Wow, oh wow! Finally have broken it down to nearly a 100lb loss. Originally I intended to wait to post until then, but I just got so excited that I'm sharing it now.

Back story:
324 after giving birth to my daughter in 2010. Didn't start my "diet" until February of 2011 due to various stages of denial, self-loathing, etc. Being insulin resistant, it has been a battle! Initially I just cut calories and starting tracking with myfitnesspal. After the first 30lbs, I engaged in some moderate exercise (think 5 minutes at a time on the elliptical).

Today I am proud to say that I can go for 45 minutes straight and don't feel like I'm dying!
I've gone from a 26W to a size 16. I can attribute some of my success to the fine people here at 3fc. I have not posted very much, but I read quite a bit of what is on here and it's been an invaluable resource. So I thank you, one and all!!

I'll post pics when I reach goal.
-Tree
*i can spell very well, so any errors above can be attributed to my not so smart "smart" phone.

LOL That's what I always tell people my phone is, a 'not so smart' phone!
You have come such a long way!! You should feel so excited and proud!!
Best of luck for the remaining 36 and look forward to your goal photos when the time comes!

Congratulations on a fantastic loss !

That's amazing work ~ congrats on your weight loss!

To the person who pm'd me, I'm one post away from being able to respond directly, so I'll answer here and hope that you read it. I've removed your name for anonymity purposes, of course
At first I cut calories to around 1800. then I slowly realized that I needed to drop the carbs I was eating, due to my insulin resistance. so I tried to get down to 100 carbs a day or less. right now what seems to work for me is keeping them around 60 and eating around 1600 calories a day. on days that I exercise I eat around 2000. But I definitely had to work my way down in the beginning. I feel great now though.
It's been a long journey, but worth everything to me now. Starting out where I did, and where you are now, it seemed so hopeless. The upside is that once you cut calories, you lose the first 30 VERY quickly. Which puts you in the 200's already. And that, trust me, is a huge motivator!
Best wishes on your health journey, you'll be so glad you started!
*again, sent from smart phone, so forgive grammar/auto correct!

Also, thank you everyone else for your support!! I can't wait for summer, I'm actually excited to go swimming again, woohoo!! :b

This is amazing, congratulations. I want to see those pics soon!

Beyond amazing!! Congrats such an inspiration!!