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Too Fat for Photos

Lisa Eirene

About Lisa Eirene Lisa lost 110 pounds through calorie counting and exercise. She swims, bikes, runs, hikes and is enjoying life in Portland, Oregon. Her weight loss story has been featured in First Magazine, Yahoo Health, Woman's Day and Glamour.com.

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8 Comments

  1. Irina

    Hi Lisa!
    I haven’t been reading blogs for a while so didn’t know you were pregnant – congratulations!! I will have to read back on your posts to see your announcement 🙂

    This post is timely because just today I shared an album with my friends and family of our trip to Turks & Caicos, and everyone commented on how I was missing from the album. Well, I’m the family photographer…haha! Also, I didn’t post the few pictures of me because I felt like I looked too fat. I’m still not where I want to be post-baby and my baby is over a year old now. Actually, I was close to where I wanted to be, but then started working and everything went to pot. So now I don’t feel like taking pictures because I don’t like the way I look.

    Thanks for this! Need to read the full article, but enjoyed your post. 🙂

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Thanks for the comment Irina! I could totally relate. I was always the family photographer, too (and still am) to avoid photos of me. But now it makes me sad I don’t have a lot from years ago…do you feel the same way?

      1. Irina

        Sometimes a little. I think I might regret not having a ton of photos WITH my daughter as a baby. I have a ton of photos of her, and of her with her dad, but very few of me and her.

        1. Lisa Eirene

          That’s a good reminder, thank you!

  2. Sophia

    Yes, I often feel self-conscience about my weight in photos. Although I am 56 pounds lighter and in better physical shape, I often think of myself as ugly and I think I am going to “mess up” the family photos with my ugliness.

    Thank you for that excellent thought of family is busy with loving me and I’m the only one who notices my weight. I am a work in progress physically, mentally, and emotionally.

    Bless you…:-)

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Yep yep totally me too! It took me awhile even after losing some weight to be ok with being in the photo. And even then I still hid behind people so it was just my head…I think it takes time. And doing it more often. Having lots of pictures taken makes it much easier!

  3. Cindy

    I am so that person. I don’t even have any pictures from when I was thin, because I was so used to not being in photographs. Most of my 20s and 30s could be narrowed down to maybe 20 photos. I don’t have any pictures of my dad and I. I have a few with my mom, but not a lot. We only have one family photo where the 4 of us are all in it, isn’t that sad? And now it’s too late, as they are both gone.

    I still tend to avoid photographs, and even when I am in them, I spend my entire time picking out all the flaws: I’m so fat, my hair looks horrible, look how fat my face is, why do I even bother? I never see any of the good things. It took me nearly 3 months to post a picture of something I was really happy about too, which is sad, now that I think about it. And when I do decide to post a selfie? It’s after I’ve taken about 50+ and I’ve finally managed to take one where I don’t look too horrible or ridiculous.

    I know it’s something I need to get over, but it’s incredibly hard when you’re used to living on the sidelines of your own life.

    1. Lisa Eirene

      “I need to get over, but it’s incredibly hard when you’re used to living on the sidelines of your own life.” <--- totally this! This was me for a long time. And I think I got sick of it and decided, no I'm not going to be on the sidelines anymore! I think back to years ago and like you, wish I had more photos with certain family members. I mean, the photos I do have do NOT look "too fat" and it was all in my head (for a long time, until I was actually obese). I wish I could go back and tell my younger self that I wasn't fat and it was ok to be in a photo once in awhile... 🙁

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