Does it ever get any easier to take a “before photo” when we are starting out on a mission to reach new weight loss & fitness goals?? What’s your experience been?
I say yes and no.
I took a photo on Monday of this week as my “before photo” as I embark on this new adventure with my PT Mase & the other trainers at Zenergy for the next 12 weeks. It was surprisingly hard to do even though only days before I had taken my ‘after shot’ for Round 1, 12WBT! Haha.
No photo has been so hard to take as that very first ‘before photo’ in June 2010. I cried and cried. I never intended to show anyone, not even my partner. I was acutely aware how very ridiclous that was – everyone (probably except for me) could see how seveerely obese, unwell and burnt out I was. It’s not like you can hide being fat. You just deny it but you cannot hide it – it shows!!
I had to really look at that photo and see where I was at – as confronting and devastating as that was. It was me at rock bottom and endanger of a heart attack, stroke or worse. After a week of that, my partner said “Put it away for at least a few weeks“. Smart man.
I guess taking a before shot has gotten easier from that horrific first one! I’ve continually lost weight & increased my fitness over the time since… so no before photo has ever been as difficult to take or view. I have never gone back to looking or feeling as I did the day that photo was snapped.
However, I think the fact that we take a before shot when we are embarking on a new mission to reach new goals means that we are focussed on the things we wish to change. Therefore, in that moment of taking the photo we are very aware of all of those things we plan to change. For me, I am ever conscious of just how far I have come in a short time. Most of the time that is where my brain is at when I think about my body, my health, my weight and my fitness. It’s not exactly a picnic or particularly comfortable to pose for that before photo… but I believe it is an important part of getting your head into the right place to do the hard work required to make change happen.
As I mentioned in a previous post, this week I kicked off a new commitment to squeaky clean eating to take me to my new weight loss goal. Mase from Zenergy has set out my training and nutrition. I have had some great chats & coaching sessions with Jodie, Tony & others from the Zenergy team which helped get me in the right frame of mind.
I took the before photo – I didn’t want to. As I confessed, I’d had a bit of a last hurrah on the weekend… I’d indulged in some foods and wine that I will not have much of over the next few months. I was hardly feeling or looking crash hot when I took the pic. I felt bloated and blah. I felt self conscious about being more squidgy and squishy than I would like, than I was in August 2011 before I hurt my back / hips and backed off the training to a huge extent. But I did it any way.
I got it done! *PHEW*
I know I will be grateful for doing it over the coming weeks when I look back. I promise you will be grateful you took a before photo too! Regardless of which program you are following, make sure you do get that before shot!
I bought a new, smaller black bikini from Victoria’s Secret – a treat and something to work towards being able to wear with confidence. It’s tight right now, it doesn’t look so flash. I wouldn’t wear it to the beach (I am yet to wear ANY bikini to the beach in fact!).
We are off to Thailand soon for a holiday so I snapped this photo of the bikini, my sarong and a guide book to post on my wall to help remind me of my goals!
Now it’s done I am really excited about my goals… I am focussed… I am ready to put in the hard work to get the biggest change possible between my before and after photos. I am ready!!
How do YOU feel when you have to take a before shot?
Do you refuse to do it? Make an excuse? Do you do it and then beat yourself up? Do you take it, file it away and get busy working on creating your after photo??
xx Ange
Well, here’s one for you – I went to post up a before and after photo so you could collate everybodys and guess what? I had deleted all of my before photos from the past in some crazy fit of crankiness a few months back! I vow never to do this again! My current before photo will live on and on
Oh no Kate! Just for clarification, I was after pics of people doing training and other fun stuff to put in a video… I definitely wouldn’t ask people to put their underwear shots up in a video on youtube, unless they wanted to of course!!
Time for you to stick to that vow!!!
xx
An interesting read; I’d never before considered that the “before” shot would continue to be hard. I’ve always just figured that once I lost the weight I wanted to, even if I did still have a little bit of a belly, I would be far more comfortable in my own skin and the rest would just be maintenance and small changes. I think your post explaining *why* it is still hard will stay in my mind as I get ready to embark on my own journey.
This week I will be taking my before shot. Whether I share it with anyone in the near future is yet to be decided. I’ll be starting my first round of 12WBT next week, and I’m really looking forward to this new stage in my life. I have approximately 70kg to lose, but I know I can do it. It’ll just take time. Thank you so much for sharing your journey. You truly are an inspiration.