Ugh, these are so completely awful, I don't even know where to begin...
Ok, recently, I was looking through a box of photos. I came across an envelope titled "My Really Fat Pictures". I was afraid to look inside, but I simply had to. What I stumbled upon was me. In 1990-1991. I was 19-20 years old, very heavy (about 200 pounds), and very unhappy - which you will see in my painfully fake smile.
It was surreal to see these. Deep down, I know they are photos of me, but I feel like I am looking at another person. I think the hardest thing for me to look at (even harder than the fake smile) is my unkempt eyebrows. *shudder*
Have a look for yourself...
For the record, I did not grow out of this look for quite a while, even after losing weight. Here I am in 1994, on my 23rd birthday at my lowest adult weight ever - 140 pounds:
This is also from 1994, at Washington Square Park in NYC -
Wow. That's... embarrassing. Anyway, I promised to post those photos, so there you go.
I am really REALLY glad I am not that person anymore - mentally or physically.
Posts
42 comments:
You rock a red lip, I must say.
Aww Love you girl! xoxo
You can be all the embarrassed you want, but in those pictures I see the same Sheryl I know and love, just a little more sad and lost. I love that you're happier with yourself now, but had you not been Goth Sheryl, you wouldn't be who you are, and that would be a shame. :*
Angi- funny you say that. I was on my ride home today on the train when it occurred to me that I never see any other women wearing red lipstick. I can't even picture lipstick of any color on most women I see through out the day. I feel naked without lipstick, I don't know how women leave the house without it. I just never realized it before today.
Lore, what a nice thing to say. You're right. Everything you experience and go through makes you the person you are today. Thank you for that.
I think you looked fabulous in those pictures, but I understand what you're saying, too.
You are beautiful!! Than and now. :)
I think you just won the "you are beautiful at ANY weight" award! Love the pics. I never had the balls to be goth. Or anything else for that matter. I lived in Dallas and had really big hair because everyone knows big hair makes ya look skinny! lmao
I have pictures like that - not the goth, but yeah. My eyebrows make me shudder, too.
Actually, you kind of remind me of my cousin, who had a goth wedding in 1994. :-) Isn't it funny to see who we were?
OK, maybe the look did have to go, but you still looked beautiful.
Do you ever notice how people who are into the "rockabilly"/retro style were at one time into goth?
I too was the black dress wearing/combat boot sportin'/black wig working (I had naturally strawberry blonde hair at the time) girl back in the day.
It's like the circle of fashion.
You know...I really don't like when people tell me i was beautiful even when i was "bigger" so please trust me when i say this that i am saying with the most genuine honesty ever...you were absolutely beautiful even at your heaviest. you were blessed with amazing genes! such gorgeous skin tone, eyes and hair! ok enough gushing over your beauty. thanks for sharing! if you are happy you are no longer "there" physically or mentally, i am happy for you too!
I completely agree with Heather, you are G O R G E O U S at A N Y weight!
WOW.
I don't know if I've ever commented on your blog before, but I ADORE you. Your style is fantabulous, and you're just sassy and wonderful. I show off your bike to my mother when I visit her because she loves Hello Kitty. If I could duplicate your bike for her, I would.
Anyway, I think the 4th photo of you is stunning, even if you're embarrassed by the weight or the style. Your hair was just incredible! (Yes, it's incredible now, but the length and curl in it, I'm supremely jealous of.) :)
Keep rockin' it!
~Jenn (Ex Hot Girl)
The difference is huge and your journey has been inspiring and entertaining to watch. I still think you look very pretty even in the heavier photos. xxx
We have all gone through phases dont we. When I was younger i went through a hippy look with the tie dyes, then a darker look where I even shaved parts of my hair. Crazy. I love your look now. SO preety and pin up girl. Lush! I wish I could pull it off.
Really, the first thing I thought when I saw those photos is that you still looked very pretty, even at 200 pounds.
don't be so hard on yourself. it's weight. it's not WHO you were, it's how you lookED. you were not comfortable in that skin, so you got out of it.
i agree with all the above.. you do rock the red lip, pic #4 is my fav, you are gorgeous at any weight, and you rocked the Goth.
