I saw a post the other day from someone who dropped over 130 pounds! It's so inspiring. She looked great, but more importantly, she was saying she felt amazing. That's the real goal, right?
You look great and really happy, and healthy. Comparing our progress to others can diminish the success we're having in our own way, in our own time. We all approach this differently. What matters is getting to a healthy and sustainable place, and you've done that. Congrats!!
My doctor also suggested switching me from metformin! I'm on the extended-release version, and it's helped cut down on the diarrhea. Maybe ask your doctor about that before making a complete switch?