21 pounds lost, and so much gained!

I know compared to many of the people on this forum, this is small potatoes. But for me, this is HUGE. I have tried more times than I can count to lose weight and i've never been successful at losing more than about 10-15lbs at a time before quitting and gaining it all back and then some. The most i've ever managed to lose before quitting was 18lbs (at which point I quit and regained 40). Today, I about fell off the scale when I saw that I'd dipped into slightly over 21lbs lost in just under 3 months!! I've also lost 1" on my neck, 3" off my waist, 3.5" off my hips, and 3" off each of my thighs! Based on the fat2fit tools military body fat calculator, I'm down from 53.4% body fat to 48.3%. I've gone from being in obese category II to category I.

But more important than all that i've lost, is all that i've gained: I've gained respect for myself, and pride in what i'm capable of. I've gained a lot of stamina, although I have a lot further to go on that! I've gained an appreciation for how I look in the mirror, and I truly believe that i'm beautiful, even though I have a long way to go still. I've gained the ability to turn down things that are obnoxiously unhealthy, or just have a bite and be satisfied with that, because I'd much rather eat the delicious healthy foods that I've learned to love. I've gained the knowledge that so many people believe in me and want to see me succeed, and are proud of me. And most importantly, i've learned that "obese" does not define me, and I'm more than that.