Journey to thinner

So,my story goes like this. I was born and I was a normal kid....normal weight.....and fairly happy. Around 10 I hit puberty and got chubby,not fat,just chubby. I only stayed chubby for a year or so and slimmed down to a normal weight....chubby was just a stage for me.
Now, I was always a large framed person.Well proportioned but just big framed which makes me appear tall even though I am 5'8 which isn't considered very tall.So,I hide weight well...or so I think.
Through my teen years and early twenties I stayed a normal weight,sometimes even skinny if I worked out and dieted. However, at the ripe old age of 25 I quit smoking,got married,and learned how to cook. This is when I started to GAIN...the weight. GULP
In my early twenties I was an average 120-140...going between those weights off and on.(Usually on the higher scale during holidays)After marriage and quitting smoking I went up to 180. I was pretty chubby but still not what I would call fat...just pushing it. Then,I had my son....and I gained some more....and some more. I got to 200 pounds even though my son was three years old.
Eating out is the DEVIL!!! I think most of my weight gain can be blamed on delivery pizza,chinese takeout and good old Happy Meals. Yup,I as just eating like crap. Hey,my husband went from a healthy 175 for a man of 6'2 to a jelly bellied 230. We were not happy with our weights but I really didn't think we were eating badly.
I went to doctors and made them do Thyroid test on me even though they didn't think I had a problem. I was convinced something was wrong but tests come back normal. I did find out I had high blood pressure and my sugar as a little high. Nothing that needed treating.Just had to face the fact....I was eating too damn much. UGH.
It all started with Slim Fast! Really! I am not trying to make ya go out and buy some. The Slim Fast company isn't giving me anything for this...they don't even know about this blog. I am not giving them total credit...no way. The Slim Fast was my start. I drank two a day and I will admit,I was eating a large meal every day for lunch but a Slim Fast in the morning and for dinner. I also allowed myself one coke a day and 2 pieces of fruit and raw broccoli. I did this for two months.The only exercise was maybe a mile walk every day and chasing my 3 year old around.I went from 200 to 180 in two months....not bad. The hubby was drinking them too just for the heck of it and he lost 10 pounds or so.
Then,after the two months I decided I wanted to get off the Slim Fast and try to do a diet I could live with. I decided to do 1200 calories a day. (sounds like starving to you?) Well,I looked up food and how many calories each food had.That really surprised me. I didn't know every food I loved was so damn fattening. SO,I started eating an apple for breakfast and sometimes a banana too. For lunch I could have whatever I wanted but it had to be under 600 calories and for dinner I ate raw veggies with 35 calorie Laughing Cow cheese. Then fruit before bed at night. I stopped drinking soda and cut back on Carbs because I used to eat wayyyy too many which are high calorie and made me feel sleepy.In a month I went don to 170.(ten pounds thinner,30 pounds total)
My sister begged me to try to go running with her. So, we went to a running track and I gave it my all.(which was not much)I ran for a second or two maybe it as more jogged. Then,I walked for a minute or two. SHe was running circles around me,whatever. I liked the way running felt but I didn't ant a running partner. I tried the next day by myself. I ran and walked(mostly walking) for a mile or more. I started to run in place in front of the tv at night and dance to music at night in my living room while watching tv or listening to music. During the day I would do my occasional run. I am not a person who is training for marathons or is trying to break a personal record. I run the way I want for as long as I want just for exercise.
Two months later I was down from 170 to 155!! Hell yeah!!! Well,its been a month later and now I am at 150. SO in 6 months(or less) I lost 50 pounds! My Blood pressure and sugar are normal...even a little low on the blood pressure and I feel so great. I am keeping it up and trying to lose ten more pounds as my final eight loss goal. ANyone can do it.

List of foods I would like to recommend to a person wanting to lose a few:
Laughing cow 35 calorie soft cheeses.(good on anything and make raw veggies and fruit taste awesome)

Morning Star veggie burgers and veggie meat products(low cal. and healthy)

Baked salmon,baked fish of any type!!!!(great on Flat bread)

Oscar Mayer hotdogs may not be healthy but the turkey hotdogs only have 40 calories!!!!

plain yogurt with honey is soooo tasty and it kills those sweet cravings. Put a teaspoon of cocoa if ya need a chocolate flavor.

one whole egg and 3 egg whites make a tasty omelet...add veggies like Kale chooped up and 35 calorie cheese and a little bell pepper....good eats.

More ideas to come. Gonna load a before and after pic now.