Points to ponder...

My good friend Andi posted this comment:

My first suggestion:
Don't make the photo shoot anything nice.
No pretty ginchies.
WHY?
Are you PROUD to be in them?
There should be absolutely no reason what-so-ever that can allow you to feel okay with this initial set of photos.
These are the "At My Worst" images...barely the kind you want to post on your fridge to remind yourself not to chow down too heavily.

And I had to ponder a bit to figure out exactly why this didn't ring true with me.

I completely understand where she is coming from, but to be honest, my reasons for doing this are varied.  Being "ashamed" of what I look like is not one of them.  I kinda like who I am and what I am about and that includes the body that carries me around.   That is one of the reasons I'm doing this.  Not because I hate myself and the way I look, but because I love myself enough to know that I need to take better care of myself and achieve a better level of fitness.

I've told a few people about my family health history.  My mom's side of the family has a very large percentage of people with heart issues, regardless of size, fitness, lifestyle (non smokers, non drinkers).  My dad lost one of his brothers to a heart attack.  On both sides there are people who wear pacemakers.  Heart problems are rampant in my family and I know full well that if I don't take better care of it now when I'm able to, it's going to be that much worse for me down the road.

I don't smoke and haven't for 20 years... wow, actually, my quit date was sometime in April, so happy anniversary to me I guess... I drink socially but I've cut down my drinking so I'm only having a couple glasses on the weekend instead of sharing a bottle a few times a week.  My blood pressure is bang on, I don't have any thyroid issues and I'm pretty much a-ok health wise.  I do have asthma, but I manage it with medication and even though it will add to the challenge of getting fit, I know I can deal with whatever comes up.

BUT.

I have a hard time walking up more than one flight of stairs.  I can't bend into the yoga positions that I used to easily manipulate myself into.  My feet hurt ALL. THE. TIME.  I have low energy.  I'm not happy with how I feel physically.  I'm not as concerned as much with what I look like.

So back to the "pretty ginch" comment... I'm going to wear pretty ginch for my first photo.  Not because I think those photos will be spread all over the internet for all the world to see, but because I want to make this whole process as positive, happy and encouraging as possible.  I don't want any negative thinking in to create doubt that I can't accomplish my goals.  I am not worried about what I look like in those photos because they are just a milestone.  My "Mile 1" so to speak.

Besides, I need a new bra.