Happy birthday to me!

Hi everyone,I just wanted to take a minute to share my story with you. I turned 35 today and am in the best shape of my life. I am a person that has always had weight problems. I was a heavy child and overweight in high school. I've spent me entire adult life carrying 230-240 lbs on my 5'9" frame. My family is very active and about a year ago I stumbled upon the myfitnesspal app on my phone. I began reading the information on here and was motivated by your stories, secret tricks, successes and failures. I am not someone who posts a lot but I do read the forums and research some of the ideas that people share. Here are some pictures of me from before:




I was unhealthy and was frustrated with myself.I decided to turn things around about a year ago. I began making nutrition and exercise a priority. I never gave anything up, but eating poorly became the exception and not the rule. I was honest with my food diary and did not lie to myself when it could have been easy to do so. My wife was very supportive and helped me make better choices when at the grocery store and in restaurants. The weight loss was slow but steady. I'm not a big fan of fad diets or other products that promise unrealistic results. I ate properly and exercised moderately. I've now joined a gym so I can continue my transformation. I can now keep up with my wife & kids and our busy schedule.

Here are some pictures of the new me:

At 168 lbs:



And one more from this evening:



Thanks to those who share their successes on here. Keep doing it. There are a lot of people like me who may not write much in the forums but still appreciate the information you share. If this post helps even one person gain motivation in their fitness life then I'm glad I put it on here.

Thanks also to my wife who is a role model to me. For a long time she tried to help me, I just wished I listened earlier!

Thanks again,

Dan