Week 4: Minus four pounds today, double the normal. I grinned like a loon when I saw that. Holy cow, this Weight Watchers thing is actually working just like it's supposed to. Admittedly I didn't eat anywhere near my daily allowable intake for the last two days, but I don't think that was what caused the extra loss. I think I'm eating a lot fewer calories than I used to and my metabolism is finally kicking in. I know I never, ever used to feel hungry between meals and now if I don't eat something every four hours or so I feel ravenous. Doesn't have to be a lot, just something: food as fuel, not destination.
I've cancelled my weekend plans so I can get better as fast as possible. Working was fairly painful today, but I'm glad I went in as there was quite a lot of business, unfinished and otherwise. Now I plan to rest my back by lying down frequently, doing some gentle walking and stretching, and making sure I'm ready for Monday. Why? First day of classes for the new semester. Bad, small, uncomfortable student chairs. Ow.
Though I confess I haven't been sensible this evening at all. I've spent several hours happily ripping CDs onto (into?) my computer with iTunes sitting in a chair that's not great for my back in the best of times. I couldn't help it, though. It's so much fun to go through and pick out only the songs I like from a CD. In fact, I had to play selections from all the albums to remind myself what those songs actually were because it's been a long time since I listened to the older stuff.
See, what you might be missing here is startling news: I'm excited about listening to music again. I'm mostly out of touch with what's good and new, though I have kept up a little. I own about 120 CDs total, with maybe a fifth of those gifts from friends. But now, yowza, I am dying to go Tower and replace all my old cassettes with CDs if that's still possible (I know, but let me dream). I want to buy new music. I want to hear music every time I'm at the computer. I want to mix and match my moods. Tonight I'm listening to Ace of Base. I love happy Scandanavian dance pop. I really have to do a playlist for Roxette next.
I don't know if I'm expressing this properly but the whole situation would have been unthinkable six months ago. Something's shifted inside me. It's okay to love music again the way I used to: passionately, adventurously, soaking it up like sunlight. I haven't explored in years. I've played it safe, only bought things I already knew I liked. I'm getting ready to branch out, and I need to listen to more radio and read more music magazines so I know where to start.
I wish I could watch MTV or VH1 but they're useless, I haven't seen any actual music on MTV for yonks and I just don't like sitting in front of the television suffering through endless rap videos on VH1. I hereby apologize to everyone who likes rap, but I find it unbearable. That's okay, you probably wouldn't like some of the music I consider eternal works of art. The thing is, I think I'm more likely to find something cool by going to the listening stations at the music stores. That's how I found Emiliana Torrini and Mediaeval Baebes last year.
So this weekend I might just stop by Tower on my way home from Masako's. I know I said I cancelled all my plans, but a haircut is imperative and worth getting up early for. My hair's grown out so much it's plain out of control. I dislike the Meg Ryanesque, deliberately mussed, I-Just-Took-My-Hat-Off look. So a quick trip to Palo Alto for a haircut, and maybe some CDs to celebrate my first month's success with Weight Watchers. I used to celebrate anything and everything with food. I believe I have a new reward system that suits me better. One CD for every pound I lose.
I like that idea a lot.
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