Saturday, January 9, 2010

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

I uploaded several photographs onto my social network page yesterday. They were just a few pictures from the last six months or so that highlighted what I’ve been up to lately, but as I was finishing I realized something really odd.

I didn’t put up a single photo that significantly showed my weight loss. Not one. The closest I came was a cropped picture of my husband and I which shows that my face looks thinner.

Why did I do that? More importantly, why – when I realized what I had done – did I not add other pictures to better show the changes I have gone through? I’m not sure that I have a complete answer.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that there are a few people that I haven’t seen in quite a while. I have friends, and even family, who are not in the know about the healthier choices I have been making. Also, a few have heard about what I have been doing, but have yet to see the visual evidence of my efforts. I suppose a big part of my answer to the questions I am posing is that I want to save my ‘wow’ reactions and savour them as they come naturally. I don’t want to dilute the responses that I am guessing those far-away and not-often-seen people may have regarding my loss.

Then there is the more morose reason that I suspect I also have for holding back the more telling photographs. I do not want to deal with those individuals who are not really in my life – most of us have those high school buddies and old work colleagues we are ‘friends’ with on these sites – suddenly commenting on or questioning me about the weight I have lost. Maybe I am being silly or sensitive or likely giving myself way too much credit for assuming I am that interesting, but I just don’t want to answer to people who are not involved in my life on a regular basis.

It was certainly intriguing when I figured out that I had edited my pictures so specifically without even initially realizing it. This whole journey is so much more than simply losing weight. I have discovered a lot about myself over these past five months and much of it has little to do with my physical health, although most of it does directly relate to me becoming healthier in an ever-changing, yet ever-lasting, way.

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 10 glasses of water throughout the day
- 2 Mandarin oranges
- 1 wrap on a soft pesto tortilla shell with deli chicken breast, grated cheese, spinach, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 2 1/2 cups celery with calorie-wise three cheese ranch dressing
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt
- 2 cups spinach salad with grated cheese, croutons, pomegranate arils, mushroom, and Greek feta and oregano dressing

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 30 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (35 minutes long and 55 minutes long)
- 25 minute workout video

7 comments:

  1. I am kind of similar. I haven't posted too many pix of the "new me" or even the "in progress me". I think, personally, I just want to wait until this is all DONE to reveal. I dont really want everyone up in my business JUST YET!

    BUT, I have gone through and untagged a lot of pictures of the OLD me. I don't want people remembering me that way, or seeing me that way if they haven't seen me in a long time...

    Kinda weird I guess, but you aren't alone in this one!

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  2. I wanted to save my photos and post one when I was at my goal weight, but I eventually caved and posted one around my current weight, and people noticed a big difference. Unfortunately, it freaks me out for some reason when certain people mention my weight loss. Not any fellow bloggers, but people in real life or on my Facebook. It seems to have something to do with the attitude of said people--are they people who have teared me down behind my back due to my weight before? If so, then it's almost like I want them to notice, but I don't, too, if that makes any sense.

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  3. I completely understand where you're coming from. I was so happy about my weight loss this week that I actually posted it in my Facebook status. As the comments came in (all good), I started thinking, "WHY did I post that??" I was embarrassed, because I thought people would be thinking - geez, how much does she weigh?
    But, I realized that - I don't really care! I'm working on getting healthy, and it's no secret that I'm overweight, so who cares what they think? Why do I care, is the more important question. I think it comes down to acceptance.
    I don't have body shot pictures on Facebook, either. Every picture (with the exception of my wedding picture) is a face shot only - because I just don't want to show my body. It's funny how I can bare all on my blog, but in front of friends and family, I can't do it yet...

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  4. I know what you mean about the pics. You are doing so well! I am sure you will make more than a few jaws drop this year when they see what you've done.

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  5. I am waiting until I get closer to goal to post the wow pics to so you are not alone.

    I did post an updated face shot and one of my childhood friends noticed. She is a kickboxing instructor so she is focused on that kind of thing plus she is just a sweet gal so I private messaged her and told her about the loss.

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  6. As your little blurb next to your comment section says... INSIGHTFUL! You are! Do what is right & feels right for you! Always!

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  7. I thoroughly understand you decision not to inform the world you are thinner just yet. It's a very intense private journey that we are taking too!

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