Why Take Progress Pictures?

Because you'll regret NOT taking them. That's why. I do. When I first started trying to lose weight, truthfully, I didn't have enough faith in myself to think I would ever get even remotely close to my goal. Taking progress pictures, or "Before" pictures never entered my mind because I didn't believe I would ever make it to the "After" pictures. And while I'm still not what I would call an "After" (I'll explain later), I've learned throughout my journey the importance of taking these pictures, no matter how goofy you feel doing it. 

I should preface what I'm about to show you with a confession: I am a recovering scale addict. No exaggeration needed for dramatic effect here. I, quite literally, used to step on the scale at least a dozen times a day. And whatever that number said dictated what state of mind I was in for the remainder of the day. The problem with this lies in the fact that those numbers can fluctuate dramatically and not in any way, shape, or form reflect your true progress. Water weight will make that scale do some pretty crazy things at times - and it's particularly a problem for women, who tend to retain water like the Hoover Dam, depending on the time of month. Something you should also consider when relying on the scale is that muscle is more dense than fat, which means that if you are building muscle, your weight may stay the same or even go up.

You can rely on the mirror to tell you if you are making progress, or how tight or loose your clothing feel, but this can often be subjective depending on how you feel that day.

Measurements are a great way to track your progress - yet another thing I regret not taking when I started out. They tend to be a pretty accurate account of how far you've come - just be sure to take them at the same time everyday for consistency.

But the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words" says it best. Progress pictures really tell your whole story if you are consistent with them. Giving up my obsessive weigh-ins and taking pictures to document my progress was really the turning point for me when it came to re-claiming a healthy perspective on my clean lifestyle. Sometimes you become so fixated on where you are headed, that you forget to look back and see where you came from, as well as look around at the present and appreciate how far you've come.

After getting several requests to post "Before" and "After" photos, I've done my best to compile a few pictures that illustrate my journey for you.  This wasn't easy for me to do, because quite honestly, who wants to post pictures of themselves looking their worst for the whole world to see? But I reminded myself that seeing other people's transformations was such a big motivator for me, and I would feel silly not posting them out of insecurity if there is the possibility that it might motivate someone else. Therefore, I present to you my "Before" and "During" pictures. As I mentioned earlier, I hate the idea of calling them "Before" and "After". "After" implies that the transformation is done. But the truth is, we're never really the "After" because we're constantly growing, changing, and striving for new things. So while I may never be the "After" picture, I'm enjoying being the "During" because I love the process of change and growth. So here is a brief documentation of my changes! Hope it motivates you to make your own "Before" and "During" album!  ;)

September 2010 -
A week past my due date, VERY
uncomfortable, and officially the
heaviest I have ever been.

March 2012 -
Couldn't find any pics, but
about a month after this, I
reached the lowest weight I've
 been since high school!

                         

                                 To all the moms who think they will never see their abs again -
                                  it's not impossible, I promise you that! It just takes time,
                           hard work and a good diet.

Absolutely HATED having
my picture taken!

I never felt comfortable wearing
a bathing suit - now for the first time
I don't even mind being
photographed in one! 
This Pic ^^^ was the first bikini
I had bought in years, and this was
 the first progress 
picture I decided to take!

      






    

                  My latest progress...my goals have
             evolved as I have grown and
              learned new things... 

Instead of trying to be "skinny", 
I increased my calories slightly,
 and started lifting heavier and 
with more intensity to grow muscle...
"Strong is the new skinny."  :)

Like I said earlier, if I hadn't taken progress pictures, I'd still be obsessing over the silly numbers on the scale! It's so important to take a step back and look at your progress from a distance to really gain some perspective on it! Even if you feel funny taking them, I encourage anyone who is trying to change their body to do this - and no, you don't have to make a blog and post them for everyone to see! Use them as a tool to learn about yourself and about how you grow and change. I promise, you won't regret it!  :)