Wow - OK, so its been a week since I've caught up with you.
Whoops - sorry. Only two and a half weeks until I leave for overseas for my wedding and things are getting a little hectic!
What has happened since my last update...
Well I am pleased to announce that I have sharpened up my eating a lot - except for the odd teaspoon (who am I kidding... tablespoon) full of chocolate chips I have been very good.
My BIA on Friday was much better than I had expected. I didn't put on weight, or put on size on my waist, so for me that's a success :-)
Waist; no movement
Total Weight; down 0.3kg
Fat Mass; down 0.88kg
Muscle Mass; up 0.31kg
Excess Fluid; up 0.27kg
So as I said, nothing went up badly so I'm happy with that, especially knowing how I ate in those 2 weeks!
Next BIA is tomorrow, unfortunately this past week hasn't been great for me gym wise so again, not expecting any fantastic results. Last Thursday night I got a new tattoo (sorry Mum... hmm, maybe I should have told her before putting that on here....). While I LOVE my tattoo, the down side was that I had to have a week off the gym to allow it heal etc. This close to the wedding... it was a bit scary.
I discussed it with Di on Friday at my BIA and she reminded me that I can still do some exercise - even just heading out for a walk every day. I don't know who I was trying to kid, me or her, when I agreed and said I would. The only exercise that I do takes place at M1nt, outside of those walls I just don't have the motivation/discipline to do it!
So this morning was the first visit back to the gym that I've had since last Thursday morning. Ha ha - never thought I would say this... but I had missed it! Wow - now is that a change in attitude or what?!?!
From the beginning of this blog I have often thought about discussing my mental health - but have always decided not to. Well, today this is changing.
I suffer from a form of clinical depression, and I have done since diagnosed at 15. Since 15 I have been medicated, therefore lived a normal, stable life. Since being diagnosed 12 years ago I have faced some pretty disgusting discrimination at times towards me and that has always made me a little careful about who and how I tell people. I must state though that I never hide it, and it is NOT something that I am ashamed of.
Now the reason I decided to bring this up is because of the major difference that exercise makes to me. Like I said, in the past I have discussed with Di about talking about my depression on here and about how exercise has impacted so impressively on my state of mind/general mood, its just never happened.
Over the past week, without any exercise, I can really now see just how much of a difference it makes.
My 'shrink' (my friendly name for him) even commented recently that he was impressed how I'm doing in terms of being so close to my wedding. He said that its completely normal to have to increase a bride-to-be's medication levels prior to the wedding - because of the high amount of stress/anxiety that comes with the role. However I haven't needed that, if anything we have discussed actually being able to lower my medication levels (but won't until after the wedding!)! And the only thing that's changed is that I now exercise.
Not only have I struggled with very low moods over the past few days, I have also noticed a big drop in energy levels (weird... aren't I saving energy by not going to the gym?!?).
So there it is... exercise truly is an amazing medicine.