Looking Better in the Mirror than in Pictures?

auteurfille22
auteurfille22 Posts: 251 Member
in Motivation and Support
I was just wondering if anyone else feels like they have this. When i look at myself in the mirror, I feel as if I look thinner than I do in pictures. I guess it must just be a psychological thing, but it's very frustrating when I look at myself and think I'm making progress and then someone snaps a photo of me and it looks like I haven't lost any weight at all. Does anyone else find this to happen to them? For me what my body looks like is what drives me with my weight loss. I'm not particularly fixated on one number for a goal weight as much as I just want to have a body that appears to be healthy and in shape, and every time I look at a picture someone has taken of me, I am discouraged. Any advice?

Replies

  • sabimausl85
    sabimausl85 Posts: 219 Member
    i feel the same. if i go out and wear a dress, i think i look good in the mirror. if i see the pics then... HOLY S*** what a fat cow am i?!
  • jennyjee18
    jennyjee18 Posts: 17
    I don't have advice but I hear ya! I feel the same way! And honestly there are quite a few days where the mirror is not my friend either! It's getting better though and I won't stop until my goal is met and I look (and feel) like I know I can!
  • hickchika
    hickchika Posts: 2
    I feel the same way! Although you have to remember that people that see you (in person) see you the way to see your self too :smile: I guess it really is true the the camera adds 10 pounds :sad: Check this out below~!

    The camera's perspective—how objects in a two-dimensional field express depth—can also distort a person's size. Telephoto lenses, which have a long focal length, compress the space between the foreground and the background, making distant objects appear closer. Up close, they shrink the distance from your nose to your ears, resulting in a diminished proboscis and more balanced features. (That's why paparazzi use telephoto lenses—for flattery as well as magnification.) Wide angle lenses, which have a short focal length, do just the opposite, making a person in the center of the picture appear both wider and taller. At the extreme, these lenses can also make people at the outside edges of a group photo look fatter.

    http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2007/02/smile_and_say_fat.html
  • upgetupgetup
    upgetupgetup Posts: 749 Member
    I was just wondering if anyone else feels like they have this. When i look at myself in the mirror, I feel as if I look thinner than I do in pictures. I guess it must just be a psychological thing, but it's very frustrating when I look at myself and think I'm making progress and then someone snaps a photo of me and it looks like I haven't lost any weight at all. Does anyone else find this to happen to them? For me what my body looks like is what drives me with my weight loss. I'm not particularly fixated on one number for a goal weight as much as I just want to have a body that appears to be healthy and in shape, and every time I look at a picture someone has taken of me, I am discouraged. Any advice?

    For one thing, getting pictures to look like what's in your head is an art (called photography). Lighting, angle etc all can make a huge difference. It's easy to be caught in an awkward or unflattering pose.

    Then: try to pick a goal that's not about aesthetics. Play a sport, and use your workouts to get better at it. With food in check, the body will follow.

    Last: wear clothes that work for your body, until your body works the clothes.
  • Chris99mu
    Chris99mu Posts: 352 Member
    Camera adds 10 lbs to me. Or more! It's the (sad) truth! That's why I prefer all likenesses of me to be artist's charcoal renderings ( because black is slimming ;-)
  • jennyjee18
    jennyjee18 Posts: 17
    I feel the same way! Although you have to remember that people that see you (in person) see you the way to see your self too :smile: I guess it really is true the the camera adds 10 pounds :sad: Check this out below~!

    The camera's perspective—how objects in a two-dimensional field express depth—can also distort a person's size. Telephoto lenses, which have a long focal length, compress the space between the foreground and the background, making distant objects appear closer. Up close, they shrink the distance from your nose to your ears, resulting in a diminished proboscis and more balanced features. (That's why paparazzi use telephoto lenses—for flattery as well as magnification.) Wide angle lenses, which have a short focal length, do just the opposite, making a person in the center of the picture appear both wider and taller. At the extreme, these lenses can also make people at the outside edges of a group photo look fatter.

    http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2007/02/smile_and_say_fat.html

    Thanks for that! In future group photos, I will avoid both the center and the outer edges! :laugh:
  • amandapye78
    amandapye78 Posts: 820 Member
    I hate the way I look in pictures, I am not photogenic at all. I cant figure it out. My 16 yr old daughter always says "mom, you always look so different in pictures than in real life" so I feel a little better.
  • RandiLandCHANGED
    RandiLandCHANGED Posts: 630 Member
    I feel this way a lot.
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
    Huh. Weird. Thought it was just me.

    Personally, I think it has something to do with facial symmetry. I find my reflection is actually far more attractive than I am, the prat.
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
    I look so fabulous all the time that I almost feel guilty.
  • mareeee1234
    mareeee1234 Posts: 674 Member
    omg... I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST MEEE!

