They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. For Julia Ferraro and her mother, Adelaide, a photo is worth 90 pounds.
This particular photo, taken in June 1997, shows a father, mother, son, and daughter, all smiling at their annual family picnic.
It s a moment frozen in time, a vivid reminder of when Julia and Adelaide each weighed 205 pounds. Both women are 5-feet, 2- ST inches tall.
“Each of us got a copy of the picture for Christmas that year. My mom and I cried when we saw it. That was the fattest we had ever been,” says Julia, 37, of Brooklyn, New York. “You know you’re getting bigger, but it doesn’t really hit you until you look at a picture of yourself.”
Instead of stashing the photo out of sight, Julia and Adelaide agreed to display it prominently in the front row of a table full of family photos. It gave them incentive to get serious about losing weight. Their first step was to join Weight Watchers the following February. Now, they attend classes every week.
Every day, Julia and Adelaide take a long look at that picnic photo. Since it was taken, the two women have lost a combined 90 pounds and five dress sizes. Julia, who’s 50 pounds lighter, went from a size 18 to a 12. Her mother dropped 40 pounds, shrinking from a size 18 to a 14.
Both women want to lose more weight, and they’re pleased to report that they’re well on their way. They’ve added a new photo to their tabletop gallery. This one shows a mother and daughter— slimmer and smiling.
WINNING ACTION
Showcase your “before” photo. Find a photo of yourself and keep it where you can see it every day—on your nightstand or refrigerator, for example. As you lose weight, take new photos and display them with your old photo. They’ll serve as visual reminders of where you started and where you’re headed in terms of your weight-loss goals.
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