I was going through my Facebook photographs and decided to show myself (and the world) my transformation in pictures. The first photograph was taken May 2009. I admit there are not a terrible amount of photos of me during my heaviest because the camera was not my friend (that is as long as it wasn't JUST a face shot here or there). Part of this goes into my denial of how large I truly was and my blinders not wanting me to see it before I was "ready" to.
One thing that is clearly evident is as I dove into my healthy lifestyle, I began to appreciate life more. I began to truly smile in photographs. The happiness I began to learn to build was shining from deep inside me as it'd been hidden and lost for so long. I didn't mind having my photograph taken because it showed
me the progress. I saw the number on the scale while at my Weight Watchers weigh-in, but I enjoyed seeing me because that's what mattered. The way my clothes fit. I started to want to wear clothing that was "flashy" (I'm not talking bedazzled I'm talking colors!) not the staple dark blue, grey, green and black I had become very accustomed to wearing.
These days, I try to not shun clothing when I see it on a rack. A small part of my brain still says "you can't wear that" but I still take items into the dressing room to try them on because you never know how something is going to fit until it's on your frame. Being a former morbidly obese person it's surprising to step outside of your comfort zone. For instance -- the yellow shorts worn int he last photograph? I fell in love with them on the rack -- the color, the style, but almost never tried them on because for 25+ years of my life I never wore anything that wasn't above mid-calf level. Turns out the shorts fit me perfectly and made me really actually LIKE the legs I "grew" into.
Also if you are on Facebook and would like to follow my journey, please feel free to "like" my page:
https://www.facebook.com/shannonsjourney
