Pictures from the past

I thought I would take a moment to dig up some pictures from the past. Some of them have never been seen by eyes other than my own until today, and others have been tagged photos of me on Facebook- to my horror. :) No, now they are kind of badges of honor or a source of inspiration.

Without further ado...

Me and my husband on our anniversary, last year on June 10th. About a month and a half before I started my first round. Never posted this picture.

July of last year. Yikes!

Last winter. Notice the braces. Oh, the joys of having braces as an adult. :)

At my friend's wedding in the summer of 2007. This photo is so embarrassing. I mean what was I thinking?! Cramming myself in a dress and jacket that didn't even come anywhere near fitting, seriously! But, my baby is just a little doll. :)

A couple weeks into Round 1 last summer.

Halloween 2006. This photo doesn't really reveal my weight, but check out my crooked teeth?! :( This was before braces and reconstruction work. I hated my smile. Oh, how I am so happy to have a nice smile now! Having my teeth finally fixed after many, many years has also been a huge factor in my confidence and overall transformation.

I can't believe I am sharing all these pictures, but it feels nice to not be all that bothered by the exposure. I guess that is the beauty of being 35-40 pounds away from the girl in the above photos.

I am really enjoying maintenance thus far with no anxiety or impatience about another round in the near future. It is nice to relax and not be so consumed with weight loss.

What I have learned through this process:

1. HCG is not for everyone. It happens to be for me (although I need a break right now), but make no mistake about it: there is not magical pill, injection or drops. :)
2. Dieting takes extreme focus and determination. If you don't have it, you might as well bag it until you do.
3. My advice for people thinking about taking HCG: Go as long as you can during Round 1 without going too many days- find a balance. If I could go back I would have gone 40-45 days.
   
4. Take longer breaks between rounds if you find you don't have the stamina. This does not mean you are a failure.
5. HCG is freaking awesome! Even though I hate it right now. :) Eventually, I will write a post on all the benefits of HCG I have observed.
   

And, the number one thing I have learned:

1. People care. People are willing to be there for you when you need support while losing weight. You all have been here for me, and the comments I received in the below post and all during this process are just phenomenal and truly helpful! Thank you, thank you!!! I would not have gained and grown as much from this experience if it were not for an outlet to learn, vent, whine, share, rejoice and describe my experience to people who really care.