Time to Change

For most of us, January is a time to change our habits. I'm no exception. January instills a new sense of enthusiasm in me--I feel inspired, like I have a clean slate and a starting point to tweak my habits. First up for me: it's time to change time.

For years now, I've had a habit of keeping all of my clocks on different times--anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes fast--to keep me off balance and, supposedly, help me be on time. My only accurate time comes from my cell phone, which is how I make sure that I'm really on time/not too late.

My morning commute typically requires me to leave my house about 40 minutes early--so, if I'm out the door by 7:20, maybe 7:25, I can make it to work by 8am (factoring in the drive, parking, walking from the parking deck to work, etc.).

This morning, my alarms went off starting at about 6am (who knows what time that really means since I refuse to look at my cell phone that early)--my CD player in the bathroom played club-ish music to get me moving; my alarm clock in my bedroom screeched its typical buzz; and my cell phone's three alarms went off with my dance-inspiring ring.

Yet, after I snoozed and turned off all my alarms, when I finally jerked fully awake and looked at my cell phone, I realized it was 7:12. Let's do the math there--I had 8 to 13 minutes to go from pajamas, rumpled hair, smeared leftover makeup to work clothes, tidy hair and a fresh face of makeup. I managed to be here just 10 minutes late, but it helped me realize something.

I don't bother looking at my clocks, because I know they're not right. And that is just foolish. It's time for me to be on time. Accurate time. All clocks on the same time. My haphazard time-keeping system isn't working, and really--isn't having clocks that aren't accurate just some form of denial or delusion? No more. Tonight--the clocks change. I'll keep you posted on my success.

The second thing I'm changing will seem like any other New Year's resolution--to change my diet. But I'm not talking about going on a diet. I'm talking about completely rethinking my approach to food. A few years ago, I read a book called You Are What You Eat by Gillian McKeith. I remember loving it at the time, but somewhere along the way I lost track of the book.

A few weeks ago, I felt the urge to revisit McKeith's writings. Essentially, the book talks about what the title suggests--if you eat processed, fatty, sugary foods, you'll look and feel like it. If you eat natural, vibrant (think living food, like plants), wholesome foods, you'll look and feel like it.

I've been toying with just how much I want to subscribe to her plan. I mean, is it really realistic to swear off processed foods? But I had a revelation in the grocery store last night when I started reading nutritional labels to see how much sugar foods I commonly eat contain.

It was an eye-opener, let me tell you. A UNC nutritionist recommends limiting yourself to 40 grams of added sugar a day--a typical yogurt will have at least 20g of sugar--half the day's allowance! Sugar is everywhere in processed foods. And I'm kind of mad about it. No wonder the US has such a problem with obesity! Sugar is everywhere--everywhere!

So, with that in mind, I've committed to really trying to cut out most processed foods. A few things, I'll keep--like my light, multigrain English muffins (I've checked the nutritional values--they're okay). But otherwise, it's time to change.

What will this look like for me? Well, cutting out desserts; swapping salad dressings out and balsamic vinegar in; choosing brown rice over white rice; changing from instant, sugary oatmeal packets to rolled or steel-cut oats sweetened with pure maple syrup; avoiding white bread and pasta; adding grains like bulgur and quinoa to my diet.

I already dropped coffee and soda from my diet on Nov. 1 (green tea and white tea I will not lose--they have actual benefits), and I've greatly decreased my intake of cheese (an addiction, as you can see in my last blog posting!) and increased my intake of vegetables.

I know not everyone will understand or appreciate these changes, and I know it will be difficult when I go out for meals. That's why my goal is to make healthy decisions most the time--but keep a balance where it's not a big deal, or I don't feel guilty, if I have a cookie or white bread or a glass of wine.

And, I'm still trying to negotiate how far I'm going to take this. Will I buy a juicer? How many/what supplements/vitamins will I add to my diet? I won't decide that today, but today I have decided to be very conscious about what I'm eating and what that food will do for--or to--me.

Update as of 2/24/09: I've really been focusing on eating whole grains and lots of fruits and veggies (I've discovered kale and beets, yum!). I still eat sweets (more than I should), but I'm trying to be more selective and make better choices. I drink wine only when I'm out to dinner or having dinner at a friend's house, and I've cut waaaay back on cheese, a former staple of mine. I haven't started juicing just because it's so expensive to maintain, but hopefully someday I'll be able to.

The clock thing has helped--it does stress me out less to know what time it actually is, and I get up three days a week now by 5:30 a.m. to workout at the UNC gym before work. (Tuesday and Thursday nights I'm taking a weight training course through UNC, which I'm loving!)

