At home, we’ll often hook the laptop up to our television and set all our digital photos to run on a continuous slideshow. It’s just fun to let it play in the background, and as we’re doing other things like making dinner or playing with the kids, to relive old memories – vacations, our wedding, the birth of our children.
A few days ago, however, a photo popped up of a vacation from last year that really made me stop and look – and think – about my old self:
This photo was taken at Epcot in Disney World in May 2009, when I weighed near my heaviest, somewhere between 280-290 pounds. Immediately, I was amazed, as well as saddened, seeing what I had let myself become. I was also upset at myself for not realizing “the truth” earlier. For years, I managed to lie to myself, telling myself that I wasn’t that overweight, or that I didn’t look that bad naked.
But the truth is that I was that overweight, and I did look bad naked. I just couldn’t/wouldn’t admit it to myself.
After seeing this photo go by, I flipped to the album from that trip and perused through the rest of the photos and found a number of other shots that brought on similar feelings for me:
Part of me has a really hard time looking at these photos. But another part of me looks at them and feels great pride in all that I’ve accomplished, and how much healthier and happier of a person that I am now – and how much better of an example I’m setting for my kids.
Because truthfully, who looks happier – this guy?
or this guy?
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This is the first time Im coming across your page and I have to start by congratulating you on your amazing progress. Very inspirational and a great role model for your children.
Thanks Millie, glad you found me!
Wow. What a transformation!
Although, I might argue that four beers in front of someone would make anyone happy at least in the short-time after drinking them.
Scott recently posted – Choosing To Do A Triathlon
I hate looking at old pictures – I look and think, ICK! I can’t believe I let myself go like that!
Love the race pic! Definitely a happy guy!
Erin recently posted – GUILTY
They definitely are hard to look at, but I think it’s also a good reminder. If I ever did start to slip back into my old ways, I would just start looking through some of these old photos, and I think they would straighten me back out pretty quickly!
You do look much happier now.
Oh! Oh!
I know the answer to this one! I know!
Seriously though… you look amazing, you’ve come so far… way to go!
It’s so important to look back and see how far we have come. I just did a post recently where I compared who I was before and who I am now. (http://wearingmascara.com/index.php/2010/08/me-then-versus-me-now/) <— in case you are interested.
You have a great attitude and yes, you do look happier now!
The photos really bring it home. Way to go!
I second Scott on the beers part, is that a beer around the world tour? Love those. It’s like a vacation in a meal.
Just wow, honestly you don’t look like the same person, that’s crazy. I was the opposite, I used to think that naked it was terrible but I could hide it in clothes (until seeing the pictures of course) We all have to tell ourselves a lot of things to cope with unhappiness and disappointment.
You inspire me Brandon! Thanks for sharing those.
Thanks Rita! It wasn’t quite a “beers of the world” tour. If you’ve never been to Epcot at Disney World, they basically have different sections of the park dedicated to different countries – France, Japan, England, and even Canada! Each section is built up to look like that country, and they serve “authentic” food from that country in the restaurants. In that photo, we were in Germany, so it was supposedly a sampling of authentic German beers, though if I remember, I wasn’t particularly impressed with any of them.
I wonder what they serve for Canada, strong beer and Canadian bacon. Pea soup maybe, now I`m curious.
Unfortunately we didn’t spend much time in “Canada land”, so I couldn’t tell you. About all I remember is that they had some sort of movie you could watch about Canada starring Martin Short.
The transformation is quite incredible.
Always good to look back and see concrete evidence of the changes we’ve wrought in our lifestyles. Very cool!
Greg recently posted – Is Aspartame Bad For You
Not sure which picture is happier, but I got a warm and fuzzy seeing those four beers. (and freakin’ awesome job to you – you look awesome!)