Some Truth About Fat Pictures...

As you may have noticed things are looking a little bit different on my blog lately. To accompany an awesome new design, my totally amazing business coach, Liz Theresa suggested I have pictures taken for my website. A tiny ball formed in the pit of my stomach. I proclaimed my hatred of having my pictures taken, and put if off for a couple months, until I really needed to update my site.

That tiny little ball grew a little bigger as the photo shoot got closer. I will totally admit it too, flashes of diets and extra workouts popped in and out of my head for a few weeks leading up to my pictures. I pushed them to the side, owned myself, and got clear on the message of my pictures.

I was not taking these pictures to prove how awesomely skinny and in shape I was. These pictures were going to be a representation of just how happy I was in my business. How vibrant and alive I feel now that I am finally having peace with my food. Having a flat stomach, the day of my photo shoot, did not matter.

So for the first time in forever, I did not diet before having my pictures taken. The day before was not full of kale, green juice, and water. I actually went into the day with a positive attitude. They’re just pictures after all right?

Fast-forward a week. The link to the pictures popped up in my inbox on my phone. Nervously I clicked it open and did not like what I saw. Sure a couple were okay but nothing amazing and I definitely saw some “fat” pictures. I closed my email and moved on with my day. I meant to look at them on my computer later on but I forgot.

The following day I clicked on them again to pick some that I liked. As I flipped through I was kind of shocked at what was happening. I actually liked a majority of them. Sure, there were a couple I didn’t, but it was really no big deal.

I talked to my coach, Isabel Foxen Duke (further proof we all need a coach!) about these pictures after the fact. In talking to her, she helped me realize something. I looked at the pictures, didn’t like some, and moved on with my day. There was no lingering feeling of “I’m so fat”, no salad for dinner, and no proclamations of my latest diet plan. The progress was not that I loved every single one of the pictures, the progress was that I didn’t really care about the ones I disliked.

Bottom line is that we are never going to like every picture of ourselves. I’m sure even Giselle has a picture or two she would like to destroy. This is normal. What aren’t normal are the obsessive thoughts that follow these pictures. The change happens when we are able to accept that we are not going to love every picture of ourselves and that is okay, but we don’t like ourselves any less because of it.

Still confused… check out this post Isabel wrote a long time ago. Two pictures taken in the same night and she looks incredibly different.

It’s okay to have “fat pictures”. It’s not okay to diet over them.