A Vulnerable and Personal Post From Dr. Templeton

13 Jul A Vulnerable and Personal Post From Dr. Templeton

Hey everyone!  This is Dr. Templeton writing this.   I wanted to share a bit about myself and some of the challenges I have faced and how I have overcome them.  Hopefully each of you will take some time to read this and it can help you.

I have struggled with food and weight my entire life!   I LOVE to eat!!!  I LOVE good food!  I LOVE to cook!  Food to me is a good time.  I don’t eat due to boredom or other reasons why some people eat.  I eat because it is social and it is done with those that I love.  

Along with my love of food I have had A LOT of injuries!!!   I have had 8 surgeries and I am only 45.  Here is the list of surgeries:

1. Right knee scope in HS due to wrestling injury
2. Left wrist had 3 screws put in due to football injury
3. Left knee scoped due to football injury
4. Left wrist to remove screws
5. Right achilles, ruptured playing basketball
6. Right knee scoped due to softball injury
7. Left shoulder biceps tendon repair and cleaned up due to wear and tear
8. Right shoulder biceps tendon, ruptured at gym.

Also during this time I:

-Played 2 seasons of collegiate football

-Ran 2 full marathons

-Ran 6 half marathons

-Completed 2 Ragnar Wasatch back relays

-Played many years of recreational adult basketball leagues

-Worked out consistently in the gym at least 3-5x per week during most of these injuries

You add these major injuries with a couple hamstring pulls & tears, other minor knee & ankle sprains doing multiple activities.  I am also dealing with a herniated disc in my lumbar spine, due to a congenital abnormality at my lowest lumbar vertebrae.  My right leg tingles from time to time and my foot goes numb.  

That is a HUGE list!!  I am sure there are others that have had more but for a 45 year old man that is a lot.  

During many of these recoveries I was not able to exercise and work out like I normally do.  So my weight would fluctuate, sometimes it would be large changes.  I have been close to 300lb’s at times and others been down to 225.  Normally I sit around 250-260.  

Why do I tell you this?

I tell you to let you know that I know the struggle!  When I say struggle I mean the struggle to exercise regularly.  The struggle to overcome injury and rehab from surgery.  The struggle to eat like I KNOW I should.  The struggle to keep good habits.  

So here are a few things I’ve learned over the years rovering from these injuries, and how I’ve stayed active during most of these problems:

• Find a way to be active every day!  Even when I had my shoulder surgeries and achilles I only missed the gym for maybe 7 days.  I found things I was able to do at the gym and kept my habit. 
• Don’t beat yourself up when you fail.  Guess what?  You are going to trip up and miss a workout or eat crappy.  That’s part of life.  Don’t let one day of screwing up lead to 2 or 3 or 10. 
• Find a nutrition program that works for you and stick to it.  I still enjoy my food.  Every Sunday I make a delicious meal and a yummy dessert.  However Monday-Friday I am strict and stick to my plan, usually.  At least I’m consistent enough to get the results I want..  
• Most importantly, realise that being healthy is a lifetime endeavor.  There is no ‘end goal’.  You may have a goal weight…but once there you want to maintain it.  But ultimately your desire to lose weight and be healthy is about being able to be active and do the things you love to do with your friends and family for a long long time.  So play the ‘long game’ and not the short game.  Make short term goals but don’t ever have a finish line!

If you’d ever like more information on tips and tricks to live a more healthy active life we are here to help!  Call us anytime 801-492-9300