What I learned from taking "before" pics

lauraspberry
lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
in Getting Started
Well it's simply don't be shy to show the flaws. I've been taking my before pics without showing how my belly really looks like, I put my shorts on the "edge" of the belly so when I look at before/after pics I cant really see the difference so starting now I'll let everyone see the hideous monster in my core and one day, I shall conquer it!

this is where I am at now

tumblr_mwe55zVmvI1rf1csbo1_500.jpg

Replies

  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    13 lbs in 3 weeks is way too fast. You are losing muscle mass like crazy at that rate, and you don't have much to lose.

    Make sure you EAT your 1200 calorie allotment and eat back your exercise calories (your diary shows you under every day I checked).

    This is not a sprint, it's a marathon. The only prize you are seeing right now, is a lower number on the scale which means nothing in terms of WHAT you are losing. If you want to lose fat, you need to slow things down to .5 lb per week because you don't have a lot to lose.
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
    You got it wrong :flowerforyou: 13lbs was from Insanity from last August, now I'm doing T25 and on my 3rd week, 0 lb lost and guess what... I just got my period :'(
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    Sweetheart, you are a beautiful woman with a slim, healthy looking body.

    The fact that you use the words, "the hideous monster in my core" really makes me sad.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Sweetheart, you are a beautiful woman with a slim, healthy looking body.

    The fact that you use the words, "the hideous monster in my core" really makes me sad.

    ^ This. :flowerforyou:
  • SuperSexyDork
    SuperSexyDork Posts: 1,669 Member
    Sweetheart, you are a beautiful woman with a slim, healthy looking body.

    The fact that you use the words, "the hideous monster in my core" really makes me sad.

    ^This x2
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
    Visceral fat is dangerous, it can cause a bunch of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, dementia and stroke that's why i wanna target toning it to lower my body fat :) I'm one of those unfortunate people who accumulate their fat on the belly (thanks genetics... NOT) and it's the most dangerous place for fat to be hanging around at since our organs are in there :):flowerforyou: It's all good, I'm studying to be a health professional, I do it the healthy way :) thanks for your concern :heart: :smooched:

    *well i can't really "target" it since I cannot spot reduce so I need to lose around 10 more lbs to be at 20% body fat accdg to fat2fitradio.com :) you can check your goal weight there too :D
  • mohanj
    mohanj Posts: 381 Member
    Sweetheart, you are a beautiful woman with a slim, healthy looking body.

    The fact that you use the words, "the hideous monster in my core" really makes me sad.

    ^ This. :flowerforyou:
    Ditto
    :cry:
  • cheerleepop
    cheerleepop Posts: 1
    Laura, I agree that pictures are important and being completely honest with yourself in them will help most definitely! I would say try to take pics in the same outfit (if possible) that way there aren't too many difference other than your weight loss. The first pics look like they had a flash and the bottom didn't. I already see progress in your back! Great job!
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
    You guys don't be sad :flowerforyou: if it makes you feel any better, that body has 25%-26% body fat. It may look slim but it's still not that healthy, I am aiming 20% which is athletic/fitness level. So I can be stronger and leaner and sexier and look good in a bikini and live longer and have people looking at my abs and... the possibilities are endless! :laugh:
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
    Laura, I agree that pictures are important and being completely honest with yourself in them will help most definitely! I would say try to take pics in the same outfit (if possible) that way there aren't too many difference other than your weight loss. The first pics look like they had a flash and the bottom didn't. I already see progress in your back! Great job!

    I had the same clothes on just different in color HAHA I bought my bras in cyan and pink they're the same just the color is different. Well yeah I agree it's not much progress since I'm only at week 3 since the pic above and I have 7 weeks to go :) And still has no weightloss :( But I still keep pushing hehe and I just got my period so maybe I retained water but yeah. HAHA. Thank you! You look great yourself :heart:

    *and I should take my pics at the same times of the day so lighting will be the same haha I'll work on better progress pics THANKS ♥
  • InkedBeauty89
    InkedBeauty89 Posts: 114 Member
    Thank you for that. Ha ha I have the same indent on the sides that you do and i too hide it in my pics. So youre right, i might be able to see a difference if i dont do that :-)
  • goodnamegone
    goodnamegone Posts: 237
    .
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Ideal-Body-Fat-Percentage-Chart1.jpg

