Funny what one bad picture can do

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Menix8
Menix8 Posts: 210 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've been at this since November, losing roughly .5 lbs a week. When I started out, that seemed like a safe, comfortable number to aim for. I'm at a healthy weight for my height, (5'10" and started at 172 lbs). I only have about 20 lbs to lose, and am about 7 lbs down as of my last weigh in.

So I was feeling pretty okay about myself and my progress until this morning when a picture of the ensemble I sing in was posted on facebook. There's only 7 of us in the group, and I got to stand in the front (yay). And I'm appalled at how I look in this picture. It makes me feel like I've made no progress at all, and that I look just the same (or heavier!) as I did when I started three months ago.

I'm really trying not to be critical of myself, but this has got me really, really down. It's got me wondering if this rate of weight loss is too slow, but I know I don't really want to restrict calories more, and I don't think I can maintain a more active lifestyle than I currently do. I want to just be happy with my progress and stay the course, but I'm having a hard time not getting down on myself.

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  • Menix8
    Menix8 Posts: 210 Member
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    I'm also not loving the feature on the mobile app that tells me how many people have looked at this. Before that, at least I could tell myself that no one clicked on my topics, ha.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    You're trying to lose weight. You've been successful. You don't like your picture. Why would that mean that you're not losing fast enough? Keep going as you have been, in a healthy way.
    PS If you don't want people to read your posts, then don't post!
  • janiceclark08
    janiceclark08 Posts: 1,341 Member
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    Dont let the picture get you down, pictures always make people look bigger. You know you are doing what you can to lose weight, its never fast enough for most of us. Just continue doing what your doing and eventually you will see a difference, if not on the scale your clothes will fit looser. It took me several months before I noticed being smaller. Being down just makes people want to eat usually. If you dont weigh your food you may try a scale, the month I started using one I lost nine pounds, after doing it for 3 months without one. I was still losing but that month was a good one. Good luck.
  • Menix8
    Menix8 Posts: 210 Member
    edited February 2016
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    lorrpb wrote: »
    You're trying to lose weight. You've been successful. You don't like your picture. Why would that mean that you're not losing fast enough? Keep going as you have been, in a healthy way.
    PS If you don't want people to read your posts, then don't post!

    My comment was more of a remark about the disconnect between the high number of views it got vs. the low (zero when I posted it) number of comments it got, rather than a complaint about too many people people seeing it, but now that I read my comment again it certainly does read as the latter. Sorry for any confusion.

    Edited for clarity.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    Heck I have more pictures that are bad than are good and I've been maintaining 6 years. It is just one picture taken at an unfortunate time.

    Try concentrating on and practicing good posture. It lifts your bust and flattens your belly.

    I think your .5 lbs is a good rate of loss for your goal.

    If you can fit it in try doing a bit of resistance work. Not only is it good for your bones and muscles, it will help reshape your body.

    Something like Nerdfitness is a bodyweight routine that you can do at home. Even if you just get in 1 set as best as you can to begin with it will help.

    Cheers, h.
  • Menix8
    Menix8 Posts: 210 Member
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    janiceclark08 wrote: »
    Dont let the picture get you down, pictures always make people look bigger. You know you are doing what you can to lose weight, its never fast enough for most of us. Just continue doing what your doing and eventually you will see a difference, if not on the scale your clothes will fit looser. It took me several months before I noticed being smaller. Being down just makes people want to eat usually. If you dont weigh your food you may try a scale, the month I started using one I lost nine pounds, after doing it for 3 months without one. I was still losing but that month was a good one. Good luck.

    Thank you. I know you're right, and it helps to read other people say it.
  • Menix8
    Menix8 Posts: 210 Member
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    middlehaitch wrote: »
    Heck I have more pictures that are bad than are good and I've been maintaining 6 years. It is just one picture taken at an unfortunate time.

    Try concentrating on and practicing good posture. It lifts your bust and flattens your belly.

