The kids moved out over the summer, and I expected the quiet to land at dinner. It actually landed in the grocery store.
I used to shop for four appetites and a lot of hedging — snacks nobody asked for, a second loaf because someone might want toast. Now the cart is mostly vegetables, a rotisserie chicken, and whatever's on the markdown rack.
I cook two portions on Sunday and eat them without negotiating.
The walking started as a way to fill the 6:30 slot that used to be soccer pickup. It's a 1.8-mile loop past the elementary school and back, and I've kept it up most evenings since April.
Some nights I listen to a podcast; some nights I just hear the sprinklers. Fullness shows up sooner than it used to, and I've stopped eating past it just to avoid throwing food away.
Nothing dramatic, just different. I'm curious whether anyone else noticed their routine shifting before their body did?