1. Shift into the right mindset. "I
want and I'm ready for change." Start with some positive self-talk - tell yourself you're great, fabulous, gorgeous, intelligent, caring, kind, friendly ...
2. Get a fabulous haircut. It's amazing what a great hairstyle can do for your appearance and confidence. It can even knock years off your perceived age. A great hairstylist will give you a style that suits your face shape, personality and lifestyle.
3. Refresh your makeup to reflect your new hairstyle. A bolder hairstyle may need bolder makeup. Seek advice from a makeup consultant at any beauty counter.
4. Buy some new clothes/accessories. You don't need to splash out and get a new wardrobe, just one or two things. And they needn't be new, just new to you. Look at different styles and colours from what you'd normally wear. You'll feel great, not to mention look fab.
Done well, these four things alone will make you look and feel great. And the results are instant.
They'll also boost you for more change.
Some may be happy stopping there. Some may wish to lose weight and/or tone up. If that's you, continue on ...
Longer-term focus
5. Reduce your alcohol and sugar-loaded drink intake. Increase your water intake.
6. Reduce your portion size for each meal. And reduce or cut out junk foods - chippies, biscuits, etc.
7. Start exercising, or exercising more. If you already walk two times a week, can you manage to squeeze in another walk? And/or can you quicken your pace for maximum benefit.
Don't go hard out with an "all-or-nothing" approach. Ease into it and adjust accordingly.
You will notice a difference relatively quickly without having to go overboard.
One of the biggest problems with some diets and exercise regimes, is that they require a person to make such radical changes, and in a quick amount of time, that they're just not sustainable long term.
They're too radically different from your normal, everyday life.
Take food. If you follow our advice, apart from reducing or cutting out junk food, you'll still be eating food similar to what you always have, just slightly less of it.
That's achievable and manageable in our opinion.
The first few weeks are the hardest.
Grind your way through them.
Lisa Lyford is the founder of Gorgeous Me, free DIY personal styling and makeover advice.
Send your questions for Lisa to regionalfeatures@nzme.co.nz
www.gorgeousme.co.nz