    I'll be looking at myself in the mirror, seeing a flatter tummy ect.. so then I'll decide to take a little progress selfie - and in the photo I look nooo where near as good :mad: So frustrating!! haha SO glad I'm not alone!
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
    I find that few people stand in front of the camera they way they stand in front of the mirror. Lighting and posture is so important, but for some reason, chubby people tend to lean back (or angle their chin up to prevent the double chin) or just look goofy or happy instead of striking a model pose. All of that just makes you look round and cuddly. Instead, put you weight on your back leg, roll your shoulders back, stick your head forward and angle your chin down. If you can also remember to put your tongue on the roof of your mouth and put your hands at your waist, slightly more forward than directly at your sides- bonus points. It is a lot to think about when taking a picture, but if you can remember instead of getting drunk and forgetting, you will be less horrified the next time someone takes a picture.
  • freddykid
    freddykid Posts: 265 Member
    http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/mirror-images-a-131365
    Some mirrors can distort the view and camera's can as well.
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
    I find that few people stand in front of the camera they way they stand in front of the mirror. Lighting and posture is so important, but for some reason, chubby people tend to lean back (or angle their chin up to prevent the double chin) or just look goofy or happy instead of striking a model pose. All of that just makes you look round and cuddly. Instead, put you weight on your back leg, roll your shoulders back, stick your head forward and angle your chin down. If you can also remember to put your tongue on the roof of your mouth and put your hands at your waist, slightly more forward than directly at your sides- bonus points. It is a lot to think about when taking a picture, but if you can remember instead of getting drunk and forgetting, you will be less horrified the next time someone takes a picture.

    I am round and cuddly. And fabulous.
  • upgetupgetup
    upgetupgetup Posts: 749 Member
    I find that few people stand in front of the camera they way they stand in front of the mirror. Lighting and posture is so important, but for some reason, chubby people tend to lean back (or angle their chin up to prevent the double chin) or just look goofy or happy instead of striking a model pose. All of that just makes you look round and cuddly. Instead, put you weight on your back leg, roll your shoulders back, stick your head forward and angle your chin down. If you can also remember to put your tongue on the roof of your mouth and put your hands at your waist, slightly more forward than directly at your sides- bonus points. It is a lot to think about when taking a picture, but if you can remember instead of getting drunk and forgetting, you will be less horrified the next time someone takes a picture.

    Hey this is great! Any advice on making a genuine & pleasant (vs weird/grimacing) smile?
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
    I find that few people stand in front of the camera they way they stand in front of the mirror. Lighting and posture is so important, but for some reason, chubby people tend to lean back (or angle their chin up to prevent the double chin) or just look goofy or happy instead of striking a model pose. All of that just makes you look round and cuddly. Instead, put you weight on your back leg, roll your shoulders back, stick your head forward and angle your chin down. If you can also remember to put your tongue on the roof of your mouth and put your hands at your waist, slightly more forward than directly at your sides- bonus points. It is a lot to think about when taking a picture, but if you can remember instead of getting drunk and forgetting, you will be less horrified the next time someone takes a picture.

    I am round and cuddly. And fabulous.

    Nothing wrong with round and cuddly, I just don't like having my cuddliness preserved for posterity.
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
    I find that few people stand in front of the camera they way they stand in front of the mirror. Lighting and posture is so important, but for some reason, chubby people tend to lean back (or angle their chin up to prevent the double chin) or just look goofy or happy instead of striking a model pose. All of that just makes you look round and cuddly. Instead, put you weight on your back leg, roll your shoulders back, stick your head forward and angle your chin down. If you can also remember to put your tongue on the roof of your mouth and put your hands at your waist, slightly more forward than directly at your sides- bonus points. It is a lot to think about when taking a picture, but if you can remember instead of getting drunk and forgetting, you will be less horrified the next time someone takes a picture.

    Hey this is great! Any advice on making a genuine & pleasant (vs weird/grimacing) smile?

    I wish I did. Try the tongue thing. Ive also heard if you look down at the ground, and then back up right before your picture is taken your smile seems more natural. I'm not gonna lie, I am vain and I practice in front of the mirror.
  • sadenni
    sadenni Posts: 2
    It's like my mind is playing tricks on me! Sometimes I look in the mirror and think I look amazing, then I take a picture and look like a tub of lard. Eh. I generally avoid pictures. Hopefully I will be more confident in front of the camera once I lose this weight.
  • upgetupgetup
    upgetupgetup Posts: 749 Member
    I find that few people stand in front of the camera they way they stand in front of the mirror. Lighting and posture is so important, but for some reason, chubby people tend to lean back (or angle their chin up to prevent the double chin) or just look goofy or happy instead of striking a model pose. All of that just makes you look round and cuddly. Instead, put you weight on your back leg, roll your shoulders back, stick your head forward and angle your chin down. If you can also remember to put your tongue on the roof of your mouth and put your hands at your waist, slightly more forward than directly at your sides- bonus points. It is a lot to think about when taking a picture, but if you can remember instead of getting drunk and forgetting, you will be less horrified the next time someone takes a picture.

    Hey this is great! Any advice on making a genuine & pleasant (vs weird/grimacing) smile?

    I wish I did. Try the tongue thing. Ive also heard if you look down at the ground, and then back up right before your picture is taken your smile seems more natural. I'm not gonna lie, I am vain and I practice in front of the mirror.

    Will do. And might actually do the same, re practicing. Thanks!

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