Makeover Update: Month One Done

When I initially found out I had won the Yellow Scene makeover I was thrilled. You’re telling me I get a few months on learning how to better set up my life for success? Sign me up! As my first month has gone along, I go in and out of mixed feelings. When the issue publishing my letter came out, I felt guilty. It appeared that there were much more deserving people out there than little ol’ me. I then realized that I had to do it for them. I could set my life up in a balanced way and show the world it was possible. Now I see all the work that I’ll need to do to make this true.

Let’s go through “My People” as I call them now because I officially think I am so Hollywood that I have a bevy of professionals at my beck and call.

Seth the Nutritionist: (as he is so named in my phone).
Seth is wonderful and incredibly insightful. He understands my need for sugar and how hard it will be for me to break my 3:30pm candy habit. His theory is all about adding things in versus taking things out. If he had told me that I couldn’t have chocolate, then all I would want is chocolate, so he is telling me instead to try leafy greens and dried fruit and see what I want after.

Right now I am creating a food journal by writing down everything I eat. Doing this makes me realize as a whole what all is going into my body. Seth is having me cook more (hello, quinoa, kale, and bison!), stick to the naturals, and understand how I feel after each meal. It requires a lot of consciousness and therefore, a lot of work. But I think it is worth it in the long run as eventually I’ll just make the choices without having to analyze it all.

Nancy, my style consultant:
As the antithesis of the fashionista, I never thought I could get into the specifications of color in my wardrobe. Nancy has shown me that if I speak for my clothes instead of the other way around, then so many other things can fall into place. We did my “colors” last week and it was excellent. I typically wear a lot of deep and bright colors, not always the wisest choice for a pale redhead like myself. After two hours of analyzing thousands of colors in the sun and without makeup, I’ve discovered that my natural tendencies should be to go natural. Light blues, light greens, tans, and even pinks (trust me, I was shocked when I discovered I could wear pink!) should dominate my wardrobe so the best me shines through. It really was interesting and FUN.

We went to pick out some glasses as well this week, which was a blast. After I had stepped on my old pair, I figured Nancy was the perfect person to guide me in my optical choices. When I arrived at the store, Nancy had picked out 30 or 40 frames she thought could work — getting rid of all the work I would have to do by myself! We ended up by picking out a pair that perfectly matched my hair. She took some pictures — look for them on her blog post!

Andrea, my psychotherapist:
Andrea and I have probably had the worst time scheduling out our appointments, so so far I have only met with her once. As a person who didn’t directly seek counseling, it is slightly awkward to be in the situation, but nonetheless rewarding.

Our first session I could see what stresses in my life are prevalent and what I’ll need to do to learn more about these to work on them. Andrea’s personality is so open and sweet that I already feel like she is a friend I have always had. She is earnest and attentive and incredibly nice. I do look forward to getting more into my mind more with her.

Angie my Trainer:
Angie surprises me every time I see her. Her theory on fitness and regimens is so refreshing and, to me, unique that it is definitely something I can stick to. Initially I thought she was going to be this crazy fireball telling me to “get down and give me 20,” but I quickly realized this was not going to be the case. We took some measurements, did some exercises and planned the program out. She is kind and smart and makes me want to do more instead of having to do more because I’m scared.

We’ve set it up so that I meet with her on Tuesdays for 30 minutes for personal training (with some strength training and a bit of cardio) and Thursdays for 30 minutes for her crazy Boot Camp. Then on Fridays I’m on my own to do exercises she’s let me in on with her book. When I first heard of doing cardio intervals and 30 minute workouts I was surprised. “How is that going to do anything?” I thought. I certainly didn’t think it would be enough. The next day when I could barely lift my arms from being so sore, I thought again.

The first month is going well, despite the amount of work involved. The people Yellow Scene has selected are wonderful and I am enjoying myself with them. Let’s just hope I see results for my wedding in September!