I'm really looking forward to hitting the 100-pound mark.

But isn't “100” just a number?

Maybe it is--- and maybe “8” is just a number as well. I mean, it's only the number of inches I've shrunk around my waist over the last 178 (oooh, another number!) days. Maybe 10.50 is just a number too. That's how much money I wasted on dry cleaning for a suit I”LL NEVER WEAR AGAIN. Good riddance! Damn! I can't tell you how good that feels.

Numbers can be significant if you want them to be. Take for example the number “52”. That's how much weight I still have to (scratch that, WILL) lose between now and June '08. How about the numbers 7, 29, and 206? That's how much time (months, weeks, days) I have left to accomplish this goal. How about the number 1.77? That's how many pounds I need to lose each week to reach it.

And finally, the number that really matters; the key number that unlocks the entire equation (introduced way back when) and guarantees my success in losing all the weight I need to, the single number that is going to make or break my renaissance...

1. One. Numero Uno. Me.

That's the most important number of all. Without me and the commitment I carry, all the others lose relevance.

Shrink on, number one.