So you have lost 16 pounds in 9 weeks. That is 1.7 pounds per week, which is right at the the healthiest rate to lose weight. You are on an excellent pace. Are you feeling discouraged? I understand if you are. We want immediate results. I went from 227 pounds to 150 pounds over the course of 8 months, and at times I was discouraged because I felt I wasn't losing weight fast enough. But I wasn't losing weight too slowly. I was at an appropriate pace and getting healthier every day. Here's the mindset I gradually came to over the course of those 8 months:
First of all, you really need to compare your current weight to your weight from 1 month ago. DO NOT compare your current weight to your weigh-in yesterday or last week. Weight fluctuates so much (about +/- 4 pounds throughout the day), that you cannot determine your rate of weight loss by comparing one day to the next. So if daily weigh-ins discourage you, I would advise you not to weigh yourself daily. Instead, weigh yourself once every two weeks. Or, if you like weighing yourself daily, over the course of a week, take the median weight of your daily weigh-ins, and compare that number to your weight the previous month to check your progress. You will not get an accurate rate of your pace by comparing Monday's weigh-in to Sunday's weigh-in.
Next, I believe it is NOT important to have a long term goal. I view my physical fitness as a journey, not a destination. It is a lifestyle change, not a means to an end. I want something sustainable that I enjoy, not a burden that I can get rid of when I finally reach the finish line. So instead of long term goals, I have many short term goals. I try to live in the moment. Yesterday, I benched 9 reps. Well, tomorrow, I want to bench 10 reps at the same weight. And if I didn't reach that goal? Oh well. Win some, lose some. Let's try harder next time. I make it a game - a competition with myself. I think it's fun, and I'm always looking forward to my next workout.
When I first started trying to lose weight, I set a long term goal with a deadline, and that was extremely stressful. I did get discouraged when I thought I wouldn't reach the target within the time frame. But now I see that is trivial. It's much more important for your physical and mental health to create sustainable habits that you enjoy while also challenging yourself at the same time.
I hope this helps, and I hope you are able to make enjoyable, healthy habits for yourself. Let us know how it's going. I find this thread encouraging, and I love reading about other people's exercise habits and progress.