I'm a little confused- what do you mean by the BMV? Body Mass Vehicles?...

In Indiana we have the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). They have a great website actually that will tell you the approximate waiting time at each branch. Very cool. And I only waited about 3 minutes at my branch. I got to give props to the Indiana BMV! - PQ

But you think the new photo is bad? I could show you worse... not that I have a photo driving licence, because, well, I have now been a learner driver for more than ten years. But I have some pretty bad photos around. I'm slightly weirded out by the way US driving licences have your weight (or an approximation thereto) on them... I hope that never happens in the UK. Though what with biometric identity cards being dangled over our heads, who knows?

I don't think a municipal employee has ever addressed me as "girl". That just wouldn't happen here!

It's not the worst photo, but I'm not going to frame it and give it to my mom on Mother's Day either. It really annoys me that my hair is lopsided. It really didn't look like that in the car! And I can't get it renewed again until 2012 unless I move. - PQ

I thought about putting 180 down on the license, but I'm not going to be able to renew the thing again until 2012. I'm hoping to get to my goal weight sometime in the next year and I didn't want a higher weight to be on there for the next 5 years. It's been slightly bugging me for the past year that it said 250 even though I was less than that. No one even believes I weigh 180 right now anyway, so I figured I should put down something closer to what people think I weigh. It's more like an esitmate than an actual weight since everyone lies about it anyway. - PQ

JN

It's these little changes that you don't think about that are most meaningful, isn't it?

BTW - I think the pic looks great!

Cheers!

BRAVO!

In California the DMV saves money by only making you come in once in a blue moon to renew, with regular 5 year renewals by mail. So my picture and weight info is at least 15 years old...back then I was well on my way to gaining back all the weight I had lost on NutriSystem, so of course I lied and put 150 lbs on my license. I just recently got back down under my lying driver's license weight. At least the picture kind of looks like me again.

I was shocked to discover than skinny people worry about their weight, too. When I moved to L.A. and met skinny girls who constantly obsessed about calorie counts I thought I'd entered Bizarroworld, but it's just so pervasive. I think it's something almost everyone struggles with.

ALSO ... I live in New York, and we definitely DO NOT have our weight on our driver's licenses. This is something that makes me feel ultimately relieved.

--Elissa

Looking forward to the day that I don't have to lie anymore...lol

I look into the future every time I get my driver's license renewed, too!

Secondly I cannot believe you have to have your weight printed on the DL in the US! AARRGGHH! I wouldn't drive.

Lastly - I know exactly what you mean about being irritated about being the centre of attention. I hate it when I am asked constantly how much I lost that week. Partly because it you didn't lose the person gets that look in their eye like you've fallen off the wagon. Other people are not always good at seeing the big picture and if they say 'oh don't worry' you feel like screaming - I wasn't!

I notice on my most recent license they don't ask for weight anymore, they probably figured out what a fantasy that was. They also have a place for "race" but it's blank. Either that or it's a white box on a white background!

p.s. you look beautiful! but yes your hair is dorky :-P

Actually, one of my weightloss milestone goals is "to have my driver's license be true" My doctor laughed when I told him that. (with me, not at me. My doctor is massively cool.)

I remember sitting back there feeling very nervous, my first time being in a police car and they looked smugly at each other and said 'how much do you weigh' I was absolutely mortified! I know it was more than the license said and I felt really offended. I must have been a smart mouth as I responded with 'what do you need to know that for' and they left it alone. I guess I had that look in my eye that had them realizing they better not push it.

What can I say I was fat and desperate.

I've recently signed up for the Online Jillian Michael's program - have you heard anything good about it?

In South Africa they don't ask for your weight, but they won't accept the photograph if it doesn't look like you. I have a very pretty photograph on my drivers licence and passport. My drivers licence expires in May 2008, so I'd better lose some (um, a lot) weight before then, otherwise I'm going to look like my new ID document, which is hideous! An ID book is for life, but I had to get a new one after my handbag got stolen. I think once I've lost weight I'll conveniently "lose" the current ID book and get a new one with a better picture (I currently look about 50, and I'm only 38).

I weigh about 180 these days. My goal weight is 160. I don't even dream about weighing 150 except at the BMV, but thanks for the sentiment! - PQ

I lost 80 pounds several years ago - a lot, at 5'1" - and was inordinately proud of myself when I put my actual weight on my lisence. Lying on one's lisence just perpetuates womens' obession with weight, and shame of overweight. We deserve to have more self respect than this.

I would love to weigh what my license says (my ideal weight would be about 15 pounds less). However, with all this lying and obvious overlooking of same, it makes me wonder why there is a weight on the license anyway?