The first time I can notice a loss

Thank you.
I credit a couple things to my success so far. First, meal planning. I use an on-line meal planner at emeals.com. They provide weekly meal plans and shopping lists for dinners. That helps me control portions and it also keeps me from buying junky foods. I use a Natural and Organic plan, so it's full of lots of fruits and veggies, with very limited processed foods. The dinners are very tasty and easy to prepare. As a result, I learned a lot about what's a normal portion and how to use good quality ingredients in my cooking. Plus, I don't have a lot of "extra" food around. Emeals charges about $50/year for their service; I used a Groupon and got it 1/2 off! It is worth every cent to me, even at twice the price. I started exercising. I need bilateral knee replacements (just had arthroscopic surgery 7 weeks ago), so I have to go low impact. I use a stationary bike and an elliptical that I have at home. I also do seated chair exercises and use 3 lb free weights for upper body toning. Of course, I truthfully log everything I eat. I eat back 1/2 to 3/4 of my exercise calories each day. My husband has been very supportive as well. He's lost 25 lbs so far. MFP has been great because of the encouragement and inspirtation from others. I also look at this as a lifelong health pursuit, rather than a diet. I will probably need to log foods for the indefinite future, even when I reach my ultimate "goal" and work on maintenance. Again. Thanks for the nice comments.

Just like everyone has stated....you look FANTASTIC How did you do it....if you don't mind sharing?

Thank you soooooooo much, everyone! Your kind words have encouraged me to push myself even farther! And especially thank you for your sweet commens about my beloved Grace. There is something magical about her--she has a gift for making others happy just by looking at her. I am blessed by her very being.