Motivated to Lose Weight After a Back Injury


 2019-10-04

In mid-April of this year, while crouching down to lift a small bucket with a little water, I heard my vertebrae crack. Nothing like that had ever happened to me before.  When I tried to stand up, I couldn’t, nor could I walk. I hardly made it to my own bed. 

Two days later, I visited a chiropractor who ordered to have x-rays done on my spine. When I received the results the next day, the doctor looked at them carefully and said: “I am going to tell you the truth, your back is in very bad shape. You have several injuries, which I can help you with, but you have to lose weight. If you don’t lose weight, it will be difficult to rehabilitate.” The following day, I received a second opinion and received similar results. Those doctors remarked it was a miracle I was walking without a walker. In total, I had three doctors who told me the same thing. That diagnosis scared me a lot, but I started thinking about what to do and I decided to take action. A friend referred me to a bariatrician who helped and is still helping me lose weight. 

How do I Stay Motivated?

I think it was seeing things objectively that helped me stay motivated. I knew that no matter what, I had to lose weight in order to get rid of those problems in my spine. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in pain or be in a wheelchair because of my obesity. I didn’t want to be a burden on anyone, so I decided to do everything in my power to succeed. 

At my first check-up, the doctor I work with suggested I make several changes to my eating habits. I never thought I’d have to make many changes because my blood glucose levels reflected that everything was in order, but I was completely wrong. 

In the first session, I was told my weight was 99 kg (approx. 218 lbs), officially designating me as overweight. The news was surprising because I thought I was just slightly overweight. Fortunately, I have more willpower, faith and desire to live a full life with my life companion, type 2 diabetes. I knew by losing weight, I would gradually become less resistant to insulin and possibly decrease my insulin and oral medication dosages. When I began to follow my doctor’s instructions and modified my eating habits, I started to see results. 

Since I started making changes in my life, I lost nearly 10 kg  (approx. 22 lbs) and have gone down one pants size. I started to wear old clothes I stopped wearing because they didn’t fit and got rid of the ones that were too big for me. Everyone from my relatives to my doctor encouraged and congratulated me on my progress. In fact, my doctor uses me as an example for other patients. These efforts were having a positive impact on my blood glucose levels, too, to the extent my doctor lowered the dosages of my insulin and oral medication. 

All these improvements motivated me to continue with this journey. Once my doctor tells me it’s safe, I’m going to start being physically active to further improve my health, including insulin resistance, and especially my vertebrae. My other goal is to further reduce my need for diabetes medication, as well. 

Don’t Fear the word ‘Diet’

Personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the word “diet.” People shouldn’t fear or recoil from that word. “Diet” has a bad reputation because many people think of flavorless, bland foods. The truth is diet is simply what a person eats or drinks. However, we can frame our mindset to see it as a means to have a healthy nutrition plan with various food options. If you add in physical activity, we can produce positive changes in ourselves. 

Finally, it’s necessary to have good supportive people around you. Keep those who will help you get back on track when you lose your way and encourage you when you’re feeling down and unmotivated. None of us have to work to change our lives alone. Finding those who love us, even if we aren’t at our best, can help us reach our goals faster than we know. After all, part of the reason I’ve been able to make so much progress and stay motivated is because of the people in my life who continue to be there for me.  

 

 

WRITTEN BY Adrián Márquez, POSTED 10/04/19, UPDATED 11/14/22

My name is Adrián Márquez, I am 44 years old, next September 20th is my 8th diaversary. I am currently studying for the Diploma of Diabetes Education Facilitator given by the Mexican Diabetes Federation. My social networks: Facebook amarquez.75 Twitter: @admag75 Instagram: @admag75