8/20 Weight loss thoughts

In some ways, I have arrived. I am living the healthy lifestyle now. All I have to do is keep this up and enjoy the benefits, including the eventual weight loss. To put it another way, from one viewpoint, I have arrived.

While I want to improve my health, I don't want to be too focused on the end state. I want to figure out how to live now, enjoy it, and de-emphasize the actual weight loss achievement a little.

I am really trying this time to have a better perspective on my health. I am making real lifestyle changes. I am not in this for the short term. This is not a fad diet. The key will be to persevere.

At the same time, as I said before, one of my problems in my previous weight loss failures has been complacency. So, how do I stay motivated without focusing too much on the weight loss? Things I continue to think about...

I joined the Columbia group on SparkPeople yesterday and got an immediate invitation to walk with them this Saturday morning (much to Elizabeth's chagrin ;-). I'm going to give it a try.

Did well at Applebee's for lunch today. (What, dining out twice in the same week?! What will Melanie say? ;-) Got asked by Rusty to meet him. Ate half of my entree and brought the rest home.

Have I told you the ongoing saga of my road bike? I haven't ridden it since RAGBRAI 2004, so, if I'm going to ride it, it has to be tuned up. But a tune up costs 75$ plus parts. Biking in the morning, before traffic gets heavy, has been working well for me. But how much longer will I be able to bike in the morning without being too cold? Then I thought 'Ok, I can bike two days a week during lunch when it gets cooler'. But when I was out today at lunch, the traffic was pretty heavy. For awhile I was thinking about jogging this winter instead of the biking/walking mix I have going now. That would be cheaper, right? I keep psyching myself out about this and don't know what to do or what will be best.

Thinking about taking on some actual healthy activities rather than just exercising for the sake of exercise. My top candidate right now is ballroom dancing, which I've always wanted to do more of. We did some in the social dance class I took in college for a PE credit (excellent, I know! :-) and I've always wanted to do some more. My runner up right now is some kind of martial art. Also considering basketball, soccer and cycling. We'll see...

207 again this morning on the scale. Looking for another little drop here in the next day or two ;-)