Gabz “G-Mach” Odesnik

I LOST 29KG AND KEPT IT OFF FOR 6 YEARS (and counting!)

My Mental Health Story:

Ever since I was a small child, I have suffered with mental health issues. From about age 5, I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. At age 12, my nanna passed away very young. I was extremely close to her. Her passing triggered severe depression.
I hit such a low, that I left school in year 10 and would spend all my time on the couch sleeping. Sleeping was the only time that I was free. No obsessive thoughts. No compulsions. No feelings of numbness. Just free. When I was awake, food was a way of comforting me. So imagine, no moving around at all and a hell of a lot of eating. Not to mention my cocktail of medications that increased my hunger substantially. It got so bad, that suicide started to sound like a good idea and the I wouldn’t be upset if my life just suddenly ended. For 3 years, this was my life. I reached a weight of 87kg.
My mom joined BMB in March 2015 with one intention only. Not for herself, but for me. With the hope that I would follow suit. After 2 months there, I didn’t. So, she arranged and induction with Greg, and dragged me along. I did not want to go at all. I remember sitting in the induction listening to Greg explain that I needed to commit to every session and put in a lot of hard work and in my head I was saying “yeah right, I’m not coming back here”. Somehow I made it to my first PT session.

By the end of it, I was tired, sweaty and sore. However, what I felt more, was a wave of endorphins rush through my body. It was an amazing feeling. Slowly, as I attended more sessions consistently, my mental health was improving tenfold. It’s no secret that it’s been scientifically proven that exercise has profound positive effects on mental health, but actually feeling the improvement was amazing! I now never miss a session because I feel the effects immediately on my mind if don’t exercise. 4 years later I am 21kg down and in the best mental state I have ever been. After about 1 and a half years of going to BMB, I decided what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to do what Greg had done for me at my induction. I want to help people physically and mentally. I have been at rock bottom of both of those things. My toughest times provided me with the greatest gift. A want to help others. In the words of Charles Bukowski, “It has been a beautiful fight. Still is.