Holy FB Picture Tag...Mortified!

BethMarieVA

Only 1 month into my weight loss journey and still weighing in at 253, I am not quite ready to face pictures of myself. Like many overweight people, I avoid cameras like vegetables! Well, like everyone else I just spent the last couple of days with family. Even though I tried to get out of the way of the camera, I got caught in a few pictures.

Well, today it happened....I opened my FB page and there it was, a bunch of horrible, embarrassing, and unflattering pictures of me plastered all over my page for everyone to see! I quickly untagged myself, but not before many of my friends liked or commented on them. I spent the rest of today feeling fat and disgusting eventhough in only a month I have lost 12 pounds and have been feeling amazing.

How am I going to shake this feeling? What do you all do when you have a bad day? Looking for motivation...HELP!

blueakama

I hate that about fb. Hubby and me complained loudly about photos not turning up on facebook and now they are passed around by email instead. Much better.

threefancy35

I think I would feel worse later to look back on these years with family and not have any photos. Even though I don't look as I'd like, I always take pics, especially with my kids.

SheBeButLittleSheisFierce

I understand your feeling on this, I truly do. However, remember we are our own worst critics. The people that posted those pics are probably just exicted about the holiday and having family and friends together. They look at you and see beauty amd love and time spent together. You are beautiful. We all have our funk days. Our family has a rule we have to say 5 things we love about ourselves when we are negative about ourselves. It sounds cheesy nutbit does help you change your viewpoint. Enjoy the memories and moments spent and why the pic was taken. Hope this helps

w734q672

Why do you care so much about how others feel about you? Also, wouldn't it be better to focus on where you going to be versus where you're currently at?

ErinK09

I hate seeing photos like that. They usually take my picture off gaurd, I've got some where I know I look better.

Be proud of your weight loss so far! Focus on that! Congratulations!

missiontofitness

You can change your settings so photos do not show up on your wall without you approving it. I think you can also prevent yourself from being tagged in photos as well.

Also, echoing all the good advice above; you've made great progress, don't get deterred!

BethMarieVA

vanillatinypretty wrote: »

I understand your feeling on this, I truly do. However, remember we are our own worst critics. The people that posted those pics are probably just exicted about the holiday and having family and friends together. They look at you and see beauty amd love and time spent together. You are beautiful. We all have our funk days. Our family has a rule we have to say 5 things we love about ourselves when we are negative about ourselves. It sounds cheesy nutbit does help you change your viewpoint. Enjoy the memories and moments spent and why the pic was taken. Hope this helps

THANK YOU!

tracyhodgewaugh

Use as motivation to look better next year. That's what I am doing. I also agree that someday your family will be happy to have these photos because they show your life at this point in time. When my father passed we had a tough time finding photos and I would have given anything to have even unflattering ones if that's all there were.

mlheideman

http://myfriendteresablog.com/so-youre-feeling-too-fat-to-be-photographed/

This is a must read for all us, especially moms.

summerhaze71

I am the same way. I have it set so I have to approve all tags. But, once in a while, like when it is an event that involves my kids... I let those pics through because that is who I am right now. That is me. I am a person that is a bit overweight. There are so many other things I could be that are much worse!! I am a good person though, so if all I have going against me is that I could stand to lose a few pounds, then those that love me most need to accept me as I am. And so do I!! Doesn't mean I want unflattering pictures of me out there for everyone to see, but it does mean that I can bend that rule once in awhile to show my family that I am proud to be in their company!!

AllOutof_Bubblegum

I understand not liking public documentation of your appearance being posted online, but here's the thing:

Your friends already know you're overweight. It's not some big secret. So while it may make you uncomfortable, your friends are not going to see what you are seeing. You might see nothing but all your flaws, but all anyone else is seeing is their dear friend having fun and enjoying herself with people she loves.

BIG high five on beginning your weight loss journey, but remember to enjoy the process and be happy in the interim.

"If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." -Roald Dahl

mrsKOrtiz

I personally don't do facebook. I rarely post any "current" picture of myself because I feel ugly in pictures. It's like the camera hates me lol because in person Im acrually decent. lol The picture Ihave up now is from this august/september, see not that recent.

