I'm 36, and I'm NOT Obese!!!!

By obese, are you talking by BMI standards? Because if you are, don't. That thing is evil. 

Most excellent!  Congrats and keep up the great work.  It's one of the best feelings in the world to be happy with your own body. 

Being happy with someone else's, well, that's another one of the best feelings in the world.

CONGRATS Bradnt!! Way to go! You've accomplished so much in a year, you should be very proud of yourself. This is the best thing you could have done for your family, enjoy your day!!!

(Jim, go to his before and after pics...)

I'll post the "real" before pics (as in, gut hanging out, nothing but shorts on) if you guys haven't eaten yet...don't want anyone losing their breakfast.

As far as after pics, I don't have any real good ones yet, but I'll try to find something as recent as I can...or I'll set up my digital on the timer if it isn't with my wife.

I haven't eat yet so hurry up.

Dude, you ROCK!!!!!!

Congrats, congrats, congrats. Hello, Hard Work, this is you, paying off.

Whoo hoo!!! Way to go!!!

Are those bike scars on your legs? If not, just say they are, thats cooler.

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See there Jim...I didn't really need a BMI calculator to confirm the obvious...he he he.  Although I agree with you that the whole BMI thing is nuts. 

And Haley....uh, yeah, sure.....those are bike scars...uh-huh...you bet!! 

You look amazing!  Check out those legs!!!  Even more importantly, you must feel so much better!  Not that it is much of a comparison but I gained 50 pounds with my first pregnancy and I can't believe what the extra weight did to my body.  When I got back to my pre-pregnancy weight I had a new appreciation for health and fitness - and more compassion for those stuggling with weight issues.  Do you feel stronger and so much more energetic?

Anyway...Happy Birthday and Congratulations!!!

Thanks everyone.  And yes, Kim, I feel stronger than I did at 20.  I've struggled with weight for most of my life, and what I never did before was exercise.  I would diet and lose weight, then gain it back and feel like crap again. 

The biggest payoff so far has been in my health.  Just a year ago, I took Pepcid every single night just so I could sleep...and most nights I would still wake up with heartburn and shortness of breath.  I haven't had a pepcid in months. 

It's also fun to finally be able to play with my kids...like, REALLY play.  Kids love to climb things, run races, ride bikes, etc.  I couldn't do that before without feeling like I was going to die.  Now I'm the one challenging them to race...it is a neat feeling. My two biggest cheerleaders are my girls.

I'm not crazy enough to think that I am finished or that the journey is over...health and fitness are a continuous process, and I'm just praying that I will maintain the motivation to keep going and getting healthier each year.  I know that it is real easy to slip back into complacency.  

One easy way to keep myself motivated is to look at my race results...almost everyone is still in front of me, but at least I'm on the page...I'll take that and be happy with it as a good motivator for the future!