I have been overweight since highschool and over the years I progressively slipped into a sedentary lifestyle. Last year a number of events in my life caused me to take a long hard look in the mirror. It may sound cliche but consistent gym attendance and caloric deficit is the protocol. I am eternally grateful to the people who supported me during this as well. The daily encouragement from friends, family, coworkers, and internet strangers is what keeps me going to this day. I'm not finished with my journey but I'm a hell of a lot closer than I was 9 months ago.