The picture on the left was taken in June. The right, sometime last week.

I am often asked how I lost weight. That’s the easy question. I got on the treadmill, gave up fried foods, said goodbye to chocolate and started counting calories. It was rigorous but if I was going to lose weight, I was going to do it the right way. That was the only condition I made for myself.

Nobody really asks me why. And I get that. I mean, I needed to. Let’s face it. You’re fine the way you are is crap. Sometimes the way you are sucks. Sometimes you need the change.

It’s what on the inside that counts. That’s why I did it. Because my heart was clogged with unnecessary fat. And my liver was drowning in oil. I easily got sick and physical activity tired me out faster than it should’ve. Oh, and my self-esteem. Let’s not forget about that. Even though I consider myself fairly confident, I knew. Fat people always know. They know the double chin is ugly as is the cellulite, the ill-fitting clothes, the jeans that won’t zip and that horrible sinking feeling of failure.

I didn’t like taking pictures so I hid behind the camera. I felt inferior next to my pretty friends who wore pretty clothes and didn’t have to try as hard. My friends who were, who are, effortlessly good-looking.

That’s why I did it, I guess. Because I didn’t want to spiral downwards. Because I didn’t want to live the rest of my youth feeling like crap. I owed it to myself to be better. Not for aesthetics’ sake but for me. For my own sake.

The thing is: I don’t think I’ll ever be thin. The battle is no longer against self-control but bad genetics and a royally screwed up metabolism. But I am okay with that. I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. The right way. I just wanted to get to a place where I could feel comfortable. That’s what mattered most.

After some of the weight went, the hair followed and while I don’t feel like the most beautiful person in the world, I’m less afraid of posing for pictures and trying on jeans and stepping on that scale and wearing clothes that I never would’ve before. For others, that’s just the beginning but for me, that’s more than enough.

First off, I embarrass you. I can’t ski, I can’t ride, I can’t speak Latin , my legs only come up to here and yes I will always be just a little bit fat. - Bridget Jones