Met first GW, 10 pounds lost!

I didn't log my starting weight because it was just too awful to face. I was 158 at my highest, about 6 weeks ago. I'm now at 148.6!
New goals are at 5 lb intervals, for a total of 53 pounds. I may change my final goal if I find it unsustainable to be below 115. I was 105 when I joined the Air Force in 1989 at the age of 24. I've been slowly climbing to this weight and I can't stand it. I have a few reasons to lose. I need to unload my aching joints caused by avascular necrosis and an autoimmune disease. ( antiphospholipid syndrome). I would like to hold off on bilateral knee and ankle replacements for as long as possible. Also having terrible bilateral hip and back pain. I hate the way my clothes fit and the way I feel at this weight. I'd like to get off blood pressure, cholesterol and pain medications.
Finally, and this is the biggest-my goal in life is to become a cave and trimix diver. I need to get stronger, thinner and in better aerobic condition so that I can pass my classes. We are moving to North Carolina next month and from where we will be living we'll be within 1 hour of great ship wreck diving and 6 hours from the Florida caves.
So, losing at a steady 1-1.5 lbs a week. I'm sure that will slow down to 0.5 but that's okay. Getting into better shape, tweaking my macros to make me healthier and lower my cholesterol. Gradually increasing my exercise to achieve my goals.
I was in a wheelchair or crutches for about 8 months last year. I had two major knee surgeries to remove stem cells from my hips and put them in the knees to help reduce pressure in the bones and to fill in new bones/cartilage. Finally, I'm seeing some results. Clothes fitting better, face looks slimmer and I'm having a slight decrease in pain.
I can hardly wait to post before and after pictures but I'm going to wait a bit. Don't think I have any pics at my highest weight but took some today.