Speaking of Pictures...
 

Do you find yourself in front of the camera MORE now that you have started your weight loss or asked to be in pictures more?

I have not had any pictures of me taken in almost a year. I have one of me in san Francisco.

I Use to have my picture taken all the time I was a "ham" and very photogenic (sp??) but after I gained weight I moved to the behind the lens and I am hardly every in them anymore.

I am not sure how I would feel in front of the lens now since I am so close to 30lbs down?

How abt everyone else?

I sure do. I don't mind having my photo taken as much, although I still have that "cringe" when I am about to look at the photo. But then I let my friends take photos like this of me. So, go figure. I like to make people laugh I guess. :)

[For the record: it was really cold here in SF and I was coming back from cycling in the park and was freezing, hence the socks pulled up. I put on the faux beard for a giggle. I really don't have that much facial hair. :p ]

Sarah- we are currently on vacation and I have been in front of the lens a lot more. I like seeing the changes in my body.

I totally can agree with you Sara! DH and I took pictures at the wedding last weekend and I posted to FB. My friends and family were surprised to see an updated photo of me and my Mother was shocked at how slim I looked. I'm down to the size I was 5 years ago (and it feels really good)!!

Hahaha I love it!

No....not at all. I feel bad because my 9 month old son is going to look back and think he didn't have a mother! Aside from a few snapped of me holding him in the hospital, that is it as far as pictures go. I have a long way to go before I can walk past a mirror without feeling sick to my stomach. My coach said I should be proud of how far I have come...but all I can feel right now is disgust that I let it get so bad that I am in this position.

I have very few photos of myself through the years at family occasions and special events. I have often regretted this, as my DH is in all the pictures. I was usually taking them because that kept me from having to see myself. Now, I cringe right before viewing photos and then I am pleasantly surprised when I see myself. It makes me sad to see pictures of myself at happy events and remember how unhappy I always was, and to see how awful I looked.

Here's the thing, you are taking positive steps to change your life for the better. Give yourself a break and just know that there will come a time that you will feel better about the way you look. It is hard to start loving ourselves, when we have felt so bad about ourselves for so long. You will be amazed when you reach your goal!

Thanks :) Honestly, at this point in time, I can't ever see myself looking in the mirror and liking what I see...but I am sure it will come. Yesterday I had to get a pair of pants hemmed for an upcoming trip and the seamstress told me to go look in the mirror to see if I was happy with the length and I actually said "That's ok. I trust you. I don't do mirrors." Afterwards, I thought that she must have thought I was crazy...and I was a bit embarrassed...but that is how I feel. I don't even want to glance in the mirror! And I don't see the weight loss on myself, either. My good friend as well as my husband have told me how noticeable it is...but I still see the same ole fatty McButterpants when I look at myself. I wonder when that will start changing? It has to be my mind because my waist measurement alone has gone from a 42 to a 36...and my clothes are getting really loose...but I just can't see it!

It is called body dysmorphia and you will still struggle with that after you reach goal. I still see a fatty when I look in the mirror. Yesterday I bought some new jeans and could not feel good in them. The sales lady, who is a friend, told me that I am not seeing myself yet. It will take a while to replace those old images and build back some self esteem. Also, I recommend you hang on to a pair of pants and try them on periodically. I just cleaned out my closet for the last time and tried on 2 suits that I hesitated to get rid of, because they were my "skinny" suits from the last time I lost weight. They were so big it was like a before and after weight loss commercial! It really showed the progress and changes I have undergone in the last 6 months. Ironically, the times I see myself objectively are when I have caught a glimpse of my reflection in a building window as I was walking and at first I didn't realize it was me. Lol. Make sure you keep taking pictures though, so you can put them side by side to continue reinforcing your hard work is paying off.

This is a really interesting discussion. I've been avoiding the camera for years. I don't think I'll even be able to come up with a "before" pic for my before/after. Like dak1 just said, I still see the same old me in the mirror now, even though I've lost close to 35 pounds and am getting tons of comments from friends and co-workers. I'm still not seeing it. But I FEEL great. So if that's the inspiration I'm using - I'll take it.