The beginning....

I have been starting this blog for about 4 years. I remember watching the Oscars in 2009 (my guilty pleasure. I do this every year!) and feeling so envious of Natalie Portman's slender waist, Anne Hathaway's sleek arms, Angelina Jolie's beautiful complexion, the youthful look of Penelope Cruz! And I said to myself: "From tomorrow onwards I will work so hard to look just like that!" There have been countless tomorrows since the day after the Oscars in 2009. And there have been countless excuses for why tomorrow's tomorrow is better than today's. The main excuse, the one that used to hold me back until today: I don't have a good "before picture" taken of me. I have just taken numerous pictures of everything I intend to improve on my body. Some of the pictures are a bit disturbing. I do apologise. One thing is to take photos of oneself ugly bits, but displaying them to the world feels really scary. I always thought blogging was for the young and beautiful (this was another excuse that held me back). I was in my mid 30s 4 years ago and felt that people would only want to take weight loss / rejuvenation / diet / beauty advice from someone who either has a lot of weight to lose or has already done so or from someone who looks amazingly beautiful and flawless. I know, an excuse!

Anyway, here I am today. I am 39. I Have a 12 year old daughter and 2 cockapoo puppies to take care of. I have a very busy life, but by the time I reach 40 (February 25, 2014) I would love to look red carpet-worthy. I am terrified of anything invasive - like botox or collagen fillers or any form of plastic surgery! So my journey will not involve these. I love good food and cooking and I am real chocoholic. Therefore, I do not intend to undergo any dramatic diet change, I will just try to think about my food choices more and be more careful about when I eat and what I eat. I will be also exercising and trying various products and non-invasive treatments and see what really works. I have numerous books, magazines, cut outs and computer files filled with advice and information on dieting and rejuvenating. I will be trying and reviewing books, products, treatments, remedies, supplements and any advice I have read about and would like to follow. My intention is see if a regular woman, like me, can achieve a body and face that is worth parading on the red carpet.