Mental Health, Weight Loss and Taking Control

Happy Saturday everyone! At least, it should be right?

Well, I have had the most AMAZING week.

I had a Skype Interview Tuesday as I am through to the finals of a new and upcoming TV show. I had an interview at BBC Radio Leicester on Wednesday to discuss my opinions on Thomas Cook ending their 18-13 holidays and to talk about my Charity Calendars. And Thursday, I travelled to Essex to film for an episode of The Only Way is Essex as i was modelling for TOWIE's Quiz Clothing range. It was an amazing day and i can't wait to watch the episode. It airs in a week :]

Anyway, so you'd think i'd be on top of the world right? ... I should be, i was... The thing is, i was supposed to go on a date today...

But i was let down.

After getting ready, and after waiting to hear from him... he text to say he now has other things to do. It just really upsets me. I have written on one of my blogs before about a 'gentleman' i had met in London a few months ago... he turned out to be rude. I went to Scotland with a guy recently... he turned out to be nasty.... People say to me 'you are looking too hard' or 'you are going for the wrong guys' which really frustrates me because i keep myself so busy, i don't go looking for men, it just happens. And i don't go for the wrong guys, i can't help who i am attracted to. I am extremely picky as well, so it's not like i just accept every single date i am offered. I just feel so upset today because i am literally always let down.... It's so hard to pick myself back up every time, but i always manage...

Anyway, let's forget all that negativity. Let's talk about something positive. I uploaded a weight loss picture recently and i have received a lot of lovely comments and messages [thank you everyone] asking how i lost weight so quickly and if i could share any advice....

Some people are really private [or rude], and don't even tell girls where they got their outfit from when they are asked...Some people don't want anybody else to have what they want. Some people don't want others to have happiness....

I couldn't think of anything worst than not helping others. Not giving advice. I am a very open book, and i love sharing with others.

So hopefully, after sharing with you my weight loss tips, i can

Anyway so rewind to one month ago. I was feeling very stressed, very anxious. If you read my previous blog you will have read that i was feeling very down due to work and other things... I had symptoms such as migraines, but another symptom was my bloated and uncomfortable stomach. It was so swollen. I looked pregnant.

[Obviously i wasn't pregnant, because that would involve men actually turning up to our dates....]

But yes, so i went to the Doctors because i was getting severe stomach pains. I couldn't fit into any of my clothes, and i certainly couldn't wear tight dresses such as the one in the photo above. The Doctors sent me for an urgent scan as they thought it could have been cysts on my ovaries. They agreed that my stomach was very abnormally swollen. Turns out, i didn't have ovarian cysts and that i was just a greedy pig that needed to take control of my diet and try and take control of some of my stress.... I have always suffered with IBS, along with many other's that suffer from this terrible stomach condition. I can go from a size 6 to a size 12 in a week. It's crazy. SO, how did i manage to lose 12lb in one month? It was something i had never tried before, something i had never even thought about. It's not a shake diet, or a programme that costs money, it's simple, and it doesn't cost anything.

The doctors suggested i had a food allergy test. Food allergy tests cost £300 so i wasn't too keen on that idea. Instead, i came to the conclusion that i was just going to cut things out of my diet bit by bit to get to the root of the problem.

I knew that part of my stomach swelling was from stress, but i do feel that diet was the main contribution. Those that know me know that i lead a pretty busy lifestyle, i am always on the road or travelling, or rushing around organizing my Charity Calendars and events, so it's easier for me to just grab the most convenient food because i need it fast.... with my IBS i go from not hungry to STARVING within seconds, instead of gradually getting hungrier and hungrier... When i need food, i need food! I also don't like salad that much! So.... what did i do?

I cut out gluten.

If i went to a restaurant, i would ask for the gluten free menu.

I was surprised at the amount of food that i could still have. For example, i went to Chiquitos in Leicester. I really wanted fajitas, so i just asked for the gluten free fajitas. Basically, the same dish, but with gluten free wraps and gluten free cheese.

