This is the final blog entry for “Jesse 39.9” | Read All Jesse 39.9 Blogs Here

My goal was to lose 39.9 pounds before I turned 39.9. That date was April 29, 2014. (I would have suspended it around now anyway, as next week is the Yard Sale, which requires a lot of prep and disrupts my normal schedule). I failed to get to my goal, but I’m not disappointed. I lost 20 pounds (from 235 to 215) in the first month, but have been fighting to keep those pounds off since then, through a better diet and exercise. I ran into an unexpected problem — not being able to run due to leg pain. When I can’t run, I can’t lose weight rapidly. I thought walking (and elliptical) would cut it, but it didn’t, and I still haven’t been to the doctor for a diagnosis. The best news, however, is that I have been consistently losing body fat since I got the Aria scale. I started at nearly 30% and am down to 27.8% today. This is because I’ve added strength training (via Bowflex) to my routine. That means I’m gaining muscle, which is keeping the weight loss minimal. That’s a good reason to not be losing any weight. Still, my weight is not where I want it to be. I’d like to lose another 10-20 pounds — I’d like to be around 200, I think that is my next goal, which I will pursue this Summer.