Do I Have to Take Before and After Photos?

No. We'll ask you to, and we'll tell you why. Progress photos show the body composition changes the scale misses, side by side. They're private, they stay with your coaching team, and they're there to track your progress. If you'd rather skip them, tell your coach, and she'll track your progress in other ways.

I know.

This is usually the part where women cringe.

Let's talk about what they're for, and who sees them.

Why do so many women dread progress photos?

Chris will tell you on your onboarding call that this is usually the moment women cringe. He's right.

A lot of the women we talk to have spent years avoiding the camera:

Hiding in family photos. Behind the kids, at the back, or holding the phone so they're never in the shot.
Picking every photo apart. Zooming in on everything they don't like.
Not wanting a record of "before." If it's on camera, it's real.

I get it. There was a stretch in my early 30s when I stopped looking in the mirror. I didn't like the person I saw, so I just avoided it altogether.

So if your stomach dropped when you read this question, you're in very good company.

Here's why we still ask.

Why do coaches ask for before and after photos?

Because the scale only tells part of the story.

Most women come to us wanting to lose weight. What they actually want to lose is fat.

When you strength train and eat enough, you tend to lose fat and build muscle at the same time. The scale can't tell the difference. Photos can.

Here's what photos tend to catch:

Changes you can't see day to day. You see yourself every morning, so small changes hide. Side by side, they show up.
Your shape changing. Your waist, your shoulders, the line of your back. Things a number can't show.
Proof on the hard days. When the scale is stuck, your photos are evidence that something is still changing.

In our experience, the side by side at the end is often the moment it finally clicks.

More on that in the scale hasn't moved but my clothes fit differently.

Who sees my photos?

This is the question most women really want answered.

They're private. You upload them inside the program. We actually ask you not to email them.
They stay with your coaching team. Your coach uses them to see what's changing. At the end, we line up your before and after, edit them so they're consistent, and send them back to you.
They're for you. Chris tells women on their onboarding call that these photos are for them. They're there to track your progress.

That's it. No mystery.

If you have a question about your photos, ask your coach. She'll tell you exactly where they live.

Do I really have to take them?

No.

We'll ask, because in our experience they're one of the most useful things you can do. But it's your call.

If you'd rather skip them, tell your coach. She'll track your progress with everything else:

How your clothes fit.
How much stronger you're getting.
Your energy, sleep and mood.
The scale, read next to everything else.

On the fence? Here's a middle ground. Take them, upload them, and don't look at them until the end.

One of our coaches tells women she put off her own photos too, and that she's glad she took them.

How do I take good progress photos?

Being consistent matters more than the camera.

Three angles. Front, side and back.
Same spot, same outfit, same pose. Try to match your arm positions too, so your before and after line up.
First thing in the morning. Before breakfast is best.
Watch your timing. If you still get a period, the week after it tends to give a fairer picture.

You take them at the start, and again at the end of your 8 weeks. Your coach may ask for a set partway through as well.

Here's why the week before your period can throw off the scale, and the mirror.

What if my photos look worse halfway through?

Breathe. This happens.

One photo is one morning. In our experience, a lot can change how you look on a given day:

Water. A salty dinner, a hot week or a short night.
Your cycle. Especially the days before your period.
The light and the angle. One step to the left changes everything.

That's why your coach doesn't read one photo on its own. She looks at it next to your clothes, your strength and your energy.

Tell her what you're seeing. Don't sit with it alone, and please don't quit over one picture.

We've helped 1,000+ women lose 10 to 20 lbs of fat in 8 weeks. For a lot of them, the photos are where they saw it best.

Wondering what's realistic? Read how fast you can expect results in 8 weeks.

Ready to see what's actually changing?

The first photo is the hardest one.

After that, it's a record of how far you've come.

Start with the short video on our homepage at fortyfwd.com. It walks through why your body stopped responding after 40 and the method we use to change that.

If it sounds like you, apply for a call with Chris.

He reads every application himself. On the call, he'll look at what you've tried before and how you've been measuring your progress, and tell you straight whether the program is the right fit. If it is, he walks you through the investment then, once you both know it's a fit.

Take the photo.

Then let's give you something to compare it to.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to take before and after photos for weight loss coaching?

Not with us. We'll ask, because photos show changes the scale misses, but if you'd rather skip them, your coach tracks your progress through your clothes, strength and energy instead.

Who sees my progress photos?

Your coaching team. You upload them privately inside the program, and your coach uses them to track your progress with you.

How do I take progress photos?

Front, side and back, in the same spot and the same outfit, first thing in the morning before breakfast. Match your pose as closely as you can so your before and after line up.

Why do my progress photos look worse some days?

Water, a salty meal, your cycle, the light and the angle can all change one photo. Your coach reads each photo next to your clothes, strength and energy.

When do you take before and after photos?

At the start of the program and again at the end of the 8 weeks. If you still get a period, the week after it usually gives a fairer picture.

Do I have to take before and after photos?