So, for those of you who don’t already know, I have fallen off the mental health bandwagon over the last month or so.
I didn’t actually realise that it was as bad as it is, but now I do. That’s always the hardest bit, noticing the problem in the first place.
So now I’m in Thailand, unable to walk properly – thanks to a hungry crab or some kind of sea creature that thought my foot was food – and generally feeling tired and crap and overspent on this months budget.
On the budget topic, I generally allow $1000 per month, occasionally for special events, like bungee jumping or health retreats increasing the budget. This month I have spent over $1500 with two weeks still to go. It’s not a huge problem, but my own irresponsibility bugs me.
Now I need an action plan. I need to get my brain functioning again and I’d like to do it without going back on my medication – although I do know I can if things get to that point.
The main points are diet and exercise, they have always been the key to being healthy.
Commitments to myself:
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Do the Tai-Chi form 3 times per day
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Drink at least 2L of water per day
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Have at least one piece of fruit per day
This is the aim for the next week, and I will add more to it after that.
I’m now DRUG FREE!!! Its been 5 days and I haven’t taken any anti-depressants.
I have been sleeping well and eating (sometimes) well.
Its great, I’m excited about the idea of being a healthy person.
Please don’t read this and think that I am saying medication is bad, far from it, I think its great and I am glad that I had it to help me through the years of my illness, but I don’t believe I need them long term so I am happy to be off them.
I was on medication since late 2004, its now August 2009 and I am looking forward to my life. My mentally stable, medication free life 
I was in counselling for years, one of the recurring themes was that I needed to eat well and exercise. That advice bugged the shit out of me at the time, as if its that easy. But now, now that I am well, I’m going to try to eat well and exercise to avoid my life falling that far off the rails again.
Of course, I know that life isn’t going to always be easy & that I won’t always be happy. Everything always changes, I think I am better able to adapt now.
Im a bit proud of myself today.
I had lunch with Liana. I had a sandwich on rye bread, with avocado, cucumber, tomato, beetroot, mustard and cheese with coleslaw on the side. I think its the first time I have eaten both beetroot and coleslaw.
Then, for dinner I used my wok for the first time. I had a chicken stirfry, with Onion, carrot, green beans, snowpeas, red capsicum, bok choy (not sure how its spelled), garlic, ginger and soy sauce. It was fantastic. I really enjoyed preparing and cooking it, as well as eating it.
I like putting effort into being healthy. I function better, I can think clearly and more. Its just better.
I actually enjoy eating food now. For years and years I wanted to be able to take a tablet or something and be rid of the whole eating thing, but I am actually enjoying it now.
Today I went to the organic grocery shop and got my food for the next few days, it wasnt as expensive as I had thought, mainly because they only sell things that are in season.
The people there were great, they were so helpful and had heaps of suggestions about how to eat the foods that Im not sure of yet. They were explaining stuff to me about what should be in your diet, like the more colours you have the better, its a good way to make sure you are getting a spread of nutrients.
Im actually enjoyig cooking food too. I made vege soup last week, its actually quite nice. I am attempting to wake up early enough to cook myself breakfast every day.
Im actually happy. I think the two are related. Eat well & exercise, people have been saying it for years and they are right. Happiness suits me, I like it. I notice myself smiling for no real reason all the time now. Its great. 
Oh, I have also decided to go vegetarian. Its going to be a slow process, at the moment I am semi-vegetarian already (that means I eat chicken but not other types of meat), I want to progress slowly to being lacto-ovo-vegetarian (that means I eat dairy and eggs, but no meat). Its all very exciting, I have so much to learn.
Filed under: diet
I am on this diet. Weight Watchers Core plan. Basically, I can eat as much as I want as long as its healthy (there is an approved food list) and I have a little room for extra stuff, like butter or small amounts of chocolate etc.
I started on Wednesday morning. I am now eating heaps more food than I usually do but I am hungry all the time. The idea is to eat so that you are satisfied, you should never feel really hungry or feel over full. No matter how much I eat I dont seem to be getting full.
I think its because of all the extra fruit and veg and water. Im not sure really. Hopefully it will get better in a few days time. I should start to figure out which foods fill me up and I need to look up what else I can snack on. This is crazy, I had dinner an hour ago and I am so hungry again.
