Why Do I Care What the Scale Reads?

I'm really trying to keep my focus and remain positive but I have to admit that I'm pretty discuraged today.  I feel like I"m eating much healthier and I feel like my clothes fit better, my "muffin top" is smaller and I think that the scale should reward me by showing some progress.  But it doesn't.  I have an old scale.  The kind that isn't digital so you're always guestimating exactly what the reading is.  But it's pretty obvious when you pass those big lines, like above or below 140.  And it definatly still reads above.  And I SO want it to read below.  I guess the reading on the scale is a tangable piece of data to point to and say that I'm making progress and that the whole dieting thing is worth it.  In addition to the scale disappointment, I heard from my doctor's office today about my recent bloodwork.  As usual, my cholesterol is boarderline high.  Now, it's been this way for the past 10 years or so.  It fluctuates up and down, but never down enough.  And my good cholesterol is always way high.  I was advised to follow a low cholesterol diet.  I already pretty much follow a low cholesterol diet.  When I looked online about ways to lower your cholesterol and foods and activities that help - I eat and do all that stuff.  I don't think the answer is my diet.  I truly think it's my weight.  If I could lose the weight I would lower the cholesterol.

I think it's time to identify three more things to work on.  Originally my three focuses were:  eat two servings of fruit/day; walk the dog daily; and no eating after dinner.  I'm doing fairly well on these.  I don't hit all three all the time, but overall, I would say that I'm hitting at least 85-90%.  So, I want to focus on three more while still following the original three.  My new healthy habits:  2 servings of vegetables/day; 15 minutes/day of yoga or strength training on days I don't work in the yard (since that should count as strength training in itself!) and two glasses of water/day.  I'm really bad about the water but I'm going to try.  My weight goal is still to be 135 by the end of June.  If by that time I have still failed to push my scale below even 140 I'm going to give Weight Watchers a try.  I've never done WW for a lot of reasons.  My doctor suggested it at my check up visit.  I'm just not a joiner and programs like that put even more focus on the eating which almost makes me want to eat even more!  But, if I am failing that miserably by then, I should try something and perhaps it will show me what the missing ingredient is in this whole diet/weight thing.

On another note - we are having near 70 degree weather which has made it possible for me to do some work in the yard.  I'm really enjoying that.  Today I mulched one of my large flower beds.  Tomorrow I will do one more.  Then the weather is suppossed to turn cold again so I guess I can catch up on inside projects. I'm really enjoying this retirement thing!