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What’s the Brooch secret reveal?
I’ve lost a lot of weight!
OMGosh! Can you believe that’s me? If you looked at pictures of me growing up and in high school, you might not recognize me today.
See for yourself:
(The photo directly above was of me on my 17th birthday!)
Let me start from the beginning: I was 10 pounds when I was born. I was tormented as a kid because of my weight and even though I was involved in sports camps during the summer, I never made any of the basketball or soccer teams, because I was too heavy to run the mile in less than 12 minutes (I still can’t believe I run as much as I do now)!
It’s no wonder I couldn’t run very far, though. I was carrying around a lot of extra weight.
Still don’t believe me?
This picture says it all:
(I really thought I was cute! Can you say embarrassing?)
Another secret that goes along with this one is that during my junior year in High School, when I tried out for the varsity basketball team, I didn’t make it. And to add insult to injury, they placed me on the junior varsity team, which ended up losing almost every game of the season! Boo.
This picture is from that year:
It wasn’t until I went off to college that I started to lose weight. I walked a lot and didn’t have a lot of money for food (I wasn’t starving or anything, but my eating habits totally changed). I wasn’t living at home with mom and dad anymore, so my pantry looked a lot different! I dropped (unlike most people who gain) about 20 pounds my first year.
My high school peeps didn’t recognize me! Here are some pictures of me after my first year:
(This is a picture of my MOH and me during my sophomore year!)
(The photo directly above was taken about 2 years ago!)
It’s safe to say I look like a totally different person these days. I still definitely struggle with my self image, and I’m still sensitive about my weight. I know a lot of that still lingers from the years photographed in these pictures. It’s something I work really hard to maintain, though. I go to the gym on a regular basis and try to keep my diet in check. It’s a lifestyle, though, which all of us have heard before! It’s not a quick fix type of deal and unfortunately, I don’t have THAT kind of secret in this post!
Has your body transformed over the years? Have you lost a lot of weight? When did your weight loss occur, and what triggered it?
brooch, you never cease to amaze me. what an impressive accomplishment! you look fantastic now, but i love that i can see that sparkle in your eyes in your old high school photos and am glad that never changed 
Congratulations on losing weight! Definitely not easy, but I think its even harder to keep it off, especially as you get older. You look great!
I wish I could high five you through the screen right now. You look fantastic. And happy. Although honestly, you look happy in the older pictures too. But I feel you.
I was an overweight couch potato for most of my life until I turned 30. My boyfriend at the time almost ended things with me and when we got back together he told me that he wished I took better care of myself.
So in Jan 2004 I joined WW and started going to the gym. I lost 30 pounds. He and I broke uplater that summer. But I’ve kept the weight off since. It’s hard work, for sure! Work I’ll have to keep up for the rest of my life. But definitely worth it for how much better I feel in my own skin.
Congrats on your transformation!!
I think you look really cute in all the pictures. You look like you are happy and having fun. It’s great that you lost the extra weight, but losing weight didn’t make you cute—you were already cute (and still are!).
WOW! Congrats on the transformation, and even more for maintaining it!
Congratulations on becoming healthier, but I feel like you shouldn’t snark on different body types, even if they were your own. Saying you can’t believe you thought you were cute back then breaks my heart. Bodies of all sizes are beautiful and I feel that you should celebrate healthiness over weight loss and try not to make others feel like if they don’t look a certain way, then they’re not cute.
But again, good for you for being happier and healthier.
I agree with the other posts, you are beautiful in all these pictures!!!
Brooch, you looks great - what an amazing accomplishment to work towards and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I agree with @lizarellie though, it breaks my heart too to hear you think you weren’t cute back then!
I agree with others that you look adorable in the high school pictures - I’m so glad you thought you were cute then because you were (and also because self hatred is such a barrier to being healthy).
I was never overweight as a kid, but I can still relate to you about the athletic stuff, though! I was a SLUG of a child - you couldn’t run a mile in under twelve minutes? I only broke THIRTEEN once. I was always the last one to finish, practically holding back tears as everyone waited around for me. I hated sports, hated gym class, got bad cramps and asthma from running. Somehow over the years I have turned into a total gym rat, though. I am now an exercise addict and I love working out, running, playing sports, etc. Still a klutz, though. 
there’s such confidence in these pictures, and that is beautiful!!!
This is so inspirational. I used to tip the scale at more than 230 pounds my freshman year of high school, and now weigh anywhere from 140-155 (I’ll graduate from college in May). My weight fluctuates a lot but I try my best to be happy with my size now! I too lost weight kind of by “accident” in marching band, and the confidence I gained pushed me to lose more. I love to read stories like yours. None of us are alone in the world, or in our struggles, but sometimes we feel that way. Great story. You are so beautiful!
@Miss Ostrich: Aww thank you You are SOO sweet!! @Mrs. Glasses: Thanks I agree, it does get harder! @Theresa90405: Yay! High five! Thanks so much! Your story gave me goosebumps! I’m soo happy for you (: My stepmom is doing WW, and LOVES it! I think it’s a great program.
@lizarellie: @feministbride: Actually, I thought I was HOT stuff back then, and I was!! I used to dress up ALL the time and love my outfits! When I said I can’t believe I thought I was cute back then, I meant that picture! It’s rough!! My outfit, my serious “smile!” Haha!! Thank you for your compliments though. It means A LOT
@Entangled: You are too funny!!!! I think I was in that 13 min range too, truth be told!!! LOL It’s funny cause I’m a total gym rat now, too!! I think all of the frustration as a kid and not being able to do those things fuels my competitive spirit nowadays! @firemanslady: Aww! I’m glad you commented! That’s AMAZING! We’re in the SAME boat I try to be happy with where I am now, too. Even if it was “by accident” and even if I still feel there’s room for improvement. So happy for us!!
Good for you Brooch!! You are beautiful either way and I think its awesome that you were rockin it no matter what your weight was!
You look beautiful before and after! Good for you!
You were beautiful throughout! Promise. I’ve been around the size you were “then” through high school. Was about the same weight, but slightly smaller in college, lost weight through a fluke for a few years (lots of walking since I did a train commute) and then gained it all back thanks to my sedentary job, and really no time or motivation to work out - 12 hour work days will do that to you.
Thing is? I’m always cute, and you are too! Now I just need to get back to working out because man do I feel soft, I don’t even mind staying at exactly this same size. It’s all love and acceptance
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Mrs. Brooch, Arlington, VA Age and Occupation: 25, Writer/Editor Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Front Desk Manager Engagement Date: October 3, 2009 Wedding Date: April 2011 Venue: Oxon Hill Manor About Me: I’m an indecisive girlie-girl with a motor mouth, can-do attitude, and knack for making others laugh. I dream of becoming a best selling novelist like Elizabeth Gilbert or Julie Powell (a girl can dream, right?), and love long road trips, a beautiful countryside, music, blogs, books, and all things vintage/thrift/antique/or homemade. I’m a Virgo, i.e. overly sensitive, emotional, and critical, and there’s no such thing as short and sweet in my world. I want to say and do it all. Mr. Brooch grounds me. I point where to go and he figures out the way. He’s a pragmatic fancy-pants who enjoys video games and movies. We both adore our mutt, Rocky, and spending time with our amazingly supportive family and friends. We’re planning a garden wedding with a formal reception with lots of whimsy and unique, Southern-inspired details.
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