Helen's Story: Mental Health & Keto

Here I am 9 months later, who would have thought it, my story in the newsletter... The Helen of May 2021 is no more,

Everyone's journey is different, trauma, phobia, and no confidence have all been a big part of mine. Along with medication for longstanding anxiety disorder, depression.  Diagnosis of osteoarthritis during the start of lockdown was also affecting my back and hips as the weight piled on.

Having suffered from poor mental health, let me just say I’ve had treatments, medications, counselling for many years, haven't been able to have sharp knifes in my kitchen (I couldn't even say the word and had to spell it out like a 5-year-old) because of the incident when he broke into my house.

It was a process of forgiving and letting go. The hardest was forgiving myself, thinking of how I should have done it years ago. Not storing the heavy stones of pain deep inside....

I hope that this will help even one person not store the heavy burden as I have all these years....

I joined Keto Fitness Club initially to lose weight... but found the lifestyle, the support and friendship. amazing food choices, and so much more. Mindset Movement and Macros

A crisis with my young grandson’s health, lead me to realising I had to change and in a zoom, I met Ian MacGill the transformational coach. During the relaxation, listening to the aliveness song and then the poem ..he sort of caught me. 

He has a website and YouTube posts, I found his book of poetry, and clung to it. I found trust both with him and from the other members sharing.

Living the Keto lifestyle has worked for my Mental health problems and my Osteoarthritis. The constant pain has now reduced to occasional pain.

My anxiety has reduced, and my confidence has grown. I have even travelled to members meet ups.  

Mental health carries a stigma but being in this group has given me confidence to share. 

Lockdown has been lifechanging to the world, think I realise now how lonely and isolated I was. 

I became a member after attending a kick workshop, initially to lose weight. But I soon found attending the zooms, just watching and listening, after failed diets this was a lifestyle was for me.

Movement went from walking with a stick, difficulties on stairs, walking the dog and nothing much else, to 8000- 10000 steps every day, housework, shopping, socialising! 

Macros, took me from not cooking and eating only microwave meals, pies and sandwiches from the shop, sweets, chocolate, biscuits and fruit; to two meals, Omad, high protein, low carbs basic cooking and trying many new foods.

My mindset went from being stuck at avoidance to getting the help and wanting to change. Self-care helped me believe in myself seeing other people and myself change is an amazing feeling.

It was a process of forgiving and letting go. The hardest was forgiving myself. As I now found myself thinking of how I should have done it years ago. I no longer wanted to store the heavy stones of pain deep inside.

The mindset tools worked their magic, they are a powerful aid helping me. Ian has worked his transformational wonders. In my case I took the initial sessions at a slow pace. I now feel that I am in a good place and enjoy Ian’s Monday nights within the group as my time to relax, enjoying the poems and Aliveness songs

I'm now free of medication xxxx (through medical help) occasional painkiller.

I have had the most special boost of loveliness meeting members, at meetings in Glasgow, Fife, Aberdeen and the Christmas meal in Kettering x

Tracy, you were one of the 1st members I meet in person at Glasgow. My clumsy baby steps at socialising, Isabel, Jock Lisa, Mary, Chris and Dan, meet up in Fife, Fiona, Flora , Aberdeen and Christmas meal in Kettering Mark, Ella, Sue, Michele, Lisa ,Jayne Emma, Carrie, Gemma, Rosie, Chelsea, Karen ,Dave Shay, x Iv still long way to go need loads more practise.

I just want to give new members hope and encouragement that this does work and has changed me over the last 9 months to now living in the now, trusting, trying and being present, If I can do it anyone can.

I have introduced two of my sisters and their husbands to Keto and we're all a lot closer thanks to Keto Fitness Club.

I’ve upped the self-care and now try not give myself hard time. I still struggle with pain, but it is now a work in progress xx

I Don't know how I’ve managed (lazy keto) to get down from 224Ibs to 150lbs and maintain the weight I was 30 years ago.

I go long walks with 🐕 dog, slow but long....

I recently started going to a 6-week self-management course for people with pain through osteoarthritis, at the local leisure centre 'escape pain'. We have discussions and do exercises geared to help hip and knee pain. You do a survey online to score where you are with dealing pain and movement.  Seeing it on a form and ticking boxes I found I now have a very low score in the pain I suffer and now my movement is high. If I'd done this survey 9 month ago it would have been a totally opposite result. I was walking with sticks, I couldn't get out of car, I couldn't sleep. I was in constant pain and the pain killers didn’t shift it; I had no hope.

I just want to give new members the hope, and encouragement that this has changed me this last 9 months to living in the now, trusting, trying and being present, If I can do it anyone can. xx

 

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