@Recovery4Me I lost it all the hard way: diet and exercise. I had LOTS of help tho, or else I couldn't have done it. I had the guidance of a nutritionist and also someone that prepares lunch and one of my other meals every day.
Just cutting junk foods netted about 15lbs lost in the first month! And the rest was achieved by eating smaller, more frequent meals. 5 or 6 total. Breakfast, lunch and dinner with snacks in between each. Around 3 hours between every meal. Cutting sugar almost 100% with the exception of the sugar in fruits and such. Avoiding food around 2 to 3 hours before bed time, etc. Well balanced meals, with plenty of veggies and complex carbs. I cut almost all simple carbs (white bread, processed flours in cookies, etc)
I went on a 500 or so calorie deficit and slowly but surely, the weight started melting off. At first I was losing with diet only, but that slowed down and I started Yoga very gently, as it gave me a lot of dissociation issues at first and I was so weak and out of shape that it was pretty difficult.
The main thing I would say helped me, was the fact that I could still eat things I liked. Diets that are very restrictive are no good because you end up giving it up sooner or later, even if you were successful at first. And also, losing weight in a flash, with ANY method, is not recommended from what I've heard cause it only sets you up for a rebound as soon as you go back to more normal activity and dieting habits, and you gain it all back and then some.
With exercise, the main thing is to enjoy it, because that's the only way you will keep it up long enough to see any benefits. Doing something that doesn't "feel like exercise" helps. Yoga felt different to me at first. It was more of a way to get in touch with my estranged body than a way to sweat off the pounds. Walking helps a lot too, specially in nature or beautiful locations. But I wouldn't know firsthand, since I AM housebound after all and I barely set foot out the front door!
Oh man, to answer your question tho
@Recovery4Me, I started this journey last December. So it's been almost a year by now. I reached my current weight about a month ago tho and now I'm focused on improving body composition more than just weight loss. I want to gain muscle and shape my body, while losing the stubborn fat I still have.
It's much harder to do this than just losing weight, and I can get discouraged. But yeah, slowly but surely I will get it, wish me luck! And sorry for the long winded response! And thanks for the support :)