Road to 40

It was a weekend so I was wearing my tatty shirt and shorts the whole day doing household chores. I did a quick trip to the laundry to drop off our clothes and while waiting for the lady to come over and weigh my items, a pretty girl overtook me! Her hair neatly straight with that perfect curl on top of her shoulders, her nails manicured and glistened with glossy nail polish, her face fresh without any blemishes, and she smells nice! So really, I got indignant for just one second then my thoughts turned into awe. She daintily handed over her comforter (for a single bed I suppose) while I watched on with my 2 sacks of laundry.

So what is it about this pretty girl that makes her look so well put together?

1. Healthy Hair
2. Healthy Skin
3. Makeup
4. Thin
5. Well dressed

Looks simple enough to emulate. I have this penchant for self improvement and identifying what needs to be done. But here I am thinking what made me veer off track with my weight? I then realized that I went through a couple of pregnancies, taking care of kids, problems with work and home, and of course my love affair with rice. And now when I saw the girl, it made me feel that it is imperative to take care of myself again. Besides.. I am turning 40 this year, so I should be able to embrace and celebrate with a healthy self.

Here are some of the things that I started to for this journey:

1. Healthy Hair - My hair was already dry for quite some time. I usually tie it back in a ponytail but I think it makes me look old and contributes to hair fall. I had to do something! The most cost efficient way is to just chop it off. I got that window of opportunity last weekend while my little girl went to day camp. I was supposed to pick her up around 4:30 pm but extended until 6 pm. I was able to have my hair cut near the area. Instant healthy ends!
2. Healthy Skin - All the stress, staying up late, and eating sweets contribute to my dull, dry, and pimply face. I got this slight panic when I saw myself in my friend’s post. I look so old! I should do something and luckily my friend @jealdy encouraged and helped me to choose the products to hydrate my face. I hope to review my purchases soon!
3. Make-up - I never really gave much thought of what I look like back when I was in school and even after college. I never wore makeup or powder or anything on my face (and this is not an oversimplification and there are no exceptions-- there was really nothing). Making myself pretty was not interesting for me. My friends never discussed about that subject either. This was back in the days when there was no internet, no cell phones, and no social media. So there was nothing to post or compare yourself with. Now that I need to look more polished, I think I should give make-up a chance.
4. Healthy Body - This is such a hard thing for me. I should go on a diet but I love eating so much! I should aim to limit my carbohydrates at night and to veer off completely from midnight snacks.
5. Well dressed - I hate shopping right now because of my body but if I am successful with No. 4, this one shouldn’t be hard to complete.

40 is such a big number. And in this case, I should think about it as a deadline this November.