How to feel happy and look gorgeous

[BeepBoopBeeeeep]

Recently I’ve been feeling overweight, tired, saggy, unkempt and fed up. I’m ready to make some changes and would love any suggestions of things people have done that have improved their happiness, appearance and well being.

Anything really. Supplements? Good habits / routines? Beauty products? Other purchases? Food and drink? Treatments?
There’s so much out there so it’s hard to know where to begin!

My two so far would be

• no alcohol in two weeks and my sleep is better and I feel more cheery
• Doing jigsaws or knitting quietens my mind

Get a divorce

• sorry, I couldn't resist

I was totally expecting

• get a divorce
• get a dog!!!
• 😀

Good conditioner. Keep your hair looking nice. Make sure it’s brushed and smooth. Make up that adds a glow effect. SPF is really important. Clothing that flatters your body shape and finding a style that’s “you”.

Dentist every 6 months
Haircut every 3 months
Pick a beauty treatment that makes to feel polished and commit to it - mine is BIAB nails every 3 weeks
Pilates weekly
Drink a shitload of water daily
Multi vitamin daily
Declutter your wardrobe ruthlessly until you are only left with things you like, that fit properly and that you will wear.

I'm not great at regimes and taking on a load of new habits etc at one time doesn't really work for me. But stacking habits,and making small adjustments I can stick to really helps.

Some things I do most days now:

Exercise - choose what you enjoy and do it regularly. I go to regular local hot pod yoga classes. I love them but most importantly its easy to get to, easy to turn up to, and if I feel like talking myself out of going its super easy to simply turn up. Days I don't go to yoga I will go for a walk. Nothing hard out - for me regular attainable achievable exercise has worked for over 2 years now.

Supplements - take the best womans multi vit you can afford. Other basics are Omega 3 oils and a probiotic.

Food - I've been on MJ and lost alot of weight, My diet has been largely mediterranean for over 2 years. Beyond weight loss goals its a very lovely nutritionally rich way to eat based on fresh fruit & vege, protein, healthy fats & lots of fiber.

Look at your diet and maybe start reducing UPF's and bring in more fiber & protein.

Sleep - I go to bed earlier than ever and aim for 8 hours a night.

Beauty - I have fairly basic but consistant routine. Wash, moisturise skin, floss daily. At night cleanse & heavier night cream. I moisturise all over post shower - no special cream just consistancy makes the difference.

Meds - got my HRT sorted (finally) and life is much better.

Hydration - I'm not great at drinking water but I love herbal tea so every day I make a large flask of tea and drink it at my desk while working. That's 2 litres before I drink anything else.

None of this is unique or special - look around and its all pretty fundamental back to basics guidance. Consistancy is key - I would recommend bringing in new habits slowly and add to them once they stick.

It's working for me.

Dentist. (Poor dental health can have a huge effect on your wellbeing.)

Yoga. (If you don’t do it already find a quiet, gentle class where they open the windows and nobody seems judge-y.)

Walking. (Green spaces if you can.)

Sleep. (Beyond alcohol, are your mattress, duvet and pillows the best and most comfortable you can possibly access? Is your bedroom completely quiet and the right temperature for you overnight?)

Good food. (A weekly veg box would be a good start.)

Moisturise at least twice a day.

spf50 every day.

Book in a long lunch with good girlfriends, get her hair done and nails done and something new to wear.

Got down to a size 6-8. Completely changed my confidence levels.

100% agree with knitting and jigsaws - both absolutely soothe the mind.
Beauty wise, I find an eyebrow wax and tint makes my face look a whole lot better, even without makeup.

Interdental brushes. Better than floss.
Lots of water.
Veg. Lots of it.
Cryptic Crosswords. I was rubbish at them at first, but I love the challenge.

Come on now - that's just a silly idea.

Yuck

Surround yourself with people you love get rid of the others.

Put on your best perfume every day.

Let go of the past, be optimistic for the future.

Don't over book yourself, I was going to the gym all the time and it just made me knackered.

Organise your house, and let go of possessions that are dragging you down. It's so much easier to find stuff if you have less.

I’d look ill at my age if I did this, just lost 37 lbs and am a 14 on top and 10/12 on bottom and look and feel great. I’m stopping because I’d look gaunt and ill otherwise.

My advice for avoiding premature ageing is don't care for elderly parents especially if they have dementia, it'll age you like nothing else (sadly I speak from experience)

Apart from that the things which help me feel better are:-

Reducing sugar and UPF from diet -wheat/gluten also bloats and makes me look crap
Walk every day
Light toning and stretching exercises every day
Lots of water with a splash of lemon or lime
A good hair cut (I wear hair toppers so have a good hair day every day)
Nail wraps instead of manicures as I find them cheaper and easy to do at home so no appointments needed
Lots and lots of sleep
Laugh (which I've not done too much of lately so need to jump back on that bandwagon!)

Exercise!

I think walking.

The lower maintenance your style is the more time you have for fun.

“I’m ready to make some changes and would love any suggestions of things people have done that have improved their happiness, appearance and well being.”

that’s exactly what I responded with. No need to say what I did was silly, or yuck, or tell me that’s not the right thing. It’s what I did and I feel it met all 3 for me. I didn’t go back criticising what everyone else has done / is doing!

The op didn’t say yuck it was someone else

@NoHotGirlsInHell I’m also a size 8 and i work hard to stay that way and I love it, there’s no ‘yuk’ about being in good shape. Means I feel healthy, fit and lean and also clothes looks great on me - I can buy anything I like pretty much, and it looks good. No yuk about it.

cutting out sugar changed everything imo - I no longer eat puddings, biscuits, cakes - ever. And don’t miss a single thing about them - after a few weeks my tastebuds changed and now I just don’t want them. There’s no sense of deprivation whatsoever. It stopped my joints hurting (inflammation reducing I guess) and I feel a lot more energetic. Best thing I ever did.

Things that make me feel better are my hair done every day, moisturiser, eye makeup and concealer. Nice earrings (I have an earring addiction) mostly vintage costume ones.

Walk as much as possible, lots of fruit and veg, lots of fibre, do my knitting in the evenings and never give a toss about what anyone else might think. The last one is very calming.

I am now an 8-10 and feel fantastic. I wear my clothes with joy and this reflects completely on my overall well being. I feel better because I know I look better. It’s a great start to each and every day opening my wardrobe and thinking “what do I want to wear” rather than “what fits”.

This pretty much. (My earrings aren't vintage and I crochet!).
I also think getting a calm and positive mind set makes people attractive that indefinable way. Not easy, though. I listen to lots of spiritual/philosophical/mental resilience podcasts and they've helped a lot.

For me it's a few new clothes that i really liked, not just thought they were ok, even though they were a bigger size than I ever thought I would buy.
And a half an hour brisk walk in the morning, religiously. It makes my head clearer. I don't listen to anything, answer the phone, or talk to anyone. It is my chance to clear my head and just think. I love it. I've even done this in the poring rain!