Show of hands from anyone who MAY have indulged in a few too many “pies and lattes” this summer!! (ME!)
I met a new friend the other day. Her name is Christy. She’s literally, LOVELY, a really fun gal to chat with, we laughed alot and just had a really great time getting to know each other, while our sons practiced football. I personally can’t wait to spend 3 evenings a week, plus Saturday games around her and the other moms!
One of the things we related to was how tricky the summer schedule can be. All the kids are home, all have events / extra curricular activities / camps that need to be planned around and then they want to EAT three meals a day….plus snacks! WHAT?! Even if you don’t prepare your kids meals for them anymore, you still need to have good food in the house to make sure they eat the right things, instead of a whole lot of the wrong things (snack foods and stuff they can nuke for themselves is rarely high in nutrition). But their eating habits aren’t the only ones that change…Mama’s does too!
  
We don’t mean to, it’s just that it’s sometimes easier to snack than make ourselves a proper meal. Or the days go on sooo looonngg, that we are sitting down to a big ol’ bowl of popcorn and a glass of wine because finally, FINALLY, the house is quiet at 11pm; but we still need me time, so we binge watch a few episodes on Netflix. We regret it in the morning; but it just becomes a cycle, and then WE don’t love the way we look in shorts anymore! Hmmm….funny how that happens.
Now that I’m over 40, I can’t just eat a salad one day, drink a bunch of water to “flush everything out”, spend a few extra minutes in the bathroom, then wake up the next day with no bloating and a flat stomach. I could when I was 25, 30, even 35; but not now. It’s awesome. NOW, it takes consistency with exercise AND eating proper. Not just one or the other. It feels like a form of cruelty really…..
It’s especially hard in this “season” to feel good in your clothes. Nothing fits right anymore. Things you felt great about in March, feel too tight and uncomfortable now. The list goes on; but I will tell you what this is NOT a sign of. To go buy a bunch of bigger clothes. I’m a firm believer that (outside of pregnancy, etc.), if our clothes become to small, it is a trigger to start taking better care of ourselves, not buy a whole new wardrobe. Not to say your shape won’t change in life, and nobody is expecting you to stay the same weight and size you were when you were 25; but, wait, are you still wearing the same wardrobe as you did at 25, ten years later? Hmmm….
I might also suggest not buying clothes that only fit when you are your fittest. Anything that is tight / form fitting / hugs your curves, things like that are the least forgiving when we have indulged. And we know when that is. I’m not saying buy clothes that are slightly too big on you. On the contrary, there are a TON of brands that have beautiful, flowy yet figure flattering styles, that allow a little big of wiggle room. I mean….ladies….life isn’t well lived without things like pasta, wine and sweets; but like our mama’s said, everything in moderation.
So keep putting on that workout gear, actually work out in it, and make that 30 minutes a non-negotiable part of your day. And skip the donuts for breakfast (but don’t skip breakfast). It literally takes 3 minutes to fry an egg and put it on toast.
Yes, I realize I’m suggesting you start to prioritize yourself and create a schedule when you are still in summer mode and running like a crazy person to keep your kids occupied for days on end; but guess what? That all comes to a hard stop VERY SOON! (Don’t judge me while I do a double fist pump for THAT) and then YOU get to have a schedule back, so why not? And yes, I’m asking you to because I’m trying to and it’s HARD! Knowing we are all doing it together makes it easier!
Dig in your closet, find your favorite jeans, dress or outfit and try it on. If it fits you less than perfectly, that’s your motivation! Because here’s the thing, no matter what you look like, you can ALWAYS BE A LOVELY, FUN AND HILARIOUS friend….your clothing has NO power over who you are on the inside; but it always helps to FEEL great about the way we look and present ourselves on the outside. So plan to NOT hide behind baggy T-shirts and Lulu workout capri’s for long….give yourself 30 days of: drinking more water, eating more balanced and exercising. You’ll be ready for Fall, in every way, by the time those kids are whining that school is too hard, the teachers are mean and why do they have to be there for soooo looonnngggggg…..
xo Taryn