When feeling down... look at the bigger picture

I often get to feeling down about my weight lose journey. I was 180 pounds, smoked 1-2 packs a day, smoked pot daily, was out of breath just going up a single flight of stairs, drank nothing but soda (I literally called water poison) and avoided exercise at all costs.

It is now almost 3 years later and I'm only at 175 . This was depressing to me at first but then I realized something.

1. I gained weight when I quit smoking. My starting weight on this journey was actually 200 pounds, not 180.
2. I no longer smoke cigarettes or pot
3. I can climb 4 flights of stairs before I start to run out of breath and have a goal of 15 flights a day.
4. I drink soda maybe 2-3 times a week now instead of every day. It is now a special treat and I keep 100 calorie cans in the fridge for days where I have extra calories before bed that I earned. I now drink a minimum of 12 cups of water a day.
5. I exercise a minimum of 3 hours a week with an average of 4 hours a week. I go for walks at lunch when it isn't too hot out.

My point is.. when you are feeling down about your progress, take a moment to reflect on where you started. The way I see it, even though I am technically only 5 pounds lighter than I was when I first realized I needed to make some changes in my life, I feel healthier and happier than I can ever recall being.