One of our fave customers (and Keith’s supercrush!) Sheryl joins the blogginz…

Hi, I’m Sheryl and I’m super excited to be a guest blogger for Fred Flare! I hail from the Bronx, NY and currently live in fantastic Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I’m opinionated, high-maintenance, organized and glamorous. I love the classic styles of the 1940’s and 50’s and like to project that aesthetic in my look. I believe the world would be a better place if everyone just infused a little beauty and style in their every day life.

I’ve always been very particular about my appearance, but spending a good part of my adult life very overweight, I was never happy with how I looked. And it didn’t matter that people told me I was beautiful, I felt awful.

I battled food and weight issues my whole life, carrying as much as 208 pounds on my 5’2” frame. As I approached my 35th birthday, severely overweight again, I realized I had wasted far too much of my life being uncomfortable and unhappy. I decided that enough was enough and I was taking my life back!

Shortly after that birthday, I rejoined Weight Watchers (probably my 15th time) and my local YMCA (first time). I had lost weight before - and like most people, gained it back; but this time was different – this was the first time I did it with exercise. Over time, the changes I would incorporate regarding what I ate and what I did at the gym would not only result in me shedding 50 pounds, but they resulted in something much greater - a new found respect for myself and what my body was capable of.

When I began going to the gym, I remember how much I hated it. I was slow to embrace any activity and couldn’t do much at first. But all that matters is that I started, and continued to go. It was not long before I saw physical changes in my body; but even before that happened, I felt noticeably better - I loved how proud and full of energy I felt after working out and I found out that I actually enjoyed challenging myself with different machines and activities.

But something else happened as a result of regular exercise that I never expected: I realized my mental health had been positively affected too! The bad moods and sadness that I lived with most of my life were a thing of the past. I also had a brand new love of and appreciation for my life - something I never felt before. For the first time, I was thankful to be alive and looked forward to every day. If all of that isn’t great enough, I also made some of the best friends ever. Exercise has literally changed my life!

So now, 3 years later, I not only look great, but I feel great, and it shows. I exude a happiness and confidence that I never had before and didn’t even think was possible. Along the way, I’ve become an inspiration for people I know in real life and strangers online whom I’ve never met, which is so rewarding.

I’m still down over 50 pounds from my highest weight and although I’m not at goal weight yet, I know I will get there someday. Instead of obsessing about the number on the scale, I focus on my behaviors and I keep working to make the right choices - taking it one decision at a time.

When people ask me how I did it, I think they are sometimes hoping for a shortcut, magical pill or simple answer. I am more than happy to give them the secret to success – even if it’s not what they want to hear. It’s quite simply to eat less, eat better, and move more. Come to think of it, that’s not such a secret, is it? It may not be a secret, but it is possible, and it’s totally worth it. I’m living proof of that!

But enough about me, I’m just happy to be here and I‘m looking forward to posting!