The Importance of Progress Pictures 59/84

I've talked in the past about using different metrics to track progress outside of just looking at the scale. I love using body fat percentage and circumference measurements to see a little more concrete progress but there's a way that's usually more important to people.

If you ask most people what their goals are they will probably tell you a weight or a pants size they want to fit into. but when you dig a little deeper, you find out the weight doesn't actually matter as much as simply what they look like. They feel that if they hit a certain weight, they will like the way they look, instead of just focusing on the mirror and forgetting the scale. So if people really only care about what they look like why not just use the mirror as their guide? This can be pretty tough because you can't see that much progress that quick day to day, especially if you're not tracking in any way. But, if you're keeping a record of what you look like, it can be an effective way to track progress that actually matters to you.

Obviously, this is where progress pictures come in. Taking pictures often and in the same position can give you a reliable means of seeing whats going on. Have you ever talked to someone who's lost a bunch of weight but they feel like they don't look any different? It happens all the time, and it happens because when all you do is look at yourself each day it makes it much harder to see the small changes over time. For these people, once you show them a picture of them at the start they automatically see a huge difference in the way they look. This is the magic of visual progress, instead of seeing the small changes numerous times each day, you can look back and see massive progress all at once.

Here's what I recommend to my clients when they take their pictures

- Take one from the front, side, and back
- Avoid baggy clothes so you can see the differences, underwear is usually best and remember, no one else needs to see them if you don't want too
- Take a picture each week in each position
- Try to do it in the same place with the same lighting and the same time of day
- Just like the scale, morning is best because your appearance can change drastically throughout the day
- After a month, compare week 1 to week 4 and you might be surprised at the difference.

Again, this is something that I recommend everyone do. If you still do weight and measurements then you may not need to take pics every week. I do mine about once a month because I understand how to use the scale without overthinking it.

I know that this is going to feel weird and super uncomfortable for some people but I promise you're going to love that you had that "before" picture one six months when you love the way you look. If you need help getting started then please reach out to me. I have a number of free programs on my site but sometimes a personalized plan is the best thing for you. I am also on a mission to drastically increase my Instagram following so if you want to help me out please follow me on there. I will be posting there most often for a bit to try and increase that media. You can follow me @Greg.The.Trainer and I wold really appreciate it!