How (and Why) to Take Progress Photos

The idea of taking progress photos is off-putting for a lot of people. When you are trying to change the way your body looks, taking pictures in the most revealing outfit you can think of sounds like the least amount of fun you could have. But progress photos WORK. And if you aren’t using progress photos as a way to measure your success now, you will be by the end of this article.

Why Progress Photos Work

I wouldn’t be writing this article if I didn’t truly believe in the power of progress photos. They work because…

They Show…Progress

It might not be comfortable, but it’s eye-opening and honest. Progress photos track the changes in your body in a way that the scale or a daily mirror check-in cannot.

Your body is going to change subtly. As much as we’d all like to see obvious improvements immediately, that’s not reality.

You look in the mirror every day. You might even be pretty critical of what you see. So you’ll miss the small changes that your best friend, or your husband, or your co-workers comment on.

Progress photos let you see yourself side by side, a week, a month, a year apart. You’ll be surprised at the differences that happened right under your nose.

(p.s. When was the last time you took a serious look at yourself from behind? If you don’t take progress photos, the answer probably hovers around “never”. Just another reason to take a picture to document change).

Keep You Motivated

Schedule a day once a week, or month, or at whatever time interval you are comfortable with, to take photos. There is a level of accountability that comes with scheduling your check ins ahead of time that keeps you motivated and on track.

Ultimately, remember that the moment you take that picture, that’s the “before” you. That person, though a phenomenal human and beautiful as is, is the old you. This post-picture you has the opportunity to change directions, make new habits and build a whole new set of rules to make her strong and fit as she wants.

Track Your Progress No Matter What Your Goal Is

The scale is one measurement. And quite frankly, most of the time it’s a poor indication of the progress you are making!

Why the Scale Sucks…[ShapeScale.com]

If your goal is to lose weight you might expect the number on the scale to go down each day. You’re eating right, you’re moving more, makes sense after all! Except it won’t because some days you might drink more water, some days you might eat more salt and so retain more water, some days your hormone levels will be adjusting, and so on. And instead of understanding those aspects of your beautiful body and allowing for wiggle room on the scale, you judge yourself.

If your goal is to put on muscle you might get discouraged when the scale actually goes up! You are smart and you know that BUILD usually means add something somewhere (in your case muscle fibers), but it’s been ingrained in you to always want that number on the scale to go down.

Taking progress photos shows you the true changes you are making no matter what the scale says.

Maybe the number on the scale goes up, but when you hold to photos of you side by side and see that you’ve actually got some major muscle definition and your waist looks smaller, that number has less power.

How to Take The Perfect Progress Pictures

Stick to a schedule

Monday at 6 am, Fridays at midnight…it doesn’t matter when you choose as long as you pick a time and interval at which you can be consistent.

You’ll want to take your first pictures on that “day 1”. After that, I recommend 2-4 week intervals. Set a reminder in your phone so that you don’t forget.

What to Wear

Again, consistency is important here. Wear what you are comfortable in but remember that you want to see all-around progress. A two-piece bathing suit or a sports bra and shorts are your best bet.

Where to Take Pictures

You’ll take your pictures in the same spot every time. Choose a place with few distractions and lots of light. A blank wall next to natural sunlight is the best.

How to Take Pictures

Set your phone timer to take a selfie or ask someone close to you to take the pictures for you. Try to take full length body shots (don’t zero in on any one muscle or body part). Don’t let your focus areas be the only part of your body that gets a chance to shine. In only looking for definition in your abs, you might miss how much muscle and tone your shoulders and arms have started to take on.

How to Pose

Stand naturally. Don’t suck in. No need to flex. You are not taking a posed shot for Instagram. You’re looking for real life change here!

• Pose 1: Straight on, hands on your hips or at your sides.
• Pose 2: Side (left and right), with hands at your sides.
• Pose 3: Back is facing the camera, hands at your hips or at your sides.

That’s it!

Tips on Progress

You can’t spot reduce fat loss

We all have target fat loss areas and as magical as a spot-fat reducer would be, it’s not the way your body works. For the best results, strength train to add lean muscle all over and challenge your body to burn fat all over.

The closer you are to your goal, the harder it is to reach

Your body adores homeostasis and it will fight to maintain. If you have a lot of fat to lose, or if you are just getting started in the gym, results will probably happen faster. **That doesn’t mean give up! That just means that you have to keep challenging yourself and keep reminding yourself of your goals.

Incorporate HIIT for faster fat loss

High-intensity interval training is scientifically proven to burn fat faster. You can create entire workouts around HIIT or incorporate it into your current strength training routine.

Improve your diet to speed up and maintain results

Exercise and nutrition go hand in hand. There is no magic diet pill. The only thing that will work is a diet that you can follow consistently. For most people, that means balanced nutrition with lots of whole foods and not a whole lot of room for junk.

There it is – how to take the best progress photos and why they are far more powerful (and honest), than the scale!

If you’re interested in getting personalized, expert help (from whatever time zone you live in), here’s where to find it: