171 lbs lost! From 438 to 267 in 24 months!

At the end of 2014, I weighed at least 438 lbs. I had not been to the doctor to be weighed in a few months, but that was the last weight in my records. If anything, I had gained weight. I had just left the most miserable job I had ever had and was seriously depressed about it, as job prospects for 48 year old paralegals weighing nearly 450 lbs are in short supply. As a result of leaving the high stress job that was slowly killing me, I made some inadvertent positive changes to my lifestyle: I started sleeping more, eating better and being more active (instead of being stuck in a car or at a desk). As a result, I started losing weight and when I went to the doctor in early 2015, I had lost 40 lbs and the process started snowballing from there. I made nutrition and fitness my new focus in life and continued making positive changes: I joined a gym that I actually use; I started eating a Paleo diet; I joined MFP and made some awesome friends, and by 2016, I had lost over 100 lbs and frankly shocked my doctor. The weight loss is only one of many positive things that have happened in my life since I lost weight: I am no longer in pain all the time; many health problems which were poised to become major conditions have resolved; I went back to work in my field (apparently there is a market for 49 yo paralegals who can move); and since I have learned so much about nutrition and weight loss, I started a blog (https://takingthelongweightoskinny.com/) so I can pass on the information I am learning. Probably the biggest factor in my weight loss has been the community and support I've received from my friends on MFP. Any time I had a question or felt confused or just plain discouraged, my friends have never failed to offer support, motivation and to point me in the right direction for answers to whatever questions I may have. I honestly never thought I could lose 50 lbs and keep it off for any length of time. If someone had told me I'd be 50 yo and weighing what I weighed in college, I'd have said they were insane, but here I am! It doesn't take a miracle, even if it feels like it; it just takes the right information and the will to use it!