    I think your .5 lbs is a good rate of loss for your goal.

    If you can fit it in try doing a bit of resistance work. Not only is it good for your bones and muscles, it will help reshape your body.

    Posture is a good thing to remind myself of. I'm always trying to slouch and appear smaller than I am. Clearly that's not working, ha.

    And yes, resistance training is awesome and I'm currently doing Strong Lifts three times a week. It leaves me tired enough that I'd really have to force myself to do cardio, which is why I'm hesitant to push for more exercise.

    Thank you for the tips.
  • Dornor
    Dornor Posts: 1 Member
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    Sometimes our inner voice and self esteem need to catch up with our weight loss. I know what you're feeling and I've lost nearly 50 lbs in 15 months. I still have down days where I think I'm too big and don't feel my best. I've struggled with body image issues my whole life. Part of it is that I've stopped exercising other than walking so I need to get back on that horse. Makes a huge difference in how I feel. I also work on stopping my negative thoughts and turn it around and even say out loud to myself "look how far you've come! Look how strong you are to make such changes and you should be proud". I'm slowly becoming my own best friend. Good luck!
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    Oh, if you are doing strong lifts and cardio, either make sure you are eating back at least 50% of your exercise calories. Or cut back on the cardio.

    Your calorie deficit is built into your MFP basic calories. You are expected to eat your exercise calories back to maintain good mental and physical health.

    If you are not eating back some exercise calories, that is why you are not performing well in your everyday activities and are tired. It is no use exercising but being to tired to live life; the lack of daily activity calorie burn will part cancel all the work in the gym out.

    Posture is king in my books. It helps prevent so many ailments as we age, and promotes good form when doing any exercise.

    Cheers, h.
  • Birkah
    Birkah Posts: 33 Member
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    Even bikini models take insanely unflattering photos. Don't let one not-so-great picture make you lose your momentum. You're doing great - keep up the good work! Maybe you could get all gussied up and treat yourself to a session with a good photographer when you reach your goal.
  • elaineamj
    elaineamj Posts: 347 Member
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    Yep - there are so many ways photos can be hopelessly unflattering. Cameras always add pounds and slouching would make it worse. I work hard on good posture - and there are tricks to slim down for the camera - drop your shoulders, lengthen your neck, and jut your head out.

    You're doing awesome - don't let one photo at a bad angle get you down. Slow and steady wins the race!
  • lydcot58
    lydcot58 Posts: 5 Member
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    I'm 70 lbs overweight and I usually think I look pretty good except when I see myself in a photograph. That's just not the way I see myself at all. You would think that would be enough motivation for me but obviously it has not. I'm here now really trying to stick to a 1320 calorie a day diet and doing everything I'm supposed to do. Photographs can be very motivational.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
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    Menix8 wrote: »
    middlehaitch wrote: »
    Heck I have more pictures that are bad than are good and I've been maintaining 6 years. It is just one picture taken at an unfortunate time.

    Try concentrating on and practicing good posture. It lifts your bust and flattens your belly.

    I think your .5 lbs is a good rate of loss for your goal.

    If you can fit it in try doing a bit of resistance work. Not only is it good for your bones and muscles, it will help reshape your body.

    Posture is a good thing to remind myself of. I'm always trying to slouch and appear smaller than I am. Clearly that's not working, ha.

    And yes, resistance training is awesome and I'm currently doing Strong Lifts three times a week. It leaves me tired enough that I'd really have to force myself to do cardio, which is why I'm hesitant to push for more exercise.

    Thank you for the tips.

    That's awesome. Keep it up. Since you say you are in a healthy weight range I wonder if you don't have some kind of body dysmorphia going on. I've read a lot of people on here who lose a lot of weight and then still feel like they look like they did at their heaviest. I'm not saying you need to panic, just something to be aware of. That a lot of it is probably in your head, not how you look.

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