Forgetting I'm Fat
fitpeawing
Posts: 2 Member
Has anyone here ever forgotten how big/overweight they are? I didn't realized how much weight I've gained until I saw a photo of myself from the weekend. Looking in the mirror everyday, I thought I was okay.
Has anyone found taking photos of themselves on a consistent basis to be a good motivator/self check for weight loss?
Has anyone found taking photos of themselves on a consistent basis to be a good motivator/self check for weight loss?
13
Replies
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I think the photo thing is a good idea, and also helps you see how much progress you'd made, which can similarly be easy not to see in the mirror for many of us.
And yeah, I realized how much I'd gained back in the day from a photo (two rather unfortunate photos). I mean, I knew, but it really made it real to me and helped me not think "eh, it's not really that bad" despite my increasing clothing size.4 -
Like the above mentioned, photos are great to keep around for reference or to test your curiosity with respect to weight gain. I got in the habit of estimating my weight when I wake up and before I go to sleep but to be fair, I weight myself almost daily, not for any reason other than curiosity1
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Yes. I have been blindsided by photos a couple times not realising how much weight I'd put on. I have taken before/during pics and measurements since I started in January. I still don't see an obvious change in the mirror even though I lost 20 lbs and went down sizes/inches. Maybe because I see myself every day...
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The human brain is the worst.
I looked dandy, I thought, at 250 and 5'3". Even in pictures. Now, I can't convince myself that I look different after losing 100 lbs. Like my brain wants me to be heavy. I have to go down a list of facts and accept them as truths. My clothes are smaller, the number on the scale is smaller, I can jog for 32 minutes, my niece likes to remind me how small my boobs have gotten. All those things equal progress. I can be more convinced by side-by-side pictures than the mirror, but even if I stare at them long enough, I can convince myself that it's not that big of a difference. I just have to stick with the numbers.
I understand this isn't what you're going through, but I just wanted to drive home the fact that you can't always trust yourself.18 -
Our mental images of ourselves are more than just our physical appearances. That's actually a really good thing. That said, photographs have a way of preventing our self-deception about our weight (both high and low).
I'm glad I started taking pictures of myself, it gives a nice record of my progress now.2 -
I take pictures every week for progress reasons. I can't tell a bit of difference between them when looking at them some days & other days, I'm like yeah, that definitely a difference. I keep taking the pics though because I know at one point, I will want to be able to show all of the progress that I've made to myself so I never forget.
I will never show them on this page though. Well at least not until I'm half way to my goals.3 -
I actually set up an Instagram account for monthly progress pics. Once a month. I remember that when I was bigger I didn't feel like I was but good god, looking at the pictures...2
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Yep I too didn't realize until I was looking at a picture... I should start taking weekly pix what a great idea fireturtle75
Paulawalladingdong: I wish my boobs would get smaller! I dropped a band size so far but it made my cup size go up because my boobs stayed the same size... If it happens again I'll have to custom order as I'm in the largest cup carried by Lane Bryant right now... I can barely afford the current bra prices... One cup up and I'm looking at well over 100 per bra... Ouch. Consider yourself blessed in that2 -
Yeah...even now. Sometimes I walk around super confident like I'm some lean *kitten* chick. Then I see a picture and I'm like...nope. Not saying I'm fat. Just that I have a different picture of myself in my head sometimes. Then there are days when I really think I'm fat, and I'm probably just average.5
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Great question @fitpeawing. As long as I don't obsess over them too much, my progress pictures have been helpful as a reality check.
I've been concerned about rest and nutrients too, and I can see the results of these factors much better in photos vs. the mirror.1 -
@Paschen81
In the UK we have a huge selection of bras for big boobs! Depending on your band size, up to a 42 (in uk sizing) try www.brastop.com for cheaper branded bras. Personally I love the Debenhams 'Gorgeous' range. I'm a 36H if that helps?!
Picture wise I have the same issue, I feel better in myself until I see a photo! I try to take a photo each time I weigh in. I see my face isn't as bloated as it was. But that's about it! Lol1 -
Photos are a great motivator. Last Summer we went hiking as a family and there was a picture of me that found its way online. I hadn't realized how far off track I was or how much I gained until I saw that picture. It motivated me to jump on the scale and start taking my health back.3
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Photos can still be misleading. One eye instead of 2, plus lens distortion that can happen, plus just being caught in a strange candid pose.5
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Wow, you guys! Thanks for all the feedback and thoughts. I felt quite alone for some time and wasn't sure how I felt about this. You're all amazing! I might start my own album to keep track.2
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I take a daily pic to track my progress with weight loss. Days when I don't feel like working out and stAying on track, I look back and my butt practically gets off the couch itself and drags me to the gym. I remember how worth it this is and how good I feel. Another huge confidence booster is when people that don't see you all the time drops their mouth when they see you.
As for seeing pics from before starting this I just feel sad. I feel sad that I let it get to where it did. My saggy skin is also a constant reminder. I look back at my kids growing up and wish I was working at it then because now I have so much more energy. I wonder why I couldn't just "destroy the excuses" before. The positive about seeing old pics is knowing I don't ever want to go back and I know how easy it is so I have to keep my head straight.
