I backed out of surgery, and have lost nearly 140 lbs. so far!

This is kind of a big deal to me: I started my weight loss journey a year and a half ago at 305 lbs, severely morbidly obese for a lady only 5' tall. I wanted bariatric surgery, and went through all the pre op requirements fully intending to go through with the procedure. My surgeon told me the gastric sleeve would help me get to about 166 lbs, as long as I followed the prescribed diet and exercise program afterward. Eight days from my surgery date I backed out. I'm not judging, I just came to realize surgery wasn't for me. But when I backed out I promised not to let myself regret the decision. Well, this week I reached 166 lbs through my own program of diet and exercise, and I'm so tickled I just wanted to share. I'm not one to take selfies, especially not full body shots. But here's my face, before and after, at ages 57 and 58. My goal is to lose 20 - 25 more lbs, then have surgery to remove quite a bit of the sagging flesh that's been left behind.

I aim for no more than 1,200 high quality calories per day, focusing on lean proteins and fresh fruits and veggies, 64 oz of water each day, and moving around more and more as my body would allow. I started with some form of exercise one day a week, and have worked my way up to five days a week. I began with swimming, which was easy on my joints and supported my weight. I''m in my 50's, and have quite a bit of arthritis. I added walking when my knees didn't hurt so much, then riding a bike, and now some light strength training. I alternate these throughout the week. Although I'm strict about my calories in and out, I eat a small treat most evenings, like a bit of dark chocolate and/or pretzels or popcorn. And I allow a planned splurge on holidays, vacations, and special occasions. I also switched to decaf, and very rarely drink alcohol.

I use the myfitnesspal app to log my calories as accurately as I can, wear a Fit Bit to remind me to move, andbelong to several online weight loss support groups like this one, getting inspiration from you all!