Moving, Pt 2

[jon_chaisson]

Emm and I are starting to finalize our plans for our move to San Francisco. It hasn't quite sunk in yet that we're actually moving out there. Especially when I factor in the fact that I'd moved down to New Jersey at the beginning of this year. Mere months after that, when I'd finally popped the question to her, we were thinking of moving elsewhere in NJ, closer to her work, probably in Parsippany. All that changed when a few months after that, she was offered the position in SF.

Getting a girlfriend after 7 years of little or no dating. Quitting my job of nearly five years. Moving to New Jersey. Being engaged. Getting married. Flying to Scotland. Being offered a transfer to the other coast. And finally, making that move.

It's been one hell of a year for me. I think I could actually use these things as an excuse for my lack of writing this year. ;)

On a more serious note, I've been thinking of all these changes and I've come to the realization that I've been given all these great chances to better myself, and I've accepted all of them so far. Being with Emm has changed my mindset in so many ways...I'm not a morose bastard anymore. I'm no longer as deep in debt as I once was. And I'm not worried about money keeping me from doing things I want to do--not that I'm any richer, but I realize there are ways I can still make myself happy and not have to spend inordinate amounts of money doing it.

So I'm thinking that once we're out in San Francisco, there's still room for improvement on my part. After seeing various reception pictures and seeing my FAT GUT sticking out past the rest of me, I realize that I am in dire need of losing weight. So I'm making a resolution to make a concerted effort to change many of my bad habits, such as drinking way too much soda, eating too much, and not getting any exercise at all. If we're going to be living in a city made up almost entirely of hills, I'm gonna need to be in shape or else I'll be wheezing and hacking and that's not good. Then there's the fact that other than my roommates and their friends, I really don't know anybody here in NJ at all. I think that it's time that I got out again and started talking to other people, and being a part of a community in SF certainly sounds like a good start.

As an aside, my roommate from ten years ago lives in SF and is a piano teacher now. I think I may just look him up and see what he's up to.

So yeah, I figure, with all these changes, what's a few more?

Comments

[sleeping-dragon.livejournal.com]

Change to diet soda and bottled water (buy a nalgene, or buy regular poland spring or whatever and reuse the bottles). Also, for snacking, grapes (frozen or otherwise) are great, as is the Pop Secret 100 calorie snack size - it's full-on homestyle buttered popcorn, but only 100 calories' worth. (As an added bonus, only takes about 1.5 minutes to pop.) As for exercise, start taking walks around your neighborhood now, 1/2 hour a night or whatever. Wear your walkman/iPod/whatever & play upbeat, brisk tunes to encourage you to walk quickly. If all else fails, join Weight Watchers when you get to SF. It's painful, but it works. Good luck!!

[dasmarzipan.livejournal.com]

Weight Watchers is not painful for everyone, mind you.

[sleeping-dragon.livejournal.com]

Perhaps I should have been more specific. "Painful" in the sense that while, technically, you can eat whatever you want, this is not entirely true. I don't think I've had a full tablespoon of butter in months, for example. There are definitely things you have to give up & that part is not fun.

[joncwriter.livejournal.com]

They'll take my Mountain Dew when they pry it from my cold dead hands!! :p

[sleeping-dragon.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure they make diet, though I could be wrong, because MD's never been my thing.

[joncwriter.livejournal.com]

They do, but I can't drink diet sodas...all I taste is the fake sugar and it gives me a really nasty stomach ache. Basically, I just need to cut down on it. :)

[dasmarzipan.livejournal.com]

Who is "They"???

[dasmarzipan.livejournal.com]

Hee...I too will be more specific, but I'll pull this topic off onto my own journal.

[chaoticmoth.livejournal.com]

Good luck with the weight loss, and remember to be patient with yourself. It take time and effort to lose weight, and it is not easy. Hitting plateaus where you stop losing weight are horrible and you have to change things to break through those.

Not having snack food in the house is a great way to start. You can't eat what isn't there. :)