Day 10 - Motivation From The Past, Present, And Future

Wow, Day 10. Into the double digits. Hopped on the scale to see a little more progress, looks like it wasn't such a bad idea to get some rest after all. I felt much better than on Day 9, completely refreshed and ready to roll, and actually looking forward to the evening's workout.

Motivation can come from many places. A person, a song, a story. Introducing Dr. Dean Schrader, my naturopath. He was instrumental in educating and pushing me during my last big weight loss push. When I came to him initially, I was a mess on all fronts. Addicted to sugars, chronically overeating, depressed. He took what seemed like endless amounts of time to just listen. Not only would he listen, he always seemed to have the answers I needed to hear. Even when I arrived for a session having lapsed in the eating or exercise department, he would always be positive about the progress, the big picture. He taught me about feeding my body, how to treat food as fuel, not as entertainment. How the food I was craving was designed to leave me wanting more. The science behind snack foods was quite alarming, and instead of just saying "Don't eat chips.", he explained why I shouldn't eat them, and what made me want to eat them. I found it much easier to control the addiction when I understood how it grabbed a hold of me. As my weight continued to drop, I arrived at a point where I started to see him less and less. I eventually stopped seeing him altogether, I thought I could handle it on my own. That's around the time I started to introduce those foods that he had educated and warned me about. Soon enough I had packed on the pounds again. You may ask yourself, "Why didn't you just go back and talk to him?". Very good question, but the answer is quite ludicrous. I was embarrassed. Ashamed. I didn't want him to see me like this again. It was even tougher to accept this time over the last, because I was so much more knowledgeable, but still didn't have the strength to go it alone. I should really give him a call soon.

And before that, there was another weight loss movement, completely centered around physical activity. My Mom, brother, and myself hired a personal trainer to try and get us whipped into shape. Quite the motivator, Brian Herosian took on the responsibility of whipping us into shape. When I visited him for the first time, I tipped his scale at 300. He was so great at getting me fired up to be active. The last thing I wanted to do was dissappoint him, so I'd always arrive completely pumped and leave utterly wiped. He welcomed us as a part of his family, utterly engrossed in our well-being, he wanted nothing more than to have us succeed. But again, I slowly started to decline my attendance, thinking I would be able to continue on my own. That was the intent, anyway. The weight crept back on, I stopped being active, and WHAM! Back to the old me. I should have gone back to see him, but again was completely mortified by my appearance. Pretzel logic, isn't it?

Taking all the teachings from these life experiences and now applying them to everyday life has shown that I have to be my biggest motivator. I've got a different attitude towards losing weight and being healthy this time around. It just feels better, different, more official. The weather on Day 10 was simply stunning, so my wife and I went for a 90min bike ride to the Fort Whyte Centre, which is a free-roaming wildlife conservatory, spread over 400 acres. Just beautiful at this time of year. After that, we came home to rest and relax for the evening, taking in a flick with a friend, but I still had an urge to hit the treadmill. Climbed that hill again, and finished with some 1min sprints (40min/2.0miles, 200/30/30). All in all a fantastic day, filled with many reminders as to why I continue to do this. An evening enjoying the great outdoors with my lovely wife, fond memories of inspirational mentors that became my friends, rest, relaxation, and activity. Life sure is grand, and becoming moreso by the day.