Wow....this happened to me on Monday! I went out to a club for my nieces birthday and I was thinking I looked pretty good, down 35 pounds, feeling good. Yesterday I saw the pictures and it was a VERY rude awakening! Wow, it shows how much more I have to go before I look *acceptable* in my own eyes. I was talking to my husband about it and he told me not to let this be a set back, that I should use it as motivation to keep going. He's right. We just have to hang in there.

Although, I have to say it's all relative. I would give my pinky finger to be as small as you! :)

Kate,

It's all about perspective. When I was 25ish and suddenly found myself fatter than I had ever been, I thought I looked like a giant moose. I weighed 199 pounds. I seriously thought I was the fattest looking thing there was.

After being 278 pounds, getting down to 214 felt SO SKINNY that it was scary to me. 199 would be downright thin compared to 278.

So I totally understand how you feel, as far as "seeing" this fat person in the picture and feeling horrible, but let me tell you this. I would LOVE, love love to look as good as you do in those pictures!! You are beautiful and do not stand out as "fat" at all IMO.

16lbs is 16lbs!this is a huge starting accomplishment! you should be very proud of yourself!
just think about it, many other girls wi'll be so happy to be where you are at!

Okay, remember you've got to love yourself after all of this so although I understand that you're "mental picture" of you was different that the photo, you also should recognize that you are SMOKIN' hot.

Plus size or not. Extra pounds or no. You really are beautiful - and I am not just talking about your face. You've got great cleavage, an excellent hour glass shape and I'd kill for a bum like yours (I've got a big, flat billboard).

So stop with the negative crap. You're not going to lose any faster by being mean to yourself!

Kate,

It took me a minute to figure out which one was you! I was looking for the tremendously obese person...and I couldn't find her.

Pictures are always a shock. My (thin) sister will look at pictures and wince. If I wasn't looking for you I wouldn't see the picture and even think that there was someone with a weight issue, it looks like a group having fun.