How to still look good when sleep deprived

[Poppybella2015]

I used to get told I was attractive pre children, I was a slim size 6, long blonde hair, perfect make up, dressed smart. Now I am a size 12 which looks dumpy on my 5 foot 2 inch frame, I am pale have cellulite stretch marks c section overhang, my hair started falling out after dc 2 so I've had it cut to shoulder length and just have a few highlights instead of full head blonde, it looks very thin and greasy and dull. I never have time for make up, I don't look after my skin anymore it's so dry. I don't style my hair I tie it back in a pony tail that looks greasy. I have not had a full nights sleep for 6 years which makes me too knackered to even shower most mornings, too tired to clean my teeth before bed. So I have gone from being immaculate and slim to being dumpy with a lack of personal hygiene. I keep trying to make an effort as I feel depressed with the way I look but I keep failing as I'm too tired. I just eat biscuits all day to keep me awake :( is there any hope? Where do I start?

I think baby steps is a good idea thank you. I used to be so high maintenance before that the thought of getting back to the old me is overwhelming. I don't think I could ever get back to the old me though as im older and have had children, but I never imagined I would become this unhygienic ugly mess! I just want to look groomed again (and not smell!) God that sounds awful! I have no idea how I got to this......

I clean my teeth when I put the kids to bed, so it's done before I get so tired I want to crawl in to bed. Hot shower first thing (just a couple of minutes) is worth a couple of hours extra sleep, honestly! When mine were very little I used to sit them on the bathroom floor and lock the door, I would be so quick they didn't have time to get bored, and I felt fresh and awake

Maybe the first issue isn't how you look but what the sleep issues are. Sleep is always worse with young kids - but broken sleep every single night for six years sounds intolerable. What are their ages?

Do you have a partner?

That's a good idea cleaning teeth when putting the kids to bed, it would stop me snacking in the evening too. Although I do look forward to my nightly chocolates.... I really need to give all this crap food up though it's just so hard when I need the energy to get through the day

My partner works nights

Kids are 2.5 and nearly 6. The 6 year old started sleeping through age 4 but the 2.5 year old wakes now and co sleeps and kicks me most of the night

It sounds obvious but are you drinking enough water? If I get dehydrated I could eat biscuits, cake, toast all day long! After a couple of pints of water the cravings disappear.

I will have to try drinking water, I'm not sure how much I drink a day but I mostly drink blackcurrant high juice

Might be worth a few dreadful nights of returning your 2.5 year old to bed until they learn to stay there, or at least are returnable when they wake?

Oh and Berrocca helps with energy I find (fizzy multi-vit tabs you drop in water).

I tried two months of returning the two year old and went down to 2 hours sleep a night :( co sleeping is the only way I get any kind of sleep, I get 8 hours of broken sleep due to the kicking but it's better than the 2 hours when I tried rapid return. So I just need to survive until she sleeps through, which could be a couple more years if she is like her sister! I just want to look nice again (or at least be healthy and hygienic again!)

OP I totally get you! I'm a single parent to one DS who's 4. Although he sleeps I'm constantly shattered from everyday life that my appearance has gone to the dogs! Like you I was a 6-8 but now a flabby 12 on a 5"2 frame, too shattered to exercise or think about healthy food. Greasy hair, dry skin, crap nails, rubbish clothes. Man I sound hot! No advice but I feel your despair!

Wow that sounds just like me, down to the too tired to exercise. I'm glad I'm not alone! Maybe we can motivate each other! Im thinking of starting with one thing and keep it up for a week. And if I can do it add something else for the 2nd week

I feel like you too, I am a lone parent to a 3.5 year old snoring beside me now!

I am not doing it now cos im too tired but I did the shred over the summer as Its only 20 mins long, and I was amazed by how energised I felt after it. It really perked me up.

I also second the person who mentioned it above, and brush my teeth and wash my face while Ds baths, and if I can be arsed once a week I put a natural fake tan on and individual false eyelashes. They makes me look human without having to apply make up every day (I sometimes add blusher and lip gloss but that's it)

I'm so with you here. My hair, skin, flabbiness, style is awful at the moment.

What works for me when I can be arsed to do it which at the moment I can't - buy loads of nice fruit, maybe pre prepared, to eat instead of biscuits

Don't buy biscuits in the first place (I will eat the lot in one go)

Create a make up routine which you can do in 3 mins. I use BB cream which I can slap on, mascara, blusher, eyeshadow or liner and lipstick as basic and I can do that all in about 2 mins. I don't do it every day but I can if I need to.

Wear less black, more bright and light colours (obviously depends on your colouring)

Drink a pint more water than you think you need to

Try to go outside for a walk and fresh air every day

Wow there are quiet a few of us! I feel much better knowing there are others like me. When I look at old photos I could cry but then I feel too tired to do anything about it. Some good tips above, I like the fruit idea. I really should stop buying biscuits, they are not good for my kids either but I just buy them out of habit. I need to stop!

