i became the person my dog needed me to be and lost 140lbs in the process.

In September 2014 we lost our beloved dog to cancer. She was a sheppard/rottie mix and she we adored her. Part of what we loved so much was that she was just as lazy as we were so we could get away with missing a walk or two and short walks were enough for her (in hindsight, i regret not being more active with her...sorry baby). Two months with an empty house was more than we could bear so November 2014 we rescued a puppy. They told us she was a lab/rottie mix - yay, lazy rottie. Nope. That *kitten* had energy to spare. A DNA test revealed that she's a lab/terrier mix. Every evening was a futile act of trying to tire her out.
After a few months of trying to figure her out, my husband suggested that we might not be the right people for her. We didn't have an active enough lifestyle and it wasn't fair to her. We might have to find the right family for her. *kitten* that. I was in love. I decided to become the person she needed.
Luckily, I work from home so we started walking at lunch and after dinner. Slowly at first and not very far but it was enough for her. She was happy and exercised. Then one day I was getting dressed and noticed my pants were looser. I hadn't changed my diet, just added the walks but since I'd lost a few pounds I felt motivated.
It's important to share here that i was obese from the time i was a kid. it never bothered me - it was who i was. i was confident but realistic. i knew it was unhealthy, but i just thought "i'll lose it when i have to" - now i know "have to" is usually too late.
I downloaded MFP, dusted off a decade old stationary bike and got serious. I started logging all my meals, riding the stationary bike for 30 minutes four days a week and continued to walk the dog twice a day. Our walks got longer and faster.
One day my husband told me i'd stopped snoring. A little while later i noticed my lower back wasn't constantly hurting. I stopped watching so much TV and looked forward to our walks. my knees and ankles stopped hurting. The weight came off pretty quickly (until the last 5 - curse those last 5).
Fortunately, i'm not a binge eater or emotional eater - that made it much easier for me. I am a "rich" eater. Cream, butter, cheese - yes, yes, and yes! So i had to re-learn how to cook. I replaced my cookbooks with books from the Cooking Light editors and get all my recipes from there. I eat balanced and delicious meals - just smaller portions and i never feel hungry.
I have more energy than ever, my body doesn't hurt, i sleep like a baby, and i go into stores i can't afford just to try *kitten* on. I have some loose skin but it's not as bad as i thought it would be - besides, you can only see it when i'm nekkid and that's my husband's problem
i've been maintaining for four months and feel better than ever and have more energy at 41 than i had at 21.

http://imgur.com/0yza2zC (the pic was taking at 148 lbs - i've been maintaining 143 since March)