Snap a Picture

Let's be real. When you are working towards a fitness goal taking pictures of yourself can sometimes be very discouraging. Sometimes when I look at my pictures, I think, "Wait a minute! The camera added a little something there", but I keep the picture anyway. One of the many things I love about the photo album in my iPhone is that it dates the pictures. This is an easy way to track my progress in my own phone if I'm not ready to share it publicly.

Last month, I decided to create a picstitch showing my progress from February to May. I made one for my sides, one for my tummy, and one for my back. I'm disappointed in the amount of time between these pictures and the amount of fall-off in between; however, I am proud of the visible decrease of inches around my waist. 

Left is February 2nd, Right is May 4th 

Left is February 2nd, Right is May 4th
Love that when I was screen-shotting these for myself I caught a piece of Dylan's encouragement!  

Left is February 2nd, Right is May 4th 

Before today, the only person I shared these with was Dylan. This is the proudest I have been of myself thus far in this journey. I am proud of my physical progress, as well as my increased strength. 

Here are some things I have learned about taking progress pictures: 

1. Gym lighting isn't always the best.  I discovered that i prefer to take my pictures in my bathroom at home. This allows me to get the angles I want without feeling like I'm hogging the mirror at the gym. 
2. Consistency is key. As in anything, consistency is so important. I am now challenging myself to taking progress pictures once a month. I don't want to go overboard, or be unrealistic, and say I will take them once a week. I also want to allow time for my changes to truly show through. Figure out what works best for you! 
3. Consistency is key. Consistency is not only important in how often you take the pictures, but also in how you position your body, and how you wear your clothing. The progress picture of my back is a great example. In the picture from February you can see my entire back, but in the picture from May you can only see the top and bottom. It's important to wear your clothing the same way, or wear similar clothing, in each picture in order to ensure that you're really getting what you're looking for. 
4. Give yourself props! We're human. We're going to fall off. We're going to see things we don't like, but give yourself credit. Find at least one positive change you can compliment yourself on. 

I want to hear from you! What do you do with your progress pictures? Do you save them in your phone or do you delete them? Do you send them to a friend or keep them for your eyes only?