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The Pros and Cons of Getting Healthy

The bad news is my metabolism is as slow as a frozen slug. The good news is, if I'm ever on a desert island, I won't starve to death.
I've spent the past several months devoting myself to becoming a healthier version of my previous self. I've cut out the cheeseburgers and cokes and replaced them with water and more fruit and veggies than seems reasonable. I've kicked the TV habit and replaced it with working out. I don't pretend to be the perfect picture of health. I still have some work to do and I'll be the first person to ackowledge that. (I don't need anyone to second that, thank you.) This has been a daunting task. The first month or two I was tempted to go back to my old ways almost every day. But after I recognized the benefits, the lifestyle change has become easier. Here are some of the benefits of healthier habits:

*I feel better in general.
*I'm not the queen of insomnia, like I was before. It used to take me nearly an hour to go to sleep every night. Now it takes me about 15 minutes.
*I was always skeptical about those people who say exercise gives you more energy. Turns out it's true.
*I have a legitimate excuse to buy new clothes.
*I've learned that a nice pair of running shoes can change your life. After buying my most recent pair, I actually thought to myself, "this is what walking in heaven must be like."
*I have track friends...people I don't really know, but I see them everyday at the track and we say hello and smile.
*For the first few months, I really hated exercising, but now I actually look forward to it.

There are many other benefits, which I'll save for some other post. However, with the benefits, come embarassments and much discomfort. Here are a few cons of the healthier lifestyle:

*I've worked very hard on my persona: I don't play sports, I don't touch dirt, and I don't sweat. I can still maintain my "no dirt" policy, and I still can't imagine myself actually playing a sport, but I do sweat. And I like it. I wear tennis shoes, too. In public. What will people think?
*I have had more callouses, blisters, and bruises in the past 6 months than I've had in my whole life. You could touch my heels with a hot branding iron and I wouldn't even know it. (This is all due to my old ill-fitting running shoes.)
*I learned the disadvantage of having really small ears. I can't wear those earphones that hook over your ears. They're ridiculously too big and I look silly wearing them. I have take them off and hold them for jogging/running, else they just fly off by themselves. The same goes for earbuds.
*I've learned how truly bad the radio stations are around here. I tried to go with something upbeat, but the first station I tried played WAY too much Rod Stewart and Huey Lewis. I mostly listen to 101.9 now, but what I really need is a small, lightweight, MP3 player with an armband.
*I have less time for post-work activity, since I still refuse to get up and work out in the mornings.
*Sometimes, I just want some ice cream. (I'll admit it: if I really want it, I eat it and I don't feel too guilty about it.)
*Despite regular outdoor activity, I still don't have a tan.

Obviously, both lists could be much more extensive, but I'll leave at that. Maybe by January, I'll have made this such a habit that I can work on another issue: passive-aggression.