to get outside 6 days a week and work my butt off. When I started doing something I enjoy, the weight has really moved off.
-I love myfitnesspal, but I only use it for weight and measurement tracking, honestly. I keep a private food journal. I don't count calories or carbs. Instead, I worry about portion sizes and quality of food. A twinkie and an apple can have the same calories, but which one do you really think you should eat? I eat whole wheat breads and pastas, and make healthful changes. My favorite has been the Veggie Smart Pasta sauce I use, which provides 2 servings of veggies for every serving of sauce. I stay away from potatoes and fried things. Anyways, I keep my food journal on Excel and color code my food types (grains, proteins, veggies, fruits, dairy, and no value) so I have a snapshot idea of the type of food I am consuming. I liked mfp for tracking, but it was really hard to stay under 1200, and I felt like a failure when I saw the red numbers. This method helps me better understand what's going into my body and what value it has to me. On my log, I include my exercising, soda consumption (none in 2 months!), weight, and periods (because they have to be regular in order to be fertile).

Without further adieu, my before pictures:





And these are pictures within the last couple of weeks. Please, be gentle.




Hope this inspires you!