Losing weight with bipolar disorder

I think the first thing that you have to do is decide whether you're going to be Blair that has a medical condition or whether you're going to be a Bipolar called Blair. It's really a huge distinction. You can sit on your duff your whole life and blame it on bipolar or you can decide to do live your life and manage your condition. I was diagnosed with BPII, ultra rapid cycling about 15 years ago. It was really rough until I found my medication cocktail that worked for me. Once I got myself stable though, I made a conscious decision that I was never going to "be" bipolar. It's simply something that I have, not something that I am. I find it fascinating that people will say, "I'm bipolar", but no one ever says "I'm cancer" or "I'm migraines". Seriously....you're Blair. You're a daughter, a girlfriend, a college student and a million other wonderful things, I'm sure....is a disease really the identity you're going to take on over things like that?

I know it sounds like semantics, but once you make that shift in your mind, it becomes much easier to take care of yourself and create the habits and routines that you need, not only for weight loss, but to manage your bipolar disorder. If I define myself as "sick", then it's hard to believe there's any point in taking care of myself. If I go down the road of, "well, I'm bipolar and meds make me fat" then it's no problem at all to just order a pizza and watch Netflix all night. If I choose instead to think, "well, I'm COGypsy and I have a lot to accomplish" then it's much easier to make the effort to plan and eat the food that I need to feel good and get through my day and get to bed at a reasonable hour (note....I'd usually still rather have the pizza ).

Unfortunately, the rest is a lot of trial and error. I've built a lot of habits that are now close to automatic around meal planning and preparation, backup plans for when that doesn't work out, and probably most important--my sleep. I find that establishing habits does a lot to overcome the little ups and downs so that they don't become big ups and downs. It's a habit to get all my food together on Sundays. I get tired at the same time every night because I have my bedtime habit. I check in with my moods if they seem to be lasting too long or coming on too fast. I've learned that I can't rely on things like motivation or willpower, because like you said, with rapid cycling, my motivation can change pretty quickly! You'll figure out what works for you--just decide that your priority (especially at 23!) is to build a fantastic life that is worth taking care of. Choose things that support that life and you'll be in great shape!

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