Things are going well, if slowly, which I’m told is healthy. I’ve lost five pounds in the last three weeks. Mostly, I think, in spite of myself. I keep meaning to record what I’m eating, but I’ve been so busy that one thing drives out another.

I’m finding long walks fun again, instead of simply a chore. Once the weather breaks, I’m going to head back to the woods and start hiking. Right now, the majority of the exercise I’m getting is walking around downtown Cleveland, which is great, but my job is changing so that I’ll be working out of my home starting next Monday. I’m planning on converting the time I would normally be commuting into exercise time, either walking around the neighborhood or heading down to the gym.

I’ve cut back on what I’m eating, and I’m starting to catch the subtle flavors in salad and fruit. I’ve cut back on my coffee intake, switching to green tea, and I’ve discovered a whole new work of flavors there. I’m beginning to see what Dan Millman was trying to point out in Way of the Peaceful Warrior when discussing the cleansing of the palate through eating natural. I’ve been overwhelming my taste buds with rich foods for years. At first, salads and fruits takes bland, but as my taste buds adjust, I’m catching more and more of the subtlety there.

I’ve had to make this into a something of a game, part discovery and exploration, part resource management. It’s a good mindset for me…it gives my mind something to do instead of sitting in the backseat and asking “Are we there yet?” every time I weigh myself.