A Big Block of Cheese

I have to credit my friend & co-worker Jeanine for honing in on my one-liners and urging me to blog about them. Good thing we had the Natalie conversation first, or this entire blog might have been called "a big block of cheese."

Allow me to explain: I'll start by saying that there are two TV shows that I truly love and make an effort to watch every week--The Office (that's what she said!), and The Biggest Loser. On last night's episode of TBL, Michelle (my favorite remaining contestant) said "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels."

As I shared this with Jeanine this morning, I said something to the effect of, "So I'll just have to tell myself that when I'm faced with..." (pause to imagine a tempting food) "...a big block of cheese."

For some women, it's cake or chocolate. Alas, for me it's cheese. What can I say? Two best foods in the world: bread and cheese. (Think about it--bagels and cream cheese, pizza, grilled cheese, cheese and crackers, cheese quesadillas, brie and baguette... uh-huh.)

At any rate, enough about cheese. I have to share with the world how happy (and completely sad) I am that my two favorite dogs at the SPCA, two American Staffordshire Terriers named Brutus and Buttercup (60 & 70 lbs, respectively, and 6 & 3 years old), were adopted last Friday!

Brutus and Buttercup were surrendered by their owners over the summer--probably sometime in July if I recall correctly. They quickly became favorites of mine and the bulk of the staff and volunteers at the SPCA. Although they looked quite intimidating (especially to someone like me, who grew up with miniature schnauzers), they were complete sweethearts. Brutus wanted nothing more than to cuddle and have his belly rubbed, and both were very affectionate. A number of times, I went into their room to visit them and sat on the floor, and both would curl up next to (or sometimes on) my legs. (My heart would melt.)

I am delighted that we were able to place them in a home together, but I did tear up when I saw their empty room on Saturday. Although I'd been fortunate enough to work with them the week before, I still felt like I hadn't had a chance to say a proper goodbye. If all goes well, though, I won't see them again because their new owners will love and adore them as much as I do! Okay, enough sappiness.

For a final note, I will leave you with an amazing quote from a NYT article. I will preface this by saying that, although I have my political leanings, I consider myself a very open-minded person who tries to focus on merit rather than political affiliation. In fact, I split my ticket pretty evenly this November. That said, the thought of Sarah Palin in any other office outside of Alaska frightens the dickens out of me. Here's why:

"Here’s Palin’s response, after Matt Lauer asked her when she knew the election was lost:

'I had great faith that, you know, perhaps when that voter entered that voting booth and closed that curtain that what would kick in for them was, perhaps, a bold step that would have to be taken in casting a vote for us, but having to put a lot of faith in that commitment we tried to articulate that we were the true change agent that would progress this nation.'

I have no idea what she said in that thicket of words."
-Timothy Egan, Guest Columnist http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/opinion/07egan.html?ref=opinion

Blog, The First

Welcome, friends and soon-to-be-friends!

...So. I grew up in the 1980s--the height of teased bangs, blue eyeshadow and intensely emotional and synthesized music. And along with the Sarahs and Kims, there were Natalies. I realized today, however, after talking to a friend and colleague (I won't go into the specifics of what prompted this discussion) that I don't know anyone named Natalie now. Natalie Wood (deceased). Natalie Portman (I will never meet her). And, um. That's it. So--I ask you--where have all the Natalies gone? Perhaps by the end of my blogging days, I will have that answer.

Okay. Now that that's out of the way, onto the blogging topic itself. Public speaking teaches us to never open with an apology or something that could undermine our credibility--"I'm not a great public speaker, but..." or "I'm not an expert on this topic, but..." Well, since this is blogging I think I can bend the rules a bit and openly admit that I'm not quite sure what I want this blog to be.

I have visions of chronicling my dating escapades (ahem, assuming I ever go on a date again... perhaps this blog should be called "Where have all the single, eligible, kind, career-oriented and family-oriented men who like women like me gone"). Or perhaps I could chronicle my perpetual attempts at self-improvement (go to the gym more, stay on top of paperwork, keep in better touch with friends), or I could talk about my favorite tv shows, music or movies. I could be the next Bridget Jones! Ha! Somehow I don't think the world needs another Bridget Jones (although I'd settle for a Mark Darcy).

Perhaps (more likely) I'll post regularly about my adventures volunteering at a local animal shelter, about good (and not so good) experiences I have about town in the Triangle area, and, well, whatever else comes my way.

And (just in case you were wondering): (a) yes I do enjoy using parentheticals, and (b) no, my name is not Natalie.