Everything changes I guess, whether you want it to or not. Lately it seems like everything around me is changing. We are still getting ready to move. I’m seriously considering hiring a moving company to do all the hard work. I know that sounds incredibly lazy but I think the upfront cost may well justify the lasting benefits. When my husband was in the military, moving wasn’t a big deal. I was the clipboard girl. I stood inside with a clipboard in my hand (and usually a baby on my hip) while the movers worked their magic. If you have never experienced a military move, you may not get the full sense of what I mean when I say “work their magic.” They were always fast and efficient, two things I’m not. They did all the hard work and I was just along for the ride. I think they spoiled me a little. It will sound even lazier when I say that we are only moving a few miles across town. Having moved across town a few times in my life, I think those moves are the hardest. My excuse for wanting movers is really simple; my life isn’t going to stop or even slow down just because we are moving. Everything will continue just as it had before. I need to focus my attention on other things instead of moving boxes. I figure if I can do the packing, I can hire someone to do all the loading and unloading. My husband has some physical problems that are going to slow him down. I’m going to slow him down. We have friends that can help but I don’t really want to lean on people too much. The movers can work quickly and efficiently and have me ready to spend the night in the new house in a day’s time. It would take my husband and me at least a week, maybe more. I really just feel like it will be a smoother transition if we get some experienced (fast and efficient) help. I just have to convince my husband that it will be worth the money!
Our office is moving too. Right now, we are sharing space and it’s crowded. We have leased another office and are moving this week, if all goes as planned. As a business, the goal is to keep working, no matter what. So while they are moving around me, I am going to keep plugging away, until they take my computer and/or my phone. Because we are a small office, it will ultimately add to my stress to have to re-adapt to a new location and a new way of working. Now, the other assistant and I can lean a bit on each other, picking up the slack if one of us is in the middle of something and the phone is ringing like crazy. After we move, it will be just me. The other assistant actually got this job for me almost two years ago and we have grown to be great friends. It will be different not being in the same office as her and it will take some adjustment. I think I’m pretty flexible and I should be able to adapt fairly quickly except I’m moving at home too. Another great reason to hire movers. Less stress on me means less stress on the whole family. Have you ever heard the saying “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy?” That’s especially true in my house. I seem to control the mood, for better or worse.
In light of all the changes happening around me, and because I’m a sheep, I am making some changes too. I have finally gotten fed up with my shape, weight and general lack of fitness. I can’t continue to lean on food as an emotional crutch or a way to pass the time. I don’t really want to think of myself as “dieting.” To me, a diet is something temporary. I’m making permanent changes. Last Friday, I started eating purposefully and mindfully. I started Friday, knowing that weekends are the hardest for me, and hormonally, it’s the absolute worst time to be limiting comfort foods, but I started then for a specific reason. Ultimately, it’s because I’m lazy. Getting started is hard, weekends are hard, certain weeks of the month are hard. If I can get all the hardest parts over with at the beginning, then I know that I will have the willpower to keep going when it gets easier. I’m not following any specific plan, although I did stock up on 100 calorie snacks. And the husband and I spent most of Saturday evening making fruit smoothies, complete with Muesli, tofu, yogurt, etc. All that fun stuff that will fill me up for breakfast, although, they do not taste nearly as good as my breakfast burrito with fried jalapenos. My arteries will thank me. My plan is pretty simple; I’m trading in my breakfast for something healthy and then trading in one of my remaining meals for a frozen, low-calorie dinner. The other meal is my free meal, it will probably be lunch most days. I’m not going to go crazy at lunch, and I definitely will have to cut back then also, but I can stick with small changes I think. I hope I can. Exercise is going to be indoors until the temperature drops below 100. Again, I think just starting is going to be the hardest part. Once I get used to being more active, I can branch out and start doing more outdoors. My husband is coaching tennis this year and really wants me to learn. That may or may not happen; my hand-eye coordination is pretty pathetic. I’m snacking only on 100 calorie snacks or on veggies. Last night before bed I was starving. I couldn’t relax and go to sleep because I was so hungry (I limited my dinner to one plate, no seconds). I had a handful of baby carrots with a tablespoon of dressing. It was enough to get my mind off my stomach and I was able to sleep. I haven’t resolved to give up my Diet Dr. Pepper yet. To be completely honest, I’m not sure I ever will. I know the research says diet soda makes you crave sugar and soda is bad for you in general. If I cut my soda, I’m going to iced tea with artificial sweetener so the only real difference is the bubbles.
What has surprised me the most this weekend is that my dinner plate last night didn’t look spectacular. I don’t mean that it wasn’t good food, but it was just food. I didn’t devour it like an animal and I didn’t go back for seconds. I think I’m looking at food differently already; I’m eating to live, not living to eat. That’s a major accomplishment for me.
I do have to throw in a few words about Snackwells Mint Fudge Shortbread Fudge Petites. In my quest for healthy snacks, I picked up a package of these thinking they would taste pretty good, but not expecting spectacular. Hands down, they are my absolute favorite snack now. They taste like Thin Mints, no kidding. Don’t take my word for it; try them yourself. I’m curious to see if everyone else thinks they taste like Thin Mints or if my taste buds are just tricking me. So go try some and come back here and tell me what you think.
*Disclaimer: I am not being compensated in any way by Nabisco for my opinion. I bought the product, tried it and voluntarily posted my honest review.*
