Episode 290: Do You Hate How You Look In Photos?

What’s the first thought that pops into your head when you see a picture of yourself? Maybe you were in a group photo at a family event. Or you and your friend took a selfie together, which your friend later posted on Facebook or Instagram. How do you typically react to seeing photos like these? If you’re anything like the women I coach, I think I can guess the answer. So, join me in this coaching session and let’s talk about it today.

We live in a world full of smartphones, and most of us always have our phone—and its camera—right at our fingertips. We’re always ready to capture a moment with our kids, our pets, or our family and friends. And it’s fun to go back and look at your photos, right? But do you have as much fun when you see yourself in those photos? Maybe not.

How you look in photos

I’d bet that most women, no matter their size or shape, feel a little insecure when they see themselves in photos. It’s very common in our culture because you know that women are held up to such impossible beauty standards.

But when you are working on Project You, focusing on ending your overeating habit and losing weight, it can be especially uncomfortable to see yourself in photos. You might be putting a lot of pressure on yourself to make progress as fast as possible and hoping that all your efforts will result in changes that everyone can see sooner rather than later.

You might have an image in your mind of what you’d like to look like—maybe it’s a younger version of yourself. Maybe it’s a version of you who wears a certain size of clothing. And you hope that you look at least similar to that version of you.

You might have a vision of yourself at a certain weight and you’re stuck on that number. You compare your weight and size now to the weight and size you were in the past and come up lacking. Even if those old numbers are no longer realistic for you.

So, looking at a photo of you and seeing yourself from someone else’s point of view can bring up many different thoughts and emotions. And they are often intense. And they are so often negative.

Photos are a part of our world. Let’s deal with this right now.