I'm new here. I just clicked on your profile and saw your before and after pictures.
My first reaction was: Oh. My. Goodness!
You are absolutely beautiful and I am so very happy for you!
I'm about where you were and I'm just beginning, so your story is an inspiration. Bet you haven't heard that one before, huh?
I've dieted again and again over the decades, losing and gaining more weight than I care to admit.
I'm now in my late 40s and going through perimenopause, and I can tell you one thing. Never again will I do the drastic deprivation thing, which can only lead to an ultimate weight gain (with rare exceptions, of which I am not one).
About a year ago, I decided to learn to cook so that I could make nutritious, enjoyable meals, rather than continue to live on the junky convenience foods I had come to rely on. I've come to depend on
http://www.recipezaar.com, which is a site where real people share real recipes and give reviews and tips on recipes they've tried. I didn't single out "diet" foods. I just found recipes I liked and tweaked them where necessary to make it more healthy (i.e., subbing apple sauce for fat in muffins, cakes, breads).
A couple of months ago I finally found a reasonable replacement for my Classic Coke addiction, which is carbonated water with a twist of lime. I purchased a home carbonating unit from Sodaclub.com (I'm not affiliated) and I now enjoy my seltzer water more than I ever enjoyed Coke, and saving money to boot!
A year and a half ago I picked up some part time jobs that require some physical activity, which forces me to be less of a couch potato.
My point is I've been gradually making healthy changes in my lifestyle, and I'm finally at a place where I can begin my weight loss journey.
Until recently, I found myself occasionally sliding back to old habits, which resulted in me losing weight for a while and then sliding back to old habits and experiencing a gain. I've flucturated in a 15-pound zone.
I seem to have turned a corner. I enjoy my new eating habits and my stomach turns at the idea of eating some of that junk I used to love so I believe there will be less fluctuating.
It took me losing any concern for what others think of me so that the only reason I'm doing this is for my own health. I'm blessed to be very healthy now, and I want that to continue. So there's no pressure from within for me to meet some kind of time deadline to reach x weight.
Anyway, back to what set off this tirade by me: You were pretty before, and you're the picture of health now, which makes you even more beautiful, and I will again say I'm so very happy for you.
Thanks for sharing your success with us. You're doing more good for other people who are struggling than you can ever know.