I seem to be one of the few people left in [social-media aware] society that doesn’t practice in the art of posting about Throw Back Thursdays.

So, what exactly is “Throw Back Thursday?” A toast to the past? A reflection on who/what we were in years gone by? Or is this just something Radio Jockeys use as an excuse when they’re tired of playing the same 40 songs over and over and want to mix it up a bit?

Well, since I don’t want to miss the boat on the tradition, here’s a little throw-back for you –

This is me – at age 16. Yeah. I was probably right around 195-200 lbs at this point in time.

Yup. Just a little over one decade ago, this was my every day. This is right around the time in my life where I was a devout Mountain Dew enthusiast and would come home and prepare my “pre-dinner” – AKA, a family-sized portion of pasta salad or mashed potatoes that I’d eat before my family got home to have a real dinner.

A lot of people ask me why I keep some of these pictures around. This photo is actually in a drawer in my kitchen, which is where I’ve kept it in the last three homes I’ve lived in. I do it as a reminder of the person I once was: unhealthy, self-deprecating, and a little lonely.

While that may seem a bit morose on my part, it reminds me that every day I wake up, I get to make a decision. Well, several decisions actually:

Will I be happy or will I be sad?

Will I nourish my body or will I punish it?

Will I seek out the positive or dwell in the negative?

There’s something about looking at your past that makes the decisions of your future seem significantly easier.

So, Happy Throwback Thursday everyone. It’s time to make the most of the present and plan for the future.

Bon Appetit,

~ Tori