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.

While I've not paid any significant price for my back-sliding ways, neither have I gained any ground on my goal. I still have 40 more pounds to lose before I feel like I've won. 235 pounds. That's where I've got to be, both by my own desires and by those of my medical practitioners.

Eating right has been hard over the course of the last year. Unfortunately I was in the rare group of gastric bypass patients that never experience "dumping syndrome." This unpleasant affliction happens to 7 out of 10 patients when they eat food they are no longer supposed to, such as sugar. I'm supposed to be living on the low glycemic index, which unfortunately doesn't include foods I love, such as yeast bread, crackers, pretzels, and all those other incredibly yummy carbs. But eating this way hasn't gotten me anywhere, so a few weeks ago I made a change.

I've reverted back to what I know. Protein, protein, and then some more protein. I'm drinking a protein shake for breakfast and lunch, and having a high-protein dinner. Protein bars, apples, and nuts for snacks as I feel hungry in between meals. So far it's been a breeze. 

So, how have I learned stay motivated to eat the right thing after back-sliding for 9 months?

The answer is easy --> Pain.

I've started running. And it sucks. It's hard. And I've been truly humbled. I've realized how absolutely out of shape I am. Each 60-second segment of jogging is like 180 seconds of breathing nails. Each day after a run, I look like someone creeping back from the dead - wabbling from side-to-side, holding onto walls in fear of falling over. I either look undead, or drunk as Otis. Either way it's not a pleasant way to live.

All I can think about after a run is the hard work I've just put in. THAT part feels good. In my head I know that I'm putting forth everything I have physically. AND, because I am doing the work and busting my ass, I don't want to jeopardize or ruin it with lousy eating.

So pain is motivating me once again. In the beginning it was the catalyst for a significant life change. This time the motivation is not to start the job, but to finish it.

Weight this morning: 271lbs (-4lbs)

The Vanishing Taylor