Tales from a Bruised Mind

Sydney, the place I have called home for what is now getting close to three years, is a surprisingly lonely place for an outsider. I’m a single dude living in this great big city without close family to be with or a partner to hold close at night.

So when I choose to eat rubbish takeaway foods or drink too much beer, I have nobody to hold me accountable. Nobody is there to say, “Hey Zak, stop that!”. “Zak, stop drinking so much” or “Zak, pull your head in!”.

Since I moved to Sydney, I have been worked so very hard to keep my brain healthy and happy. For months and months I put plans in place, fought against my stresses and came very, very close to relapse. I have spent time in hospital twice over the time I have spent in Sydney and those experiences only made ultra-cautious of what can happen if things slip for me mentally.

So I have worked very hard to keep my brain right, but in doing so, I have let everything else slip. I have indulged in drinking far too many high-calorie craft beers and wines, fast food, cured meats, fatty BBQ meats, and plenty of chocolate and treats for dessert.

What exact impact does that have on your body after two and a half years? Well, I have moderate fatty liver disease, a few too many kilos around my waist and the worst self-esteem and confidence that I have experienced over my entire life.

This post is to be open and honest and tell you that you may be fit, skinny and healthy (I was, once), but if you let it slip, it will catch up with you. As sad as it is, metabolisms do slow down with age!

And now as 26-year-old young dude, I’m not ready yet for the obesity dadbod era, so I am making changes with a little extra help from a dietitian.

Sometimes a wake up call is what people need, and when I stepped on the scales, I knew it was my time to act and cure this issue once and for all.

Dietitians can make a big difference

Because I am alone most of the time, dieting can be tricky and hard to stick to. But I have decided to reach out to a dietitian who may be able to advise me on what I need to do going forward with what I intake.

Some years ago, as part of my rehabilitation from my first psychotic episode, I was helped by a dietitian within the team to help assist me to get my life in order. It worked great and they managed to keep me on the straight and narrow for quite some time.

But now it’s time to go again.

I’m going to try and set these goals with my dietitian:

• Battle my high cholesterol by eating a more balanced and healthy diet
• Lose weight by cutting out fatty foods and drinking far less alcohol
• Restore my liver back to its proper operating routine ie. removing the fattiness from the poor thing
• create a much healthier eating regime/plan
• Keep up regular exercise at least four times per week
• Stay consistent and not buckle under the temptation to eat bad things
• Try not to go cold-turkey on things

With all this being said, I hope the dietitian can give me some insight into how to fight against some of my medications, some of which I have learnt can have the unfortunate side effect of… weight gain.

I am a huge believer in the fact that my life changed when I first went on medication for my mental health. I have struggled with my weight ever since, but I hope that I can turn things around for the better.

Wish me luck, I’ll keep you updated!

Zak