I'm 5'6": I was overweight all my life, at age 21 I was 233 with about 30% bodyfat. I worked out, but I ould never follow a diet, and failed so many times. I started to serious cardio (6 days a week) and stuck to my diet, I lost nearly 80 lbs. in 6 months. It was not all fat, I lost muscle too. But, I had/have veins that are unreal and abs, my bodyfat ranges from 5% to 12% depending on how I want to look. Of course having my heart broken by my g/f at the time really motivated me.
Sidenote, I ran into her while my woman and I were shopping at IKEA, she didn't recognize me.