Slightly overweight caterpillar (Princessing for those too old to be a princess...) ...

[Karcheer]

dreams of being a butterfly...

In my 20s and 30s I knew who I was (City girl) had regular treatments and looked pretty good even if I do say so myself.

Since I turned 40 (im 47 now) i've lost my identify, and to be honest I just don't bother anymore. The last year (lockdowns) have caused me to be even worse.
If i look at myself I don't even recognise who I am...

I'm 100% fed up with myself.

Is there a princess thread at the moment?

If not anyone else want to join me on a Caterpillar to Butterfly journey?

So far i've booked in highlights and a trim, pedicure, manicure, waxing, facial, massage - all spread over the next 6 weeks.
I've a PT session booked for Wednesday.
I'm trying to keep (falling a bit) to Exante.

I've ordered 3 bras in various sizes as i've no clue what size I am anymore.

I need to sort out clothes, make up etc

Who is in on our journey of self discovery (haha!) ?

I had been doing well with my skin care but the last 2 nights have been really tired and haven’t bothered. I must try harder.

Hair appointment made, need to organise nails next.

cathyandclare something is working as I am feeling so much better. I am using up the following: Liz Earl hot cloth cleanser, then aloe Vera gel followed by Foreo Bear treatment for 3 mins. Then vitamin C serum, and vaseline on top. The fake tan has given my skin a healthy glow and I felt great today at a family barby we had. I've painted my toe nails as well. Next have to tackle my grey roots.

I’ll join. 44 and feeling very grey and dowdy at the moment. Would like to be less caterpillar-like for summer!

Went to the opticians last week and have got new, much more flattering glasses coming and a contacts trial next week.
Having a facial next week.
Have got a hair appointment booked for early May.
Have been growing my nails and trying to give myself a weekly manicure.
Have started fake tanning away my pasty lockdown skin.

Need to:
Lose half a stone (jelly belly!)
Stop eating so much crap
Drink more water
Get a pedicure

Joining....have been doing some of this already.

Only 38 but have been having a massive mid-life crisis realising that at 30/31 I was slim (for me), fairly polished and glamorous and looking young and glowing.

Now at 38 I have tonnes of grey hair, have put on 6 stone (due to a breakdown at 32), dark circles, some acne, dull skin, lost my sense of style to leggings and tunics.

So far I've:

• dyed my hair and got rid of the greys

• chucked out a good proportion of my wardrobe and slowly buying new capsule wardrobe pieces

• started putting make up on every day

Tomorrow I shall do hooves and nails and sort out my jewellery ready to start wearing it again.

Bought a few new things today including new jean styles (not skinnies!) which I'll try on tomorrow morning and hope it's not too depressing

Also need to get back into a skincare routine and lose at least a couple of stone (obvs I can't lose 6 stone overnight but even a couple would make a big difference).

Can I join you all on this journey? Its been years since I felt like a somebody.

Can I join please. I’ve never stuck to these before but with the end of lockdown I need to do something. So far I’ve been putting on foot cream for a week....not much but something!

Ooh can I join please? I’ve managed to put on a stone in lockdown and look generally old and blah.

Perhaps we can all say something we'll definitely do tomorrow and then report back?

I have an eye mask from my Xmas stocking somewhere so will do that plus sort out the hard skin on my feet and paint my toenails.

I will wear tomorrow new shoes, new pants, and new makeup inspired by Korean dramas.

@Karcheer
I've ordered 3 bras in various sizes as i've no clue what size I am anymore

Maybe I'm missing something but why don't you measure yourself ? Plenty of guidance online and it's quick and easy.

Ooh I'm in

I decided at the. Start of last lock down to go grey. Ahhh it's hard! I'm a brunette and the construct between the two is awful. I'm wearing it curly as that slightly softens the demarcation line but my curls are meh. Been doing the cgm for over a year and they still look meh.
Desperate for a cut as the last 5 inches are so look much lighter thanks to previous balayage. So now I have 3 colours going on.

Managed to break a front tooth too, am actually grateful for having to wear a mask 😷 at the moment!

Haven't worn make up or nice clothes since forever. Seem to live in my uniform or dog walking clothes.
Really don't feel like myself at all at the moment.
1st week of May I've appointments for dentist and hairdresser, literally can not wait!

Ooooh me please.

Turned 48 on Easter Sunday. A good 3st to lose (but in reality, it'll probably be more like 2)

I exercise lots but drink too much since lockdown which in turn scuppers any diet intentions.

Just dyed my roots but in urgent need of a haircut.

I can count on one hand the number of beauty appointments I've ever had.

I've tried a proper skincare routine but tbh I've not found that it makes any difference at all. I always look better with a tan so maybe I'll start there.

This morning I'm off for a bike ride to a local country park, where I'll run round the exterior path then bike home.

I would like to join please! I am 41 this week. Self care routine non existent, overweight, no exercise, too much alcohol.

