In a recent Soften Saturday post, I wrote about sharing photos when we feel less than good about our current appearance. I wanted to touch on a similar topic today, Before & After photos.
Because I’ve lost over 100 pounds, I am often encouraged to share my “Before & After” photo. I could share a Before & After pic that is worthy of a weight loss ad (and was offered money by a diet plan to do just that), but it wouldn’t reflect what really happened. It wouldn’t show that I wasn’t over-the-moon happy after losing weight. It wouldn’t show that I became anemic, my hair was falling out, my joints hurt worse than at 300+ pounds. You couldn’t tell that from photos. You would just see that my jeans were smaller, which is what we are led to believe leads to happiness and health. That’s a lie.
So here’s the thing: I’m here, especially on Soften Saturday, to encourage you to love yourself JUST AS YOU ARE. I’m not sharing my before photo, not sharing my after photo, but I’m getting better at sharing my RIGHT FRIGGIN’ NOW photos. Will you join me?
Right friggin’ now I’ve got a dog sitting on my shoulder. We’re both insanely happy. I’m not gonna wait until I wear the perfect size pants, have a great hairdo and recently applied lip gloss. This is my pooch that doesn’t like having her photo taken but today she indulged me in a few photos…and licked every inch of my face.
Perhaps these really are my “After” photos…the ones I started taking AFTER I quit waiting on the perfect body, the perfect light, the perfect outfit. Join me in sharing your photos! There’s even a fancy hashtag, #rightfrigginnow. I’ll see you over on Instagram.
Before you leave, pop over to my friend Tina’s blog and read her insanely insightful post on Before & After Photos. It’s a good one!
I love you right now. And now. And now. And now. And now.
Right backatcha, pretty lady!