Update

Just a quick post with an update on progress so far. I've lost 6.2 pounds since I started training, and I'm going to say I'm 2% of the way. (It's hard to measure scientifically/mathematically, so that's a guess.)

Interestingly, the weight loss is not my goal. My goal is to be able to do a very specific thing. Training to do that thing is resulting in weight loss. Which I'll take, don't misunderstand me, but my focus in terms of why I'm doing this is on the end goal. Focusing on the goal has been good for the little fluctuations on my weight (a couple of days it has been slightly up rather than down), and ought to keep me going when I inevitably hit a weight loss plateau.

Besides, the goal is something I'm really excited about doing. Sometimes, in the middle of a workout, I start thinking about the goal, imagining what it will be like and how fun it will be, and suddenly I realize I've completed the workout for that day! So it keeps me motivated, and keeps my mind off the tough moments. It's definitely good to have a goal.