My shorts are too tight

Actually my shorts were too tight.  A few weeks ago, we had some warm, sunny days that made me want to break out the shorts.  So I grabbed my box of summer stuff from the top of my closet and dusted it off.  And when I zipped up my favorite black Abercrombie shorts, they were a little snug.

These are the shorts I wear all summer… with a t-shirt and reefs to go to Wegmans, or  a cute dressy tank and silver wedges to go to dinner.

I wondered how this happened.  And it got me to thinking…

leggings (even the pleather ones) have a lot of give.  I pretty much lived in leggings all winter long.  So I didn’t really notice anything.

Now the food I eat is really healthy.  But eating half of a chocolate bar every time you go to Target, even if it is 90% cacao, high in antioxidants and extremely low in sugar, probably isn’t the best idea.  Especially if you shop at Target as much as I do!

Mindlessly snacking on cashews while cooking, and then eating a full dinner, even if the cashews are raw and organic, probably isn’t the best idea either.  At least not if you want to fit into your shorts.

Here’s the thing….even when you are eating the best possible foods, you can still eat too much of them.  And even a holistic health coach can make this mistake.

So here’s what I did:  I grabbed a cute journal and started writing down what I ate every day.  No weighing, measuring, counting calories or carbs.  Just jotting down what I ate, including estimated quantity, and what time of day.  I also noted my activity level, if I am tired, and how I feel overall.

You could do this in the notes on your phone if you want to make it more portable.  As much as I love my devices, I’m old school when it comes to any type of journaling.

And here’s what I’ve noticed…for me, it’s the mindless eating that’s the problem.  When I sit down to eat, and take a deep breath,  I am so much more aware of what I’m eating, and more satisfied.  I’m also trying to really listen to my body, and eat when I’m truly hungry.

The journal was a huge help in noticing patterns and times when I was eating without really thinking.  And when you know you are writing something down, you tend to give it a little more thought.  Hmmm…maybe two squares of this chocolate bar is a better choice than the whole bar.

Something else that helped was committing to a green drink every single day.  I was inspired by Kevin Gianni’s book Kale and Coffee where he said that was one of the best habits he developed while reading the book.  Most days I throw tons of leafy greens, a peeled lemon or lime, and a big hunk of ginger into my Vitamix, along with a lot of water.  I’ll have a glass in the am, and save the rest for later.

On days where there is no time to do this, the Collagen Beauty Greens  from Vital Proteins are totally a life saver for me.  Dark leafy greens, collagen and probiotics, all in a glass.  Doesn’t get much better or easier!

Unfortunately, the weather here in central PA is cool and dreary again.  But the good news is that my shorts feel great.  I only lost a few pounds, but I’m more comfortable.  The lesson here is that everyone, even a holistic health coach, needs to pay attention to what they are putting in their body.

So, on to my usual question….can keeping a food journal and drinking green drinks help you feel happy, healthy and hot?   I know it’s working for me!  My cute journal makes me happy every time I look at it!  Upping the green veggies and being more mindful of what I eat definitely makes me feel healthy.  And I think my black shorts are pretty hot.

I always love hearing from my happy, healthy and hot friends!  Have you tried keeping a food journal?  How about the green drinks?  Let me know in the comments or on FB…I love when we have good convo going!