So much more energy.

So today I started my first day of work. I am a couselor at our local YMCA for Summer Rec. Basically I get paid to play games with kids...not to bad of a job I must say. I've worked there for three summers now. Today, I noticed some things that surprised me. For the past two years, I've gone into the pool with the kids maybe once or twice because I obviously looked horrible in a swim suit and didn't want to be judge by anyone in the pool area. Today, I gladly got into my swim suit and swam with the kids. I didn't feel embarrassed- I felt confident.

For the past two years, I was lazy. I didn't want to play games with the kids, I wanted to just sit and watch. If I did play I could only play for 10 minutes before I would be to tired and go sit down. What kind of example was I setting for the kids? Not a good one that's for sure. Today, I played capture the flag for a good 45 minutes with a group of kids. I was running around like I was a kid again- I was having a blast and the kids were loving that I was running around with them. Let me tell you, I was full of sweat but it was a good feeling. I was ready to keep on playing for another hour.

One of the biggest concerns I had was eating during the day at work. A lot of the snacks we give the kids are somewhat "healthy". The get candy on certain days if their good which is in the cabinets, there are vending machines full of crappy food, the juice we give the kids is full of sugar. I ate horribly at work. I would pack a lunch full of food that I totally didn't need to eat. Then I would go find some candy and shove that in my mouth. Empty calories. I knew I was full too but my hand just kept shoving food in my mouth. Today, after months of re-teaching myself how to eat food and STOP eating when I'm full- I packed a good lunch. I ate it and I was satisfied. I brought an apple for snack time. I brought a liter of water and drank that throughout the day. I was successful. I didn't eat crap- I ate food that had nutritional value.

The past two years, I would work 10 hour days. I would come home and feel beat- find something in the house to eat and just lay on the couch and watch TV. Or if I had a really hard day at work, I would come home and eat and then go to bed. No exercise. Today, I came home- ate my oatmeal ( I <3 oatmeal ) drank my 24oz of water and then worked out for an hour. I wasn't tired, I felt good-energized. After I got done working out, I felt even better. Never would I have thought that losing 30+ pounds would have changed me physically so much. I love how I feel and I will keep on being active.