The domino effect
 

Losing weight seems to change my life a little more every day.

It's funny... as I have become more comfortable with myself and my new body, my confidence is starting to affect other things. I am buying more clothing. I am taking more time in the morning to do my hair and makeup. I am taking more of an interest in other aspects of my health: going to a dermatologist to finally get rid of my acne, going to the first physical I have had in years, looking into treatments for a chronic bad shoulder that I have. I am looking into getting a whole new hairstyle (lifetime brunette going blonde). I have this new intense desire to go get my nails done and my eyebrows waxed.

I've gone from being a low maintenance, minimal makeup, sweatshirts and jeans kind of girl... into someone who wants the cutest outfits and the coolest haircut and those cute shoes that are on sale.

And it's not something I expected. I didn't expect that my interests and my sense of style would change so drastically after losing weight.

I'm not really sure what to make of my new found interest in... me.

Have you found that your daily grooming has changed as you have lost weight? How about your shopping habits? Do you have new interests in clothes/hair/makeup that you didn't have before? Have you taken control of other aspects of your health that you hadn't thought about before?

I'm in total agreement with you.

EVERYTHING changed for me. EVERYTHING. There wasn't one area of my life that hasn't seen improvement - all due to the weight loss and on a deeper level because I started making ME and my QUALITY of LIFE a priority. I raised my standards. I require and expect more from myself - all across the board.

I'm more organized. Every piece of mail that comes into the house is now immediately dated and put in the appropriate place. I keep a calender of when each bill has to be paid. My house is neater and cleaner - talk about immediate gratification, instead of impulse or boredom eating - straightening up the household.

I now go for regular physicals, instead of only when I had fever. Actually I wish I could go more then the once a year, that's how much I LOVE going now and getting my good reports. I also go to the gynecologist regularly now, instead of every bunch of years when something came up. Dentist visits - regularly, instead of when I absolutely had to. I avoided the dentist all too often. I neglected my mouth and needed a couple of root canals.

A few things I do on a daily basis now that I didn't in the past - moisturize, wear perfume and jewelry, wear make up, wear gorgeous clothing, wash my face every evening.

I shave more frequently now. Get more frequent hair cuts. Get pedicures.

I change my linens every week now and in the past, I went weeks and weeks in between doing so.

It's also something that I didn't anticipate. What a wonderful unexpected side affect it's been!

I'm just at the 1/2 way mark in my weightloss, but I do see a ripple effect happening in my life! I've lost 2 pant sizes and, suddenly, I am enjoying picking out my morning outfit! Before, I just grabbed whatever was clean and nearby. I also organized all of my jewerly and accessories (had items for YEARS, never wore any of it) and there is hardly a day that I am not wearing one or more accessories to my outfits. Also, I have been curling my hair. That is a HUGE DEAL. I haven't curled my hair in over a decade!!!!! I have an appointment to get my nails done and have plans to get my hair done as well. I'm just trying to decide what I want to do with it.

So, Yes, I have noticed a BIG CHANGE across the board! Can't wait to see who I am when I reach my goal! :)

I used to be perpetually in some baggy top that hid my hips, or something with a longer jacket. Pants absolutely could only be "relaxed fit". The few things I've bought recently, I've noticed that I'm looking for closer fits, and of the stuff I have left that I can now get back into - it has to satisfy much harsher requirements for fit than it did before.

Am also rediscovering those extra few minutes of bliss in the morning with pre-shower skin brushing ... wow! Also went to dermatologist too - to have a couple of pigment spots burned off my cheekbones that came on when I was pregnant.

And ... there is definitely something improved in the energy level around here - I'm no longer willing to leave something around that needs to be fixed. It's either getting fixed, or it's getting pitched. Freecycle.org has seen a LOT of action from me lately! :)

ive waived bye bye to sweats and yoga pants and am starting to enjoy shopping again. i still have a ways to go, but im noticing a boost in my confidence. im also seeing that i feel more sexy and less self conscious in the bedroom.

its fun isnt it??

Same here! I also have a way to go, but I"m already more picky about what I wear...much more. Before, it was just a question of what looks the least hideous...what won't cause me too much pain (too tight). Now, it's a lot more about how stylish it is and how flattering it is.

I also have started blowing out my hair and putting in curls. I have NEVER EVER curled my hair so I watched a "how to" video online and now, I do it a few times a week.

I'm moisturizing my skin also and wearing make up almost every single day. I love to buy make up because it always fits. ;)

I can't wait until I lose more weight so I can look even better in my clothes. I just can't wait! :)

Yes! I take my time to look for clothes that will flatter my figure instead of just grabbing something that fits and just looks okay.

