Today is getaway day, so I weighed in on the heavy scale again and I've hit a milestone: 40 pounds lost.

As I have detailed before, this is the third time in my life (and hopefully the last time it's necessary) that I've gone on a weight reduction program that has netted at least 40 pounds lost. A lot of people are noticing: I'm getting comments almost daily when I'm up here among my co-workers. That's terrific, but I know that (a) I'm still technically obese and thus (b) I have a long way to go.

I was thinking about this on my commute this morning and I really believe that most people can successfully lose weight. It can be done. However, it is not easy. It takes a lot of determination and a lot of resilience. I've been successful this time, but I have also failed in the past. I stopped at the gas station this morning and I saw a young woman who was a little on the heavy side buying expensive junk food for breakfast. My thought immediately was: that was me before. I could still be there. Hopefully, I won't go there again. For those of us who battle weight issues, there is no doubt but that it is really difficult. I feel good about myself right now, but I've been humbled before and I haven't forgotten how that feels. I hope that I can provide you with a little inspiration and also realism: the battle is life long and it's much harder to fight than not fight. The fight is also worth it.

Day 79
Weight: 244.5
Total Loss: 40.0
BMI: 30.15