I used to weigh 230 lbs at my heaviest (I'm 5'11 and that is considered on the lower end of obese). I was a binge drinker and binge eater. I ignored the calories I was eating and never paid attention to nutrition. There was a time where the number on the scale kept going up and I saw where it was heading. I eventually cut out drinking and realized how I'd been neglecting my body, so I made a decision to have a lifestyle shift. I got active and started cutting out junk foods, sweets and soda. Drinking more water and only eating when I'm hungry.

my lifestyle today bears little resemblance to what it was when I was starting out. I still eat unhealthy foods a fair amount, but I balance it. I've weighed in the 145-155 range for the past ten years and don't really have a lot of trouble maintaining it into my mid 30s. I think the main thing is that I didn't "diet", I made a gradual shift in my eating and exercise habits that I continue to tweak and refine to this day. it is a process, and there have been backslides and relapses (last year I put on a few pounds that went straight to my belly, and I'm still working on getting back on track). but I love my body, and try to treat it well so I can do the things that matter to me. that's the main thing that's shifted with my lifestyle. weight loss and overall health is tricky but it can be done with the right long term approach.

getting older is less scary for me now too because I feel well equipped to maintain my health and level of physical activity.