Posted in: Workouts / Goal Setting

My Fitness Journey: How I Fight My Depression and Lost 12 Lbs

Hi! My name is Eljie. I’ve been putting off this post for a long time now, because I feel like the superficial results I’ve gotten aren’t good enough yet. Simply put, I wanted to put my story when I have those ‘abs’. But then I realised that what people often miss are those days between a before and after photos. Those decisions made day in and day out to make better choices for our mental and physical health. The ‘Eljie’ you see on the left has just gone through one of her worst episodes of depression. On the other hand, the ‘Eljie’ now has found new found hope and purpose, two things she wouldn’t have get a hold of if it weren’t for FB workouts combined with clean eating.

I grew up skinny. Really skinny: I could eat whatever I want, whenever I want it. That was until typhoon Haiyan triggered my severe depressive disorder. I was studying at the top school of our country, but found myself taking an indefinite break. School and being good in it were all I had. And I couldn’t do those things anymore. I decided to travel for a while, but I would immediately plummet back into bouts of depression when I go home. Three months before discovering Fitness Blender, I could barely do anything other than stay in my room, attempt to eat, and watch all kinds of Korean dramas or any movies to cancel out the deafening noise in my head. At nights, when it’s especially quiet in our place, I would go into conscious fits I can’t control. With minimal activity, I naturally gained weight: so much weight that I can barely recognise myself in the mirror. I decided to come out of my room one day, and all I heard was people pointing out to me how I’ve gotten so fat. That really put a heavier toll on my already unstable self esteem. I had to do something. I busied myself with home projects until I was ready to put off those fats I gained. I admit it was purely for superficial reasons that got me started, despite having the knowledge that exercise can naturally cure depression. That’s not my main priority anymore, but I’m glad it kick me off to what would be an amazing fitness journey. I notice how I felt when I started doing regular exercise and eating right. THAT FEELING OF FULFILMENT sold me to keep doing it and I honestly couldn’t imagine myself going back. It took so long and hard to put off those 11 pounds, but I know I was saying goodbye to those unwanted fats almost forever, and that’s great.

I was depressed. I am now vital, huge thanks to Daniel and Kelli.