2, 4, 6, 8! We are feeling really great!

And why is this? Because, officially, I have lost the Freshman 15 I gained last year. Over Christmas, I noticed my face had gotten quite a bit pudgier, much to my dismay. Plus, when I went shopping at the winter sales, my usual size 12 didn't fit. I had to move up a size! Now, after doing some marvelous post-summer-sale shopping, I'm back to a comfortable 12. That summer camp certainly helped me lose the weight. I'm hoping that with a little exercise (read: gym and bike, no buses!) I can lose another 15 pounds, and make it to a size 10.

I'm 18, and this is the time of my life when I should be at my most attractive, since there's not a grey hair to think about, gravity's cruel claim hasn't set in, and my skin is healthy and smooth without products. My goal is not to be a size 6 and stick thin. My goal is to be at a comfortable weight and dress size (so I can shop! shop! shop! at the stores I love) where I feel attractive and confident. My comfortable range of sizes is 8-12, and now I'm at the high-end of that range. I want to get to the middle. Because I know I feel fabulous now, and with just a little more effort, I can feel even more fabulous! When you look good and you know it, it shows, and other people can tell as well! For my part, I notice I have more energy and am not embarrassed to wear some clothes that only months ago I used to think twice about wearing. To have felt that way at ages 17 and 18 is quite sad. But now that I've fixed it, it's great. And at this point in my life, it's quite the time to enjoy it!

Just so you can compare, here are the before/after shots:

Before:

After:

What a change, if I do say so myself!