Thursday, October 18, 2012

Photos of Interest


You know that goal photo you keep around?  That one of some blonde beach babe or ski bunny or otherwise "encouraging" physique?  I know some of you keep it on the fridge.  I know others of you keep it somewhere else (if you're like me, you never actually downloaded the image.)  Unless it's a relatively recent photo of yourself (less than 5 years and no major life changes old), get rid of it. 
I know, it's supposed to encourage you to eat healthy, workout, whathaveyou, but it's discouraging to eat right and exercise and know you'll never get that Playboy bunny's figure.  You know why you won't get her figure? Because you aren't her.  You don't have her genetics, her bone structure, or her personal trainer. (You do?  That explains that missing model.)  You are you, uniquely you.
Don't get me wrong.  Goals are great.  Goals are awesome.  Goals get us from slob on the couch to where we want to go.  Basing your goal on a young woman that's never had a kid, has a personal chef and trainer, has a hair wrangler, or has never been heavy makes no sense.  She won't have your stretch marks, scars, or bones.  Don't go thinking you can swap it out for a more "realistic" photo either.  Unless it's a recent photo of you, it's not a goal photo.
I hate goal pics.  I truly do.  They make you aim for something that isn't there.
What should you have instead of a goal photo?  Well, there's two ways to go about it.
One is an old "before" photo of yourself, to remind you have far you've come.  This comes with a razor's edge, though, if you have made inaccurate associations with those days or that form.  If it'll only cause you to stare in the mirror and call yourself names, it's not a good idea.  If it'll only cause you to avoid the fridge because you don't want to see yourself like that, bad idea.
The other idea is a simple phrase to remind yourself of the goal.  "Will this get me there?"  "Does this help me?"  Stuff like that.  Spell it out on the fridge.  Write it on the mirror in dry erase. Get those cardboard letters and spell it out in your garage (or wherever you workout.)  Make it positive and make it resonate for you.  I've heard of people framing fortune cookie messages because they resonated so well

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