There are just a few more days left in 2017 and I never thought I'd have gotten this far.  I'd looked in the mirror plenty of times and hated what I'd see.  I'm nowhere near where I want to be but at least I can say I'm doing something to change where I am.  I've started and stopped plenty of times in the past but I think this time may be different, this time it's for me.  Other times I'd start because people would make a rude comment or because I wanted to get a boy to like me... but now all that matters is my health and that I like me.  I think that's one of the hardest things to do, getting to a point where you actually care enough about yourself to want to do something for you.  On September 5th I started my journey at 261lbs.  I hated that number on the scale and knew that I had nobody to blame but myself.  I've been working hard as well as trying to change my eating habits little by little because I want this to be my new lifestyle, something I can stick to and not just a diet to lose the weight which will just lead me to get bored and return to my bad habits.  This morning, I weighted in at 222.6 lbs. (THATS 38.4LBS GONE!!)  Like I've mentioned earlier, my goal to end 2017 is 219.9lbs, I may or may not make it but I will for sure try.  I've become so much stronger than I was with more energy and endurance than I could have imagined.  If this is what I can accomplish in almost 4 months, I can't wait to see where I will be a year from now.  It has been a tough journey with plateaus that have made me cry and want to give it all up but I told myself I owed it to the me who stepped on the scale and decided to start at 261.  She was strong, and I don't want to let her down.  I want to thank everyone who has encouraged me throughout and wish you all the best of luck, which we don't really need because we make our own.  I hope you finish the year strong and continue to progress in 2018.  I can't wait to see what the new year brings us, stay strong because you deserve it and you are worth it.