For those who take pictures to see progress

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nhendri
nhendri Posts: 236 Member
in Motivation and Support
I decided yesterday to take pictures so I can see my progress. After seeing the pictures I am finding it realy hard not to get depressed. I have made progress but seeing the pictures made me realy upset. I am no where near where Id like to be. The pictures do fuel my fire to work harder but at the same time I want to cry and hide. Did any of you experience this and if so what were some of your coping methods.

Replies

  • jdier
    jdier Posts: 110 Member
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    I don't take pictures but I do write in the exercise diary. I write how I feel after my workouts or when I've had a really good workout. I look back on the exercise diary once in a while and remember the workouts when I felt like I was really helping my body! I also think about how much my risk of getting certain diseases is lowered when I work out and how it makes my heart healthier! Long term benefits! I also monitor my progress by measuring and seeing how differently my clothes fit each month. Good luck! Keep up the good work!:smile:
  • MakeLifeBright
    MakeLifeBright Posts: 176
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    I decided yesterday to take pictures so I can see my progress. After seeing the pictures I am finding it realy hard not to get depressed. I have made progress but seeing the pictures made me realy upset. I am no where near where Id like to be. The pictures do fuel my fire to work harder but at the same time I want to cry and hide. Did any of you experience this and if so what were some of your coping methods.


    Yes!!!! I know what you are going thru. Trust Me!! Even though I have lost 60 pounds.
    I have 30 more pounds to lose. I was 200 pounds last year .. I am only 5 foot tall.
    Any way when I had my daughter take a couple pictures of me. I was sad.
    I thought.. What?!?!? I still Look FAT! How can I still Look fat when I have lost so much.
    It was depressing. Not to mention my family, did not believe I had lost 60 pounds.
    They even sent me a webcam in the mail.. To Judge me!!! Talk about feeling low.

    You should Know, it takes a while for our minds to accept what our body has done.
    We have to keep fighting this battle. It is not easy. Do not give up!!
    As long as you contiue to exercise, and eat healthy. You will be where you want to be.
    Weight loss takes time. You can do this. Do not Give up. Do not give in.
    You have my support. Ignore the pictures, You are doing this!!!

    Huggggss
  • dtp3349
    dtp3349 Posts: 2
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    The important thing is your losing weight. I had the same problem in the beginning but I excersie more and eat lots of things I never did before . I lost 18 lbs. in less than 4 weeks.
  • luly727
    luly727 Posts: 202 Member
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    i know it is hard not to see the results fast, especially on pics. same thing with me, 42lbs gone and i really dont see it in pic, but clothes are fitting, inches gone and scale shows it and i feel physically ALOT better..still i get depressed when I see the sagging extra skin, but thats OK, means FAT is leaving, so keep on working out, eating healthy and u will start to realize and enjoy the little changes which turn into bigger changes :)
  • Levahna
    Levahna Posts: 132
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    I think for those of us who have been big forever, we either don't see the difference or expect to look "perfect" after a small goal. I'm the one who doesn't see a difference. My friends do and they tell me how great I'm doing. I just don't see it. I still take pictures because I want them to have through the journey. Maybe when I have more of them, I can line them up and see it.
  • billgiersberg
    billgiersberg Posts: 163
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    I don't look at pictures but I have had family members make comments about the changes they see. Pictures have a problem in trying to show a 3-D object in two dimensions. It's not an accurate picture... pardon the pun. Also my clothes are fitting much looser which is another useful indicator. What matters most is the scale though.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    I decided yesterday to take pictures so I can see my progress. After seeing the pictures I am finding it realy hard not to get depressed. I have made progress but seeing the pictures made me realy upset. I am no where near where Id like to be. The pictures do fuel my fire to work harder but at the same time I want to cry and hide. Did any of you experience this and if so what were some of your coping methods.

    I have some advice - put the pictures somewhere where you won't be tempted to look at the for awhile - if they're physical, put them in a box somewhere. If they're electronic, bury them in a folder that you're not in all the time.

