The first picture is one of the very first before shots I ever posted.  It was at a cousin’s wedding in December of 2008, right before I started my journey.

I remember the day this picture was taken.

It took me hours to find a decent dress shirt and pants — I couldn’t make a trip to my beloved Big & Tall store due to a lack of time, I had to rely on the mall.  I finally found a 4XL shirt at Dillard’s and a pair of khakis (48 or 50 w) to accompany it.

My wife and I drove separately to the church as I had to stay late for work.  Walking into the church and meeting her before the ceremony I remember telling her how horrible I looked.  I was sweating profusely (like always), my shirt was constantly becoming untucked, and I was just generally uncomfortable around all of these beautiful people dressed up in their Sunday best.

Bluntly, and truthfully, I felt like a big fat slob.

Fast forward a wedding.  This time I watched my sister get married.  It was an outdoor wedding, yet I didn’t have a drop of sweat on me.  I wore shirts and pants that were teetering between a medium and a large.  I must have received at least 20 comments about my looks from family and folks who haven’t seen me in the last several months. People were pointing.

I walked up to two different family members at the wedding, shook their hands and stared right into their faces, and they just didn’t recognize me…

I had to tell them my name.

{ 45 comments }

On the left of the comparison shots below you’ll see me in July 2005 on my wedding day.  On the right, this morning, at the WLTX (CBS) studios with a local celebrity Cocky, the mascot for the University of South Carolina.

Notice how much I was sweating on the left — my hair was drenched.  One thing I remember about being obese was how much I used to sweat all the time, regardless of what I was wearing or how cold it was.

And yes, those are (small) muscles forming.  I plan on turning into a 6′2″ tank by the end of 2010.  It’ll be a lot of work, but it’s not like I’m alone.

I hope these pictures motivate you as much as they do me.

{ 44 comments }