My confidence has been shattered by a photo

[simba65]

I'm not feeling my best self. I have gained back a lot of weight I lost about 1.5 years ago. I'll be honest in that I'm still in a healthy BMI but on the cusp. I'm 5'2 and my body shape suits being thin.

I wear a size 10 mainly but own a lot of size 8 that fits too. All clothes have become tighter though.

Before lockdown I was trying to bulk up and gain muscle, which I was doing. Then the gyms shut and I suddenly had nothing and no ability to weight train mixed with laziness. My weight has remained the same but my muscle has been replaced with fat.

I went out with a friend tonight and she took a picture of me with her baby. The angle etc and only showing my arms makes me look at least a size 18. (Please note I'm not trying to criticise this size in general)

I just feel really shaken as I know I have work to do but I've been somewhat kind to myself trying to do it healthily and not fall into the bad mindsets I've had before.

Friend has posted photo over the internet and we have no similar social circles so it'll go largely unseen by people I know but it makes me feel awful.

Any advice how to feel better and how to adjust to lose weight?

I've a stone to lose to be healthy again.

It's tough to see a poor photo but you must focus on the fact that a stone is easy to lose! Could only take a month.

Could you do outdoor exercise whilst the gyms are still shut?

I had a similar experience, I went to an aerobics class with those huge mirrors, fuck me I had a fit when I saw myself and how chubby I looked.

In the nicest possible way I think you need to gain a sense of perspective on this. It's one unflattering photograph. The gyms have been shut and you have moved less so fat gain is a natural process of your body. I put on nearly a stone in lockdown so you're doing better than me. Gyms are now open so you can go back and reverse it. I've lost half of what I gained since they opened without dieting but just not eating crisps every night.

Just go back to your pre lockdown routine and you'll have your pre lockdown body.

If you can get into some size 8s I highly doubt you look like you're a size 18 anyway!

Iv'e been there. I saw photos of myself at a wedding that someone had kindly uploaded onto social media. It came as a shock. I think they say that you gain something like 10lbs in photographs but it is not pleasant seeing yourself as you think others see you.

Start walking briskly. Do that for a while and then combine it with running, nothing too difficult and build it up. Running helps. It tones you up and gets your heart pumping and you feel great afterwards. Diet alone is no good, you have to burn the fat off.

Good luck

Please take a moment to consider this photo of Amanda Holden, an indisputably beautiful and slender woman who normally looks drop dead gorgeous in photos, on film and in person.

Do not let one unflattering photo be the benchmark for how you feel about yourself! Everyone has bad angles and unflattering positions! I promise you that one photograph which you think reveals flaws is not remotely indicative of how you actually look.

I'm in the same boat, middle of bmi pre lockdown and now feeling like a blue whale ;( here to handhold

Everybody's as look like that from a bad angle. Look at red carpets etc and you'll see they're all trained to place eg hand on hip to take the arm out away from the body. Otherwise arm cheese all the way

I mean, a quick google would show you things like 30 Day Shred or Insanity. Either of which would stop you turning into a size 8-10 that looks like a size 18 in photos .

Honestly, I think you need to gain a sense of perspective and realise that your perception of your body is clearly skewed. You’ve gained weight, but not much, you’re still in a normal weight zone.

I would put money on you being underweight before Covid. Your language betrays you.

Arms not as

Sorry but WTF!?? That photo of Amanda Holden should NOT be shared. She was obviously asleep and some bastard has intruded on her privacy!

There are gyms in some outdoor parks. Could you use those?

I, too, was a size 8-10 before lock-down, 'Simba Soft-Arms' (grin), and now I'm more like a 12-14. I have... so much muffin top I'm thinking about opening a muffin shop... But... I have been lifting, at home, and my arms look like tree trunks: I'm loving them. I don't love having to buy a new wardrobe of clothes though, so, after my birthday (in a few day's time), I've got a plan to fix myself. Gaining a few pounds here and there won't do us much harm, really, will it? Do what I'm doing: I'm pretending I've been 'building', and next month, I'll be actively 'cutting'. It'll take me about.. three months to get back into my favourite shape, but, like you, I'm actually still in the healthy BMI zone too (but only just). Don't beat yourself up about an unflattering picture: just stick on a cardigan next time the camera comes out! And get a set of dumbbells. You can tone your arms at home, if you want to. It doesn't mean you're an evil sinner who's let themselves go. I reckon you already know that, though. Don't let it eat you up -- most of us have gained, recently. Nobody's judging you except yourself.

