480 Days - Celebrating Life with My Wife

Over the course of the last two years, I've had so much support from friends and family as I've changed my life for the better. Positive thoughts have flooded my inbox and Facebook page from near and far. Friends from many years ago have once again entered my life to show support and encouragement, and all of it has meant the world to me.

But without the endless support, love, and patience of my wife, I would be nothing.

11 years ago today, I married the love of my life.

I knew the moment we met I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. She was so driven, independent, intelligent, and of course beautiful.

The early years of our marriage have been fantastic. But battling obesity, I was often cranky. She would always understand and roll with the mood swings. Not many people would have.

Since I've maintained this blog, I've reflected upon many reasons why I made drastic changes to improve my health. I wanted to be more active. I wanted to be a better son. I wanted to be a better father.

Day 449 - Pain - The Ultimate Motivator

Taylor's Theory of Consequence, developed by yours truly, clearly states "a world without consequence will surely slip into chaos."

Not extinct. Not extinct at all.

A year and a half ago I was suffering the worst type of consequence - insurmountable pain. Joint pain. Back pain. Butt pain. Toe pain. When I awoke in the mornings, there were very few parts of my body that did not hurt.

That was the catalyst for my weight-loss surgery. You all know this because we've covered it numerous times in this blog.

Over the course of the last 9 months, I've not lost any weight. Last fall I hit 275 and just stopped losing. Not so coincidentally, it was around this time that I regained a bit of an appetite. I introduced some new-fangled dietary supplement called sugar back into my diet, much to the chagrin of my doctors. I also became a bit lethargic, and dropped my normal walking routine to participate in the Couch Olympics.

Day 343 - New Beginnings

It was one year ago I was told by my surgeon to begin a strict pre-op diet that consisted of liquids only. Going from eating like I was accustomed to eating to only having liquid "meal-replacement" shakes was horrifying.

I was allowed five shakes a day. Each one had barely 150 calories, but contained all the nutrients important to promote good health. The diet was critical to the success of the surgery, as it helped shrink the liver and provided an easier path for the surgeon to navigate.

Enjoying one of my favorite past-times!

For two weeks I had to endure the smells around me - Watching others eat food that I knew tasted so good. It was the most mentally miserable I can ever recall feeling.

While the purpose of the diet was critical for the physical success of the surgery, it was even more important for the mental aspect. This was my mourning period for food. It was the time to cleanse myself of all the bad habits. A sort of moratorium on gorging. A self-imposed rehabilitation. It was during this time I had to convince myself to find happiness elsewhere.

One year later, I've lost 165lbs. To say my life has changed would be a dramatic understatement. The ills of obesity, I feel, are far behind me. No more chronic joint pain. No more struggling to get out of bed in the mornings. No more tight booths in restaurants.