Compliments’ end is nigh!

Not sure if this a rave or a rant. Maybe both.

I'm very flattered that people have been complimenting my weight loss (44 lbs in 3 months is pretty noticeable).  It makes me feel good, like I'm really accomplishing something.  I'm not only noticing the changes myself but finally really accepting them—that I'm getting stronger, I have better endurance, and so on.  (Changes in my upper torso are definitely noticeable, while my belly still needs to burn a lot of fat.)

But what happens when I'm finally down to a weight with which I'm happy?  No more compliments. I'll just be an average guy. No more compliments; no more encouragement. Just whatever. I'm hoping that I'll have some magical boost in confidence, but I've never really had a high self-esteem. Then again, I've always been fat except 9 years ago for just a few short months.

So once more this is why I need to focus on myself, not to rely on others for my happiness or self-image. All part of my unofficial New Year's resolution of moving on, moving forward.

Budget time

Now that I'm in the middle of my weight loss challenge, it means I'm not going out late during the week, and it also means I'm not drinking much any more. With that in mind, I really need to create a budget for "fun" spending and limit myself.  I need to be much better about not spending my money on eating out (probably the biggest drain on my bank account).

I need to get focused on obliterating what debt I have left.  It's not huge compared to what others have, but it's more than what a single guy living in an apartment should have. Especially a single guy who doesn't want to be single. I make very decent money right now as an independent contractor. But lately, more often than not, I'm heavily entertaining the idea of switching careers, likely meaning a much lower income to which I must prepare to adjust.

The crappy part about creating a budget and sticking to it means staying home, typically alone, and I'm clearly not good with that. I like hanging out with my friends. But most are in relationships and I feel like a third wheel around them. I just need to intensely re-focus on myself and accept the immediate comforts around me (books, video games, Netflix... the list goes on.)