Thanks for sharing.. I know it's hard looking at our own past, you see so much more than we do when we see these gorgeous pics of you. (hugs)
Do you still have the bat?
never mind the bat question.. i scrolled down and read the last few weeks posts (i have a lot to catch up on!) and saw that you do indeed have the bat!
Congrats too on the 70mile bike! WOW!! that's hugely impressive, and in heels!
You looked so cute. I must say that I think you look faboulous at a healthy weight but you still looked gorgeous when you wear heavy and that is hard to pull off.
But been healthy is so much better!
I think you still looked great...and I rocked the goth up until a couple of years ago. Every now and then, I still pop it out =)
I think you have evolved into a fabulous woman!
lpm
We are our own worst critics. The first thing I noticed was your pretty smile and beautiful, thick and long hair. Rock on with your fitness/health goals. Don't ever wait to "feel" like it to take action. Take action and the "feeling" will follow!
Thanks for sharing those pictures.
Embarassing? Oh, no way....I think you looked beautiful then as you do now! I once plumped up to 160 and I know that gaining a bunch of weight is not cool. However, I gotta say it again; you really were beautiful then as you are now. Funny that you would mention but for some reason, it also took me a long time to shed my goth ways as well.....lol....go figure:)
Sheryl, the other gals are right. You looked beautiful in the "fat photos," especially to me the first one and the last one. You had such pretty coloring and features and you were very shapely even when heavier. I think when you look at the pictures you must see the inner "you" and the unhappiness you felt at that weight. I know I do when I look at heavier pictures of myself.
I am curious to know what your goal weight is because you looked a little too thin to me at 140 lbs.
So does this mean I have to post those old pics from my grunge rock days where I'm wearing the flannel shirts and bike jackets?
I think you are totally cute in all of them! You were rocking the 90's style better that most of us did! You should love those pics!!!!!
I think you were gorgeous then and you're even more gorgeous now, seriously! I think you always look great, your spirit shines through no matter what :-)
I think you look adorable.
FYI, my cousin has been posting embarrassing pictures of me "back in the day" on FaceBook and all the comments are "OMG! SO funny" and "HA HAHAHA!" and "You are so brave for posting that" (after I re-posted one hilarious one). So, count yourself lucky! You might have been heavier, but you were still gorgeous & cool as shit.
Between then and now...you are still stunning! I have a collection of fat pics as well, think my biggest weight was 205lbs??
Well done on your journey and yes, you do totally rock the red lips!
Wow, you've always been a beautiful girl, high or low weight. But there is definitely some sass and some wisdom with you today. I just found your blog not long ago and find you very inspiring. I'm going to be following the weight watcher plan soon, I just need to get through my move to Florida first. I'll be back to learn more. Thanks for your honesty and for sharing your journey.
Wow, I think you're sexy in all of the pictures!
I love to look at old pictures of myself to see how far I've come. Despite a lot of sadness about my appearance in the past though, I seem to have mostly happy pictures, so that may be part of it.
I love your long hair though!
Regardless of your size - you are still and always have been incredibly beautiful... seriously.
Love,
Kelly
Well you carried the weight very well. I have similar pictures of myself. The most frightening thing is how big my face was! I also was into the goth look and some think I still am. I think my toned down dark and dramatic fashion vibe really suits me. Bats and big crosses may be a little over the top, but I think it's great to see you had a strong sense of personal style back then and continue to do so today.
Did you go clubbing much? seems I must have bumped into you!
Wow after also looking at your pics also on flickr, I must say that I need to go get more tattoos. you rock
Wow, I think you looked super cute!!! It is funny how hard we are on ourselves. But I saw that others posted that you carried your weight well and I love your hair. Thanks for a great blog!
Sheryl, you're so hard on yourself! Would you talk about your best friend like that?
Sarah, you're right, I wouldn't. Thank you for reminding me of that.
I think you looked hot, to be honest.
No need to be embarrassed; you look stunning in these pictures.
Post a Comment