Have you ever posted a photo to Instagram thinking it was awesome, only to go back later and realize you don’t actually like it as much as you thought you did? That’s exactly what happened to one Texas newlywed after she looked at her proposal photos with her now-husband. Although the photos captured a special moment, 24-year-old Haley Smith couldn’t get over how she looked.
“I saw them and didn’t even recognize myself,” Smith explained to People. “I cried because this was one of the happiest moments of my life, but I was just so ashamed. I didn’t understand how Matt could want to be with someone like me. After seeing those, I knew I needed to change.” At that moment, she decided to change her life.
View this post on Instagram #tbt to my proposal size vs two days before the wedding. It's been a long 15 months of some hard work. There's about 110lbs difference in these two pictures. Sometimes I can't believe the picture on the left was actually me. And sometimes I can't believe that the picture on the right is me. It's a weird feeling, but I'm proud of how far I've come. I'm not at goal weight or goal size, but I'm going to keep pushing! Don't quit just because you are starting to feel comfortable with your body! Keep pushing, there's always room for improvement and always new goals to crush! #throwbackthursday #transformationtuesday #transformation #weightlosstransformation #beforeandafterweightloss #beforeandafter #weightloss #sweatingforthewedding #fitbride #BOD #BeforeAndAfter A post shared by Travel+Fitness+Yoga+Body Love (@haley_j_smith) on Oct 6, 2016 at 6:46am PDT
It began the way most life-altering decisions begin: by making “slow habit changes.” Smith began to make more conscious decisions to break off from her unhealthy lifestyle and lose weight. “I had tried drastic diets or workouts in the past and always failed after a matter of weeks,” she explains. “With the small changes, I would just pick two habits and after about a week or two of sticking to it, I’d pick two more.”
The bride-to-be started with not eating after 8 p.m. as well as only eating out twice a week. Then she began to log her food and track her water intake. “Tackling those small, feasible changes made snowballing into running three times a week and adding strength training so much more doable,” Smith says. These methods made her want to lose weight a reality – she lost 110 lbs. before her wedding day.
View this post on Instagram Only 10 days till the wedding! I've been so sleepy for the last couple of days. I didn't wanna workout yesterday or this morning, but in the back of my mind I know it's crunch time. I seem to always try to self-sabotage like this. I get so close to the event, exam, vacation, or whatever is coming up that half of me suddenly quits caring. 🙄 I didn't come this far to only come this far! So I'm going to hit the gym again today for my two-a-days and stay on track with my food. I can do this! 💪🏼 Only 10 days!! #octoberbride#sweatingforthewedding #fitbride #eyesontheprize #dontgiveup #onedayatatime A post shared by Travel+Fitness+Yoga+Body Love (@haley_j_smith) on Sep 28, 2016 at 4:57am PDT
But it wasn’t as easy as Smith makes it seem. Finding a way of staying inspired was the biggest struggle for her. “Even with the small habit changes, I go through so many cycles of being bored or discouraged,” she admits. “When I am, I really try to find different ways of staying motivated. For example, I have decorated my scale, I hang motivational quotes and signs all over my house, I love daily goal charts that I can physically check off having completed a task, I bought a Fitbit, and one of my biggest motivations has been starting my fitness Instagram account.”
Social media can be surprisingly helpful for staying motivated when it comes to diet and fitness. It helps users, like Smith, stay accountable since they publicly post what it is they do. Whether it’s motivational quotes or photos of food or progress updates, using Instagram can be a tool for staying on track with a fitness regime. After a full year of keeping herself on track and determined to change for the better, Smith has found the confidence in herself she was previously lacking.
View this post on Instagram Sorry it took so long to get a picture up! Matt and I actually have ZERO full body pictures of us alone or of just me. 🙄🙄 We have to wait until we get back to get a picture of us together from the photographer, but even from them, there are NO pictures of just me in the dress haha. So if you are getting married, be sure your photographer, family and friends remember to get pictures of just YOU and just YOU and your HUSBAND!! Because unfortunately we didn't, and that sucks haha. So here are pictures from my bridal shots the week before the wedding! I'll post another shortly, and when I get the pictures of Matt and I in like 3 weeks, I'll post that! So until then, I'll post random wedding pictures, and of course, my adventure in New Zealand, starting in Queenstown today! #smithsquared #octoberbride #maggiesottero #maggiesotterobride #bridalpictures #newzealand #honeymoon #queenstown #milfordsound A post shared by Travel+Fitness+Yoga+Body Love (@haley_j_smith) on Oct 11, 2016 at 9:34am PDT
It showed on her wedding day too. Because of her newfound happiness about the body she worked for, Smith was able to wear her dream dress. “I thought for sure I would get married in a long-sleeve ball gown dress to hide my whole body, but I ended up picking a strapless mermaid dress,” she explains. “I felt so beautiful in it! Instead of being self-conscious and hiding or sweating the whole time, I was able to feel confident, relax, enjoy my family and friends.”
Now that’s what we call a happy ending.
[H/T: Elite Daily]