    Then, in a few months (assuming you stick with it and keep exercising/eating right), take new pictures and pull the old ones out. You will surely see a difference, and it is so great seeing that change. You can't see it looking in the mirror every day, but it's much easier to see changes in pictures taken at different stages of the weight loss process. I know I'm not at my ideal weight yet, but I love looking back at the old me in pictures compared to the current me, because I know I've made significant progress!
  • Jena_72
    Jena_72 Posts: 1,057
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    I decided yesterday to take pictures so I can see my progress. After seeing the pictures I am finding it realy hard not to get depressed. I have made progress but seeing the pictures made me realy upset. I am no where near where Id like to be. The pictures do fuel my fire to work harder but at the same time I want to cry and hide. Did any of you experience this and if so what were some of your coping methods.


    Yes!!!! I know what you are going thru. Trust Me!! Even though I have lost 60 pounds.
    I have 30 more pounds to lose. I was 200 pounds last year .. I am only 5 foot tall.
    Any way when I had my daughter take a couple pictures of me. I was sad.
    I thought.. What?!?!? I still Look FAT! How can I still Look fat when I have lost so much.
    It was depressing. Not to mention my family, did not believe I had lost 60 pounds.
    They even sent me a webcam in the mail.. To Judge me!!! Talk about feeling low.

    You should Know, it takes a while for our minds to accept what our body has done.
    We have to keep fighting this battle. It is not easy. Do not give up!!
    As long as you contiue to exercise, and eat healthy. You will be where you want to be.
    Weight loss takes time. You can do this. Do not Give up. Do not give in.
    You have my support. Ignore the pictures, You are doing this!!!

    Huggggss
    AWESOME ADVICE!!!
  • CudyBug
    CudyBug Posts: 742 Member
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    I have this same problem. I only wish that I would have taken a picture when I started. I know I would see a big difference since everyone around me tells me how thin Im looking (but I think Im still so fat). I take pics once a month starting 3 months ago. THe pics from this month and the first month you can see a difference BUT I still think IM so fat and get sad because of the ahrd work Im doing and Im still fat but I know in time that belly will get smaller. I will keep taking pictures because I know one day when Im at goal weight I will want a reminder of how far I have come.
  • melbaredd
    melbaredd Posts: 2
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    How often are you doing the photos? I have a facebook group where we've committed to show new pictures every 3 months. I don't expect to huge a result after only 3 months, or even from month 3 to month 6, but from 1 to 6 I'm hoping to see a big difference. Maybe you're taking the photos too close together. Also, don't rely simply on the photos. Take measurements, and take note to how your clothes are fitting. You can do this! Don't expect too much too soon. It didn't take me 3, 6, or even 12 months to get to 278 lbs. I don't expect to be under 200 in 3 months! Don't give up, stay on track!:wink:
  • bsitts
    bsitts Posts: 6
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    When you see yourself in the mirror or look at a picture your brain sees what it thinks you look like... it remembers what it saw before and what you're used to... which is fat. It's the pattern recognition theory. Like when you can't find your keys and you look everywhere, but they were in plain sight on your desk the whole time. The brain thrives in pattern and doesn't adjust well to change. Ever see someone you've known for years but they colored thier hair or got glasses and you walk right past them? Same concept. I started at 210 and was 144.2 this morning. I still see fat rolls and think I'm much much bigger than people I know. Then I find out they weigh the same as me and I'm flabergasted. I think it will take us all a long time to get used to the new healthy bodies we have!
  • JStarnes
    JStarnes Posts: 5,576 Member
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    I didn't have that problem in the moment with pictures...but now I look back at those pictures (when I thought I had lost a ton) and think "man, I was still huge there!" :laugh:

    And, depending on how often you're taking pictures you may never see a huge difference between any 2 pictures...its the difference between the first & last pictures that will matter. :flowerforyou: Keep your head up, you'll get there!!

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