Older Photos

These are photos that I have found on my computer from before I lost 55 pounds. In all of them I had already started exercising and losing some weight. I started exercising around 2005 I think (with half-hearted efforts at dieting here and there), although I have always dieted and exercised off and on. In 1997 I lost 58 lbs. really quickly and ended up gaining it all back and then some. I started running for real (as in really trying) in January of 2009. At that point I think I had lost about 26 lbs. Since then I have lost more, for a total of 55 lbs. It has been a slow, long journey and I still have a LONG road ahead. Based on my current weight, I'd like to lose about 40-45 more pounds. The photos here are from 2007-2009, so they are not photos of me at my biggest. I am a little embarrassed to show them, but when I looked at them, I could see the progress I have made. It makes me feel more determined to keep going and never return to this state.



This was from my very first 5K in 2007. I had been walking regularly and thought I was looking better. When I saw these photos I was pretty bummed that I didn't look the way I felt. At least I kept on trying!



Me and some of my kids at a Christmas breakfast at church in 2008.





These couple of photos are from when we went on a family hike and again I was horrified when I saw them and realized that I still looked so big. I had been exercising a lot at this point, but not dieting really. The exercise alone helped me get off the first 20 lbs over the course of a couple years. It was a good start, but if I had put in more effort, I would have been better off today.





This is my family (minus two of my daughters) in 2007. I thought I looked beautiful in this photo at the time (my sweet husband said, "You were beautiful!"). This is the photo I found the other day that surprised me and showed me I *have* made progress.



This is with some good friends. The mom of the other family we are pictured with has lost over 70 lbs (I believe) and she is my inspiration--she looks amazing now. I love you Tana! ;-) I am in the light blue shirt at the top. (And yes, this is a photo with only 2 families and we are each missing some of our kids in this shot!)



Another of that Christmas photo I found the other day.



Christmas 2007



My husband and I went to church in Haiti when we visited our daughters during their adoption. I think this was in 2007, but it could have been 2006.



My son took this pic of me. I see the change in my face the most.

And these photos were taken in July 2010 (I think I was down about 46 or so pounds in these photos--I need to take some new ones):