A Note to Newbies (and Oldbies, too!)
 

Just wanted to remind especially the new people to take a before photo. So many of us avoid cameras (I know I did!), but it's important to get at least one photo of yourself as you start your weight loss journey. If you've looked at people's before-and-after photos, you know what an inspiration they are, and one day you'll be there, too, and you'll want to inspire people with your own before-and-after.

What I did was have my DH take a digital photo (front view and side view) and store it on the computer in a file. After I'd lost 50 lbs, I think, I had him do another front and side view, then I finally looked at the before photo. Yes, it was shocking, but I was so glad that I had done it (and I recently entered a Weight Watchers contest and needed that before photo!).

Another tip is to take your measurements. Again, this is really, really hard, but it's such an important tool, especially if you plateau, but are losing inches. Knowing that you're losing inches can be very motivating.

I do hope this inspires you to take those photos and measurements before you get too far along on your weight loss journey.

I'm gonna take my before picture myself. Just standing in front of a mirror.

That way I can avoid posing for someone else. :cry:

YES! It's the best feeling in the world to whip out your "before" photo and see the astonishment on people's faces! And even us "olbies" are inspired ourselves by new successes!! :D

Great advice Sheila. I actually had to purposely do this. There were so few photos of me throughout the years, we had to make a special point of doing this.

It pains me to see the photo. I look so very .... sad in it. But I am glad I have it. I never, ever want to forget just how far I've come. And just how easy it is to get to that weight. I want to remember that sad woman and all the pain she was in. Because I never want to "be" her again.

Okay, Sheila - so when do we get to see some before and afters of your very successful self? Hmmm? I think we'd all love to see them. :)

My before pictures were, unfortunately, the ones taken of me at my brother's wedding on January 6th. :( They were the ones that woke me up to what I was doing to myself. So, my before pictures will be immortalized in family history forever. Great.:^:;)

That's a good idea to take progress pictures. I'll do that when I get halfway. Less than 5 lbs to go... woohoo! :carrot:

I think its an awesome idea to take pictures of yourself. My DH took my picture when I started and seeing myself made me so mad that I was even more motivated to get ride of the tummy.

I plan on taking front and side pictures every 25 pounds. That way I have a slideshow type thing of my body shrinking.

I haven't done any measurements yet. What body parts do you guys measure? Do you do it yourself or have someone help you?

I saw my best friend for the first time in 7 years last night. She had bypass surgery and looks wonderful. It was so wonderful to see her, but it reminded me of how big I am now. She wants to take pictures of me and her new baby and I am so reluctant. I know that I need before pictures. I did video tape myself (boy that was eye opening). I guess that I should take the pictures. It will make me even more determined to lose this weight, so that I can replace those pictures. I almost hate to see us together in a picture. This will be the first one of us together, with her thin and me fat. :?:

I have way too many pictures of my fat self. My brother's wedding, vacations, Christmas morning. I have hated having my picture taken for ten years.

So you can imagine the looks I got from my husband and daughters when I brought home Old Navy flag shirts for a pic on the 4th of July. I'm not where I want to be yet, but I'm pretty happy with the way I look. What a nice state of mind!

Good advise Sheila, I had thought about posting the same suggestion. I happen to let someone take a picture of me alone while on vacation last January just before I joined WW. I'm really glad now that I did. It was a real boost to my moral when I put it next to one taken recently when I reached onderland.
I wish I had measurements from the begining. I joined Curves in August and they took them at that point.

i always take the before shot and put it next to a current shot that really helps!

I like that idea, Nessa. So here's mine, Robin, just 'cause you asked so nicely. :) These are the photos I turned in to Weight Watchers for a contest. They are (or maybe already have) choosing 100 people in each region to receive a prize, and then some national winners or something like that. Wish me luck!

Wow, Sheila! You look SUPER! I love the victory pose!!!!

Wowzer!!!!! Incredible transformation. Just incredible. You look so fit and healthy and sooo much younger and happier. Amazing. Thanks for sharing - since I asked so nicely and all. ;)

Oh and I don't know how they are choosing who gets the prizes or not - but you're a shoo in for sure. Let us know. :D

Wow Shelia I LOVE the after photo. You look great - so fit! It's also nice to put a face with a name.

Sheila, you look great. Good luck with the WW contest.

You look great!!!
 

Hey, that's so sweet, Christine--I've never been anyone's inspiration. I guess I'm medium-boned. I don't really know. I do have a pear shape. When my daughter got out of boot camp, she weighed 168 and wore a size 8. I'm less than that and still have a hard time fitting into a size 10 pair of pants. I can do it in dresses easily, but not pants, dang it, and I seldom wear dresses. It's those darn child-bearing hips. Hey, I think those are definitely the big-boned part of me! :)

yeah I really wish I had a picture of me at my highest weight. The best I can find is 2 photos that we figured was when I was in the 230's. I had never really made a hard commitment to dieting, I just started to change my eating and exercise habits so I never thought about taking a beginning photo.

Sigh. I did it, but it didn't go as planned. I'm nearly 40 pounds less than my highest weight -- I never bothered to take a picture then. I fear cameras the way Dracula fears daylight or Superman fears Kryptonite. I can smell a camera within a 150 foot radius and am adept at launching the appropriate countermeasures to ensure there is no photo record of me anywhere in existence. I'd make a great spy if I could only keep a juicy secret.

Anyway, I was wearing something pretty cute today in some new miracle pants that seem to shave dozens of pounds off of me. So I thought, well while it's not 316, it's still a weight I don't plan to come back to, so why not a picture while I look nice? In my mind I had fantasies about showing people the picture and have them tell me, "There's no way you weigh that much!"

I took it. I look dreadful. Perhaps had I let more people take pictures of me over the years, I wouldn't have let it get this bad. I know we've cursed the mirror vs. camera discrepancy here ad nauseum, but HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? How is it possible to stand in front of a full length mirror and really look at yourself, decide you look great, then 1 minute later have the camera reveal the grim reality that is your fat??? I just don't get it. I also wonder if that is how other people really see me. And do thin people have the same problem?

So no need to console me, I just wanted to vent - my questions are rhetorical as I'm sure the answers are something the universe has decided not to reveal yet. And I also wanted to express my sincere hope that when I get to my goal, I will cease to be so unphotogenic and will finally look decent in a picture. Gotta run, (sniff) I smell a camera...

I took pictures of myself in my new bathing suit (which I'll sadly not be using now that I'm not going to england to see my now ex). I took front, back, and side...and I realized how overweight I really look. I mean, when I take normal shots I can usually do enough and get a good picture where I don't look so bad...but just laying it all on the table like that.

I really need to get my butt in gear.

By the way, is there a picture thread or anything? I know there's a progress thread but I just staretd.