"Picture Perfect"

Many women hang up pictures of supermodels for extra motivation to exercise. But instead of striving to obtain an unrealistic weight or turn your pear-shaped frame into a stick, use your own body as your guiding light. First, find a past picture of yourself when you were happy with your weight. If you’ve put on a lot of pounds over the years, seeing a photo of yourself at your slimmer size will motivate you to take control of your life and get your body back. One word of caution: Be realistic. Choose a picture from within the last five years or so!

Once you have your inspiration, start tracking your progress. Twice a month, take a picture of yourself. Heidi Klum took nude photos of herself when she was losing her post-pregnancy weight. If you’re too shy to do that, then wear a bathing suit instead. Store the photos in a special picture album, and if you’re modest, keep it under lock and key.

As you progress in your fitness program, you’ll start to see subtle changes the scale won’t necessarily reflect. You may notice your triceps are more defined or you’ve added a 1/2 inch of muscle to your rear. Keeping an eye on your progress will help you see how well your exercise program is working, and it will also let you know when you need to take your workouts up a notch.

After a few months of exercising, compare your latest photo to the one you took in the beginning of the program. Even if you still have more work to do, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come and how much you’ve accomplished. How’s that’s for a photo finish? =)

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