When I was 13......
I was looking through some photos to clean out the cards in my camera and I came to this one photo, taken in September, and I was utterly shocked. I spent a decent part of this journey so far, frustrated that I wasn't seeing results. It is only recently that I FELT a difference. Based on the picture I saw, I realize I should have kept doing the photos each day like I started. The difference shocked me. I felt like I was huge. I don't ever remember feeling as big as I look in that picture. I'm sure it is just not a flattering angle and such (because I am obviously a hottie) but it just made me appreciate the part of myself that said enough was enough.
For the first time in my life I can look at a picture and have a reference of what weight I was. I genuinely have no idea what weight I was throughout my life until now. At about 13 years old I started to identify that I was at risk for letting my weight consume my life. At that point I had been a chubby kid growing up in the era when Britney Spears was the epitome of beauty and "belly" shirts were all the rage. I remember spending time looking in the mirror and trying to find some way that I could look just like that. That is dangerous behavior for a young girl because it creates the wrong sense of self worth.
I am really proud of my 13 year old self for being able to identify that my weight didn't equal my worth. I told myself that I wouldn't weigh myself on a regular basis because I didn't want to be obsessed with the number and have that define how I felt about myself. The draw back I see now is that I don't know where my reference points are for when I was in high school or when I lost weight after college.
I think I am better for not knowing because I know those habits helped me to create who I am today. This is the first time I am talking about my weight issues in my whole life. I never wanted to draw attention to it because I had so many other amazing things about myself I could focus on... like this snazzy personality of mine.
If I could go back and hug that 13 year old little girl I would hold on tight and tell her how smart she is, not to let boys walk all over her, and not to worry about finding love because she'll meet the love of her life before she even graduates college. I think I'd tell her a lot more things too but those are the biggies.
<3 Katie
Day 272
184lbs
Wishing I could hang out with 13 year old Katie Leighton
For the first time in my life I can look at a picture and have a reference of what weight I was. I genuinely have no idea what weight I was throughout my life until now. At about 13 years old I started to identify that I was at risk for letting my weight consume my life. At that point I had been a chubby kid growing up in the era when Britney Spears was the epitome of beauty and "belly" shirts were all the rage. I remember spending time looking in the mirror and trying to find some way that I could look just like that. That is dangerous behavior for a young girl because it creates the wrong sense of self worth.
I am really proud of my 13 year old self for being able to identify that my weight didn't equal my worth. I told myself that I wouldn't weigh myself on a regular basis because I didn't want to be obsessed with the number and have that define how I felt about myself. The draw back I see now is that I don't know where my reference points are for when I was in high school or when I lost weight after college.
I think I am better for not knowing because I know those habits helped me to create who I am today. This is the first time I am talking about my weight issues in my whole life. I never wanted to draw attention to it because I had so many other amazing things about myself I could focus on... like this snazzy personality of mine.
If I could go back and hug that 13 year old little girl I would hold on tight and tell her how smart she is, not to let boys walk all over her, and not to worry about finding love because she'll meet the love of her life before she even graduates college. I think I'd tell her a lot more things too but those are the biggies.
<3 Katie
Day 272
184lbs
Wishing I could hang out with 13 year old Katie Leighton
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