I'm that kid who's transforming slowly, but surely

i want to start off by saying that, of course, I'm no abercrombie model nor will I probably ever look like one but I am proud of the progress that I have made over the last year and a half. 

I've spent a lot of time and energy working on myself for the betterment of life. I chose to work on my body for my future, my health; and I can't lie, to look better. no way will I ever be vain about my body. I think that people who are too into their looks will never be satisfied with what they see in the mirror. 

the church I attend recently did a sermon series about sharing. sharing your time, money, etc. one of the things that stuck with me is how we as humans are never satisfied. it got me thinking a lot about what satisfies me. do I look how I want, can I improve, and so on. I know that even in my journey to a better body and life that I can easily become dissatisfied with how I look. a lot of thoughts pop into my head as I am working out and when I look in the mirror:

- can I pick up those heavier dumb bells

- how can I lose this extra chub around my midsection

- can I slim down to fit into that smaller size

when will I be satisfied with how I look? honestly probably never. but I can definitely say that I am satisfied with the progress I've made. I'm happy and proud to say that over the last year and half I've managed to shed and keep off 45-50 pounds. I've gained muscle weight and I've slimmed down A LOT. sure I have a long way to go but hey you can't blame me for trying  

I've never been one to ever be proud of my body and willing to show it off. looking at other bodies and comparing mine to theirs was always dumb but I did it anyway. body envy is an easy thing to get wrapped up in. I've never felt comfortable in my own skin but in the last few weeks and months I've become less concerned with what others think about what I look like without a shirt on. who cares?! but today on 'transformation Tuesday' I proudly post this side by side comparison photo to share how far I've come. I don't mind others seeing what lies beneath the shirt because really beauty is only skin deep and it's what's on the inside that counts. 

the picture below shows march 2013 to April 2014. again I still have a ways to go but you know posting this will help challenge me to continue on this journey and hopefully challenge others in the health game. I'm no expert I'm fitness and health and I'll gladly share with anyone what I did and how I continue to stay as healthy as I can. 

so without further ado.....

(warning: the pictures you are about to see of me are shirtless. just thought you should know and be warned)