One of the great things about moving to a new country (or even just moving to the other side of town) is it’s a great catalyst for changing yourself, or your own behaviour. One thing which I hope to work on is my fitness and my diet. Everyone here tells me I am going to gain heaps of weight living here in Texas, eating American food. They point to the average size of Americans as proof. Not me! Not no way, not no how. I aim on bucking the trend. To this end, I went to Wal-Mart to get some cereal. I don’t normally eat breakfast at all, you understand, but I did some reading and most of the diet sites say you have to eat breakfast, very important.
So, I went into the store and what was the first cereal I see? Shredded Wheat! I used to love this stuff as a child (it used to be called shreddies back in South Africa). It’s the only cereal I liked which did not contain an inordinate amount of chocolate and/or sugar. What really drew me to the package though was the label on the box: “Lose 10 lbs the Heart Healthy way”. Now, call me a girl but that box had a great deal of appeal to me, so I got it! As well as bananas (because I dislike strawberries and that will be breakfast (and maybe one or two other meals) and we’ll see how we go.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not fat per se. I am, however, mindful of the fact that there’s a lot more I could do to have a little less around the waistline. I’ve started doing regular exercises at “home”, we’ll see how long that lasts (been down that road before). Maybe this time the change of scenery will be catalyst enough for change. I have started parking as far away from my office as possible and I do the same at the supermarket. Simply waking a few steps in this weather is enough to break out a sweat anyway.
As I walked out through the “express 20 item” checkout (the two people in front of me often confuse the numbers “20” and “40” it seems) I explicitly asked the checkout operator for no bag. I often do that if I can carry the items in my hands. Pack ‘n save is good like that since they don’t give you bags unless you ask. She looked at me as though I was from another planet.
“No bag? For any of it?”
No, I just drove in 36 degree heat, with the air conditioner on in a very expensive hybrid car because I like the smell of my own sweat. I really like polluting the world with your non bio-degradable, non-recycled, barely recyclable plastic bags, please package the milk in a separate bag, it’s not as if it’s covered in enough plastic!
That’s what I would have said if I were rude. I said no politely and instead of a plastic bag, I received and enormous receipt printed on dead trees. Now, I know I am a miserable consumer, I consume far more than I ever should and I am far more wasteful than I could be. But, living here is really quite a shock to the system. As ain illustration: I can find nowhere that will sell me bottled water by the gallon. I have to buy it in these itty bitty container things that contain more plastic than water. Ridiculous? Definitely!
Anyway, my resolutions: to be fitter, healthier and less harsh on the environment.