Though the advice to "just ride it" isn't misplaced, it should be taken with the caveat that you should "ride nice." That means no bunny hops, no standing sprints, "float" over the bumps, etc...IOW: Don't ride it like a gorilla.
Taking care of the wheels situation was a smart move. Ride 'em. That's what you bought ''em for.
Unfortunately, You can't ride your way out of weight gain. For that, it is 100 percent calories in versus calorie out. Though riding can be an important part of that equation. It is only part of the equation.
You know what to do here. It's a matter of execution. That's the hard part. I recently lost 20 pounds in 16 weeks for the purpose of respecting weight limits on some premium ($$$) bike parts. It was not easy. Even harder was admitting I needed to.
You can do this. You'll be there soon if you follow through on executing a/the plan.
__________________
I shouldn't have to "make myself more visible;" Drivers should just stop running people over.
Car dependency is a tax.