Throughout your weight-loss journey, it can sometimes be visually difficult to tell that you’re losing weight.
While body measurements and scale readings can give you a great idea of just how far you’ve come with weight loss, photos can actually give you that extra motivation and self-esteem boost you need to continue working hard to achieve your goals.
Immediately prior to undergoing bariatric surgery, take “before” photos of your body so you can compare them to “after” photos once you’re well into your weight-loss program. Photos will provide you with the visual validation you might need to convince yourself that you’re truly doing a great job at losing weight.
Here are tips you can follow to take great high-quality before-and-after weight-loss photos:
- Plan on taking photos of yourself first thing in the morning. Your body is often slimmest early in the morning after you have had a bowel movement and before you have eaten breakfast. In most cases, your body will also appear less bloated.
- Wear minimal clothing during your photo shoots. Minimal, revealing clothing will provide you with a full view of your waist, stomach, and thighs. Men should wear shorts, and women should wear a bikini, or shorts and a sports bra.
- Take photos in a neutral setting free of clutter. A cluttered and busy background can make it difficult to see your body contour accurately in photos. Make sure you stand against a white wall or door when taking photos.
- Ask a close friend or family member to take the photos. Unless you have a timer and tripod that allows you to get into position quickly enough, having someone else take your pictures will help generate high-quality photos.
- Stand up straight without sucking in your stomach. While it may be tempting to look as thin as possible, sucking in your stomach will defeat the purpose of taking photos to track your weight-loss progress.
- Take at least three photos of yourself from the front, back, and side. These three positions will allow you to best track your weight-loss progress from a visual standpoint.
- Take photos of yourself on the same day every month at the same time you take body measurements. Taking photos and tracking measurements synonymously will help you pinpoint where you’re losing weight the most, and may reveal where you need to focus harder during workouts.
