Any of us who've carried a few extra pounds have inevitably had that ah-ha moment. You know, the one where you look at a photo from your past vacation or family event and think to yourself, omigod, is that me? Is that what I look like? I look so ... fat ... ! The thing is, we see each other every day in the mirror, and so we sometimes don't notice an extra few pounds here and there. Until, that is, we see ourselves from far away, from another point of view.

Truth be told, these moments of realization are hard. But they're also necessary -- we need to face the facts to make changes in our lives. So next time you find a fat photo, don't burn it, bury it in the garden or hide it away. Keep in it plain view--perhaps even on your fridge?--as a reminder to make better decisions.

And trust me--with enough dedication, it won't be long before you can chuck the fat photo and replace it with a fit photo, one that you can truly be proud of.