Every woman has that one pair of jeans she can only wear when at her thinnest. We certainly do!  So when we heard about TV and film wardrobe stylist Kami Gray’s book The Denim Diet: 16 Simple Habits to Get Into Your Dream Pair of Jeans we knew we had to hear more.

At 19, you were six sizes larger than you are today. What gave you the initial push to begin living a healthy lifestyle?

I was fat! I was also extremely low on energy, not feeling (or looking!) too well, and my health was beginning to suffer. I had an epiphany. I realized that if I went back to eating the foods I was raised on – organic, whole foods consisting of lean proteins, plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grain carbs, good fats, lower fat dairy, drinking water instead of soda pop, and ditching all the processed, refined, packaged foods, this might all be a thing of my past. I was right! Twenty-three years later, I’m the same size (although thanks to gravity and having kids, things have shifted downward a bit!) as I was when I initially shed the weight and I’ve never looked back. Yes, it’s all common sense and that’s the beauty – we don’t have to think too hard about this thing called eating. Eat real food, not too much of it, and move more.

Why don’t some people maintain a healthy lifestyle? Laziness or they just don’t know better?

I think they don’t recognize how easy it is and are completely confused by all the conflicting information. I also think most people don’t realize that American food manufacturers have taken the food out of our food and replaced it with nasty, cheap, fat-making fillers like high fructose syrup, trans fats, sugar substitutes, modified food starch, and a million (totally exaggerating here!) other fake things. All these ingredients, in one way or another, become the ideal stuffing for your belly, your backside, and your thighs.

Which part of the book is your favorite?

My last chapter is called “EATING AWAY FROM HOME: An Out and About Guide to Healthful Eating.” We are eating out more than ever and it’s tough to navigate all of it and not deviate from our healthful eating efforts. So I’ve created a handy guide for all the places you may find yourself out there in the world from movie theatres to Mexican restaurants to camping to airplane food.

You’re an author, artist, wardrobe stylist and mom.  How do you manage to wear so many hats?
How did you know that I love hats! Kidding aside, I’m not a supermom. The kids come first (although I’m recently living in an empty nest as the kids are both in college) and the rest of what I do are all part-time endeavors. They’re things I’m deeply passionate about so it’s never hard to find time to work since I love what I do. As much as I crave variety in the things I spend my time doing, I also crave balance and spending time with family and friends ranks high on my list as well. It’s so important for us women to make time for ourselves and to have a joyful life – even while we’re raising kids and taking care of life’s other details.

You live in Portland, Oregon.  What is your favorite local restaurant?

I love Higgins. I love it so much that I’ve blogged about it. Everything Greg Higgins puts on his ever-changing menu is made from local, organic, sustainable food and he’s a genius at making it look and taste amazing. It’s not cheap though so I often go during happy hour or dine at that bar.

Thanks, Kami!  Be sure to follow Kami on Twitter or check her blog for more tips!