January 2010
Hello and welcome to my world. This blog has been set up as a medium for me to keep myself accountable as I try to lose 40kgs before my 40th birthday in December this year; and to provide updates on my training to those who are interested as I attempt my fitness goals.
While the blog originally established for my weight loss challenge, it has also given me the opportunity to explain why I put on the weight in the first place in turn giving me a chance to tell my story of dealing with depression.
Just over six years ago I experienced a severe episode of postnatal depression when I had my eldest daughter. At five weeks postnatal I became an inpatient of the Mothers & Babies service at Princess Margaret Hospital where I stayed for four weeks. I was an outpatient of the service for a further 11 months.
Three years later I had a second daughter and my experience was poles apart. Inside of being depressed I was euphoric and estastic for months. I had developed a bipolar disorder – an incident that affects about 3% of women either during or after pregnancy.
The combination of the medication I am on and feeling sorry for myself was a lethal one in respect of weight gain. In August 2009 I weighed 127kgs – more than 40kgs heavier than before I had children. That same month had been one of my worst that year but after hitting rock bottom I woke up to the realisation that I was the only one that could change things.
In September 2009 I started eating sensibly and started to walk as far up Rapaki as I could. In October 2009 I joined Weight Watchers and then decided to help me maintain my motivation to keep exercising that I need a goal to strive for.
One day while driving home from taking my daughter to school I saw the sign for the AROUND BRUNNER 130km road cycling event. That was to be my initial goal as it was six months away – in April 2010.
Then I found out about a new cycling event specifically for women, GIRLS ON BIKES, which was coming up in February 2010. I decided to enter that too! The event organiser checked out this blog and became one of my biggest supporters to date. Not only did he give me free entry to the race, he also hooked me up with a personal trainer and got Les Mills Ferrymead to give me a free three-month trial at the gym!
I then decided that the best way for me to help others who had experienced challenges similar to my own was to do both cycling events as fundraisers – the Girls on Bikes event I am riding in support of MothersMatter and the Around Brunner ride I am riding to support the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand. (see the seperate fundraising page on this blog).
So far since beginning my weight loss challenge in October I have lost 18.5kgs without doing any outrageous dieting or trying any weird and wonderful gadgets….its all been sensible eating in moderation and exercising!
