For many years I have seen these before and after pictures people / companies post and just laugh. Often times the transformation can happen in a matter of 5 minutes or in a few days.
I was looking on my external hard drive for pictures of my GPU mining equipment because I was going to do a post about Monero but then I ran across a long lost folder with pictures of me and started laughing hysterically!
What I was doing was just sticking out my gut and was going to do a post about how ridiculous a lot of the before and after pictures are. I didn't end up finishing the little project.
I was trying to get in every weird position to look as bloated and destitute as possible. I had grown out my hair at the time and I was able to make it extra greasy for added effect.
You can see in this picture I pulled my swim trunks up so you can't see any definition in my hips.
The ability to bloat my gut out there has been with me since birth and I refer to it as "Reverse Core Strength."
In the picture below I messed up because you can see my ribs and some definition where my rib cage meets my bloated gut. You can also kind of see a vein in my bicep as well. I did get the creepy depressed look down pretty good though. 
Just looking a little less depressed and sucking in my gut suddenly we get a decent enough picture for a before and after side by side that looks like I made a transformation.
The truth is they were just taken 1 or 2 minutes a part.
"Wow Brian, You are really making progress!"
Now to really do it better you can shave, go to the gym and get a pump, and cut some water weight. In the after picture my hair is cut shorter which for some reason in this society mean's that I'm "More Professional."
All this was done without Photoshop / GIMP and to be honestly with you I was just screwing around.
Just think about how supplement manufacturers really crank it up a notch by really working with the lighting and then manipulating the images with a computer.
Here are the key tricks that are employed.
- Depressed and hairy before pictures.
- Person slouches and sticks their gut out.
- Lighting angles to take away definition on the before image but to show definition on the after pictures.
- Spray on tans for the after pictures.
- Photoshop is used to exaggerate the situation even worse.
At that point they are ready to sell a supplement with a 2,000% markup. It is a crazy world out there Steemit!
If you enjoyed this post and got a laugh out of it please consider upvoting it and following me @brianphobos. Thanks for viewing my post!
Hahah, That is a perfect cartoon!
I think someone was drawing me in this picture.
Two years on I just found this link as an example I saved of a really good post.
I'd forgotten what payouts used to be like, and I'd forgotten you used to be a whale!
No wonder you are always in the pool..
Hahahaha, I was never a whale but got a couple good payouts.
Ha Ha! @brianphobos so true. Supplements only supplement the people selling them! Great post!
I'm glad you liked the post!
He is a spartan under the Vader uniform!
What a work of art!
That's a pretty hot pic. Looks like Conan beat up Darth and took his helmet and cape as trophy, then sat upon his throne to add insult to injury.
Now that is a rare talent right there... Awesome
Now everyone is going to be working on their reverse core strength! Hahahah
I can do it too! :)
Very humorous.
Hahah! Thanks. I was laughing my ass off when I found those pictures. Everyone with Reverse Core strength should do a fake before and after photo and say they used Steem to get ripped!
Can I get some of these Steemit pills?
I love that idea.
LOL >_<
I challenge @brianphobos, @opheliafu, and @futurefood to the #SteamitReverseCoreStrengthChallenge!
Well, some of the before and after photos out there are legitimate... but it takes a lot of hard work.
I did some a long time ago of me after 10+ years of programming and then 3 months later after:
The changes were dramatic... but the effort was as well.
Of course, I used the same pose, the same clothes, and the same lighting for my images... and I completely agree that the "quick fix" pills out there use all kinds of tricks to try and sell their product.
There is no substitute for working hard and eating/drinking better.
You are right Tony. Some before and afters are real legitimate transformations but a lot are deceiving. The things you mentioned are correct and most people aren't willing to put in the work.
Most supplements come from alibabaexpress.com and Best Manufacturing Practices are a joke. After researching it I was amazed. I like to read the labels as I am a monster rally promoter. Because it is "Made in the USA" doesn't mean it came from the USA.
