Taking Photos

Taking photos is really important for tracking your progress. If you’re exercising a lot, you’ll be building muscle, which is more dense than fat. That means that the same weight of muscle will take up less volume than that of fat. So you may actually be getting smaller, losing fat, but not seeing much of a change on the scales. Also, you can’t easily measure the building, toning, and definition of muscles at home. The easiest way to track this is, of course, with photos.

This is why progress photos are important, they’ll help you see your actual progress. Below are two photos of the same woman. You can see that she is actually thinner and healthier looking at the HIGHER weight! This is why is so important to understand that the number on the scales is just a number, and not a true reflection of everything that’s going on with your body.

So now that we understand how important progress photos are, lets talk about some tips on how to get the best photos for comparing:

• Wear the same outfit each time. A sports bra and shorts, or a bikini are good options as they’ll let you see almost all of your muscles as they grow.
• Try to take your picture in the same lighting each time. Taking it in the same room, and the same time of day helps with this.
• Take the picture from the same distance each time. If you’re taking the pictures in the mirror, make sure you stand in the same spot each time. If someone else is taking the pictures for you, make sure they stand the same distance from you each time.
• Take shots in three different positions, front on, from the side, and from the back. This will allow you to see all changes. Always stand with your feet together, this makes it easy to spot differences in your legs. Compare how far up your legs start touching. From the back, flex your arms and back. We don’t often get to see our back muscles in action, might as well take every chance we get!

Take as many pictures as you can. Whenever I read a success story, or what people wished they’d done differently, they almost always say they wish they had more before pictures. Just because you take them, doesn’t mean you have to share them with the world, but you’ll thank yourself later on!

x Laura