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A Fresh Start


Hi, I’m Tess, and I love writing. It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog entry, so here’s to a fresh start.

In 2020, I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. Navigating that diagnosis has had its share of ups and downs, but I’m now stable on my medications, and this October will mark four years since my last psychiatric hospitalization. I’ll share more of that story another time.

From my Bipolar journey came an unexpected love: running. For a few years, I trained heavily and even ran my first half marathon—something I never thought I’d do. Honestly, I still can’t believe I did it. But over time, shin splints became a recurring issue. I’d stop, heal, start again, and repeat. Eventually, I took a longer break.

During that break, I regained some of the weight I had lost, and running didn’t feel as exciting. The comparison game with other runners crept in, and I felt like my weight was holding me back physically and mentally. I also realized my family needed more of me.

This year has been especially challenging with my kids—especially my son's adjustment to kindergarten—so my focus shifted to them and to motherhood. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to run anymore; my priorities just changed.

Fast forward to last month: I decided to start intermittent fasting again and focus on my health and weight loss. Last time I tried fasting, I was running too much in a fasted state that it didn’t work well for me. This time, I’m keeping it simple with an 18:6 window, avoiding heavy running during fasting hours.

My current routine is four gym workouts a week and one run day. I’m feeling great, and I’m actually seeing the scale move. I’d like to blog more because sometimes what I want to say is just too long for Instagram. 

Thanks for joining me as Tess Takes Her Life Back.



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