Accountability & weight loss!

So I'm fat.  It's time to take a stand! and I think if I make myself accountable it will work better.  Whether this gets read or not hopefully it will make me more accountable and help me lose weight.

Goal weight = 65kg

Which means I have to lose almost 30kg.  It seems a lot but I've lost half this amount around 3 years ago - I think I can do it again.

Starting on Monday, 10 Dec I am going to start back at the gym and start eating sensibly (until Christmas brunch that is :-0)

On Monday morning I will report my stats here and then report my progress every Monday morning after that!  And just to make it interesting I'm going to trial a variety of different plans to determine which one is the most effective.  I will continue each plan for 6 weeks and at the end of each 6 week period I'm going to summaries the amount of weight lost, if any.

I'm going to start on Atkins, as I have already tried this one once and it was effective then and I hope it still is, plus I already have the book for this.

So from 10 Dec 2012 until 20 Jan 2013 I'm going to be doing the Atkins diet.

Then from 21 Jan 2013 until 3 Feb 2013 I'm going to try the CSIRO diet - I also have the book for this one.

This should take 12 weeks in total.  I'm going to do some research to find some other well known diets and put them to the test.  Any suggestions, let me know.

In conjunction with healthy eating, I also plan to go back to the gym 2-3 times per week.  2 of these sessions will be for weights and cardio and 1 session will be a class - alternating between Fitbox and Pump.  I just had a look at the gym timetable for over the summer and found that there are no classes, so 3 weights sessions until the 7th of Jan 2013.

Wish me luck and stay tuned for my progress!




http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=pinkacquarius

Mental Health Wellbeing

I know I said that this last 2 weeks in October were going to be dedicated to Zombies, but since I'm going through a tough time at the moment - I thought I would just share information which may assist some readers in Australia.

Also it was Mental Health Week last week - so better late than never!

What is mental health?

Good mental health is a sense of wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem. It enables us to fully enjoy and appreciate other people, day-to-day life and our environment. When we are mentally healthy we can:

• form positive relationships

• use our abilities to reach our potential

• deal with life’s challenges

What is mental illness?

• anxiety

• schizophrenia

• bipolar mood disorder

• personality disorders

• eating disorders

• depression

What causes mental illness?

• long-term and acute stress

• biological factors such as genetics, chemistry and hormones

• use of alcohol, drugs and other substances

• cognitive patterns such as constant negative thoughts and low self esteem

• social factors such as isolation, financial problems, family breakdown or violence

A mental illness is a health problem that significantly affects how a person thinks, behaves and interacts with other people. It is diagnosed according to standardised criteria.

One in 5 Australians will suffer from a mental illness at some point in their lives. 

A mental health problem also affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves, but to a lesser extent than a mental illness.

Mental illnesses are of different types and degrees of severity.  Some of the major types are:

These illnesses may also be referred to as a mental disorder, mental impairment or psychiatric disability.

Mental illness results from complex interactions between the mind, body and environment.  Factors which can contribute to mental illness are:

These factors can be minimised by a strong and supportive community environment.

The following information was taken from the Beyond Blue website:

General information

Depression and anxiety - an information booklet

Depression is more than just feeling sad or low during tough times. People with depression can have intense negative feelings for weeks, months or even years, sometimes for no good reason. Depression is relatively common, affecting more than one million Australians each year. Unfortunately, many people with depression don’t recognise it or get help. But, it is treatable and most people with depression go on to lead happy, productive lives with the right treatment for them. Understanding depression - information for adults (fact sheet)              Understanding Depression and Anxiety (Flyer)  Depression symptom checklist              What causes depression? (fact sheet 3)   Practical ways to help someone with depression (information card)     How to organise a public forum on depression and anxiety

Treatment   A Guide to What Works for Depression (booklet) - a comprehensive review of all known treatments for depression, including medical, psychological, complementary and lifestyle interventions   A Guide to What Works for Anxiety Disorders  Types of help available (fact sheet 4)      Changing your thinking - Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (fact sheet 10)     Antidepressant medication - Advice for adults (fact sheet 11)       Getting help - How much does it cost? (fact sheet 24)   Benzodiazepines (tranquillisers and sleeping pills) (fact sheet 44)   Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) (fact sheet 48)

Recovery   Reducing stress (fact sheet 6)    Sleeping well (fact sheet 7)    Keeping active (fact sheet 8)    Changing your thinking - Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (fact sheet 10)    Reducing alcohol and other drugs (including smoking) (fact sheet 9)    Recovery (fact sheet 15)    Healthy eating for people with depression, anxiety and related disorders (fact sheet 30)

Related disorders  Anxiety disorders (information card)       Anxiety Treatment Australia provides information about anxiety disorders and the treatment options available. You will also find information on psychologists around Australia who treat anxiety disorders and who offer group therapy and workshops. Anxiety disorders (fact sheet 21)      Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (fact sheet 31)   Generalised Anxiety Disorder (fact sheet 35)  Panic Disorder (fact sheet 36)  Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (fact sheet 37)  Specific Phobias (fact sheet 38)  Social Phobia (fact sheet 39)  Bipolar disorder (fact sheet 16)     The Black Dog Institute is a world leader in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. Reducing alcohol and other drugs (including smoking) (fact sheet 9)    Eating disorders and depression (fact sheet 42)  SANE Australia is a national charity working for a better life for people affected by mental illness – through campaigning, education and research. Problem gambling and depression (fact sheet 45)  I know this is information overload, but I think it's important to have the information at hand all in the one place, especially when you really need it.  By the way, if any readers have any further information they would like to add, please feel free to post it on this blog. The following organisations are available to assist with people with mental illness and their families:

• Queensland Alliance for Mental Health

• ARAFMI

• GROW

• Carers Queensland

• Mental Health Association of Queensland

• Mental Health First Aid

Please check out these sites and consider assisting if you can :-)

A HEALTHY OPTION FOR THE LUNCH BOX

Over the last 20 years, rates of obesity in children have risen greatly in many countries around the world. In the ten-year period from 1985 to 1995 the level of combined overweight/obesity in Australian children more than doubled. The rate of increase in Australia appears to be accelerating sharply when viewed in a historical perspective*.

There is now a growing need to ensure our future generations are healthy and active, creating the demand for healthy snacks to include in childrens lunch boxes, especially when we are in the lead up for the new year!

Real Foods have a range of seven healthy crispbread slice options. Real Foods Corn Thins are made from Australian sun-ripened corn using a delicious recipe for maximum flavour and crunch. The varieties in the range are Original, Sesame, Soy and Linseed, Multigrain, Rye and Caraway, Rice Thins, and NEW Cracked Pepper & Lemon.

The new Cracked Pepper & Lemon Corn Thins are 97% fat free and contain more dietary fibre per gram than wholemeal bread! All Corn Thins varieties contain absolutely no artifical ingredients or preservatives, and are lactose free, while all except Rye & Caraway are also gluten free.

Joy Delis, Senior Brand Manager - Real Foods, commented on the rise in consumption of crispbread products and the increasingly important role of healthy snack options for Australians.

“The recent focus on health and dietary matters for Australians has seen a significant increase in the crispbread market. With the array of indoor activities available for children today it is important to balance their lifestyle with healthy snack options. Importantly, consumers don’t need to sacrifice wholesome ingredients for great taste - they can have both! Corn Thins are fabulous by themselves or with a fresh topping of your choice”.

Include a healthy alternative in your child’s lunch box this year with a variety of Real Foods Corn Thins.

Available at major supermarkets in 150 gram packs - RRP $1.89.

* information gathered from http://www.health.nsw.gov.au