3 months, down 25 lbs, 25/F 5'6

I've been using MFP for about 2 months now, and surprisingly only happened across the message boards here recently. I find other people's progress pics incredibly motivating, so I'm glad to have found another great place to share tips and see progress (I also spend a lot of time over at www.reddit.com/r/loseit).

I started trying to lose weight somewhat randomly back in March, and I can't express how happy I am at the results. I had pretty much given up hope that I'd ever be able to lose weight without being very unhappy, and I've been overweight for as long as I can remember. So I thought I would share my progress here, in hopes that I can return the favor to the people that have motivated me. You guys are awesome!

For anyone who's interested, I came up with my own calorie goal based on research I did online from several different places, MFP's suggestion was a little low for me (after all - maintenance is what it's all about!) and there's some things I refuse to sacrifice on because I know I won't be able to keep up with it without starting to resent everything. I work out 5-6 times a week (Zumba Fitness on the wii has been a lifesaver) and I've changed my calorie intake a couple of times but 1700-1800 is working for me. I'm going for low and slow here...I'm not really interested in dropping the weight in two months, I'm fine waiting (I have concerns on how my tattoos will be affected by a drastic change).

I still have awhile to go, but I couldn't be happier with my progress.

SW: 249
CW: 224
GW: 165