Changes

     Wow....has it really been this long since i have posted?...Over a month wow! Well where do we start? I guess i will start with some changes that have happened to me over the course of this past month or so. I have joined Seth Tylers Weight loss challenge and have been losing a good amount of weight each week. As of last monday i have lost 23.5 lbs in the challenge and 33.5 lbs total. What the heck?! This pleases me greatly. All this weight hasnt dropped without a huge amount of work i have put in.
     I have been eating better for the most part and exercising like an Olympic athlete!....well maybe not that far but i saw in my last post i was riding 11 to 12 miles a time. Now i just pop in a movie and ride til i make it to 30 miles. Afterwards im feeling pretty dang good. After todays 30 mile ride i had the energy to go on a 2 mile trek out on the old rock road with my dogs. I couldnt believe it but i actually ran more than normal and as i sit here and type this i am not in constant agony or pain....i dont feel bad at all. Love love love it! I was even outworking the beagle and working up to the lab though. Im glad i started up all this physical activity because in a couple of weeks we will be taking our youth group paintballing and now i will be able to run and compete well against them! BOOM HEADSHOT BOOM HEADSHOT!
     I have also noticed that my shirts are fitting alot better. Such a darn relief cause i dont think they make bigger shirts than the ones im wearing now. But im not concerned about that anymore...i will not quit. I will not go back to that seriously unhealthy state that i was in. I am conquering most of my urges lately and feeling great because of it. Went to work and there was a nice big pile of brownies and mashed potatoes and gravy and all sorts of stuff that i used to crave. In that battle of Man vs Food the victory went to man!
     I am noticing i am also a happier man in general! My response to people now when they ask me how i am doing i say FANTASTIC whereas a couple months ago i would say a bit of alright. Its a great feeling when some of your coworkers notice that you are losing weight. I have so much more energy than i used to and dance around more than usual at work too! Its cool to talk to people about their fitness too. I never imagined in my life that i would be a person who people would look to for guidance in their fitness journeys but it is happening. I hope to inspire more people with my hard work and determination and i now realize this journey isn't just about me. I can help inspire people to work hard and achieve their goals. Its amazing how God uses people as His tools for His purpose.
     I am in a bible study for pretty much the length of how long this blog has been about and its really been good for me. We are studying the book of Nehemiah and the biggest thing i pick out from this person is the enormous amount of prayer their was in Nehemiah's life. I couldnt imagine how much better the world would be if everyone had that much of a devoted prayer life. The results would be scary awesome! I am also enjoying my time with my youth kids. The past few small groups i have had with my junior high boys have been pretty good. They have kept focus as good as a junior high kid can and we had some good talks.
     So to recap this post.....weight lost, life happier, eating healthier, God rocking my heart, and working out like a mad dog.....that a big change from being chubbier, moderate happiness, horrible eating habits, mediocre walk with God and zero working out......I think im liking these changes.