Yeah it is a buyer beware market. A lot of stuff is all about the marketing and for some reason the consumers get sucked into the before and after pictures when it is all smoke and mirrors.
Although absurd, I would like to post for you my before and after pictures...
Before:
After:
Hahaha!
This little piggy had roast beef
This little piggy had none
That is interesting. I've seen a lot of those before and after scams in the penis enlargement industry. There is a good article I read abour it awhile back. You can read it at: http://enlargement-hype.blogspot.com/2011/05/real-deal-about-pill.html?m=1
yeah the Penis enlargement and male performance industry is a big time scam.
before and after photos?
No, thanks. I'm not going to do that post! It is up to you! LOL
haha so funny yet compelling, you did it, and it seems everyone will do the same like yours, although it is about self discipline and self motivation to pursue a certain change of your life hehe. thank you .
I didn't do anything except suck in my gut and change positions. LOL
Nice..
transformation satisfactory @brianphobos
Thanks, It was hard work and took 2 minutes but I kept pushing and finally got the results.
Wow your reverse core strength is amazing! I have it too but it seems to be permanent! :)
Thanks for sharing that. I love posts that focus on natural health solutions. UPVOTED!
I just wrote a post on a free easy option to help with our health problems. Please have a look if you like.
https://steemit.com/life/@kus-knee/the-old-dog-investigates-is-laughter-really-the-best-medicine
Thank you for viewing the post. Yeah my reverse core strength has always kind of been my stupid human trick. I upvoted your post also! It is very good!
Wow! What a transformation!
You must lift, bro. Be honest - how hard did you hit the gym between those two photos?
It is almost impossible to have the builds in any of the pictures, gut out or not, without lifting. It would be tough to do with only body weight exercises but would still be possible. In the second to the last before and after side by side. Those are just taken a minute or two apart. To get from the "After" of the second to last to the "After" on the last side by side would take me 2 - 4 days. The way you can tell is this. In both those After pictures you can see very similar definition in the hip area. Also in both pictures you can see similar definition in the serratus mucles to the right and left of my abs. The side muscles. My hair is hanging on my traps in the first before picture but they would be of similar size as the second after picture. A lot of it is just about getting a pump and losing some water weight by essentially being a little more dehydrated.
Good work Phobos. I always thought 6 pack shortcut guy was a scam. hahahaha
Mike Chan had "Reverse Core Strength" as well. That was the biggest thing that made me roll my eyes about his stuff. He had that fake before and after picture just like I did where he bloated his gut out. Most of the other stuff he said was sound information. I always wondered if he was on performance enhancing drugs though. A couple of the guys who were in some of the videos with him were for sure. But I don't know about him.
wow... cool photo @brianphobos
Hahah, Thanks!
This post is follow worthy.
Hahhah, I appreciate it. I'm following you too!
Same
Thanks!
I guess it's all about perception. That reminds me. I must start my training soon to get rid of my horrible fat. Never been fat in my life other than this last year, where I've been looking after my mother. It's just getting motivated. To be frank, I found it hard to trust those before/after pics anyway. :-)
Taking care of family can be pretty stressful. Getting motivated can be tough but one possible way to help out is if you join a hiking group on Meetup.com or something to that effect. Sometimes it is easier if there are more people around. Yeah you can't trust the before / after pictures like 95% of the time. Sometimes people have made an honest transformation.
Now this is what I'm talking about. Best post EVER! I can do a similar trick, but without the six-pack.
Hahah, Nice!
This is so true. Often it is obvious that the before and after were taken on the same day employing some of the tricks you mention. It is particularly bad with any kind of bodybuilding pictures. Often the before pictures are taken preworkout and the after are the same post workout when the muscles are pumped and their veins are dilated. Oil and lighting are also used to exaggerate the effect. I don't know how people fall for them.
