So my bf and I took "before" pictures today as we embark on our new exercise/diet change. I've known I'm overweight for a long time, and most photos are not flattering (although the right outfit, right pose etc, can be okay-ish). But MY GOD! These pictures in my scanties make me want to cry (in fact, I already have cried). Somehow "knowing" I'm fat, and seeing high numbers on the scale, and wearing bigger clothes sizes didn't fully send the message home. In my mind I didn't think I was *that* fat. It's like a whole new self-image I need to somehow combine into my current self.

But they're the before pictures. Just wait for the afters. :P
I know what you mean though. I have a really good way of making myself look slimmer in photos but when I dont have control over the camera... ewww. Some serious untagging happens on facebook haha.

Saaaame!!!! Gah, facebook is the enemy sometimes!

I just took some more revealing before pictures myself and had the same reaction...I thought I looked okay until I took those pictures! Now I realize just how much farther I have to go!

But hey, let's use these tears as motivation to fix it so in a few months, we can take some hot pictures in our skivvies!

I've never cried. But I have caught myself in a mirror or in a recent picture and thought, "That can't possibly be right. That's not me, I'm not that fat." It's strange, to know that you are X pounds over weight, and you know that you are much larger than you should be, and yet, somehow you aren't quite as big in your mind's eye as you really are. Until you are smacked with undeniable proof. And then your stomach bottoms out. (Mentally AND physically?)

And then, for some strange reason, as you lose weight, you don't believe that you are skinnier. You look at the pictures and think, "No way, not me" even if you are pretty close to your starting mind's eye image.

The lesson? We're all bonkers!

Gold32: "The lesson? We're all bonkers!

Ain't that the truth??

I've also had this issue recently. I took my before photos(Although not in my undies, I did mine in a tank top and jeans), and I was more than a little bit mortified at what I saw. How could that possibly be me?? I had already seen the high number on the scale, so I knew things were pretty bad... But this just made it 10x worse!

Later on, though, we will be happy we have these photos for comparisson's sake. Hooray!

Omg. I actually was starting to think I was the only one who felt this way. I'm so happy (in a way) that I'm not.

I woke up the other morning with complete motivation to do something about my weight problem, having no idea where thy motivation came from I'm glad I just found this website, so that I don't have an excuse to lose motivation. So looking forward to get a better look at this place when I'm not on my phone at work, but instead at home on my computer.

Man...I completely avoided taking before pictures because of that slap to the face from reality :/ like I knew I was big but I didn't really want to face it and now that I'm 12lbs down I wish I had

Although I still have 20-25lbs more to go and I've been meaning on taking a picture now....I'm still somewhat avoiding it -___-
It's hard enough to look in the mirror before a shower but having a picture there always is kind of scary!

AHHH! i JUST had this problem! i had my hubby hide them, and every 20 pounds i lose, i will take another and not look at them until i am at goal.

I didn't take a before picture. Not sure if I was afraid or because I wasn't sure if I was really going to do it this time. Now there's no question about it. I'm doing it and that's it! I took pictures a few days ago though so better late than never. I'd have some photos from Christmas of myself that I can use as before pictures I guess.

I was the same way, I remember having to get the bigger clothes and seeing the numbers climb on the scale, but never really believed how big I got, until seeing pictures of myself at my heaviest. Seeing those pictures shocked me enough into motivating myself to shed the pounds, and as terrible as those pictures were, I'm glad I saw them.

Now almost a year later and I'm almost at my goal weight. Let the pictures be your motivation for sticking to the diet and and exercise program, it's a long tough road ahead but the end result is sooo worth every moment of it. And you will be amazed at how far you've come as you reach your goal weight.

Whatever works for you is a good thing. I still kick myself for not thinking of "before" and "progress" pictures. They're also great for reminding yourself how much you've lost when the scale is being fickle.

I'm glad I have horrid 'before' pictures, because now it just makes me look all impressive and accomplished

More seriously though, down the road and with success under your belt they lose a lot of their power. I hated the pictures at the time and they made me very self conscious, but it's not like they were news to anyone but me! I looked that way for the world to see, it was just my brain that was playing tricks on me. And now, the pictures give me a realistic and unobstructed view of my progress over the past few years and I'm thankful for it, even if they aren't super attractive. Now I never took any in my underwear because I wanted them online to encourage others and myself, but I didn't need to be naked to see the problem

I think it's great that you decided to take "before" photos. There's nothing wrong with crying, I cry from time to time when stress ads up and I feel much better afterwards. Now put those photos away and look back on them when you've reached your first weight-loss goal. That will give you motivation to continue your journey.

I FLIPPED after seeing my before pics and this was after I lost a good chunk of weight. I got scared that the next few pounds wouldn't make a difference. Now I put the pics in the before section because I am very ready to continue working for my after. I only look at the before when I feel really unmotivated, otherwise, I don't think about it much.