One of my favorite things in the my life is feeling accomplishment and success. Use the photos to track yours.
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A couple of unflattering pics on Facebook woke me up.
I try to take progress pics every 5 lbs now.4 -
The way I see it, photos can be great motivators, but if they really upset you... remember that if you try and take a photo of a beautiful sunset, or a gorgeous full moon, the camera often makes it look like absolute *kitten*!
Alternately, on the subject of candid photos and unflattering faces/poses, a friend of mine who is a professional events and wedding photographer said something to me that made me think:
Him: OK who do you find really hot?
Me: Er... David Bowie in Labyrinth.
Him: I bet if you paused Labyrinth at any random moment, you could get a picture of Bowie that makes him look disgusting - but you know he's not. It's just an unlucky pose.
So you probably look better than you think you do
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I forget till I see a mirror. Then I remember!2
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I have the opposite where when I see myself in pictures or videos now I'm surprised at how thin I look. When I look in the mirror or picture myself in my head I see myself as 1 or 2 sizes larger than what I see in pictures. I'm assuming that my brain just hasn't caught up yet.2
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I am constantly surprised when I see a photo. Somehow, I always think I am slimmer than I am...even a mirror doesn't really show my brain what my body looks like. I see other women my size and I'm just SURE I'm not that big. I did take "before" shots. I was frankly horrified. I try to remember to look at them weekly and plan on taking one every 20 lbs.
I think, had I had photos before to remind me of what I really looked like, I might not have regained most of the 100 lbs I lost 10 years ago.3 -
Yes. I have been blindsided by photos a couple times not realising how much weight I'd put on. I have taken before/during pics and measurements since I started in January. I still don't see an obvious change in the mirror even though I lost 20 lbs and went down sizes/inches. Maybe because I see myself every day...
You don't see that? I see quite a large difference! You're doing very well! Keep up the good work.2 -
I did a before and I'll take my after when my program is all done. Then I'll take another after I finish the whole program again.0
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I'm more the opposite, can't quite believe how much smaller I am now and still see myself at 20+stone
eta : I take photos on a monthly basis and will quite often see a big difference month to month even with a smaller weight loss.3 -
I've been surprised both ways.
When gaining weight, it was so gradual I really didn't notice. I tend to wear my clothes loose, so didn't have tight clothes as an indicator. Then I saw some pictures taken during a vacation trip and was really shocked at how much weight I had gained. When we got home, I began focusing on my diet and lost a lot of weight. A few years later I became a runner and changed the shape of my body even more. My husband thinks I'm too skinny, but it is hard for me to believe. When I look down at my body I see all my flaws, not the progress I've made. I see fat legs (which are actually more muscle than fat) and a bit of a belly and think I still need to lose weight. But then I see race photos and am surprised to see that I really am at a good weight.4 -
fitpeawing wrote: »Wow, you guys! Thanks for all the feedback and thoughts. I felt quite alone for some time and wasn't sure how I felt about this. You're all amazing! I might start my own album to keep track.
Yes, start an album. That's what inspired me to create an instagram account. All of my super fat pictures, I wanted to delete - but I am happy I didn't.
Here is another thing...I hate when I weigh myself and I'm not happy with the number, so I don't record it...and then a week later (like today) I lose 2.5 lbs and the full journey isn't captured because I was too unhappy with the number on the scale. So capture each moment, even if you aren't happy with it... Just know that one day it will be your before picture or weight
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fitpeawing wrote: »Has anyone here ever forgotten how big/overweight they are? I didn't realized how much weight I've gained until I saw a photo of myself from the weekend. Looking in the mirror everyday, I thought I was okay.
Has anyone found taking photos of themselves on a consistent basis to be a good motivator/self check for weight loss?
Taking progress photos is always a good idea because we see ourselves in the mirror every day and it can be difficult to see the small and subtle changes on a day to day basis. I remember I took my first real photo at 210 (down from 220) and did a side by side because I felt like nothing was really different...it was definitely noticeable on the photo.
I usually put on a good 10 Lbs every winter and this winter was no different...it's a slow and gradual process, and I will look in the mirror and be all, "not too bad really"...I'm usually pretty motivated to cut it usually starting in February, but this year I was just kinda meh about the whole thing until April when my wife took a picture of me and my kids at the hotel pool and I was like, "ok...yeah, that's gotta go."2 -
I don't think it hurts to not feel fat. Rock on. And rock in with all your goals, too.
I often feel foxy and slim even though I'm not really either. No one gets hurt.
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LadyLilion wrote: »Yes. I have been blindsided by photos a couple times not realising how much weight I'd put on. I have taken before/during pics and measurements since I started in January. I still don't see an obvious change in the mirror even though I lost 20 lbs and went down sizes/inches. Maybe because I see myself every day
You don't see that? I see quite a large difference! You're doing very well! Keep up the good work.
I see it in the pictures but not in the mirror.0 -
Photos can be misleading and don't work for me. I've lost 3kg in my phase 2 loss and already my waist has shrunk from a 32 to a 28 inches. However I am still very overweight and fat. Why? Because most of weight is on my hips, thighs, and bums and they haven't shifted an inch.
So in photos I look a lot slimmer but actually I'm really not.0
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