I got my hair done for my sister's wedding a week ago and LOVED the way it came out. Now I've taken to curling my hair. =)

Absolutely! I've never been a "girly girl", but I'm spending far more time on me stuff now than I ever have before.

And money. But that's another story. I never realised weight loss could be so expensive. Not the weight loss per se. But the "gorgeous little sundress I have to have", or the new pair of running shoes, or ...

I've actually always been into looking very fashionable. I love have cute, funky hair-do's, artsy-funky clothes, and the sexiest boots.

I expect, though, as I lose weight, I'll have more options to expand my fashion creativity. And it will be easier to get the looks I want to achieve.

I am totally right there with you LMR. Just today I bought a super cool and bohemian scarf and hat set--they are in great colors--so cool and yep, SO my style. I am wearing funky clogs, long, thin, fitted and layered pieces--funky jewelry and low-rise Lucky's. I also like layering thin pieces under fitted blazers and wearing heels with them. I also love the big handbags right now--I bought a new one yesterday at AGACI--black patent with big silver buckes. I also bought a huge set of Estee Lauder makeup yesterday with a perfume set too. Yay! I love this fun.

I know Rockin' Robin talks about her new found style too. I haven't seen her around the boards lately. :(

My bad--RR is here! Yay!!!!

About 2 months before I started losing weight, I started taking better care of myself. Paid more attention to how I dressed and started wearing some makeup. I think the increased interest in ME is what allowed me to lose weight in the first place.
But it definitely dominoed as I went along. Clothes shopping just gets more and more fun the smaller you get! And now if I wear fitting clothes, I can look in a mirror and look THIN and I LOVE it. So I think now that I know I CAN look good I want to invest more in my overall appearance, you know? Dressing better, showering enough (that has ALWAYS been a big problem with me!!!), brushing my teeth everyday, shaving at least twice a week... all the things I should have been doing but often didn't.
And now I'm going mildly psycho about my hair, because people told me (even when I was overweight) that I would be so pretty, if I could just do something about my hair!!!!!!! So I'm really trying to get that under control too. I think a lot of it is just realizing we DO look good and wanting to improve on that. But it's fun, don't you think?

I've noticed those changes too, but for me it's been different since I've never been a "girly girl". Rather than go out and find that "cutest skirt/dress", I find it more exciting to buy a new pair of running shoes, workout DVD (these days I'm addicted to Jillian Michaels and The Biggest Loser workout DVD's), new workout clothes or equipment (I'm saving up for a kettlebell and am sooo excited!!).

Maybe with time, I'll get a bit more into the clothes etc things, but for right now the holiday season is leaving me soo depressed!:(:( My health and fitness are the only things going well for me at the moment. Happens every year during late Fall and Winter months. Add to that my friends have abandoned me(I've actually gotten emails severing friendships) because right now I just don't have an extra dime to spare to go to movies etc.:cry::cry::cry: Suggestions of DVD night in and the like, didn't go over well.

Jenn

Yes :) A few weeks ago I "booked" a friend to help me with clothes shopping, and I'm slowly getting into wearing make-up - nothing big, just mascara and lip gloss (no-one's going to sue me for not doing the whole concealer/foundation thing, are they?). It's a bit scary, but I think I like it :)

Even though I am a long way from goal, I have definitely noticed a change. However, this was not solely motivated by my weight loss. I have always been the special event queen. Give me a party or some other special occasion and I would be dressed to the nines. However, for an average day I would throw something on, pull my hair back with a claw clip, and walk out the door with no makeup on.

However, this semester I have been working for a judge and you don't show up to greet the judge wearing a sloppy t-shirt and jeans. The man in the black robes deserves far more respect than that. Second, my fiance became completely fed up with my tendency to buy gorgeous clothes, shoes, makeup etc and then refuse to wear them. He's a wonderful guy and will willingly buy me items that most guys would ridicule (like high-end cosmetics and shoes), but he was annoyed at the wastefulness of my never using them.

Between all of these things, my style has changed a great deal. I wear clothes that actually fit me now instead of ones that hang off of me. I do my hair and makeup. I put on accessories. I may still not be happy with my weight, but I feel a million times better about how I look.

I totally agree with you because i have the same issue hahaha after spending money on my self, i'm broke now...hahahaha but hey just think of it as a little present for you self. You know instead of rewarding your self with a big cookies, shop for your self...it's a great reward