Day 96

What's that ribbon stretched across our path up ahead? Is that the finish line? It's so close I can almost smell it (and it smells like apple pie and ice cream! ...just kidding...) I've been thinking about what life is going to be like in a few days. I must admit I'm a little nervous about transitioning out of this special 100 day journey, and back into normal life. The difference between losing a few pounds a week, and maintaining weight can be fairly significant. I often wonder if I kept eating and exercising exactly the way I do now, where would I land? I wouldn't keep losing forever, eventually I would reach equilibrium where the calories required to sustain my life at a certain weight would exactly equal the calories I was taking in. I wonder where that equilibrium point would be? 170? 160? 150? I suppose I could calculate it, but it seems like too much math to be bothered. The real task next week will be to start finding the right mix to keep me in the zone that I am in right now, without moving back up the charts again. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's not over until the less-slim-than-me lady sings.

Day 96
Current Weight: 176.5
Weight Lost To Date: 29.5

Our goal weight is 175. I have 1.5 pounds to go in 4 days. The number seems small, but it's getting harder all the time. I promised you I wouldn't do anything rash at the end, and I'm going to stick to that promise. No starvation diet for the final days. No dehydration tricks before the weigh-in. No lopping off a leg to try and drastically lighten the load before stepping (hopping?) onto the scales the last day. I'll stick to the same technique...diet...exercise...sucking in my gut and admiring myself in the mirror...

Every dramatic finish ends with the cheering crowd providing moral support to the exhausted athlete as he crosses the finish line victorious. YOU are my cheering crowd (okay, maybe not cheering, but breathing loudly at least). YOU are my inspiration. YOU are my reason to... (enough with the sappy cliche's already, you get the picture). Stay with me. Let me know you're out there. It would be easy to come up just short of the goal, except I really can't let you down now. One final push, and it will all be worth it. Let's finish it together!

Don