I wouldn't try to necessarily hide it, but it's definitely a fact that I'm not proud of. For instance, just this past spring I was in a friend's wedding and even though I look so much better now than I did then and I'm nowhere near goal, I can't even bear to look at those pictures because I'm so embarrassed of how I looked on her special day. I have so much farther to go, but I feel as though I have permanently ruined her photos by looking like that. It truly disgusts me!

I can't hide the fact of who I was, but I'd rather have the "new" me out there 99% more prevalent in photos than any of the old.

I don't think I would necessarily hide it, but it wouldn't be the first thing out of my mouth. I would talk about it if I was asked. If someone says something now about "fat girls" I say something like, "Don't you realize I am still medically obese? or Really? Fat girls? Don't be so quick to judge you don't know everyone's circumstances" That is when I bring it up that I was 30 pounds heavier.

I still have pictures up of my sisters wedding that was a year ago and I was much bigger, just because it was a very special day for my sister and me. I also have pictures of my graduation, my ex hub's graduation from training, and my nieces and nephews birthday because they are my family and are special moments in my life. (lol I keep a lot of pictures in my house on my walls)

I know this wasn't really your point, but on UK drivers licenses you renew the picture every 10 years, so it's not there forever. In fact, you could probably get it renewed before that if you contact whatever office that issues drivers licenses in the UK and simply say that the picture does not resemble you any more since you have lost a significant amount of weight. After all the whole point of photo id is that it should look like you.

Awww Mango sometimes we can really be our own worst critics. I imagine if you saw yourself through someone else's eyes, especially your friend's, the opinion be so much more accepting, kind, and loving

I got my drivers license renewed just to get a new photo because it was so embarrasing to have my ID checked at bars and get the 4th degree about why I look different in my photograph. Also, it was a safety issue-- when travelling overseas I did NOT want to have an ID that did not look like me--- I didn't want to be detained or deported!!!

I'm 42, so no longer in my 20's (though sometimes it seems like just yesterday), but my perspective.

Even though I am VERY morbidly obese, and I'm not proud of my weight, neither am I ashamed of it (shocking, huh?) There was a lot going on in my life that contributed to my obesity (morbidly obese since early childhood), and some of it made me the completely wonderful, intelligent, compassionate person I am today. And while never a beauty, I don't think I ever ruined anyone's photos by being in them. Especially since anyone who thought so, wouldn't have invited me to be in them. I weighed over 300 lbs when my college room mate asked me to be in her wedding. I dieted down to 250 lbs for the wedding, and I have to say that the dress she chose was extremely flattering, especially to the heavier girls in her wedding party (there were like 8 or 9 bridesmaids of all sizes, including the bride's aunt with Down's Syndrome). In fact, I think the gown looked best on those of us with ample cleavage.

Also, I married my husband at my highest weight, and he nearly at his. No matter how thin I get, I will always display those photos proudly. I helped my seamstress design my dress, and I may not be beautiful in those photos, but I look gloriously happy - and that's the memory I want of that day. I think that's how most people look at family photos - they're not trying to create a magazine spread (ugly family members not welcome) - they're wanting to capture the memory of time with beloved friends and family.

The outside, really is only the outside. Being overweight IS unhealthy - it is NOT evil, dispicable, or even disgusting (except to people who value the outside MORE than the inside).

I am not proud of the fat I accumulated, but I am proud of the person I am, and part of who I am is because of each of the challenges I've faced in my life, including that of being overweight.

Nah, if the subject was brought up I would most definitely jump in and talk about my experiences of being a "fat" girl. Right now I guess by the norms I'm.. "chubby" but I'm actually pretty comfortable and confident with how I look right now and I can't wait to get down to my goal. I wouldn't want to either, for the reasons you stated, that it is something to be proud of and truly a journey. You learn a lot that many naturally, "since-they-were-born" thin people don't know and for someone to have the willpower to work hard and get healthier and fitter is a big deal, plus you know about both worlds so you really learn to appreciate your body in a way that many others who have never been overweight haven't really experienced. So no, I would not hide it, although at the same time, I wouldn't flaunt my weight-loss journey, I would not hesitate to talk about my experience if the subject of "fat" people or weight-loss is brought up.

I told my fiance pretty early in our relationship that I used to be much heavier and that I had recently lost a lot of weight. I showed him a few "before" pictures too; he was (and still is) impressed by my transformation. I didn't tell him immediately about any of this, but after we'd been together about 2 months.

I also gradually told my co-workers and a few other people who met me after I lost the 80lbs. The reaction is usually something like "Woow, that's a lot of weight" and then, somehow, I feel like they respect me more.

Although I sometimes feel like a failure bc I have get to break 186 lbs and get down to my goal weight (or anywhere near it), losing 80lbs and keeping it off for 5 years, changing my eating and exercise habits FOR GOOD, are my proudest accomplishments to date. Although I maybe wouldn't mention it the first time I meet a person, I would never want to intentionally hide that.

Also, it's a BIG part of who I am -- the really fat girl I was, the chubby girl I am and the thin girl I hope to be. My personality, my humor, my opinions and passions and values are all shaped by my childhood and young adulthood as a morbately obese person. I think the lovely and VERY wise Kaplods alluded to this in her post as well, that being very heavy for so long has a lot of positive influence on a person's character -- to get by, I had to be funny, I had to be smart, I had to depend on non-physical characteristics to get by, to get people to like me and be interested in me since I was so heavy. Like Kaplods, I consider myself a compassionate person, especially to those who struggle with difficult personal issues, like weight. If i had never been morbately obese, I would be a totally different person.

When I lose the weight, I don't think I'd forget about my past. Even though it wouldn't be a pleasant time to remember, it's still a part of my life.

I wouldn't hide it because I had the power to change something that made me unhappy rather then let it conquer me. I feel that its better to be proud of what you are now then to be embarrassed by something you once were. And that just leads to a further point that people shouldn't be judging others based on their weight weather they were over weight in the past or present. But I guess thats all based on ideals of some kind of utopian society we all wished we live in.

I guess it all boils down to you being happy and proud that you came so far. I personally wouldn't want to hide the fact that I worked very hard and succeeded.

i totally agree w/ starry night, i would do the same thing.

To be totally honest... I'd probably try to cover SOME things up. After I've lost the weight, when I meet people who never saw what I look like now, I probably won't go out of my way to make it known. Not that I will burn all old pictures of me or anything like that, but I feel like it'll just make me uncomfortable to look at my "fat" pictures, because it will remind me of how unhappy I was (with my body, not my life, heh) at that point. Plus, it might embarrass me a little. I will certainly take humongous, enormous pride in the fact that I lost so much, but I think that the process has been/will be a very private thing for me. Some people get great satisfaction from inspiring others with their stories, but personally I guess I'd like to keep it to myself. If I got very close to a person, I certainly wouldn't hesitate to share some stories if the subject happened to come up, and I'd certainly never look at an old photograph and deny that it's of me, but for the most part I think I'll prefer to look forward rather than looking back.

I'm not going to just blurt it out to people that I was so heavy, but I'm not going to hide it either.

Actually, I'm damn proud of what I've accomplished in losing this weight, and I will happily boast about it to anyone who will listen!

I don't know how I'd react, actually. I mean right now I haven't lost much but I have gone from an 18 to a size 12 sometimes 10 and I don't want anyone to know I was an 18. I don't show prom pics and have deleted all facebook pics of me at my highest. I don't know why....it just embarrasses me. I wonder if I'll hide my current pics when I finally hit my goal? lol.