Show us your setups (keep comments in a separate thread!)

PLEASE KEEP ALL COMMENTS REGARDING THE PHOTOS IN THE DESIGNATED THREAD ONLY!

http://www.exampleforum.com/showthread.php?t=622384

(just click through to the final page if you want to see what everyone else is saying).

The original opening post by Maria Barrett81 (it’s a real shame she requested the photos be taken down):

Since people were claiming this thread didn't exist, we decided to go ahead and start it ourselves.

To get things moving, I'm breaking the ice by posting a photo—this one's a bit of a "stock" shot. It isn't exactly anything to write home about since there isn't much to show off yet, but it serves as a baseline so we can actually track our progress and see how our bodies evolve over time.

Hey everyone... I'll drop two photos here, though my phone camera isn't exactly top-tier 😁

I don't usually post on this sub; I mostly just lurk, so here's a bit of an introduction 😁... I've been struggling with my weight for years (gain it in the winter, lose it in the summer), and my genetics are pretty much working against me. Fat just clings to me easily and distributes evenly all over, especially in the glutes

But I've decided to completely overhaul my lifestyle regarding diet and exercise... I don't have much free time because I work a desk job and I'm also a student, so I end up running like a maniac at 4 AM (around 6.2 miles almost every day, at least 5 times a week), I swim about 2-3 kilometers daily, and then after that, I play some water polo and basketball now that it's summer 😁 for now, it's just aerobic stuff

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/3883/wpm3194uf6.jpg
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/8629/wpm64a2xf3.jpg

I'm 5'8", currently at 174 lbs. Two and a half months ago, I was 190... my all-time high was 231 🙂
It's a shame I didn't take photos back then, though maybe it's better that way 😁
I'm aiming for at least 160... I've set a goal of losing about one pound a week

Anyway, due to heavy obligations, I was mentally and physically exhausted (I even stepped down from my moderator duties because of everything 😁), so I started focusing on getting my physical fitness in order first. Once that's sorted, everything else should follow more easily—healthy body, healthy mind 😁

Regards

Just throwing this out there so you don't have to sit around waiting forever—get out there and hit the pavement right now. 😉

I AM THE BEST☕

Since this photo ended up on two different subforums, I figured it deserved a spot here too.😁


Back to the main topic—sharing our photos, right?😁

Here’s one:


Taken just before summer hit.🥳

Alright, my turn:
http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/1662/jaxb1.jpg

Man, I’m a little intimidated by how many requirements you have. 😉
Given the current state of my midsection, I’m thinking about adding some running to my boxing routine—maybe once or twice a week—just to help these lines pop more.
http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/7093/ja2at7.jpg
http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/4458/ja3az4.jpg

Well, here goes nothing—me too!

http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?i...lika003pp7.jpg
http://img530.imageshack.us/my.php?i...lika005mt4.jpg
http://img224.imageshack.us/my.php?i...lika010qa7.jpg
http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?i...lika015ht6.jpg

Just thought I'd drop some shots of myself today—right after my workout session at the gym--feeling pretty accomplished! 😉
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3806/slika011qx1.jpg
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/4403/slika012qd8.jpg
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/2076/slika018uh8.jpg
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/6508/slika019ds3.jpg 🙂

I’m still quite a long way from hitting my ultimate target—kind of like being halfway through a cross-country road trip, if you know what I mean—but I am honestly getting more satisfied with how things are looking. We'll see where I'm at in a few months!

So, I’ve already posted and lurked in that "getting rid of the gut" thread, though my main goal here is just to keep this progress logged in its current state... I guess I’m still a little neurotic about my midsection—there's this tiny, annoying layer (maybe like 1mm?) sitting between my skin and the actual abs, so they don't pop quite as hard as I'd like (especially the lower ones)... plus, let's be real, the lighting in this shot isn't exactly doing me any favors either... (currently standing at 6'1"/154lbs)(the right side is me flexing—if you can even call it that, because if this is my flex, God help me when I actually try)




Alright, here's another one from my side...
The angle sucks, I know.😠I actually had a clearer, better shot in this exact same pose earlier, but whatever.😠

Nah, look, I don't really want to just sit here yapping about everyone else, so here’s a shot of me. It was taken with some crappy little webcam on my laptop, so the quality is pretty mid... I tried messing around with GIMP to fix it up, but since I'm nowhere near as good at it as someone using Photoshop, I ended up with this weird white crap around the edges when I tried to crop out my face and all the junk in the background.
Anyway, right now I'm basically in that phase where I'm desperately trying to lose the belly fat and the spare tire around my waist... plus those extra five pounds that serve as a constant reminder of my old binge-eating days.

