-46 pounds in 8 months. Halfway there! Photos edited.

Excellent! You look like you have lost more than 46 lbs:flowerforyou:

That's so sweet, thank you!

Thanks for the sweetest, comments, everyone! My hubby is a quiet guy as it is, so he isn't one to say, "Wow! Look at you!" Nice to hear it from you folks!

For those of you who asked how I did it:

I am a former binger, meaning I could just eat and eat and eat. That's how I got so overweight in the first place. Chips, soda, ice cream- I could eat all three the same day and still eat my dinner. I literally couldn't stand the taste of water; my parents never made us drink it as kids. Now, I only eat 1200 calories a day and drink water like it's out of style. I don't remember the last time I bought a beloved Dr. Pepper. I don't deprive myself of a little (food) goody now and then, as long as it fits in to my calories. I don't waste my calories on empty drink calories. However, I don't "fit in" fast food or fried food. My stomach has suddenly become too sensitive for that stuff. I'm sure you know what I mean there.

It has been a long, imperfect process. I have given up. I have cheated. But you know what? I would start the next day like it was the first day. I think that is something that held me back in the past. I would always tell myself I would start over "on Monday" or "next week." No, if you do that, you'll be spending the whole week working off what you gained- and most of it will be water from too much sodium, especially if you go crazy on the pop and the chips like I used to. My "cheat days" are very few and far between now, reserved for when I hit a plateau. I have been lucky to only hit two plateaus, one at 178 and one at 168. I got out of them by increasing my calorie intake for five days. I didn't go crazy and add in all kinds of sugary and fatty food.I just ate another 300 or 400 calories in fruits and veggies every day for 5 days. After I went back to 1200, it would take a couple of days for the scale to balance out the extra calories, but sure enough, I would have a new lower weight in a week. That's how I got past my two plateaus.

Without a doubt, the biggest thing I have done for myself is hire a personal trainer. When I started this journey in January, I didn't want to give myself any excuses. So, I hired a trainer, and I've met with her every week since. She pushes me to limits I never thought I could go before. But guess what? I can! I workout now 4 times a week for 45 mins every time. I don't eat back my exercise calories. I'm a shorty, so anything over 1200 sees a gain on me.

I would be happy to answer any other q's. You guys keep me motivated. Don't want to let you down!