Depression affects people of all ages, from all walks of life. It causes mental anguish and impacts on people’s ability to carry out even the simplest everyday tasks, with sometimes devastating consequences. At worst, depression can lead to suicide, now the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year olds.
A better understanding of what depression is, and how it can be prevented and treated, will help reduce the stigma associated with the condition, and lead to more people seeking help.
Q: What advice would you give to others who were in your position?
Trust and believe in yourself, no-one knows you better than your own self. People are there to encourage you to keep going, but it is you that has to have the willpower, the strength and the belief to be able to start on the journey and continue the journey.
Don't ever doubt a healthy lifestyle change, it is always for the best.
You can do this, anything is achievable, you just have to believe in the process. If I can, you can.
Never give up, no matter what you are going through. We all have good days and bad days, but we always need to remember why we started, and the saying “start now, for in three months you will wish you had started now, or start now for in one week you will wish you had started now”, is the truest saying I have learnt during this journey.
As I always say “Be your own inspiration” and “always smile because you don't know whose day you're making with just that one smile”
Q: Can you tell us the biggest lesson you’ve learnt in the last year?
A: Believe in yourself, and don’t lie to yourself or others. Trust your heart.
When I first started at CrossFit, I didn’t, at that time, have my mind in the right mindset. It wasn’t until someone close to me, who knew a bit about my journey, asked if I had put on weight and I said I had lost weight, (even though I knew I had put on about 5 kg) and they replied, I think you have put on weight, that it rang a loud bell and made me realise I was in complete denial. When someone says this to us, we may not want to hear it, but it is good for us to hear the truth, as others see us, as we need to be true to ourselves.
Don't cheat, whether in your eating or workouts, you are only fooling yourself...
Q: What do you still hope to achieve?
A: At this point I am still looking to lose a few more kilos to drop down my body fat percentage even further to a healthy percentage and maintain this level for my optimal health and wellness.
Also, in this coming year I would like to achieve at least my very first one half marathon, get back into cycling and yoga again to increase my flexibility and mobility.
"If I can encourage and help one person to change the way they think, change their mindset and live a healthy lifestyle then that makes me happy and I'll feel like I've helped a million people"
Q: What advice would you give to others who were in your position?
Trust and believe in yourself, no-one knows you better than your own self. People are there to encourage you to keep going, but it is you that has to have the willpower, the strength and the belief to be able to start on the journey and continue the journey.
Don't ever doubt a healthy lifestyle change, it is always for the best.
You can do this, anything is achievable, you just have to believe in the process. If I can, you can.
Never give up, no matter what you are going through. We all have good days and bad days, but we always need to remember why we started, and the saying “start now, for in three months you will wish you had started now, or start now for in one week you will wish you had started now”, is the truest saying I have learnt during this journey.
As I always say “Be your own inspiration” and “always smile because you don't know whose day you're making with just that one smile”
Q: Can you tell us the biggest lesson you’ve learnt in the last year?
A: Believe in yourself, and don’t lie to yourself or others. Trust your heart.
When I first started at CrossFit, I didn’t, at that time, have my mind in the right mindset. It wasn’t until someone close to me, who knew a bit about my journey, asked if I had put on weight and I said I had lost weight, (even though I knew I had put on about 5 kg) and they replied, I think you have put on weight, that it rang a loud bell and made me realise I was in complete denial. When someone says this to us, we may not want to hear it, but it is good for us to hear the truth, as others see us, as we need to be true to ourselves.
Don't cheat, whether in your eating or workouts, you are only fooling yourself...
Q: What do you still hope to achieve?
A: At this point I am still looking to lose a few more kilos to drop down my body fat percentage even further to a healthy percentage and maintain this level for my optimal health and wellness.
Also, in this coming year I would like to achieve at least my very first one half marathon, get back into cycling and yoga again to increase my flexibility and mobility.
With Coach Mia Akerlund
Feeling inspired after reading Elita’s story? Of course you are! Come and sign up to our Fundamentals class or Base Fitness class and create the new you.
