I was in the Marines where "no pain, no gain" was the mantra. I respectfully disagree with that now. Physical fitness need not involve pain. I actually consider myself in better physical shape today then in my Marine days because I'm eating better too. In the Marines, I had a terrible diet. When I wasn't in the mess hall, I'd eat nothing but Twinkies, donuts, chips, cookies, etc.
Now if you are talking about "soreness", that's a different issue. I do get sore after a challenging walk or after doing a bunch of situps and pushups. But I don't consider that pain.
Your before/after photos are mahvelous. You've really made an incredible turnaround, and one of the best parts of the low-carb, natural-carb lifestyle is that recidivism is virtually zero. All the junk your body used to crave now has such limited appeal that it's no work at all to avoid it. I used to enjoy baked potatoes, for example, but now they are a disgusting waste of empty calories.
One of my treats these days is cashews. WalMart sells a 10 oz can of whole cashews for 2.88, and it lasts me about 10 days (an ounce a day). 28 cents for a yummy, healthy snack.
I'm the same way as you are about extry-virge olive oil - it's like mother's milk.
My hat's off to you, Sam!
Michael