I've just seen a photo of myself...

[Wallybigboots]

and I started crying. I'm so fat and lumpy. I didn't know I looked like that. Just weighed myself and I'm over 16 stone and size 20. This is how people see me I don't want to be this person. I look 10 years older than I am.

Ah, it’s so shit isn’t it. I hate photos of myself too. I’m not overweight but I have awful open pores and wrinkles on my face. I’m only 36 😫

There are some terrible photos of me around!!!! We always think we look much worse than anyone ever thinks, honest.

And now you have a catalyst and hopefully the motivation to change yourself. I'm still overweight but I'm trying to sort it out slowly.

As awful as it might feel, keep that photo somewhere so you can look if you feel like you're falling off the wagon.

Use a calorie tracker to see what you're eating and when. Loosing weight is 80% calorie intake/20% exercise.

DoorKnobber sounds like you just need a new skincare routine. Skin is fairly easily fixable with relatively few products at your age.

Thanks @Thighmageddon! I’ve never had a skin care routine so figured at my age now I’m just a lost cause!

I know how you feel OP, I absolutely hate seeing photos of myself, I am horrendously un photogenic!
I am probably about a stone overweight which isn’t horrific but I always look like a tank in photos.
To make matters worse all of my family are skinny so I beam out of the pictures like a beached whale🤣
I do want to lose some weight but lockdown isn’t making things easy.
If it’s any consolation it’s probably just a bad photo and not a genuine reflection of what you always look like.

Right. Stop right there missy! You're healthy (I assume) and alive. You can work on the rest.
Make yourself a vow that you'll do some form of exercise every day. It'll be tough at first, but small steps make a big difference. There are loads of workout videos on YouTube. Shake them up a bit so you don't get bored.
Make an effort to drink more water and try to stop eating chocolate /biscuits, etc. Trust me...i know how hard that is.
In the meantime get yourself a little skincare routine going....it doesn't have to be much. I use good old soap and water and always have done....Olay for the day and Astral as a night cream. Have a lovely relaxing bath, condition your hair, use a face mask, shave your legs/trim your fluffy bits. Slap on a little self tan if you have some.
You can do it....just a little effort everyday can lead to great results over time. Imagine yourself three months from now. You got this!

If it's any consolation I look like a sea monster on photos.
One eyes in Spain. The other is in Bahrain.
My face is all stretched out.
I could go on.

It doesn't matter how many filters I put on. I'm still ghastly..
Everyone else seems to be model material on camera. I m sure, infact. No I'm certain I've got to be the most photogenic person on the planet.

Most Unphotogenic person not photogenic.

I hate myself in photos too I always feel like I’ve got a wonky mouth and different size eyes 😳

I’m a similar size and have vowed from tomorrow I have to make big changes. I can’t continue on like this.

@DoorKnobber go onto Style and Beauty, you'll get some good advice there. Just do a post with age, skin type and what you currently use. But I'd hazard a guess that your skin is dehydrated and tackling that would make a huge difference.

@Rebellenny I've always been told I was very good looking in real life, yet in photos I look horrendous.

I'm possibly the least photogenic person on the planet

Imagine this OP, its Christmas Eve 2020, you post on M.N to say -

"I've just seen a photo of myself, and even though I say so myself, I look bloody amazing

See you in December

Without sounding like a twat I am fairly confident in real life that I look decent but I have never been photogenic ever !!! I mean literally I can look hideous in photos .

@Sauron You can do it. We can ALL do it 😊

I was really unhappy about myself when we started lockdown. I'm working from home so I've been getting up at the usual time and doing a home workout. Hubby and I do an hours walk at teatime. I've been trying not to eat until lunchtime and drinking water or green tea when I feel like snacking. I've noticed a definite difference....clothes are fitting better and I feel so much better. I still eat chocolate....i just can't give it up....waaah!

Don't get me wrong, I've still a way to go before I'm truly happy with my body.....bloody menopause weight is sooooo hard to shift! I keep telling myself that by the time I see our social circle again I'll wow them with my new sexy body. Hahaha!

I think I look fine (quite good where I put the effort in) but photographs are another story. I even look awful in most of my wedding photos.

I’m a bit chunky (size 14/16) but I make an effort with clothes/hair/make up, and I look alright in the mirror. Photos are a different story 😩

My smile seems frozen on one side so I look lopsided, and one eye looks a bit squint yet I don’t have a squint in person! Full length photos are the worst - the camera always seems to catch my widest angle so I look like the back end of a bus.

OP I know how you feel. I watched some video footage on the baby camera of me putting the baby down for a nap. I was so ashamed of how I looked. I'm going to use it as inspiration to change though.

This happened to me during the week. I'm rarely in photos but just happened to have a video take with me and dbaby.
I bought weighing scales the next day, weighed myself and I'm the heaviest I have ever been. I dont know how i didn't realised for so long.
I re-joined slimming world on Friday and have been eating good and exercised yesterday and today.
After ds1 was born I lost 3 stone in 4 months so I'm hoping I can do similar again

Thank you all for the supportive messages. I have a lot to work on as not only am I overweight but I dont have a beauty regime either. I don't wear makeup (I'd like to but dont know how) and I dress like a hillbilly (in oversized clothes to hide the fat). The advice to keep the picture was good. And to think about Christmas Eve has got me smiling. I'm going to give it my best shot.

Sorry hit post too soon..
I'm in Ireland and am WFH due to the virus, not allowed to return to the office until at least August so hope I will have some weight shifted by then.

How do you feel looking in the mirror OP? I like what I see in the mirror but I’m not a fan of photos - I’m slim, so I don’t think it’s a weight thing. If you want to use make up and feel unsure about how, there’s lots of info online and video tutorials - and on MN. You don’t need to wear it out to start with, just have some fun with it at home and start small. (It’s obviously fine not to wear any, but don’t hold back just because you’re unsure how to apply it!) if you want to make changes to your weight go for it - but make up might be an easier feel good way to start.