OK, so Photivation isn’t really a word but it should be. What I’m talking about is photo motivation. It is amazing how much more motivating a photo can be rather than just looking in the mirror.
I keep two photos on my refrigerator. One is from when my husband and I got married and I weighed 225 (and had a bad perm too). Not only does that photo show me how much my husband loves me but it reminds me that I don’t want to go back to that weight or hairdresser again. The other photo is from shortly before my gastric bypass when I weighed about 260.
My mother-in-law thinks I should take those photos down, but I see them as very positive photos. I can look at them and then look at myself in the mirror and feel really good about myself because I can see that I’ve lost weight and know that I’m making positive progress toward my goals. After all, positive progress is what it is all about!
A little note about me if you haven’t been following my blog for long: I had a gastric bypass in 2001 and managed to go from 260 pounds to 170 after learning how to eat and putting a great deal of effort into exercise. In 2004, I gave birth to my first son after gaining 70 pounds during the pregnancy. I lost that weight in exactly two years. I’m due to deliver my second son in about two weeks and have gained less than I did during my first pregnancy but more than the recommended 25-35 pounds. So, you see, at 5’10”, I’m always in a state of working toward my ultimate goal of weighing 150.
Considering the fact that we usually see ourselves in the mirror every day and never notice any drastic changes, maybe we should all have a little photivation to show us where we don’t want to go as well as how far we’ve come. Think about it. You may already have some photivation lying around the house or tucked in a scrapbook somewhere. If not, the end of 2007 is the perfect time to take a photo for your 2008 motivation.
Isn’t it time you started looking at yourself in a positive light?
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