Went to get my hair cut and colored today. Gina has been doing my hair for about 10 years, which is about the time I developed MS (multiple sclerosis) and began putting on lots of weight. Most of the time that Gina knew me, I weighed in the 165-185 pound range.

However, I began losing weight about 18-20 months ago, and have basically been in "maintenance" for the past 6 months, so Gina has seen me multiple times with some, or all, of the weight off.

About a year ago, my daughter got married. So, at the age of 49, (and about 3/4 of my way to my weight-loss goal), I also started to have my hair colored. Although I'd had bits of grey in my hair for years, it was beginning to have more and more grey. I always ask Gina to leave about 1/3 the natural color (including the grey parts), 1/3 highlights and 1/3 lowlights. The parts that are grey are not very obvious, and I think it looks more natural that way. It also seems to allow me to get by with waiting longer before the next time I need to get it colored, when the roots begin to grow out; they blend better since I also have bits of grey in the rest of my hair.

Today, after Gina finished doing my hair, she commented that I almost looked so young in her chair. We talked, some, about my weight loss, and she said that, often, when people lose weight and their face gets thinner, the wrinkles show up more, and the weight loss makes them look older. But, she said I looked younger.

I brought out my driver's license photo (taken in 2010, shortly before I began losing weight) to show her how much my appearance had changed since two years ago (weight loss, new glasses frames, and hair colored). Although Gina had known me then, and, for years before, she was absolutely amazed at the difference. She quickly asked if she could go show the "girls" in the back that worked for her.

She took me, and my driver's license back there, and told them that the photo was only 2 years old. They said they could scarcely believe that it was the same person.

I had another friend that, when I updated a facebook photo a few months ago, commented that I look younger than I did when she met me 10 years ago.

It feels so good to lose the weight, to take care of my appearance, and to have others notice and comment on it. I hope to age gracefully, and, even as I grow older, not ever again look like the frump that I was for many years.

~ Faith