Graphic courtesy of The Idealist.

So, this picture pretty much explains what I want life to be like. You saw yesterday that I worked on the reading list for next year. I spent a good chuck of today learning about calories and macronutrients and just such as this over at acaloriecounter. I won’t scare you with the number I saw on the scale two days ago, but I pretty much freaked out. I knew I was gaining because my clothes were getting snug, but it’s gotten a little worse than “gaining.” I’ve managed to pack on 20 pounds since last January. So now, I have a new eating plan in place, and I’m making it as easy peasy on myself as possible: 130-150 grams of protein a day, no more than 39 grams of fat, and 111-131 grams of carbs. That and 2 liters of water a day ought to get me where I want to be in 3 months or so. Oh, and did I mention I am avoiding soda? That’s because of this:

Now, we all know I love to plan stuff, and I am an *excellent* planner. My problem is follow-through. So my goal here, as I pan for some life changes in this time preceding my birthday, is to develop a system I can keep up with once school starts again. I had a great system going after the first of the year, but it derailed when I had more on my plate than just keeping up with what I was supposed to be doing when. This time, I am looking at things from the KISS perspective, because anything complicated is not sustainable once classes begin. I’m not going to be adding items like “learn to play a holton h379“, but I might try to remind myself to turn on Pandora more often. I love music, and just because I can’t find time to MAKE it, doesn’t mean I can’t make time to HEAR it.

Okay, I’m sleepy. Which is odd, because I slept until almost noon. I think I will take a nap anyway, because it is hot and because I can.