Chaz Bono is happy with what he sees in the mirror after his weight loss.

Bono shared to PEOPLE that he has lost 65-lb. since he decided to shed pounds in November 2012. At the time, he appeared on The Doctors and shared how being thin was put above all else in his family. The 44-year old is the child of music icon Cher and the late Sonny Bono.

"There was a lot of pressure to be underweight growing up," Bono said on the telecast. "I hope the pressure of doing something publicly will give me more incentive [to lose weight]."

During the talk show appearance, Bono also explained why managing his weight impacted him as a person. In 2005, Bono joined VH1's Celebrity Fit Club. Bono was still known as Chastity, his birth name. After the show ended, he underwent gender reassignment and chronicled the experience in the 2011 memoir, Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man.

"Because I'm transgender, I was always completely disconnected from my body," Bono said. "I really lived in my head and just kind of tried to ignore everything from the neck down."

Bono was advised to lose 50lbs on his frame but has exceeded expectations. Bono told PEOPLE that his body felt in better shape than it had been in years.  He said he was in less discomfort when he tried to exercise and be more physical. His weight loss has changed him in other ways.

"All of my numbers are all normal now, which is great - my blood pressure, my cholesterol," Bono said. "I just have a lot more confidence, and that feels really cool. I really like what I see in the mirror."

Bono did acknowledge that his weight loss was slowing down and things were becoming harder. However, he insisted that a set number was never his ultimate goal. He just wanted to get healthy and improve upon the way he felt. Bono said he would allow his body to dictate what he does next.

"I've been eating the same way now for months and months and that hasn't changed," Bono said. "I'm going to have to eat this way for the rest of my life."

Tags: Chaz Bono Cher Sonny Bono