So today my husband told me that I should take some 'before' pictures, to keep track of my weight loss. I've been sticking to my diet very closely, and I felt like a million bucks. I agreed and figured that it would be motivation.
I don't normally take pictures that show below the smallest point of my waist, and I'm not sure what I expected, but when I saw the pictures I was shocked. I cannot believe that I look that big!
I know that it is going to take a long time to see significant progress, I have been doing great with my diet, and I have already lost 11 pounds, but I feel so self conscious now. I have never been this depressed by how I look.
Did anyone else take before pictures before they started losing weight? or is it a bad idea? I still feel motivated, Im just kind of bummed out that I let myself get to that point.
I haven't taken any "before" pictures yet, but I'm going to. I think it's great to be able to see where we've come from. I want to take photos every 10 pounds lost so that when I get to my goal weight I can make a silly animation and see how I shrank
I didn't take before photos but I look back on pictures where I was at my heaviest which is right around what I am right now at 265. They depressed me too at first because the image of myself in my head and what I saw were at odds I couldn't believe I weighed that much. Now that I am trying to stay on a diet and really try they motivate me to never look like that again. I think the pictures are a blessing and a curse. I wish you luck!
I didn't take before photos this time round....but for me, seeing unflattering photos of myself has always always always given me the kick in the pants to lose weight and get motivated.
the shrinking animation is a FANTASTIC idea! i might just do that too, and make a flip book of the 'incredible shrinking woman! hahaha. maybe doing that will make the pictures funny, instead of a bummer
I completely understand how you feel. When I head lost around 30 pounds, my friends and I went hiking and took a picture at the summit of the mountain. I thought I'd look great, but I looked so bad. it was horrible. Don't worry. Soon you will look as great as you feel.
I did and I'm so glad I did as it gives me a reality check whenever I still feel huge. or feel that nothing much has changed. I take them every 20 pounds and post them on my blog. The head shots are always visible, but I do full body shots for separate posts. The change is AMAZING.
And yes... it's amazing how we can fool ourselves into thinking we weren't "that big". Like you saying you always had photos of your smallest point on upwards - that's a 'trick' but we/you see all of you. Me? I just avoided the camera all together being the family photographer. And would get depressed all to heck when someone got a candid shot of me.
We KNOW we are fat, but we just don't let it sink in how far we've let it go. It's amazing really how we can not see the excess weight and then later, the loss of weight - our mind plays tricks with us - but photos don't lie! - especially full body shots.
I think those "before" pics are extra helpful later on down the road when you're unsure of your progress. I've lost 100 pounds so far and sometimes it's hard to see even that without a direct comparison!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Laifierr
I want to take photos every 10 pounds lost so that when I get to my goal weight I can make a silly animation and see how I shrank
I did some a while back from just two sets of photos; I'm still at the halfway point and can't wait to be able to update with my goal!
I think those "before" pics are extra helpful later on down the road when you're unsure of your progress. I've lost 100 pounds so far and sometimes it's hard to see even that without a direct comparison!
I did some a while back from just two sets of photos; I'm still at the halfway point and can't wait to be able to update with my goal!
It's a GREAT idea, even though it doesn't particularly feel like it now. For one, it can be a heck of a motivator! And imagine how good it will feel later to compare and see how far you've come.
I don't really have a good before pic, and I wish I did!! It's hard to understand how far I've come when I started out in such denial. I know it's hard, but you'll be glad you did it later!
I wish I had taken before pictures. I also wish I would have kept track of my measurements. I didn't do either one of these and wish I had for reference.
I think whether it works or not depends on the person. For me, it would cause problems. I know myself and I'd react the same way. I'd feel horrible, insecure, frustrated, impatient, you name it. So I didn't bother taking pictures, I just watch the numbers on the scale change and hope my clothes get looser.
man, do i really look like that?!
