During the day there is noise from the tv, noise from Renter Person's tv, and Brandy's collar jingling along with outside sounds and all sorts of other things. Around midnight a certain stillness comes over the house.
It's quiet.
Electronics are turned off. People and pets are sleeping while some are snoring.
Not me.
I sit in bed with a mug of hot chocolate, usually candy cane hot chocolate from the nearest Bulk Barn, and I read.
Sometimes I just listen.
When it's really really cold like it was last night.....the wind chill was -45 degrees Celsius.....you can hear the crunch of the snow under the tires of an approaching vehicle so clearly you could swear they're coming right into the room. The furnace pulses on and off. The house gently creaks. In the distance of the kitchen, the fridge hums. It's a midnight symphony.
It's peaceful.
There are no worries after midnight. The days stresses melt away like a marshmallow in the hot cocoa. I sink into the story of the book I'm reading. It isn't Claire and Jamie anymore, but Barnaby and Hooker. It might be an adventure or romance or mystery and tomorrow it might be a different book entirely.
Brandy stirs on the bed and looks up to see if I'm still there.
I check the clock and yawn. Time to sleep. I set the book on the nightstand and turn off the light.
I sink into the blankets and fall asleep to the still of the night.
I set my alarm on my iPod to scroll "New Year New You....Get Up & Get After It." I don't make resolutions anymore. They just aren't realistic. Over that past few years I've tried to evolve instead. My list of improvements have included anything from live a more active life to read more books. These are things that enrich my life and don't make me dread the changes in my life.
Since I gained this enormous amount of weight from the hypothyroidism discovery and all the other issues that seemingly went along with it I've battled food. I don't smoke and I rarely drink so food is my only vice. Food is not something you can quit. I've continually tried to make changes to evolve the way I think about food and the choices I make. Last fall, I downloaded the app MyFitnessPal which is also a webpage MyFitnessPal.com. After a short time of logging my meals I was enlightened to some of the choices I was making. I stopped using coffee creamer. Oh how I miss the flavoured creamy coffee but at the same time I cut my coffee consumption dramatically. I probably drank less than most people to start with but now I only have 1 cup of coffee in the morning and it includes Splenda instead of creamer. Instead of drinking 2 cups of coffee at work....with the cream and sugar, I switched to a travel mug of hot cocoa. I switched the bread I buy and started to create better dinner choices.
Then I got sick before Christmas and it all went out the window while the boxes of Christmas chocolates floated through the door.
Oh well.
A long time ago, back in July, I talked to my doctor about seeing a dietitian. The appointment was supposed to be in November, I think. The appointment was postponed because the dietitian had to stay home with a sick child. That was all fine and good because all the time I was questioning my choice to do this in the first place. Then my appointment was made for January 2nd 2013. There is no better time! Out with the Christmas me and in with the new me.
This lady was awesome! We went meal by meal with me describing a typical breakfast/lunch/dinner etc. I described my teaching lifestyle. I told her the things I was already doing and the changes I was trying. She praised me! Dietitian told me to take small steps when it comes to exercise. She gave me an "Action Plan" which suspitiously looks like the "Practice Commitment" I gave my piano students. Dietitian said to make a commitment to do exercise for X number of days in 1 week for X number of time and see how it goes. Then the next week make a new commitment. Oh how I loved that! We discussed how going to the community centre for classes didn't work because of my teaching schedule and how I'd much rather do things at home. She said even a commitment to turn on the stereo and dance for 15 minutes was better than anything. I'm pretty sure I can take that advice!
I felt like I could to talk to Dietitian for hours! We discussed the pros and cons of processed things and simple little things like fat content in mayo. She said that most people consume more calories from condiments than actual food because we think we're only using a tablespoon of something when it's actually a tablespoon or more! Dietitian liked many of the choices I'm already making. She liked my hot cocoa choice at work and suggested a light brand. We talked about lentils. Yes. Lentils. I came home with a Pulses cook book.
Unfortunately, we ran out of time. Dietitian said I am on the right track. She said to keep tracking my food and making the small changes I have been. She gave me her card and told me that I could contact her in the future if I needed any additional help or advice.
I wish she was my best friend.
I am feeling very encouraged. In 2013, I hope to continually evolve to, as someone said to me, so my outsides match my insides.
