A Trip Down Memory Lane.

Recently, I've been asked for before and after pictures. On my Facebook I have a Weight Loss Progression album, but I thought this would be fun to add some photos that may not be in there and give a little commentary as well. Hope you enjoy!

Let's start in the beginning. My wedding. September 14, 2008. Heaviest? Oh, no. This is where it begins right? Don't most woman "let themselves go" after they get married? If I'd guess, I'd say I was around 170 lbs here. 

February 2009 - At The Back Door Pub. My local karaoke bar. Every weekend I would get up there and sing for a crowd...looking like that. So let's look above at September 2008 to this photo, February 2009. Can you tell I moved out on my own for the first time? I had to learn how to cook and cook for only two people. Growing up Italian, two people can eat enough food for five people. Case in point. This looks like it was my heaviest, could have been about 200 lbs here. Size 14.

Summer 2009. Up in Wisconsin for Jessica's Graduation party. I had been working out a bit, started running earlier that summer. Thinking I was looking good here, but my top explains it all. This was the general theme of my closet - baggy shirts. All my shirts were the loose fitting kind that "hid" any excess baggage. That's my Uncle Larry in the background. He's pretty awesome.

Here is that same top again, if you can't tell. Baggy tube top. Thinking I'm cute in a tube top...when underneath is lurking....eh, forget it. Check out that burger! Holy Moly! This is the Kimbo Burger at Comet in Milwaukee. Up north again, for a wedding this time, Kristian and I couldn't leave the state without stopping at this beloved restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Piece of advice: If it's feature on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives OR Man Vs. Food...don't eat it. It's not the least bit healthy. No Joke: This burger contains two deep fried grilled cheese sandwiches as "buns", a quarter-pound beef burger, two giant onion rings, bacon and of course the veggie toppings (tomato, pickle, lettuce, BFD) with a side of fries. Oh and we HAD to get the mashed potatoes with the gravy made with bacon fat. Again, No Joke.

October 2009. This picture is also feature on my first posting.  I'm standing here with my buddy, Lenore. Part of Best Buddies at school, I spend a lot of time with Lenore and this happens to be at our Halloween party. If you can't tell what my costume is, I'm "Smartie Pants." Those are little rolls of Smarties pinned to my jeans. The shirt I'm wearing I still have in my closet and it now fits great. It also goes to about the middle of my thighs. I would guess I'm back up to the 200 lb marker. Although I never had an official weight. And I'm O.K. with that.

Oh my wonderful husband. Met me when I was 117 lbs as a junior in high school and loved me all through this. This is Christmas 2009 with my family. The sweater I'm wearing was my favorite. It was huge and super comfy. It made me feel thinner because it was so big on me. There is another piece of evidence that contributed to my weight gain, other than food. Can you see it? At the bottom center of the photo? Wine. Really, alcohol in general. I love relaxing with a beer or glass of wine. Er, I guess more than A beer or glass of wine but more like 5-6 beers and a bottle of wine. I could hold my liquor pretty well. Not anymore. 

Christmas 2009, again. At church after I sang for Christmas mass. This picture was the one that really made me realize I had to lose some weight. I had been pretty confident until now. So, two months later, weighing in at a whopping 188lbs and size 14 jeans, I joined Weight Watchers with full intent of finishing it through until the end with the goal of becoming a leader to inspire others. 

Grandma's birthday 2010 - March - Before dinner with my family. I've lost about 15 lbs or so at this point and I was so excited to see my family. I was even more excited to wear that top (which, might I add, was still too small for me to be wearing). Roughly 175 lbs. 

From March to May - Leslie's bachlorette party. I was about 165 lbs here and lost 23 lbs. I was excited to get out into the city  that night but also apprehensive because we had spent the day at the Cubs game then headed to a bar in Wrigleyville. I knew that I would be eating and drinking like I typically would not do anymore. I remember Leslie asking/telling me to forget about my "diet" for today. It's not that easy when it's not a "diet" that I'm on, but I managed through and probably gained a little at my next weigh-in but once in a while it's O.K. to enjoy the moment more than you otherwise would. 

June 2010 - The wedding! I was so upset because my dress was  pretty large. You can actually see the speck of my bra in this picture and it was worse when I stood straight. I had to cut my bra to help it look a little better because the top was getting so large on me. From when I ordered the dress to the date of the wedding I had lost 29 pounds. 6 more lbs since the bachlorette party. This was a great night. I remember the photographer calling me the "sassy one." That's about right.

Finally some warm weather in the summer of 2010 - I had lost 33 lbs at this point. I was ready to throw on some cute summer dresses! Now if I only had a tan....
155 lbs

Go back and look at the first picture at our wedding. This was just after our two year anniversary.  About 150 lbs here, I learned to start buying tops with little belts around the waist. I love showing that I have a waist now! That is one of the best tricks I've learned from What Not To Wear! Put a belt around your waist to show off the tiniest part of your body!

Now go back to Christmas 2009...this was Christmas 2010. No big, bulky sweater for this girl. Being the silly one I am, I was posing like a goof. But look, there is belly but no "muffin top." That's a success in my book! Those jeans I'm wearing, which I just gave away this weekend actually, are a size 10. This was the weekend I realized old habits die hard. For this weekend, we spent Thursday-Sunday in Wisconsin, eating and drinking galore. I paid little attention to all the good habits I had learned from starting Weight Watchers. At my next weigh-in I gained 3.2 lbs. That was heart-wrenching. In this photo: 140 lbs.

Jumping all the way to March of this year - I had lost 55 lbs. Weighing about 132, I was wearing my first Little Black Dress and it is a size 4. We were headed downtown for a company dinner and I was so excited to shop for a new dress and shoes to show off these curves. I love this dress. 

Finally, to yesterday. This is my before putting on my cap and gown for Graduation. Down a total of 59.4 lbs and weighing in at 128.6. That means only 8.6 lbs left to lose. That could still take a couple of months. Obviously, the less to lose the longer to lose it. But I will hit 120 lbs, no doubt. 68 pounds is a lot of weight to lose. Some have lost a lot more than I and to them I look for inspiration. Even losing just 20 lbs is a struggle. But looking back at all these photos and remembering the way I felt at each event, makes all the hard work worth every Oreo cookie I've put back.