    You have average BF. You could lift some weights and add lean mass to your frame. This would reduce your BF% while keeping your weight stable.
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
    Thank you for that. Ha ha I have the same indent on the sides that you do and i too hide it in my pics. So youre right, i might be able to see a difference if i dont do that :-)

    Yeah sometimes we just dont wanna see those lovehandles sticking out :/ HAHA
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
    Ideal-Body-Fat-Percentage-Chart1.jpg

    You have average BF. You could lift some weights and add lean mass to your frame. This would reduce your BF% while keeping your weight stable.

    For now I am just using my body weight, doing push ups and stuff since I cant do lots of decent push ups hehe I'll do some lifting eventually, on the second month of T25 they have lifting YAY! I am excited for it :flowerforyou: I cannot stop losing some weight though, it would be inevitable when I get those sexy muscles that would burn them off hehe I'm aiming at 20% body fat :D
  • AccioFitness
    AccioFitness Posts: 244 Member
    First, before anything else, I want to tell you that you are far, FAR from hideous. You are beautiful. Even if you'd never started getting stronger and losing inches/weight. You. Are. Beautiful. Your weight and size do not define your beauty, please don't let them.

    With that said, before pictures are amazing motivators. I didn't suck in my gut or grow back my shoulders in my picture(s). It was how I looked like and I was going to change it. It was difficult for me to let all my flaws show because I have body issues, but having taken several photos since then I can see such a huge difference. It makes me proud to have accomplished it. To be able to show myself and others "Look at this. This is where I was. And this is where I am going. "
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
    First, before anything else, I want to tell you that you are far, FAR from hideous. You are beautiful. Even if you'd never started getting stronger and losing inches/weight. You. Are. Beautiful. Your weight and size do not define your beauty, please don't let them.

    With that said, before pictures are amazing motivators. I didn't suck in my gut or grow back my shoulders in my picture(s). It was how I looked like and I was going to change it. It was difficult for me to let all my flaws show because I have body issues, but having taken several photos since then I can see such a huge difference. It makes me proud to have accomplished it. To be able to show myself and others "Look at this. This is where I was. And this is where I am going. "

    Awwwww take this flower as a sign of gratitude for you kind words :flowerforyou: honestly, I'm just satisfying myself haha. People around me, since I've been successful on my first attempt to lose weight the healthy way, has been telling me to stop. "You're slim that's enough" just like what the previous people here have been saying but i wanna prove to myself that I can do more, that i can achieve my maximum potential, that I can be as healthy as I can be :smile: So basically it's my gift to myself, to my body that I have been abusing with lack of sleep, sedentary lifestyle and poor diet for the past decade.


    True, pictures are really motivating and it's really funny because when I started out taking "before pics" I was sucking my gut and not letting my flaws show because I don't wanna see them, so when it comes to comparing it with the "after pics" there aren't really much difference because I chose to hide what was "before" lol :laugh: and it's really ego boosting to show our before/after pics, truly shows how strong we are as a person :)
  • Qski
    Qski Posts: 246 Member
    Hiya,
    you can already seen a difference in your photos and I agree that you may not want to focus on losing bodyweight. Especially if you are doing an intense exercise program, it would be quite important for you to make sure you give your body enough to sustain itself while kicking butt in the training you are doing.

    I agree with others that you are beautiful, and should try to cultivate a more positive view of your body, even if there are little bits that you think are less than perfect. It's our uniqueness that people love, not the things that look the same or could look the same as everyone else.

    It may also be useful for you to take measurements too. Or keep a ribbon cut at your starting measurements, that way you can mark it as you improve and physically see your progress.
    It is very tough to look our own bodies objectively. Photos can be just as difficult with differing resolutions, not exactly the same distance from the camera, not exactly the same height of camera, and bad lighting can make a huge difference too.

    I have only lost a small amount and I don't see anything different yet, but my partner and family all think there is already a massive difference.

    Stay positive and healthy

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