Thank you, dianthus. I appreciate your encouragement. My goal is to lose 10 pounds. That's it. That's all I can handle psychologically, right now. And I don't even want to say that much--because then my head gets all wrapped up and my life gets taken over with this and nothing but this. I need a balanced approach, as Gaylene says. So, really, my goal is to exercise every day I work less than six hours. I have them marked on my calendar so I can know at a glance if this is an exercise day or not. So, let's say that if I manage to achieve this goal--working out everyday I work less than six hours for one month--so, by Oct. 13th, I may reward myself with an accessory (a scarf, a piece of jewellery, nail polish, lipstick, etc.) Fair enough?

I had a job a few years ago at an archives, as a file clerk. Basically I spent all day on my feet in a giant warehouse walking around, pulling and replacing files and climbing ladders. I took a pedometer to work a few times and I was walking around 4 miles a day. I thought when I started the job I'd lose weight right away, but I never did. I got a little smaller and I'm sure my cardiovascular capacity improved a bit, but I pretty much stayed the same size. (I wasn't particularly watching my diet, either, which was not great at the time.)

That's just to say that it sounds like the adjustment to your job has been the tricky part for you, Alana. And even though all the time on your feet and moving around has to be good for your general well being, in my experience, you still have to do more vigorous, get your heart going exercise on a regular basis, and/or change eating habits, to see a change in weight and/or inches.

As you say, being healthy and overweight is totally possible, despite what some people think, so stick to your guns and focus on what makes you feel better and will make you healthier in the long term, preferably something that's sustainable and not too ambitious.