I suffer from Bipolar disorder, which is an illness that nobody can see but can ruin lives. The mood swings associated with the illness can be debilitating and extreme, often leading to suicidal thoughts and actions (I was eight years old when I first tried to commit suicide) and deep despair, or at the other end of the scale impulsive and reckless behaviour. Both of these extremes lead to many and complex issues and can make holding down relationships and jobs extremely difficult, which means that sufferers often also have to struggle with family breakup, loneliness, and financial difficulties and their associated problems. 

Bipolar Scotland offers support and help for sufferers and their families and they can and do make a real difference as part of my support network. I am planning to lose weight over the next few months to raise awareness of Bipolar disorder and funds for the charity. My starting weight today 4/4/2014 is 21 stones 11 lbs. Update : After 2 weeks I have lost 7 lbs - now 21 stones 4 lbs. Update 9th May: After 4 weeks have now gone under 21 stones and lost 12 lbs:-) Listening to hypnotherapy CD and eating less and healthier food as a result. Another tip I found is to always balance carbohydrates with protein at the same time as it helps prevent my body from going into fat storage mode, and it appears to be working. 23/5/14: A milestone today as I hit 20 stones 11 lbs, losing a full stone - that is 28 packets of butter! The final weigh in is here (6th June 2014) and it is 20 stones 8 lbs, meaning I have lost a total of 17lbs for the challenge. Even though the challenge is finished I am leaving this page open and will continue in my weight loss programme. Thanks to all who have donated.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.