My goal *was* to be at 200 pounds, but I changed that and now wish to get down to 190 [edit, its 180 now and possible will go down to 175]. I'm posting here now because tomorrow (Sept 17th) is my 3 year weight loss anniversary and I feel like this is sort of the start of my new life in maintenance phase.
What a long and crazy journey it has been! It has not been a straight shot to get down to where I am. There was many bumps along the way, but I'm happy for those bumps. I'm glad it wasn't easy because I've learned now to recognize when things start to go wrong and I can quickly get back on to a healthy lifestyle.
To think that 3 years ago I could barely walk 2 blocks without being out of breath and now I do several marathon length walks each year. To think that 3 years ago I was in constant fear of embarrassment such as not being able to fit into chairs or not being able to do things that other people took for granted. To think that 3 years ago I could have dropped dead any day (and now I am the healthiest I've ever been in my life).
You can see some before pictures
here and
here. If you'd like to see a current picture, you can see that
here. If you'd like to see some of the skin issues associated with massive weight loss, you can see that
here (shirtless, TMI warning).
Every day now I want to be healthier than the day previously. That doesn't necessarily mean less weight (as I am now going to make a big effort to add more muscle).
As always, I thank the people at 3fc's for giving me the encouragement to continue this journey when I was very close to giving up. I don't think I could have had the success I've had if not for this community.