Body Makeover Challenge – Week 7 and our candidate Karen is fighting Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and GAINED a pound

It’s week 7 of Karen’s Body Makeover Challenge and she’s had a tough week, suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and work related stress. She may have gained a pound but her measurements have remained the same

Well, I have to say that I haven’t had the best week and that my ability to self-sabotage all of my hard work has been rather annoying to say the least!

I think it has a lot to do with the weather and that I have now come to the realisation that I am pretty sure that I, (along with many other people) am suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression that occurs during a certain season, usually winter, making people feel down with a lack of interest, activity and sleep.

I have felt very low all week, had absolutely no energy and felt like crying most days. I have also had a few alcoholic drinks in the evenings which I know makes me feel even worse, affects my sleep and generally affects my moods. This has also resulted in me not following my diet as well as I had been.

I’m still avoiding sugar (apart from in the alcohol I drank) but have not eaten as much veg as I should have done. Surprisingly my measurements didn’t change but I did gain 1lb. Agggghhhhhh. This is the problem with weighing myself.

I am suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression that occurs usually during winter, making people feel down with a lack of interest, activity and sleep

I am also very stressed out with work at the moment and can’t seem to switch off when I get home. I have been running my own business for the last 18 years and although it’s always been quite stressful, the last year or so has been very difficult. This is what prompted me to see Charlotte Watts, author of the De Stress Effect. I have to say that after reading her book and following her recommendations I feel as though I am coping much better with issues as they arise. I almost feel like I would have not been able to cope without the strategies I have learnt over the past few weeks.

my ability to self-sabotage all of my hard work has been rather annoying to say the least

I would have not been able to cope without the strategies I have learnt over the past few weeks

I think that because I have made so many changes in quite a short space of time my body and mind decided to rebel. However, it has been a huge wake-up call and made me realise how awful I felt when I used to eat rubbish and drink alcohol almost every day.

I have made so many changes in quite a short space of time my body and mind decided to rebel.

On a positive note, I have managed to keep up with my exercise regime this week. I have been to Charlotte’s yoga session and have managed to keep up with my walking.

Exercise this week:

Tuesday: Morning 45 minute walk, evening 20 minute walk. Total: 12,547 steps.

Wednesday: Morning 45 minute walk, evening 20 minute walk. Total: 13,451 steps. 15 minute strength training routine.

Thursday: Morning 45 minute walk, evening 15 minute walk. Total: 12,107 steps.

Friday: Morning 45 minute walk. De Stress Effect Group with one hour of yoga included. Total: 12,116 steps.

Saturday: Morning one hour long walk. Worked all day, 12,624 steps.

Sunday:  One hour walk and 15 minute strength training routine. Total: 12,325 steps

Monday: Morning 45 minute walk, no evening walk… Total: 10,624 steps.

The table below shows Karen’s Measurements from Week One to Week Seven:

Thursday Daily Menu

Breakfast: Bircher Muesli (recipe from The De Stress Effect by Charlotte Watts)

Lunch: Thai Green Curry with sugar snap peas and tenderstem broccoli.

Dinner: Slow cooked shoulder of lamb cooked on my Big Green Egg BBQ. Served with small amount of sweet potato mash and cauliflower.

MORE:

Body Makeover Challenge week 1

Body Makeover Challenge week 2

Body Makeover Challenge week 3

Body makeover Challenge week 4

Body makeover Challenge week 5

Body Makeover Challenge week 6

Charlotte Watts is a nutritionist and yoga teacher whose work has focused on how nutrition and yoga can meet to help people cope with the demands we face in the 21st century. Her practice and teaching of mindfulness weaves these together and has culminated in her new book The De-Stress Effect: Rebalance Your Body’s Systems for Vibrant Health and Happiness. She has also authored The De-Stress Diet (with Anna Magee) and 100 Best Foods for Pregnancy and 100 Foods to Stay Young. Find out more at charlottewattshealth.com. Charlotte is also Healthista’s Calmista blogger. Follow Charlotte @cwnutritionyoga.

Charlene Hutsebaut B.P.E, B.Ed, CSCS is a personal trainer, pilates instructor, brand ambassador, speaker and writer with over 15,000 client hours and 22 years of experience in the fitness industry.  Charlene runs her Personal Training Consultancy in London at the exclusive St. Pancras Hotel Spa and  is a sought after inspirational corporate wellness speaker. She has a regular fitness column in Total Sports Performancemagazine as well as for Passport – the inflight magazine for Monarch Airlines and has written for Bodyfit, Prima, FitPro, Fitness Life New Zealand and has been featured in London, Fabric, Grove, Woman, Natural Healthmagazines, as well as The Daily Mail and Express. To find out more about Charlene, please visit her website. Follow charlene @positivelyslim.

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