Oh my god I hear you!

I used to be a size 8, now I'm a size 12 and I'm 5 ft 2. I have a hideous wobbly belly and people still ask me if pregnant which kills me as my youngest is 16 months. I look and feel fat and shapeless and I have no idea what to wear and I eat crap as I don't have time to make food. I hate how I look and I have no idea what to do about it.

Wow the above is me too! Even down to the wobbly pregnant looking tummy and my little one is 2.5 years! Maybe I could use this thread as inspiration to get started. If I can do it anyone can! Who is with me to make a change a week? I just need to think of my first thing to change, there are so many, I'm going to have a think which is the most important and start with that........

Why not start a thread in weight loss. I'm sure you'll get more traffic.

You need to ditch the sugar and cut back on wheat which by cutting out biscuits and cake will boost you enormously.

This unnatural wheat we are eating causes our tissues to bloat. We used to get one crop of four feet high wheat a year. Now we get two crops of dwarf wheat and our bodies can't cope with the changes.

Have lots of protein snacks in the fridge. Cooked chicken. Cooked salmon.humus with some cut veggie sticks. Nice and easy to fill that gap.
Make eggs your friend. Have a protein breakfast. I have 2 organic egg omelette ...every morning. My doctor told me when craving sugar eat protein.

I don't eat wheat. It's amazing how much eating wheat binds fluid to your body. I personally think sugar has the same effect on me.

Get yourself a good vitamin d3 supplement to help with your depression. I like viridian oil based one. You need to take it all year round unless you holiday somewhere south of 40 degrees. I'm presuming you are in the uk. I'dalso take a good multi mineral and vitamin supplement to counteract your bad diet. Sugar causes so many problems in the body. You are probably deplete in magnesium as well and vitamin b .
Solgar, nutri , natures plus do a tablet called gold. There's everything in them. They are about £40 but very, very good.

Good luck. It's a horrible time but you can do such a lot to work with your body so that it serves you well.

I can totally relate!

I was a size 10, short dyed blonde hair, blow dryed and straightened everyday. My morning routine took around 45 minutes.

Now I'm a size 12-14, hair not been cut in months, dark roots, no nice clothes and my baby screams the whole time I'm getting ready which I've got down to 15 mins! Hair still wet and tied in a bun!

I hate it!

Another one here

Size 8 exercise fiend pre-DCs. Not high-maintenance, but fit and toned and ate a wide variety of really healthy vegetarian food.

Now I squeeze into size 12 and mainline sugar and caffeine all day to cope with a 15mo (doesn't sleep), a three year old (sometimes sleeps) and a full-time job. Meals are mainly cheese and carbs because that's all the three year old will eat. Naturally I eat them in massive portions because I have no willpower anymore.

I managed about three months of sensible diet (if no exercise, as I literally do not have the time) over summer and got rid of the size 14 jeans, but sleep deprivation and an inability to exercise just make it impossible to maintain.

I just don't think there's a viable, lasting solution until you can escape the no sleep hell hole.

Oh wow there are so many of us! Hello to everyone!! I have made a (massive) list of things I want to change to help get back to the old me. Im determined to change one thing a week, if I can stick to it on the most sleep deprived days that is the key. As those are the days I don't even shower. I really need to do this. I will post my list, I just need to figure out which task im going to start on!

My List of Changes!

Clean teeth twice a day
Cleanse, tone and moisturise twice a day
Exfoliate and face mask every 3d day
Manicure and pedicure every 3rd day
Shave every 3rd day
Shower and Hair wash mornings
Use tanning body moisturiser
Make up
Style hair
Buy new clothes

Cut out biscuits (replace with fruit, veg or protein)
Cut out squash/cordial (replace with water and herbal tea)
Eat a healthy breakfast
Eat a healthy lunch
Eat a healthy dinner

Exercise for 30 minutes a day

If you can afford to get some stuff done every month that will make a difference to appearance. Book next slot when you leave so you don't leave it ages

Find a salon that does make up also. I now go every 6 weeks and have hair trimmed, nails done, and eyelashes tinted. Means that if you don't have time in between at least hair looks nice, and eyes a bit clearer without make up added

Also do stuff with the children more. Mine love use bathing with them. So I would de have a bath with say your 2.5 year old. Means they think it's fun a don your with them, plus you get clean at same time. Get out before they do and you can get ready in peace in bathroom( add more toys into bath and use as kind of playpen!). Can put make up on/ redo nails/ moisturise/ etc whilst they finish playing in bath.

Take up fast walking/ jogging with youngest in a jogger pram and eldest at school or on a bike/ scooter beside you