Looking back

[Stephannie 300]

I'm a horrible sleeper so often times when I have sleepless nights I pull up old pics and look at them. It's crazy....I don't even know that person anymore. I remember the memories and even thinking I looked cute (I now know I didn't look as cute as I thought I did) I wonder why that person didn't take charge and do this sooner. So many major life events that I hid behind people in pics or just plain didn't go because I felt so insecure. I'm so happy I'm not her. I got to take all the good qualities of her inside and match them with the good qualities she now has on the outside. What a blessing. Here are some pics from before and after if you're interested.

[Threetimesacharm 1,400]

I totally understand what you are saying. Sometimes I feel like a different person and barely recognize myself. I am 16 months out and I assume the further along I am the more normal it will become. I will never forget who I was; I spent the majority of my adult life overweight/obese so forgetting will not be an option.

You look absolutely fabulous by the way!! Congratulations.

[scarlet333 386]

Very well said. I think many of us feel the same way. I used to joke that I had the opposite of anorexia. I would look in the mirror and think "I don't look bad, I look pretty good". Then when I actually saw pictures of myself, well OMG how I looked so fat like my face and skin was going to explode. I know they say that being thin can't make you happy or change problems in your life but boy I feel like confronting other issues in my life as a thinner person, I am more confident and happy.

I wish I had done this years ago but I can only claim ignorance. It was like a switch went off in me one day when I heard that Caroline Manzo's daughter on the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" was having lap band surgery I started looking into it and 5 months later I had the sleeve surgery and never looked back. When I think of the years spent obese I could cry. But no more.