I went to BBQ on Friday. There was hardly any food by the time we arrived so got quite drunk very quickly and ended up spraining my ankle while walking home. I feel awful about myself and extremely old!

So the gym is out for a while, sigh. This week I'm going to concentrate on getting back to a good skin care routine, overhaul my diet and declutter my wardrobe.

Sign me up, I think I might be the oldest here at 56. I lost my way a few years ago - a combination of menopause, stress and illness - and am trying to get back on track now I'm out the other side of all that. I've embraced my grey hair, but need to work on my skincare and general grooming.

Can I join please. Lost two stone in first lock down, then put it back on and a little bit more in the second one!!

I have stopped drinking alcohol ( this is my 4th weekend). Was never previously a big drinker, but got into the habit of drinking wine and gin every Friday and Saturday (sometimes Thursday eve). That has definitely contributed to weight gain. I've been on a diet and exercise mission over the last three weeks and lost a stone so far.

I need to book a hair appointment and sort out skin, brows and nails out.

Worked from home for a year. So live in stretchy trousers and oversized tops. So definitely need to sort my wardrobe out!

I'm 45 and definitely feel like a grumpy caterpillar or even a slug 😢, as others have said would be happy as a presentable caterpillar at the moment.

@TaraR2020 i measured myself and put the measurements in 3 different calculators and they came out with three different sizes.

@Girlintheframe all my clothes now revolve around dog walks - there must be someway of looking good in this kind of thing?

My hair, nails and makeup are good.

However, I’m overweight and my clothes are not fitting well, I look matronly and have lost my waist. I now get that thing where I expose an inch of flesh between waistband of jeans & hem of T-shirt, when seated. I can’t afford to buy loads of new clothes so I must lose a couple of stone. Disordered eating habits make this hard for me, and I think about grub all the bloody time.

[quote Karcheer]@TaraR2020 i measured myself and put the measurements in 3 different calculators and they came out with three different sizes.

@Girlintheframe all my clothes now revolve around dog walks - there must be someway of looking good in this kind of thing?[/quote]
I've actually got a dress on today!! Hoorah!

No make up, that seems a step too far

I'm in.

I've become such a scruff during lockdown and really need to do something about it. I'm back in the office for the first time in 13 months tomorrow so I seriously need to up my game!

I've lost 13lbs since the beginning of February but need to lose more. I'm trying to eat healthily rather than crash dieting so that I keep it off, but that of course means it comes off more slowly and it's easy to lose motivation.

I used to swim 3 times a week, but as the pools here have been closed for over a year that's gone out the window. I haven't found anything else that I can do that I enjoy as much. I try to go out for walks and I do an online yoga class once or twice a week, but it isn't the same.

I had my hair cut last weekend so that's made me feel a bit better about myself (I have a pixie cut that normally has a trim every 6 weeks, so you can imagine how bad that looked after lockdown!).

Today is going to be a full scale operation before I go back to the office - conditioning hair, shaving legs, gradual tanner, face mask, eyebrows, nails...

Me too please. 53 soon and feeling it In midst of perimenopausal joys. Have worked frontline in NHS throughout so very stressed and low on time. In process of growing dye out so hair scruffy but recently had first trim in 15 months. Spent the pandemic eating back the 12kg I’d previously lost but really need to lose about 20kg (at least ) So eyebrows done this week, personal trainer booked from beginning of May, trying to eat more mindfully and not just eat because I’m in the kitchen!

I could do with this thread. I was thinking this very thing today and just dyed my hair and defuzzed.
I’m aiming to lose 1 stone (and then another but 1 stone seems more doable)
I’m fasting and upping my fruit and veg.

Next week I have a haircut and colour booked so in anticipation of having to look in the mirror for 90 minutes I’m doing my brows this evening.
Going to go wild, have a Bath, exfoliate, do my nails (which are full of grime from gardening) and might even get an exercise session in!

Can I join too please?

I’ve put on a stone on top of the two extra I was already carrying. I’ve kept on doing hair, make up and jewellery throughout lockdown but I have a lot to do.

• Did a Footner mask so will be sandal ready by end of next week
• Joined Second Nature and just about to do the first week
• Got a hair cut a couple of weeks ago (in Scotland they opened hairdressers a while back) and balayage booked for next week
• Botox booked for May
• Illumi facial booked for May
• Manicure and eyebrows booked for next week
• Started doing weights and walking

It sounds a lot but omg needs must!

Another slightly overweight caterpillar here. Two kids and I have a stone to lose to get to pre-babies weight, I lose a pound and put two back on! Half my wardrobe doesn't fit and I don't want to buy it all again, but I feel rubbish and think if I looked better, I'd have more drive to lose the weight. Fashion has moved on so much and I haven't, I don't even know what is in at the moment. I'm 40 and feel like I've aged so much in the last few years. I looked young and slim at 35!

Need to: stop drinking as the four glasses of wine I have each week are landing straight on my stomach, eat healthier, get lots more exercise, wear make up again, try to dress in something that isn't loungewear, get more sleep.