The Flabby to Flabulous Files
  • FTF Home

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, or is it?

2/19/2011

3 Comments

 
Picture
      Looking over the last ten years, I notice that I am rarely in any family pictures. In order to avoid documenting my weight, I have failed to leave complete memories for my kids.  Honestly, if you look at our family albums you would think my husband was a single parent.

       The funny thing is, I love taking photos and documenting the important and not so important events in my children's lives.  I just made sure I was always the picture taker and not the subject of the photos.  I have been an avid scrapbooker over the years, and the photos of me in the album are carefully selected to only show the times when I was in control of my eating and exercise.

       I am sure it goes back to the whole distorted body image problem that causes the eating disorders in the first place, but I am working hard to realize that my kids need complete memories, no matter how flawed I feel the images are. 

        It is amazing the power we sometimes give to photos. When I go to my mother-in-law’s house there is an old picture of us on the refrigerator that makes me cringe every time I see it.  Not only is it an amazingly unflattering picture of me, but it also documents the effects of what my eating problems did to my family as well.  As you can see from this seven year old photo at the beginning of this blog, my entire family is rounder of face than they should be.  We were all unhealthy, including the kids, and as parents, we have to take credit for that.

        I am trying to give less power to photos, but I still slip back occasionally.  Before my last half-marathon, I received some photos of me from a Thanksgiving race where I was 20 pounds heavier.  I looked at those photos and was so excited that my Surf City photos would be different.  A week ago I got photos from the finish line at Surf City and to my disappointment, I looked no thinner than the Thanksgiving photo.  Now I know that I have made significant changes, but I couldn’t believe the power those finish line photos had to make me doubt my accomplishments.

       I need to remember that I am a work in progress and that no matter what the photos might appear to document, I am on the road to the flabulous me.

Join me next time when I share my weight loss journey over the last six years.


3 Comments
Jennifer Berglund
2/19/2011 10:46:51 am

Wow, way to lay it out on the table... not an easy thing to do, but you did it! I can't wait to read more about your flabulous self!

You are much more fit and healthy minded... that's what matters... like you said, the pictures are documents of memories NOT the proof of what you have become... that's inside and you are marvelous, simply mah-valous dahling. Love you!

Reply
Michelle link
2/20/2011 02:28:43 am

Amazing transformation! I am so inspired by how dedicated you are. You may not see the difference in the photo...but you sure do look fabulous/flabulous in person!
>.<

Reply
Kathryn Barnett
7/14/2013 10:52:05 am

I'm just seeing these for the first time. This entry really speaks to me. Thank you.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011

    Author

    After yo-yo dieting for 30 years I finally feel like I am on the right track. 
    Join me on my journey from flabby to FLABulous!

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.