If i order a Dominoes, i have gluten free Texas BBQ. The pizza base is quite dry but the pizza itself is gorgeous and tastes just the same, if not better... Usually when i eat pizza i bloat and look pregnant. But when i eat this gluten free pizza, i can eat a large and still have a flat stomach.

If i have toast for breakfast, i use gluten free bread. If i have cereal or porridge, i use almond milk. So it's pretty simple really isn't it. A lot of people think it's better to starve yourself, not true. Eat little and often, eat the right things.

Don't get me wrong, if i fancied a chocolate bar, i had a chocolate bar. If i fancied a chinese, i would have a chinese. It's all about eating small and often. If i had a normal meal that contained gluten, i would have a kids size. Treat yourself to a cheat meal only if you have been good all week. It feels so much better because you don't punish yourself for eating a naughty meal because you feel like you deserve it and like you can afford a little bit of naughty.

I have also started boxing at Blood Sweat and Tears Gym in Nuneaton and i train twice a week. I have noticed a dramatic difference in my figure since starting training. You see, i absolutely hate the gym. I feel very lonely sometimes and going to the gym just makes me feel lonely for some reason.... i really don't enjoy it. At Boxing, it's great because it's an interactive session and you are surrounded by people, it's hard work but you feel so amazing afterwards, and you don't feel like you're exercising, but obviously you are. One day, i felt too low to even train, but i sat with the owner of the Gym Amy, and just talking to her made me feel better. Training also makes me feel safer because i have been mugged and assaulted on three separate occasions, so knowing some self defense techniques makes me feel stronger.

If you're feeling bloated and uncomfortable, go for walks, try and exercise in a way that doesn't feel like exercise to you, find something that you enjoy that keeps you active. Keep positive and keep yourself around positive people. Eliminate the things in life that are making you feel stressed. As stress can trigger IBS. Try eating gluten free meals for one month and see if you notice a difference. Go to your Supermarket and go to the 'FREE FROM' section, you will find a range of gluten free foods that taste delicious. For a treat after my meals, i have crackers with gluten free cheese and chutney [from the free from aisle] There are also some delicious rice cakes that are gluten free too. Swap normal pasta for gluten free.

Feeling bigger and bloated can really effect your mental health. It's so frustrating when people say 'you're skinny, you don't need to lose weight' because they can't see how bloated you stomach is underneath your baggy clothes, and they can't feel how swollen and uncomfortable you are. They don't know how you're feeling. Listen to yourself, not others. Take control of your own life and how you are feeling. Write down a list now....... Go and get a pen.... I want you to write a list of things that you need to do, in order to feel less stressed. For example:

'Find a hobby that i enjoy; basketball, badminton, boxing, join a running club, go for walks through nice places with beautiful scenery, start yoga or a fitness class, join the gym, buy a fitness DVD.

Get the bathroom light fixed

Visit Grandma

Write down everything that you need to get done, [perhaps you need a Carnall Charity Calendar to write everything down] See what i did there ;]

We all have little niggly things that we need to get done. Whether it be the washing, or cleaning our car, or paying our bills. Write everything down, and get things done.

If you are struggling to sleep, get some ear phones and listen to some ASMR tapes on YouTube. I can't sleep without watching these videos now. Or perhaps try some relaxing music or sounds.

This might sound silly, but if you have something that has been bothering you for a while such as dandruff, or acne, or a lump in your skin, get it checked.

Get things sorted. Go to your doctors.

[I speak from experience because i had sever acne for two years, that i have finally got under control after seeking advice from my Doctor, and i feel so much better in my own skin. Below is a photo of my skin in April on the left, and my skin today on the right. I will write a blog about this soon]

2018 has probably been the most challenging year of my life. From earthquakes, to heartbreak, to acne, to mental health.....However i am so proud of myself for overcoming these factors and taking control. So let's treat today as the day that YOU are going to start taking control. Improving your diet, improving your organisation, and improving your quality of life.

I hope you found this helpful, i wish you all the best, and if you have any questions, feel free to email me

Love from Jodie xx