An Important Announcement The weekend both the name and web address for this blog changed: The new name is “Insights from a Bipolar Bear” The new web address is www.insightsbipolarbear.com Please update your favorites list. Why a Fitness Update on a Bipolar Blog? Over 80 percent of people with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, […]
Category: Weight Watchers
Is Weight Loss Possible For The Mentally Ill?
The Barriers to Weight Loss Are you having trouble losing weight? I’ve made it no secret that I am. I blog an update of my weight loss journey every week. If you are struggling with weight you are not alone. Over 80 percent of people with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and […]
Fitness Update June 16, 2014
Medications can wreak havoc on the metabolism of those of us being treated for bipolar disorder or depression. 50 lbs is the typical amount gained by those who begin treatment. Therefore, I have begun this weekly fitness update for motivation. Motivation for those of you out there struggling with weight, and more specifically, motivating me. […]
Memory and Bipolar: What Can You Do About It?
The Problem With Memory and Bipolar Disorder My memory is bad. Really bad. No, actually, it’s terrible. For many of us, memory and bipolar disorder do not go together well. The fact that memory loss is associated with bipolar disorder is nothing new. A recent study partially funded by the National Institute of Mental Health […]
One Pound a Week
Earlier this year I swore I was going to average a weight loss of one pound a week. I’m struggling. Much to my dismay it’s time for a weight loss update…or lack thereof. Because many bipolar meds simultaneously reduce metabolism and increase hunger, weight gain can be a serious, unfortunate side effect. I try to […]
Chronic Disease and Bipolar Disorder
I’ve recently read some medical journals concerning the lower life expectancy of those living with Bipolar Disorder. Unfortunately those diagnosed with BP have an average lifespan that is 9.2 years less than the national average. It’s believed the primary reasons for this are: Suicide rate Greater Risk of Chronic Disease Lack of medical care I […]
Weight Loss Update
The only New Year’s resolution I made this year was that 2014 is going to be amazing and I plan to make sure that it is. So far, however, it’s not going too well because of my weight loss and reticulitis. First, since many have never heard of reticulitis, I’ll start with that. The definition […]
A Weight Off My Shoulders
I’m not sure if the weight came off my shoulders, but it came off of something. Unfortunately it wasn’t my ass. It’s been a busy week so I didn’t get to exercise much, but, I did get to the beach one day for a wonderful walk along the strand, and earned 5 Weight Watchers activity […]
God Does Not Give Us More Than We Can Handle
You probably have heard the title of this article many times before. Or how about “That which Doesn’t Kill Us Makes Us Stronger.” I’m sure you’ve heard that. What a load of crap. If that was true I’d be stronger than Hercules. Well, don’t I sound bitchy this morning? I normally don’t like starting things […]
No New Year Resolutions, But I Do Have A Goal
I’ve commented before that I gained a lot of weight when I began taking bipolar medication. A Lot. I was overweight to begin with, but the meds made my weight skyrocket to 303 lbs. That’s overweight for pretty much anyone, but especially for a guy who’s only 5’5” tall. You see, not only do some […]