The Battle Continues - Day 3

I'm not really feeling hungry per se just yet, but I am noticing food a lot more than before.  Sticking to the program is making me rethink why I eat as well as what, which I suppose is the goal.

I eat out of boredom.  I eat because I enjoy the stimulus of new flavors and textures.  I eat to stem fatigue, and alleviate stress.  This is quite different than fueling the body.  So I'm consciously stopping myself now.

I tell myself that I've had many great meals over the years, and now I'm finally going to put them to use!  It won't be such a long time before I can eat normally again--normally, that is, for the rest of the industrialized world as opposed to what I'm used to doing.

In the meantime, I think of why I'm doing this.  Here's what I've come up with so far:

1. The excess weight I'm carrying takes at least 10 years off my life.  I'm 44 now; according to the Centers for Disease Control's 2008 figures, that means I've got (on average) about 34.6 years left.  Take those 10 years off, and I won't even be as old as my parents are now when I die.  Lose the weight, and I get at least that much back (and maybe more: my grandmother on my mother's side lived well into her 90's and my great-grandmother on my father's side was probably over 100).
2. Related to the first: I want to live to see my children grow up into happy productive adults, and to see my grandchildren.  Just because I started late with my family doesn't mean I can't stay around to see how it all works out. :-)
3. I will be a more effective husband and father, and a better colleague to my coworkers.  The excess weight makes me sluggish physically and mentally, and that does nobody any good.
4. I want to take my wife out dancing, and be able to last the whole night!
5. I am finally starting to achieve all of the things I wanted for my life: I've started working on my advanced degrees; I'm in a favorable position in my career; and while things aren't perfect financially I'm doing better than I have in a long time.  It would be a shame to cut any of that short.
6. I want to be able to buy clothes off the rack, at non-specialty stores, and not have to pay extra for larger sizes.
7. Up until three years ago I had to wear a uniform at work.  I don't have to do that anymore, but I still keep a couple on hand just in case.  The other day I tried one on and it didn't quite fit.  I'm ashamed of this, considering how hard I worked to earn the right to wear it in the first place.  If and when I ever have to wear the uniform again, I want it to look good!
8. I want to fly on an airplane without having to get a seat belt extender.
9. I want my back and my feet to stop hurting.
10. Not to be too graphic about it, but it's hard to get and stay clean with this excess weight.  I pay a great deal of attention to this, so I won't offend other people, but it would be nice to make it easier.
11. I want to look good in photographs, and not be worried that I look like Buddha (from the front, sitting down) or Alfred Hitchcock (from the side).  Inevitably, especially during the holidays, at least five shots in each position will be taken of me.
12. I want to ride my bicycle again.
13. I want to run again.
14. I want to cosplay without fulfilling too many unfortunate fan stereotypes.  I'm one basement away from being the overweight, socially awkward engineer who wears glasses, dresses badly and is obsessed with science fiction. :-P
15. I want to change people's perceptions of me generally.  I know who my friends are, but I know that others probably judge me on my size and dismiss me out of hand (hell--I've seen it happen!)
16. I want to be able to sit in a plastic lawn chair without worrying about whether it will hold me.
17. I want to be able to sit behind a typical classroom desk again.
18. I want to drive a car without the steering wheel rubbing up against me.
19. I want to enjoy the bathtub without having to worry about displacement issues.
20. I want to sit in a restaurant booth and not worry about whether I'll fit.

These are just a few things I tell myself as motivators.  I'll put together another list soon of goals I would like to meet.