Beauty is perception. And, as superficial as it may sound, the second thing that has helped me is a batch of new clothing.
I really believe that trying on a daily basis to pry on clothes that no longer fit was dragging me further and further into a state of despair. Granted — the process of trying on new clothing in the store caused me to want to curl up in a corner and cry, but once that part was over and I had the occasion to wear my nice new duds out in public, I very quickly started to feel better about myself in general. The woman in the mirror no longer seemed so misshapen, and started to transform into someone a bit more attractive and confident.
Now, that’s not to say I don’t still have bad days or that I don't still hate the way I appear in photos, but for the moment, the woman in the mirror and I area getting along much better, and that’s a start.
