Before, During, and After Photos

(I apologize for the poor quality of the older photos.  I don’t have a scanner readily available, so some of these are digital pictures of print photos.  Someday I might head over to Kinko’s and do these right; in the meantime, these crappy photos should serve as decent before and after photos.  We’re not trying to win any photography contests here, just trying to demonstrate how my weight has changed over the years.)

First, one from waaaaay before.  This is from my senior year high school yearbook, so it must have been taken in 1986 or 1987.  I don’t remember exactly what I weighed, but I remember being very disappointed that I couldn’t give blood in the school blood drive because I didn’t meet the minimum weight of 110 lbs.  I think I weighed more than 100, though.

I stayed between 100 and 110 lbs through college, and then I discovered the low-fat, high-carb fad.  By 2004 or 2005, I looked like this:

I don’t know exactly how much I weighed in the above photo, but I’m guessing around 160.  Not my highest weight (167 lbs in July 2002), but enough that I loathe this photo.  I loathe my extra chin.  I loathe the pink hams that are my upper arms.  (I can’t even stand that sweater any more, even though it fits much better now.  It’s in the giveaway box, waiting to be taken to Goodwill.)

Here’s what I looked like in October 2007, when I weighed about 150 lbs.  The difference is somewhat noticeable, but you can tell I have a way to go.  (The sun is in my eyes, too, hence the grimace.)

Yes, I did make the elaborate coffee cake in the foreground, and yes, I ate a piece.  I am not spending all day making a pastry and not having some.  (The trick is not to make them too often.  Like, maybe, once a year.)  But please also note that there is plenty of good old bacon and deviled eggs on the table, too, thanks to my husband, who has taken good care of me even when I haven’t taken good care of myself.

I was absolutely thrilled when my brother-in-law sent me this one, from Christmas 2007:

I weigh about 147 lbs there, but I think I’m much slimmer than in the 150 lb photo.  I was stuck at 147 for a rather long time, maybe 6 weeks, but I am convinced that I must’ve lost some fat and gained some lean body mass during that time, because I look a lot smaller.