Before Picture

Do you carry your before picture with you?

I went to group therapy for the first time on Thursday and the therapist asked me this. She seemed shocked that I didn't carry my before picture with me. Is this a thing that people do? Do you all carry before pictures with you?

Hells to the no! For one I remember what I looked like & frankly I wasn't ashamed of what I saw. No I didn't like that I was that overweight, or being told that I had a pretty face, in which that implied if only my body was right I'd live what? The perfect life?

I definitely don't like anyone trying to shame my looks, pre or post op. But that's just me.

Nope, unless you count the pictures on my phone.

Yes, I think these days pictures on your phone certainly count!

I've been documenting my weight loss with pictures taken with my phone every couple of weeks but I don't intentionally carry around a before picture.

In the age of Facebook, I have plenty of reminders of what I used to look like. One of those memories Facebook is always pushing on us popped up yesterday and it was a photo taken of me about three years ago. My wife immediately pointed out how much thinner my face is now.

LOL hell no! I had trouble even finding a before picture to post here on my profile! I NEVER let anyone take my picture. I doubt there are a dozen pics of me in the last 30 years. I can't stand looking at old pics, I hated what I looked like and pretty much hated myself. Can't imagine wanting to carry around a reminder...the thought makes me shudder!

There was a time that I did - I had a composite "before and after". I was going to total to pre-op group of people and made a page like that. Once a piece of paper ends up in my purse - I may stay there for a while. Next time I organized my purse I took it out.

I hated my picture taken when I was MO. I'm my head - I was not "as big". Pictures of me taken during New year's eve party were my huge motivation to have RNY. I had my RNY 4.5 months after three pictures were taken.

Isn't that weird? I don't feel like I'm as big as I am right now, until I see pictures and it's horrifying to me.

I have just about every picture I've ever taken with any of my phones on my camera roll. It's actually kind of neat to see how good the iPhone camera has gotten from the first to the latest! So, in light of that, yes, I do have "before" pics. I even have a pic of me standing in a pair of jeans I wore at my highest weight.

I don't trot them out all the time, but sometimes people ask how much weight I've lost and it's often hard for them to visualize, so I'll show them a pic.

Jen

I have one of me on my cover picture on my cell phone. It reminds me of what life was before.

I can't forget it. But I don't dwell on it.

One thing I will do when someone says something like treat yourself. If they didn't know me before I show them the picture.

I am a photo *****