Today It Begins

It may seem cliche to start a blog about a makeover on New Year's Day, but cliches have their place in life. The first day of the year is all about fresh starts and that's what I'm looking for. Here's why: I'm a single woman in my 40s and I am not looking good. That would be bad enough in itself, but I've come to realize how much my appearance is holding me back in life. I'd like to be in a relationship but I have no confidence to pursue one as I am right now. I'm considering changing jobs, but I hate the idea of going on an interview at the weight I am and with no good clothes to wear. I just don't think that the way I look reflects who I really am--someone smart, funny, warm and still sexy (not that I'm looking for that kind of job, but you know what I mean).

So these are the horrible details: I'm 5'4", 250 lbs. with a BMI of 43. My hair is mostly gray, but I have it professionally colored (my hair is probably my best feature right now). My skin is going through the usual mid-life changes and has gotten drier, blotchier, and more lackluster. My joints have gotten stiffer and I'm so out of shape that things just hurt way too often. My wardrobe is beyond sad. Most days I wear jeans and some kind of top and if I'm called on to dress up for some occasion, it's a major dilemma. My make-up is not too awful, but could probably use some tweaking. My teeth are healthy and more or less straight, but could use a little bit of brightening. Eyebrows: a bit out of control. I'm not very good about keeping my nails up and I've never in my life had a pedicure so you can just imagine. Have I scared you off yet?

But here is the plan: This year I am devoting myself to a year-long makeover of my appearance. The goal ultimately is to address the various problems and make the appropriate changes so that I can finally be comfortable with myself. I'm going to set monthly goals and make a plan for reaching each one.

These are my targets:

1. My ultimate goal weight is 130 lbs., but my goal for this year is to lose 75 lbs, bringing me to 175 lbs. by December 31.
2. I will review and update my make-up.
3. I will revamp my wardrobe, putting togther outfits that are stylish and comfortable for work, being at home, going out with friends, and dressier occasions.

Losing weight will, of course, be the hardest part, but I didn't want to wait until I've lost weight to address the other issues. The point of this is less about being a certain weight, and much more about feeling good and looking good. In the coming days I'll go into more detail about how I hope to achieve these goals.