I have been big all of my life. 

 In 1993 I was able to get into excellent shape and was down to 145 pounds, thanks to exercise and Jenny Craig.  Though JC helped me to get down from 200 to 145, the only problem, which I realized later in life, was that I never learned to eat right, since I was eating only her foods.  I was also spending anywhere from 2 to 3 hours a day at the gym. 

Eventually I was unable to keep up that routine and slipped back into my old habits.  I was able to keep most of the weight off for a long time, but starting in about 1999, my job duties changed and my schedule became very hectic and sedintary,  Slowly the weight started to creep back on and before I knew it I was pushing 200 again.  At that point I thought I would be able to take it off easily, but never really put that much effort into it.  Before I knew it, the years flew by and the pounds just kept adding up until I topped 260 in 2007.  Even though I was around 260, I never really saw or thought of myself as fat.  I knew I was a little overweight, but that's just what I thought- a little.  As I said earlier, I have always been big, and thanks to my over-zealous weight training in 1993, I had a lot of muscle, so I never saw myself as fat, just as big and muscular.

Finally in 2007 I was at work and while I was bending over picking up items from the floor, I was having a hard time catching my breath.  I knew at that point just how out of shape I really was and I needed to do something about it.  Even though I had still been going to the gym 2 to 3 times a week, all I was doing was weight training and no cardio.  I also was not putting much effort into it or my eating.  I was only eating an average of 2 times a day, and rarely had breakfast.  When I did eat it was usually fast food or rich restaurant food.

In October of 2007 when I had my revelation at work, I also got a new trainer at the gym.  She is truly my lifesaver.  When I started out with her, she started by making me stay after our sessions and do extra cardio, even when I didn't want to.  She never fell for my lame excuses on why I wouldn't stay after and saw right through me.  That was exactly what I needed.  After she got me started adding in cardio, then she slowly started on me about my eating habits.  She started by making me eat 1500 calories a day.  Eventually she put me on a more structured meal plan where I was eating less processed food and more vegetables. 

I then got to the point where I was in the gym 8 to 9 times a week.  On my 3 training days I would go into the gym in the early morning to do 30 min of cardio and then return later that night for weight training.  On the other 3 days of the week, I would do anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes of cardio.  When I started on the treadmill, I could only walk and started at about a 3.2mph, and I could not run or jog.  When I finally got to the point where I could jog I was doing about a 4.2mph.  Now my walking pace is a 4.0 and I am now running at a 6.0 to 6.5mph.

I feel 1000% better now then I did in 2007 or before.  My eating habits have completely changed.  I cut out all sodas and added in tons of water.  I have also cut way back on my alcohol consumption.  I went from eating 2 times a day to where I now I eat 6 times a day.  I eat a lot cleaner now then before, as to that I now eat mostly fresh foods and rarely eat processed foods.

This has definitley become my new lifestyle and I am loving it.  People that I haven't seen in over a year barely recognize me as I have lost 95 pounds.  I never imagined that I had as much will power as I have now,  I am also a lot more confident and have become more outgoing and less introverted.  I am at my goal weight, and almost to my goal bodyfat.  I am now about 20% and would love to get down to about 15%, though I am happy at where I am now.

The moral of my story:  If I can do this, than anyone can.  All you need is an attainable goal (how you look and feel instead of a number on the scale), a little will power, and a whole lot of heart to get you through.  :-)