BABY STEP 05 - A Picture = 1000 words (Jan 5)

“Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words.” (Arthur Brisbane, Syracuse Advertising Men’s Club editor, March 1911, in an instructional talk)
And, when I see some pictures of mine, those words are all variations of “Ouch!” and some form of revulsion or shock. When I had my first pictures taken for the back of my first book which was due out a few months later (and which deal fell through, probably adding to the subsequent weight gain I had!), I cried. I couldn't believe how bad I looked. Well, now I'm still just as "pleasingly plump" but I've found a woman who takes many pictures and finds the personality of the person she's taking pictures of. That's more like it. Because I'm still having my picture taken, whether I've lost the weight or not. Because I'm not going to put off living even one more minute.
So picture this--we can be happy today, regardless of what the scales say or don't say, regardless of what the mirror says. Regardless.
So today, picture yourself as the beautiful child of God that you are. Because everything is going to fall into place this year, and your outside will begin to mirror your beautiful inside.
And you'll be the pretty picture you always wanted to be.
Once we start to make progress, we often hit plateaus. Today I'm going to give you a plateau-buster. A tool that will keep us going even when we can't tell by looking in the mirror that there has been any change.
We're going to take a picture of ourselves. That famous “before” picture. I chose a skirt that zips (or doesn't zip, should I say?) in the back and a blouse that's tight. I figure that, as I lose weight, I'll be able to show the progress by finally zipping the skirt and having the skirt and blouse fit and then be too large.
So this week is the week to take the first picture, and we'll take another one every three to four weeks (Caution for women--be sure to time taking your pictures so that they do not fall during that particular time of month, when you are most bloated; it will only depress you).
This trick, which I read about a Hollywood trainer using with his clients, really works. You'll be amazed during those periods when your anti-body voices are loud and depressing how much seeing a picture can show you what is really going on--especially when you compare it with the last picture.
I’ll give an example of how it can change your viewpoint. A few years ago, when I lost about twenty pounds (which I have, luckily, kept off), I took my fourth picture. That afternoon I went shopping for clothes. I found a dress that was the coolest material. It reminded me almost of snake skin, and was kind of clingy, so I decided I’d lost some weight, so I’d give it a try. When I pulled it over my head, I looked like a snake all right--one that had just eaten a huge pig. But, because I knew I was still moving in the right direction, I was able to laugh instead of cry.
And that's the whole point. Staying motivated with a smile. Click away.

© 2010 Heather Horrocks