Getting there--slowly but surely

Well, I'm not sure where to start. My name is Cindy. I'm in my 50s (ouch!) and I've been overweight for most of my life. I have been on more diets than I care to admit but this time is different. I joined Spark People in Oct 2013. I thought I was ready to lose weight but my Dad had recently passed away and I was not in a good place. Grief is an awful thing. I am a comfort eater. Along with my Dad passing away, my Mom's dementia progressed to the point that it was evident that she could no longer care for herself. My sister carried the bulk of the load in the caregiver department but it didn't make it any easier for me to deal with my Dad's death and my Mom being essentially "gone." I tried, really I tried. But after a brief period of weight loss, (about 1 months' worth), I got discouraged. I hit a plateau and we entered the holiday season...Christmas cookies were my friends. They reminded me of my Momma and Daddy's home. I gave up. I didn't have enough support from my family and friends to help me keep going. I gained back the 7 or so pounds I lost and piled on another 7 for good measure... I was at my all time highest weight when I returned to Spark People in January 2016.
So, here I am, 4 months later. I have now lost 23.4 pounds and I look at myself and can't see where the weight came off from. My daughter (17) points out that my face and neck are slimmer. I have baggy jeans that I can slip off without undoing the zipper. I can't fit into smaller clothes yet, but I know it is coming. I can run up the steps at home without getting winded and my walking endurance has improved as well. My husband has been incredibly supportive. He walks with me whenever we are not running off to a softball game (for younger daughter) or track meet. When the weather is not cooperating, my older daughter and I go and walk the mall. Sometimes the goal is a certain distance, other times it is a certain amount of time. The walking is the best exercise I have found for me...So, yes, I have lost 23.4 pounds but I still have a long way to go...No, I'm not comfortable with confessing how much I actually weigh but I will tell you--I now weigh what I weighed when I found out I was pregnant with my youngest.. She's 13 already so I'm thinking this is really happening this time!
I have found a really great friend here at Spark People and even though she is in Wisconsin and I am in PA, we are in this together! So, I guess the moral of the story is this: Get involved in the community here at Spark People. Share your victories! Share your frustrations! Lift people up with encouragement and let them encourage you. You just might find a new best friend! Stay positive and stay strong!