I think there really is something to be said about pictures versus mirror... I avoided pictures and never really let people take them, and with just the mirror I never really noticed the weight gain as much as I should. Now, pictures make me look enormous (at least in my mind).
I think it has something to do with the Mirror being more "alive" and a photo being so stale... like in the mirror I can move around a little, re-position, etc. I get the "full" effect. I think it's definitely truer to real life. A photo is one moment, and it was captured regardless of circumstance. Are you breathing in, squinting, pushing your arm or contorting your face in just the wrong way? It can't be changed.
I will admit, some days I look fat in the mirror to me, and other days I don't so it's also a mind game.
Yes, I hate the way I look in photos. My mirror is my sanctuary.
The worst is my iphone camera if I point to take a selfie.
Oh me too, Ian! Thank goodness I'm not alone! I take selfies only to evaluate potential outfits and clothing possibilities but will often check my make-up with my camera. I always question whether the homely, unimpressive mug staring back is REALLY me
Lol! I have always hated to look at pics of myself, even when I was young and weighed 130 lbs. I think some people are just naturally not photogenic. I too always look in horror and think "is that what I REALLY look like?!" I have fair skin and the camera brings out every red blotch.
I'm so glad you posted this!!! I really think my mirror is the reason I let myself get so overweight. I'm always the one taking pictures so never have photos of myself. It wasn't until I was traveling and the hotel room had mirrored doors on the closet that I realized how bad I looked. I had this reinforced recently. After losing so much weight and dropping several sizes, I was feeling pretty good about myself and didn't avoid photos the way I usually do. My whole family got together for an event and my mom wanted photos of me and my siblings. My niece started snapping rapid fire pictures as we got together to pose. We have 2 or 3 posed pictures, but she took about 50 shots. I was shocked and disheartened to see how far I still have to go! I've been taking photos at each 10 pounds but they're all taken using my mirror. The ones my niece took are much more accurate representations because I can see that my siblings look exactly as they do in real life. So that means that's what I really look like. It was depressing at first but now I've been able to turn it into motivation.
I guess the point is that while it's easy to say the camera adds weight, I think it's more accurate to realize the mirror lies! The best way to judge how much weight the camera is or is not adding is to have other people in the photo, the same distance from the camera. If it's not adding weight to them, then maybe the camera isn't the problem. And doesn't that just suck?
I think it has something to do with the Mirror being more "alive" and a photo being so stale... like in the mirror I can move around a little, re-position, etc. I get the "full" effect. I think it's definitely truer to real life. A photo is one moment, and it was captured regardless of circumstance. Are you breathing in, squinting, pushing your arm or contorting your face in just the wrong way? It can't be changed.
Agree! In the mirror I stand up straight, shoulders back, smooth my clothes, etc. A photo, especially a candid, might catch me slouching, stomach out, etc. Ugh!
I can really relate to the 'horror' of a picture when you see it as had this which kickstarted me to finally join a slimming group for support and motivation after seeing a picture of me sitting at a childrens party last week.
I have saved it for motivation and a 'before' picture.
Your picture now is a 'during' you are not at goal you are on your way, personally I don't see the big person you mention in the picture. I see a slim tummy from the bust down - slimmer than mine (see there is the negative me creeping in).
I hope you have some before pics, you can add this as a during and when you post your after pics we'll all be praising your losses - you included I'm sure. I'll be even now if you did a before and during we'd see the difference. You're doing a great job.. don't let this pic derail you.
Wow, great pics. Many people pay big bucks for boobs like that.
F.
Agreed! Berry sadly I know your pain, recently my mom and I attended a party and I was about 8 lbs. heavier and someone else took pictures of me, I haven't seen them, but my mom admitted I looked WAY bigger in the pictures than in person in her opinion. When they say the camera adds pounds, they aren't kidding, someone could look normal size in person but in pictures can appear much larger. That is why so many of us are a fan of selfies, we get to pose like crazy, and find what faces & poses look most flattering in our opinions.
True confession - When I was in the 4th grade I believe, I took some class pictures that my mom paid for (no idea how much, but it may have been expensive and we were poor back then) and I felt cute taking the pictures. Well I got them and was horrified by how "fat and ugly" I looked, I destroyed these pictures (very few survived my purge, someone must have gotten a few before I could completely destroy them all), my mom had kittens as you can imagine, even at about 9 years old (I've been fat since about 7-8 years old) I felt that way.
The good news is, we are overweight, and that is ok, and we're doing something about it. Also some of it IS in your head, like in your smaller pictures from this thread, you have a great figure, but no matter how much we all tell you that, you've got to see it for yourself. Body image is a powerful thing, and a lot of people who have WLS talk about this, you might want to check out some of their videos on Youtube here's one girl I follow Clusie L https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exDcyHKXJAk with a video about body image, it is really good.
Last edited by Candidcamster; 07-04-2015 at 08:44 PM.
Below 128 I love pictures, I feel like that is the point where I cross over from always looking a little chubby, to looking healthy and lean. 128 and above and for whatever reason I always look like I need to lose at least 5 lbs. I don't know what it is that makes that number the cross-over point, but my relative yo-yo-ing over the years has proven that 127 and under is the sweet spot for pictures.