I should probably weigh in so this doesn't turn into a one-sided conversation.





The photos aren't exactly my best work. Right now, my legs—which have always been a bit too heavy for my liking—are dealing with some post-pregnancy cellulite. It’s a phase, I hope. I'm working on fixing it. Ideally, I’d lose a few pounds, specifically from my legs 😁. My core also needs serious tightening. Everything looks fine when I'm empty, but as soon as I eat or drink anything, it pooches out exactly the way it did during my pregnancy. I worry that some muscles might have lost their function permanently, given how much my stomach expanded back then.

How much of this stuff am I supposed to use?

Here goes me too. I really need to drop a few pounds. This photo shows me at 128 lbs—taken about a month ago—but my goal is closer to 115 or 118...
I guess I don't have much choice but to overhaul how I eat (my husband keeps telling me I’m just not eating enough meals throughout the day)



😢

Here’s my photo:


Do I actually have weak abs? I’ve never even used a weighted plate for core work...

The thing is, when you actually do sit-ups with decent technique—meaning you focus on the contraction and hold that peak position for a second or two... I start shaking by the tenth rep. Fifteen is my limit.

Every muscle grows under tension, sure, but how you apply that tension matters. You can't train your calves or forearms the same way you hit your biceps or legs. The core is its own specific beast.

I suppose I should be fair and follow through on my promise, so here are the photos 😁 Please, feel free to shower me with your most biting critiques; it might actually assist me in confirming everything I already suspect about myself...

I’m still feeling quite bloated from all the water intake... I really ought to pick up some nettle tea tomorrow because this 🙄 clearly isn't working out. While I have your attention, though... how much water are you all consuming daily? I tend to average about three liters, sometimes even four...

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/974...8073100jh9.jpg

Jumping back into this thread. This photo is useless—that smudge near the wrist is just a bad Photoshop job. I'll post a better one when I find it...

I am posting a photo, though I am fully clothed for now. 😬 I will share a picture in my swimsuit another time. This skirt is a bit flared, which makes my hips look wider than they actually are, but my main concern is my waistline; it looks quite broad on me. I would love to slim down my waist, but if it isn't meant to happen, it isn't meant to happen. This photo is about three months old, from when I was roughly ten pounds lighter.

I had to crop the image slightly so you wouldn't see my foliage. 😬

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x.../gvhbjnlkl.jpg

Just thought I’d drop some recent shots here for everyone to see
My brother actually acted as my photographer—and yeah, I’m still on the leaner side, but hey, progress is happening!
http://img185.imageshack.us/my.php?i...lika005bq2.jpg
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/433/slika011bh8.jpg
http://img84.imageshack.us/my.php?image=slika015cc8.jpg
http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?i...lika018vl9.jpg

So, this is what eight months of hard work looks like—completely natural, no crazy supplements involved (well, maybe just a little L-carnitine) since it's mostly just hitting my protein goals and staying consistent with the gym sessions

Anyway, here are some even fresher ones—literally taken about ten minutes ago 😁
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/3333/slika000aq6.jpg
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/1237/slika001ue4.jpg
http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/451/slika002ea9.jpg
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/673/slika003td0.jpg

The stubborn belly fat, though—man, it just won't budge 👎 It feels like no matter how much I grind in the gym, I'm just spinning my wheels; it's honestly pretty frustrating and makes me feel a bit discouraged—I'm starting to wonder if ephedrine might be the only way to finally break through 🙄

By crvanaruzicha

So, here’s a little recap of where things stand. It’s been five weeks now, and I’ve managed to drop about 9 or 10 pounds overall.





I suppose the progress is fairly evident, though there is still quite a bit of work left to do.

Here’s what someone was looking for...





I trust there won't be any overly harsh comments.