- Gretchen’s cute when she looks back…
I’m really not up for a traditional look back. 2011 wasn’t a bad year, but there were some really tough spots that I’d have to acknowledge if I look back, month by month so I’m not doing that. You’re free to look back if you don’t remember the highs and lows…
Instead, I’m going to finally do that “Chanformation” post I’ve been toying with since I heard the phrase in September. When I bit the bullet and signed up for Weight Watchers Online last December, I didn’t have a goal weight, but I had a host of support and knew it was time to reclaim the fit form that had always been so much a part of my life… except for the roadblocks and hurdles illness and injuries that changed everything.
“Chanformation” sounds ridiculously pretentious when I use it, but one of my dear friends coined it, a mutual friend loved it and shared it with me, and… it fits.
To get the full effect, we have to go back to September 2010. This photo was an eye-opener for me. Yeah. I’m on the right, front. Yes… for the sake of this post, I picked the LEAST flattering of the photos from that day, but it is important to be a little raw and honest here.
I was out of shape and overweight. I lost a few pounds in 2010, even before WW, but given my stressful January, the weight slid right off. No, I’m not going to talk pounds. I will tell you that I’m now wearing sizes that are at least half of what I was wearing in that photo. I have always weighed more than people might think, in part because I have what I hear is a coveted hourglass figure, a fairly large frame, and thanks to a very active youth, more muscle mass than a lady should mention!
Because I wasn’t happy with the gal in the mirror, there are no more photos of me until February. Again, not the best photo from all that I have of that night, but it is a rare full-frontal view of me.
Note a couple of differences not totally related to weight/shape… Granted, I had a fairy godmother who loaned me a dress she knew would flatter me, but regardless of how I fell into it, above you see me in drab colors that don’t necessarily do much for my own coloring. This blue dress was good for me and to me, so while I wasn’t having a great hair night, it’s better than the flat, uninspired cut in the first photo. I’d started to think about style again.
Flash forward about five weeks, and you can see me really emerging, or the real me pushing her way into the world. I should note that the creator of the word “Chanformation” is the tall beauty on the far right in this photo, and on my immediate right in photo #2.
Did I mention that a fabulous support system sustained me throughout this process? There’s a reason you rarely see me pictured alone. I have some of the best girlfriends this world has ever known. I also have to note too that while they supported me when I decided to focus on my health and weight loss, they were quick to stop me and say kind things if I did wallow in self-pity in the months, even years, before I was ready to take charge of my … situation.
We have to shoot straight forward to November to get a photo of me at my goal weight/size/shape/fitness level. I hit my goal weight over the summer and have maintained it – plus or minus two pounds – ever since. The highlights arrived in late June and are here to stay. New glasses – two different pairs – showed up before that too.
The “Chanformation” still isn’t complete. I’m much more active and fit again, and heck, I have to confess that I no longer hate shopping. But there’s always room for improvement. I had to replace basically my entire wardrobe, from undergarments to outerwear, and some pieces still need to be upgraded, altered or replaced with something other than a stop-gap bargain.
Even my feet shrank a half size.
Sissy is an uncompromising personal trainer, and I thank her for that, but I still need to find balance and get more yoga time in on a regular basis. I also need to figure out how to get a good night’s sleep more than a couple of nights a week.
The next step I know I need to take is with cosmetics. I’ve used one brand pretty much exclusively for about 15 years, but it’s time to change. I’m not much on “war paint” as my father used to call heavy daytime makeup, but I do need more help re-creating the even skin tone I never quite took for granted but am losing anyway, and I need SPF, moisture and anti-aging protection in absolutely everything!
As usual, I have a question for you. Are you loyal to one brand of makeup and/or skin care? Or do you mix and dabble and try the hottest new products? See… I was a Mary Kay consultant briefly in another life, and they taught that one risked rather cynergistic results if she mixed and matched from different brands… I have mildly sensitive skin to begin with, so I don’t need chemical reactions happening on my face.
Do you know The Cosmetic Cop? It’s a great resource for all things beauty-related.
On that note, we’ll call this post, this year, DONE. May 2013 2012 bring you peace, love and joy.
(I really am excited about the promise of the NEW year. I didn’t mean to wish 2012 away!)
Chan Knits 