If anyone caught me sleeping in a plane like Amanda Holman I'd have my lower jaw gawping open and drool coming out my mouth

Total Catch , Me .

Photos are usually unflattering and your brain cannot process because you're the wrong way round .
Use this to spur you , not knock you .

Amanda Holman

Holden

If you know you aren’t a size 18 maybe chalk that one down to a bad angle and stop worrying.

I know you don't mean to insult larger people, but you really have. If you fit into a size 8 then there's no way you look a size 18. You write like a size 18 is the worst thing in the world!!

A stone is quite easy to loose, as PP have pointed out, do 2 months of 30 day shred and you'll be fine.

It's one photo OP, how on earth does that 'shatter your confidence'?

Work on your sense of perspective and self-acceptance, don't frame your self worth around a photograph, your friend probably loves the pic as it shows a lovely moment with you and her baby, but all you can do us fret about is if you look a bit overweight?
Please, get some resilience (and a kettlebell & find Bodyfit with Amy on YouTube if you really can't bear to look at yourself being less than slim).

Lockdown did the same to me - same height, same sudden lack of exercise with fat replacing muscle. Went weak and wobbly. Looked like I've puffed up and gone all rounded where I was leaner. Felt totally pissed off with myself that all my previous hard gym work had been wasted.

I've been back at gym and started walking again in the last 3 weeks and i can really see the difference. I'm still lifting below the weights I was before lockdown, but the rate of increase is surprisingly fast. I've put on an inch on my upper arms and lost inches on my waist. Still the same weight, but I've replaced fat with muscle. In just 3 weeks!!

Bite the bullet and start again! You know it worked before so accept it's just a temporary set back. Hide the scales (bloody demotivating things) and go by measurements only.

I've been doing strength training 4 times a week and walking there and back which is only 6k steps. I've reduced portions and stopped snacking (boredom eating had got out of control), but not dieting. And just 3 weeks has made a HUGE difference. The first step was difficult- I made my husband drive me to the gym and watch me go through the door (or I would have kept making excuses), but once I got over that hurdle I found my motivation again.

You know what you want, and you know how to get there. But you need to take that first step.

@MusicTeacherSussex I feel you. It's so hard to just feel good about yourself!

I have a huge complex with weight. Both my parents are in the obese category and I have been commented on any weight gain by MIL. My dad always comments on my weight ("you've gained weight havent you") whenever I see him.

I'm not and have never been underweight. I suit 8 and a half stone, I'm now 9 stone 10-11.

I wish I could post the photo and you'll easily agree I look like I'd be obese. My arms are huge from bulking and they don't fit in my clothes with sleeves! My jackets are tight. I had so much muscle and it's gone and I can't stop eating!!

Sounds like you might have been over training!?

Look at the photo look at it! It’s just a bad angle. You’re still a 8/10.... you need to stop obsessing about your shape and weight. Why don’t you get a PT to come your home and give you a tailored homework out program?

Sounds like you’re a similar height/weight as me and I’m not happy with the way I look either. I’ve also had similar experiences with big arms in pictures making me look overweight.

Look up Jason Fung - someone on mumsnet introduced me about a month ago. He has interesting advice about how to manage weight. Essentially, he says that it’s all about hormones. There are three big things that cause weight gain: eating too many processed carbohydrates, eating too often, and having too much stress. All of these things raise your insulin which tells the body to store fat.

I’m reducing sugar in my diet by removing things like biscuits, although I still eat dessert sometimes. Also, I’ve only been eating two or three biggish meals most days with no snacking. My life is fairly stressful at the moment so I’m not doing great with that one, but I’m working on it. I feel this is all helping and I’m going to get better at it over time because it’s not too difficult. I’m actually saving time/effort because I’m no longer eating five times a day.

Post the picture and blur your face out

@FortunesFave Amanda Holden shared the photo herself on her Instagram account after it was taken by her husband. Settle down.