But you look beautiful!!

scare6jack37

You are the only one that should care about their self-image. If you're not happy then lose mass until you become vain and enjoy pics again!
My fav camera is my brain and if I cant remember it then it's not worth keeping!

Allterrain_Lady

I couldn't agree more about the FB thing. I highly control what gets published on my name.
Two things:
1- go to settings/privacy, you'll find an option that makes everyone ask for your consent before they tag you. It doesn't keep the pictures to get published but you won't be linked to them.

2- Congrats on starting your weightloss. You don't know this yet, but in a few weeks/months you'll be happy those pictures have been taken. They'll make awesome before/after posts!!!!
A lot of people regret not having before pictures. They show, more than anything else, the progress.

Here's a silver lining!!!!

DerekVTX

AllOutof_Bubblegum wrote: »

I understand not liking public documentation of your appearance being posted online, but here's the thing:

Your friends already know you're overweight. It's not some big secret. So while it may make you uncomfortable, your friends are not going to see what you are seeing. You might see nothing but all your flaws, but all anyone else is seeing is their dear friend having fun and enjoying herself with people she loves.

BIG high five on beginning your weight loss journey, but remember to enjoy the process and be happy in the interim.

"If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." -Roald Dahl

Bubbles sounds pretty smart....you should listen to her.

The reason why most people stay overweight is because they are in denial that it really is a problem, photographs and the dreaded weight scale are huge examples of these....so these reality checks hurt. Look at these old photos, weigh yourself, embrace the fact that that will one day be the old you.

Vacation pics were the tipping point for me, maybe that's why I am so obsessed with before and after photos......25lbs to go. Now go get it done.

sherambler

Ugh, Facebook. I absolutely HATE FB for this reason. Some of my friends are professional photographers and others are amateurs, so there's always a camera around and a quick upload to Facebook. It's embarrassing. I've gained a lot of weight since high school and even more since college and grad school. I kind of don't want people to see how I've ballooned up, that's why I avoid uploading pictures of myself on my own page.

And it makes me feel like a party pooper when I plead to not be in photos. I ask them not to tag me and sometimes they'll remember and other times they'll forget. I'm not a photogenic person. I don't mean that in a self-loathing, poor me kind of way, I mean it in the literal sense that it's almost impossible to get a good photo of me. I wish I could switch my thinking on this and use seeing an unflattering picture of me to motivate me rather than let it get me depressed.

2snakeswoman

I read that loving yourself as you are right now is the key to success in weight loss (among other endeavors). If you loathe your appearance, you won't treat yourself right. Try to look at yourself with love, even if it's only one feature.

You'll be glad to have pictures for comparison as you progress with weight loss.

seltzermint555

AllOutof_Bubblegum wrote: »

I understand not liking public documentation of your appearance being posted online, but here's the thing:

Your friends already know you're overweight. It's not some big secret. So while it may make you uncomfortable, your friends are not going to see what you are seeing. You might see nothing but all your flaws, but all anyone else is seeing is their dear friend having fun and enjoying herself with people she loves.

This is so so so true!!! You are your own worst critic, OP. I know the feeling well though, and admit to being so distraught over the CONSTANT workplace candid shots at a previous job that I seriously considered changing jobs over it.

Use it as motivation!

This might sound nuts to some people but just throwing it out there...maybe this week you could dress up in something that makes you feel amazing, and have a very close friend or SO take a few photos of you, yeah slightly posed, and in a setting that makes you happy. I am betting you would feel much better seeing those photos...and in a few months you could retake them and feel better still!!

pscarolina

[quote="AllOutof_Bubblegum;30655441
"If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." -Roald Dahl[/quote]

Speaking of Facebook, I'm totally stealing this quote & posting it right now.

On topic, now you have your "before" pic & next Christmas you'll want to post a current fit & fabulous one beside the one that is causing you so much grief today.

goalieAJ14

I totally get it as this happened to me after Thanksgiving. A really unflattering pic of me was posted but now I use it as motivation and think about it when I have a craving for something unhealthy. It usually works to kill the craving. I like the idea of using it as my "before" pic.

yoovie

well, instead of spending the day feeling fat and disgusting, a better way to spend my time would be planning out my meals and workouts and burning extra calories... instead of sitting in front of facebook telling myself that hating pictures burns calories.