Yes, most of treads in here are about how one can loose pounds. With wonderfull pictures showing the "before" and "after".

This one is a tread exactely the opposite. Is about how I grew fat. And ugly. In less than 5 years.
I was around 110 and I got over 200...This is what I made of myself. A pig! I deserve my avatar!
In the right picture you can see what a few tones of pizza, french fries, hamburgers chocolate icecream and giant submarines can do.
Watch and learn.
I am learning too. But it's sooo, d**n painfull...

Vek,

First let me disagree with you - you are in no way UGLY! Get that word out of your vocab. You are a beautiful strong young women. Please do not beat yourself up. You can get back to the point where you feel not only good but great about yourself.

I remember the day I woke up and truely looked at myself in the mirror. I could not believe what I had done to myself. How could I have allowed myself to get so big? What was I thinking? I cried and felt sorry for myself - then I decided if I wanted things to change I had to do it. Nobody else was going to change me but me. I decided right then and there I was not looking back - just forward. You cannot change the past, but you can sure change your future. I say this all the time because I truely believe it - YOU ARE WORTH THE EFFORT!!!!! Don't worry about failing - we all have bad days. Is this hard? Your darn right it is. Is it worth it? ABSOLUTELY!!!!!

Have faith in yourself and reach for your dreams

Vek- um believe me I know how you feel!
Less than 3 years i have gained 55 lbs, but I am starting to feel better about myself now that I have lost a few!
Mine was inactivity, cheeseburgers, mochas, and FRIES, (FRIES are the worst things in the world), subs, etc... I think of myself as a big fat terd, not a pig, but I know what you mean for real.

HOT (FITNESS INSTRUCTOR)....oh yea, and I thought I was fat!

NOT: (BIG FAT TERD)

You are very brave, vek.

I look at your photos and I see two different people. But I like both of them! I would smile at you on the street. I would talk to you if we were in a line for a movie.

Now that you have seen the change, what do you want to do? Do you have a plan?

vixjean, please don't think of yourself in such a way! Yes, you are heavier now, but you are young and I can see that you have fun!

Jay

Hey, hey, hey! Stop with the negative talk, chickie! You're here to improve, and those pics are just the motivation to do it! Welcome, and best wishes!

I think you're BOTH beautiful

And Vek...if you were smiling in that second picture, and at that same angle as the first one...the difference wouldn't be nearly as obvious....HONEST!

It's like the before and afters in non-reputable weight loss commercials. In the before pictures they're not wearing ANY makeup, told to look sad and despondent, and push their bellies out as much as possible, accentuate that double chin, and they're given bad lighting!

In the after pics, they're professionally made up and hair done, smiling, perfectly flattering lighting, and sucking their bellies in!

I know I could take two picture of myself today, one looking as bad as possible, and another one looking as good as possible...and people would think.."WOW...what a change!!!"

It's all about the pictures.....you are beautiful!


Linda

Thank you a lot for your kind words.
Linda, maybe you are right. The next time I will take pics I will remember what you said and put a smile on my face.
You are all so kind to me, guys!

Vek - I cannot see your pictures because I am at work and they block picture uploading sites, but I can say that you need to stop putting yourself down so much! One of the things that I think really helps keep people on track with their weight loss is learning to accept who they are. If you aren't happy with it, that is OK but try to have the attitude that you are working to fix it! You have already lost 12 pounds and that is a great accomplishment!

As an aside, I lost 80 pounds my first time on Weight Watchers (230 pounds to 150) and gained back 70 of those 80 pounds. I gained 30 because of medication and thought, well if I'm going to be gaining the weight anyway why not eat all that stuff I've wanted to eat for so long? Such a bad idea! I was more of a mess at 220 after I gained the weight back then I was at 230 before the first time I lost weight. Why? Because I had worked so hard to lose the weight and gained almost all of it back. But I took on that attitude - I can do this again and I will. I have to for my health. So I know how you feel. Just stick in there and don't give up!

I wont give up! I promiss! How can I give up when I am surrounded with so much help and friendly encouragements?

Actually...for some commercials, they often use entirely different people. When I was going to school in LA, I knew a guy who made decent money playing "befores". I can't say I was all that shocked, but it woke me right up.

You CAN change your life around. Alot of us here have and you can too. Cal counting is what works for me. Stick around.

I'm in the same boat -- I found a ton of before pics in a bin yesterday -- I swear I literally had no waist!! But, that was also over 10 years ago -- doubt I can get back that far, but I want to come close.

However, I think we all need to stop defining our self worth based soley on our outward appearance. I know for a fact all 3FC's are smart, have great senses of humor and are more beautiful inside than they could ever project from the outside!! I personally am sick and tired of putting life on hold "until I lose weight" -- time is passing, my kids are growing up and I'm just a bystander in it all. Time to hop back in the game, concentrate on improving my self (and self worth) and get on with my life!!!

I'm prescribing you to watch "How to Look Good Naked" on the Lifetime Channel at 9 pm on Fridays (or TiVo it like I do!) It will change the way you think about yourself!!

I wanted to keep a photo record of the progress I was making in returning to the person that I used to be. You can view these at my diet blog "pixtosee". I recently was able to add my first 25 lbs weight lose. I also included my stats. No I didn't make myself up and yes I do look a lot better when I do but that was not the point of the pictures. I wanted to show what diet and exercise were doing not lighting, spandex and makeup. For that reason I am in my white underwear with no makeup.

It has been a great motivator for me. Not because of vanity but proof that I am doing what I say I am doing. I look forward to the "Second 25 lbs weight lose" and so on.

I think we are all a little vain whether we like to admit it or not. If that is what motivated you to come here, great. Fear was my reason. I was starting to have some health issues and I just didn't want to have my quality of life diminished any further. Now, after having lost some weight feeling good about what I have been able to do is the prime motivator. Find what works for you and then work it, girl!

You love others in proportion to how much you love yourself. Think of that.