Hi,
Hope you’re having a good day.
Guess what? Today is the day that I measure my body fat for being in NON competitive body building—meaning I do it as a hobby.
So today hopefully I will hit 6.8% and then I am going to eat whatever I want. Today is a total cheat day.
I also am taking ten full days off from the gym and cardio.
What in the world does this have to do with bipolar disorder?’
Something.
Okay I was telling my friend who was a woman about my training program. She said she was on a diet.
Ask any woman if she’s ever been on a diet and she will most probably say yes (in fact, she may even be on one now). In fact, my women (and even men) have been on several different diets over the course of their lives.
The problem with diets (as you probably know) is that they don’t work. And there are so many fad diets out there. What was “in” yesterday is “out” today and vice-versa.
Most people who go on fad diets end up failing and gaining back all the weight they lost and more.
I know a woman, though, who lost 30 pounds over the course of several months, and kept the weight off.
I asked her what diet she was on, and she said, “No specific diet.”
I said, “How did you lose all that weight?”
You’re not going to believe her answer! (Scroll down for the answer)
Keep scrolling…
Are you ready for this?
She said, “I cheated.”
I said, “You did WHAT?”
And she repeated, “I cheated.”
I had to know. Wouldn’t you want to know?
So I asked her to explain.
She said that all week she would watch what she ate and would be pretty strict about it.
As she had said, no specific diet (definitely no fad diet), but she ate good healthy food and exercised.
She still had my curiosity up, and I asked her to continue.
“But what’s your secret?” I asked.
She said that as long as she adhered to a good healthy diet all week, she allowed herself to “cheat” on Sunday.
“Something small,” she said, “but something sweet, because I figure I feel I’ve earned it.”
So her big secret to losing weight was to cheat on purpose? NO.
Her big secret was that if you eat a healthy diet, cheating once in a while is not going to destroy your diet.
In my courses/systems below, I totally advocate eating a healthy diet and exercising:
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But I also believe you must have a balanced life as well when you’re dealing with bipolar disorder.
If you get obsessive about your loved one’s diet, planning every meal, counting every calorie and fat gram, you’ll lose the whole point of living a healthy lifestyle!
There are other options, too.
For example, you know that I’m a non-competitive body builder, so I’m very conscious how I eat. But I eat 6 smaller meals a day instead of 3 larger meals a day.
Diabetics eat this way as well, for their blood sugar.
Anyway, what my main point about all this and how it relates to bipolar disorder is this:
Don’t be so vigilant about your loved one’s bipolar disorder that you never give them a break – a “cheat” – some breathing room.
They’re not going to have a bipolar episode every day if you don’t keep watch over them.
You can still help your loved one manage their disorder and stick to their treatment plan and not ”watch every single calorie” (speaking figuratively).
Remember to still have fun together – don’t let the disorder rule your life. “Cheat” once in a while on your “bipolar diet”!
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Post responses below
Hi Dave
I know somebody who was on a diet and it didn’t help that person to lose weight. She almost eats nothing and still kept her weight. After she started to exercise while being on diet and started to eat healthier not less she started losing weight. Thanks for a great e-mail.
Have a great day.
Hi Dave ..
Well im really glad if all this info on diet works for every1 or most .. i myself dont have the problem of being on a diet .. never ever been on one .. i have always watched what i ate / eat .. i only eat when im hungry and even then it isnt much .. im healthy for doing this .. my doctor say that i have always been healthy .. the odd cold and allergy problems other then that i am under weight if anythin ..
But i am so supportive to every1 that can follow this regement of a diet ..
Thank You for sharing all this info and more ..
Pollie
HI Dave,
Currently in our home the goal is to gain weight, Due to stress, literal tightening of the belt ( kids eat, we skimp and have coffee, ) followed by a nasty virus my husband is underweight. Since being diagnosed I know part of being healthy is eating but before, when the stress hit the fan my appetite was one of the first things to go, most counseling type friends around me felt I was cyclothymic, not bp. Anyhoo, we are doing our level best to pack weight on my guy in a healthy manner. Oddly enough I am no nutritionist. Lots of frequent meals, meat, potatoes. I can’t make up my mind on whether those weight gaining drinks and the nutrional ones are worth it . Your post does bring to light the importance of taking care of ourselves entirely. thanks.
Only 6% body fat? Sounds too thin, doesn’t it? Doesn’t the body need more fat or is it just supposed to be muscle? I wonder, is that healthy?
You are right. I have a hormonal problem that combined with meds made me really heavy. I was about 289. I was able to get the hormones under control, and got a new psychiatrist at the same time. She put me on the meds I am now and I met with a nutritionist. That was 3 years ago. I’ve lost 115 pounds, and am still loosing. I’m eat well, exercise and live a healthy life style. What no one tells you – is when loosing weight you will hit plateaus where you will not loose any weight for a while. Keep going. And since you have changed your life style, you will be able to keep it off.
Hello Dave
I’m the kind of person who doesn’t lose weight easily. I’ve always had a problem with putting on weight. I think your friend is very right. If you are vigilant, I mean if you control somehow what you eat, you can “cheat” once a week. Of course, you can’t overdo.
And you have to programme your mind so to speak. I “see” myself (mind picture) thinner, or losing 2 kgs by the end of …(depends on your goal, of course, you have to be realistic). Your mind starts “giving orders” to your body and you end up opening yourself up to the possibilty of achieving your goal. You have to be persistent and never give it up.
Well, as you are willing to lose weight, your mind will help the body follow the right diet, and enable you to exercise it.
Please, don’t wait for a quick answer. Patience is required and also perseverence. From my experience, you start losing patience if you don’t get the result at once. And you can lose sight of your goal.
Your approach to bipolar disorder is really interesting and “light”(mean, no academic, you understand what I mean, don’t you?)
I must confess I haven’t paid much atention to your “course”(lack of time), but I will.
Well, I do not suffer from this disorder(at least as far as I know, but I would know, right?
I have a colleague( male), he is being medicated and he’s ok, I think. He´s very quiet, introvert ,but talkative.
Another female colleague seems to be a bit bipolar. Her mood changes suddenly, isolates from others(we’re teachers to 15, 16… 19 year-olds) and in our department, everybody is like a family. She’s is the only one who doesn’t seem to fit in. However, in some moments, she is so euphoric that you’d say it’s a different person.
Could she suffer from bipolar disorder?
Will you let me know?
kind regards.
Fátima:) (writing from Potugal)
Help! Please! I could not find any where else to ask for help…… I have a stalker who is bipolar. We have been aquaintances for some time, but all of a sudden he went CRAZY! He has began to try to destroy my life by doing different things in my community. I do not know what to do. I am scared of what he is going to do next. Please help…………….