If you had six weeks to try and make yourself look and feel better, what would you do?

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I need an overhaul. Most particularly, I'd like to lose half a stone and I'd like my skin to look better and my hair to look glossier. Ideally, I'd also like my nails to be stronger/longer.

What could/should I be doing? This is what I've thought of so far -

1. drink more water
2. eat less crap
3. Sally Hansen stuff on nails
4. handcream on hands and body lotion on legs (which get v dry and itchy) at least twice a day

Things I have already got which might help -
Aveeno and Clarins body lotions
Sally Hansen Miracle Strength thing
Aveda and L'occitaine hand creams
L'Occitaine serum thing
Neals Yard Rose moisturiser
Aveeno face wash
Olay Regenerist three point treatment cream

Please help this wobbly 42 year old look and feel a bit better! :)

Do you have time to exercise?
I'd do couch to 5k and/or shred. Exercise always makes me feel better.
And probably do a low carb diet jobby.

1. Exercise.
2. Exfoliate.
3. Moisturise.

Yes, maybe go to a couple of exercise classes a week, or swimming.

do you exercise?

when I took up running (couch to 5k program) the weight dropped off in weeks. plus it made me look much healthier overall - gave my skin a 'glow' etc

Cut out alcohol?

Hair looking glossier - buy a jar of organic coconut oil (£7 in Tesco food oil aisle). Lather that on in the evening and wash out before bed - even better sleep in it - but I haven't worked out how not to yuck up the pillow! Makes your hair lush!

Drink more water, eat more fruit and veg and just eat healthier in general. Exercise more too, and for A quick fix I'd get a spray tan and my hair and nails done. Good luck :)

exercise - in six weeks c25k is the easiest way to get the biggest improvement
water -
fruit & veg -

nothing you smear or paint on the outside of your body will have more effect than these three.. the lotions and potions can help IF you're already doing the three things above

Thank you.

Exercise - rarely, other than walking. Have been for about an hour's walk today.

Dp goes running and I started Couch to 5k with him coming along to encourage me but he's injured at the moment and hasn't been running himself at all, so I've not been. Now it's actually light when I get home from work, I could go by myself I guess - now, where did I put that willpower I used to have?

I rarely drink - once a month at most.

The Aveeno face wash is exfoliating. Should I use something in the bath as well, for the rest of me?

I'm a vegetarian, so I eat plenty of vege although am less fond of fruit. Am crap at drinking water - any tips to encourage myself?

Exercise ,drink water, cut down sugars, no alcohol (maybe one glass a week),sleep, scrub. fake tan,meditate daily just 10 mins chilling alone works wonders. Every day or 2 do something 'extra' when watching tv or listening to radio like filing nails toenails eyebrows etc. I think 6 weeks of just pure looking after yourself can have a huge effect. Take holland and barrett b complex liquid every morning

Exercise is key, I think (disclaimer: I am a health journalist but errr not perhaps the lean keen athlete you might imagine ); walking is fine, but you do need to keep at it. Set yourself a target of eight fruit/veg (don't make this all fruit) a day. And have a haircut.

When you make a meal, try to make at least 1/3 of your plate just fresh veg.

Don't finish off anybody elses meal, I always used to finish what the DC hadn't eaten rather than put it in the bin. I never thought about it, it was just straight in

Meal plan for the day or week, building in to the plan treats for yourself. I find I can avoid most unexpected temptations in the day if I know I can have that Wispa bar tonight.

Oooh watching this with interest as since having dd2 13 weeks ago im sick of seeing this sallow faced fat person i dont recognise. I was going to look at the princessing threads as i have my dd's christening in august to spur me on. I'm making sure my nails are painted and hair booked for thurs.

Im going crepey around the eyes prob from lack of sleep, whats good for that and i cant manage a lot of exercise as i have embolisms and i get breathless. Would couch to 5k be progressive enough to build stamina gently?

I like the one third of a plate idea. Good idea to plan for treats too. I never finish anybody else's food - am a bit 'OCD' about things like that!

Haircut another v good idea - I hate going to the hairdressers and therefore always put it off: am deffo due for one.

Noddy - what is B complex liquid?

www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

as far as I remember it did build pretty gently, once I'd got over the initial shock of actually running for the 1st time since school

Oh and another vote for coconut oil here -have started using it as a night moisturiser and it's had a wonderful effect in about 2 weeks, much better than my previous night creams - and much cheaper too

It is a bright red b vitamin liquid and you hold it under your tongue and then swallow it really does make a difference to how you feel and look esp if a bit ahem older

I agree with all of the above - less carbs esp wheat, less sugar, no alcohol. More moisturising everywhere.
More veg (I'd go as far as to say half a plateful), more water (have glass by kitchen sink and drink every time you pass by), take multivits and more excercise - I just love dancing - zumba and high cardio to LOUD music is my thing!

Eating fewer carbs def makes me less sluggish, too.

My hair is prone to being quite oily at the roots - would coconut oil not make this worse?

Noddy - am currently taking Floradix for the iron. Would both be overkill?

Okay - advice to help me with lower carbs then, please! As a vegetarian most meals are centred around a vege dish plus a carb - eg dhal and rice with side salad, pasta with a vege sauce, baked potatoes with cheese and salad, lentil and vege chilli and rice.

Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred. 20 mins a day with definite results. You could alternate it with running.

It is more related to energy in terms of the nervous system and mood rather than iron which is different i think. I will try and find a link for it

On the hair, why not start by going to a really good hairdressers for cut, and colour if needed/ wanted, and, while there, get their advice on which products really help in maintaining condition and style.

Sleep! I slept ten hours a while back when we were back from the US and jet-lagged and DS didn't drop off till 1am - we both slept from 1am till 11am without stirring and I was stunned by how different I felt the next day. Like, sort of, awake... It was lovely - hasn't happened since though.

Also, get an eyebrow shape - quickest and cheapest way to improve your appearance enormously.

Low carbing is the answer! I've been doing it for 5 weeks, have lost almost a stone (I hope - its weigh-in day tomorrow on the BIWI threads). My nails have grown, my skin is glowing, I'm sleeping better and have far more energy.

MNers are joining all the time, and its fab. We've lost a total of 26 stone between us and the support is brilliant. You have to drink 2+ litres of water a day - that makes a huge difference too.

here's the latest chat thread