Today, and this past week, mark two very important (Hallmark-created) holidays for which I’d like to take a minute to commemorate.
Teacher Appreciation Week and Mother’s Day.
I am fortunate to have been blessed with a wonderful mother, who just so happens to also be a teacher. Continue reading
Yes yes I know, bad blogger again this week. I promise I’m making it up to you with what I’m sharing in this post.
Do you ever participate in Throwback Thursday? It’s mostly an Instagram thing. Post old embarrassing pictures, use the hashtag #tbt…it’s fun, sometimes.
Yesterday, I decided to see if I could compile some pictures of my weight gain/loss throughout the years to share. I found a few good comparison photos, then decided when I got home from work to raid my computer for pictures from high school. After a little bit of digging, I found a folder called “Old iPhoto Library”…
GOLD MINE!
Apparently, I had barely any full body pictures of myself junior-senior years of high school. That would be because I was too busy taking selfies in my bedroom:
You can’t see it, but this polo shirt has a sketched image of Napoleon Dynamite on it. YES, I was that cool.
Apparently, I really liked photoshop.
I should totes use this as my new blog header, right? Proof that ‘blonde ambition’ has been my favorite phrase since at least 2005 š
Anyway, on to the before and after pictures.
These show that, though I may have been thin in high school, the fact that I wore unflattering (e.g. too small for me) clothing made me look bigger than I was.
Those shorts were the itty bittiest cut off shorts that I could get away with wearing to school. Not exactly flattering when you buy them as a size 4 and grow to a size 6! (same with the jeans). Funny story about the top picture: I ditched Trig/Stats one day to go hang out in a park and I locked my keys in my trunk! Instant karma.
As I’ve explained before in my ‘weight loss story’, I gained a lot of weight my Senior year of high school and Freshman year of college. I worked at a Hawaiian BBQ restaurant my senior year, which was also my first year not playing soccer. I guess you can say I got a head start on the Freshman 15.
Senior Ball (2006) vs. All Hall Ball (2007). Looking back at these pictures, I see that I was pretty big…but to be honest, I didn’t think so at the time. My brother was the only one who told me I had obviously gained weight (lol) and I got upset with him for it. I was having the time of my life in college, I went to the gym occasionally, and loved life. No regrets! YOLO and all that jazz.
I worked at the YMCA the summer after Freshman year, and a lot of the weight came off. I ate better and was much more regular about working out sophomore year. That summer, I worked on UCSB’s Orientation Staff, which was a 10-12 hour/day, largely outdoor and active job. I looked pretty good that summer……then I went to study in France for a year.
Santa Barbara (2008) vs Cannes, France (2009). My booty was definitely at its peak.
However, if I learned anything in France, it was how to dress well. I started dressing better and in more flattering clothes, so I generally felt good about myself. And I don’t regret a single bite of amazing French food that I ate. Not. A. Bite!
Fast-forward to graduation:
I weighed less in June 2010 than I did in June 2009, but I quickly gained more thanks to two trips to New York and another month in France. I can’t decide whether I like or hate that I had bangs for like 2 years….
NOW, the real before and after photos!
I figured a good way to compare would be by showing side-by-side photos of two trips to New York. The first was in August of 2010 (My first trip of 2010, I hadn’t even gone back to France yet so I wasn’t at my heaviest) and the second was this past November of 2012, after losing 15 pounds.
August 2010 (~136 pounds) — November 2012 (~120 pounds)
How cute is it that my Pop is wearing the same shirt in both pictures? hahaha.
August 2010 (~136 pounds) — November 2012 (~120 pounds)
Obviously you can’t see my body since it was FREEZING in NY in November. But still.
I’ve come a long way, no?
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from going through all these photos, it’s that I have always been relatively thin. Even at my heaviest weight, I recognize that I was not obese or even close to it; I often didn’t even think I looked overweight. It wasn’t until I moved home after college that I realized I wanted a lifestyle change. At my current level of fitness and healthy eating, I feel like I’m at my best. I’m not just lean, but also toned and strong. My legs are more muscular than ever, and I’m working on getting my upper body there too. I can run for 30 minutes without stopping! I’m damn proud of that. But I don’t regret living it up in college, or taking advantage of all the French cuisine in Lyon. I don’t think anyone should sacrifice their happiness for vanity. But right now, healthy = happy for me!
One last comparison… just for funsies:
My very first season of dodgeball (June 2011), and my current season of dodgeball! (April 2013)
Not much weight difference there…I just look much less afraid and perhaps a little more competitive (lime green knee socks mean business, yo).
Have you ever looked back at photos and been shocked at what you found?
What is your favorite indulgence? Mine was froyo from the Dining Commons and one from France that has stuck: baguette + cheese!
Run Now, Wine Later 