I have always been blown away why people fall for it to. I think it is kind of like bigfoot. We all wish he was real but deep down inside we know the truth. LOL
Well it's just another form of scam to try to sell supplements. I have noticed them all from the weightloss pills to the penis pills, these are just one form of scammers.
Yeah there are a lot of problems with the industry. There are some merits to certain supplements but if a company is all out being decieving with the marketing or not really putting the ingredients that they say are in the supplement in there. That is where I feel like the issue is.
I have a question, in this photo, how long were they taken apart:
2016/08/23/final-before-afterc0e2c.jpg
...obviously you had enough time to get a haircut, etc..
In the last two "after" pictures they were taken about 6 months apart. But don't be fooled into thinking that it takes 6 months between those photos. That transformation can be done in 2 - 4 days. Here is the proof. If you just focus in on the abs. They mainly have the same visability and structure. The way you can tell is this. In both those After pictures you can see very similar definition in the hip area. Also in both pictures you can see similar definition in the serratus mucles to the right and left of my abs. The side muscles. My hair is hanging on my traps in the first before picture but they would be of similar size as the second after picture. A lot of it is just about getting a pump and losing some water weight by essentially being a little more dehydrated.
Hilarious! I always laugh at these as well when I see them. Good work:)
I'm glad you laughed as hard as I did when I found these pictures again! Hahahaha
I was waiting for someone to make a post like this. Absolutely spot-on. Love it.
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Classic - great post, brianphobos: you really gave me a chuckle reading this...that lead photo in particular is surreal when compared to your 'after' (!) shots! And as a bonus it's on an important topic too :o) upvoted and followed :o)
Thank you! I appriciate it!
I do love how all their hair falls off and their posture gets so much better after they lose weight. Good Call on this, lol.
Hahahah, Yeah just the posture alone is like a 80% change. Hahha
This is the first thing I thought of, when I started reading your post.
Nice!
aw man, I was gonna post some before/after pix.. ha ha... good piece.
Hahah, You still can. Some before and afters are a legit thing. But they can also be heavily faked if you have reverse core strength like me!
This is pretty funny. Yes, before and after photos are bullshit!
I will say most are bullshit. Some are legitimate positive changes.
I have been thinking of doing the same thing a month back. Good job on the transformation.
LOL, Thanks
That is a crazy post! I have enjoyed ready it so bad :) Nicely done, something really new here! Upvote for you :)
Thanks!
I'm happy for your success in making fun of before and after photos. Yes you have amazing skills and people can deceive other easily for their own gain.
But then there are those transformations that do encourage people to better themselves and are not out for anything but to encourage. I don't know if my post with my before and after pictures triggered this post since I was following you before this or not?
But apparently people like the negative more than the positive. Anyway good post on informing people that this can happen but there really are so many out there that are honest and really excited in their transformation.
@mikehere I didn't know about your post until just now. I randomly found those "before" pictures from a couple years ago on my hard drive and on the spur of the moment made the post. Your transformation was real and I'm surprised it didn't get a more attention. In a lot of the comments people have brought up that there are transformations that are real. And this is very true. Yours is one of them. The point of my post was to point out that people who are in the health and wellness industry are pretty easily able to fake what seem to be pretty stunning transformations in a very short amount of time.
I apologize if you felt like I was making fun of your transformation. That simply wasn't the case. I will probably do a follow up post about this subject point out that some transformations are real and inspirational like yours. I upvoted your transformation post by the way! Great work.
Inspiration at its finest.
The long hair looked good on you. For that I wish you well, friend;
May your posts always prosper and reap mad gainz.
Enuff to blow steem in the direction of arbitrary expectations like "looking professional"
@brianphobos thank you for sharing your story, it is inspirational.
This was absolutely hilarious! I shared this post on twitter too....
Thanks for liking it and getting a laugh out of it! I did an update post because some transformations are real and genuine like Mike's
https://steemit.com/life/@brianphobos/many-before-and-after-pictures-are-real-and-inspirational-like-mike-s-transformation
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