Depressed, anxious, and bored. Help!

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SeaStarRI
SeaStarRI Posts: 20 Member
in Getting Started
I'm sole caregiver to someone and one day is like another, and eating is my only outlet. How do I even get started?

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  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Step one: Learn to log everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly. Logging works.

    For more advice, read the pinned threads at the top of this forum (Getting Started), especially the Sexypants one.
  • JLoRuthie
    JLoRuthie Posts: 375 Member
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    That is a difficult situation that I am also often in. I try to find joy for me during that time but it us not easy. Good luck!
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    First things first, I think it's important to figure out the underlying causes of your depression and anxiety. Weight loss can be difficult when your mental health isn't stable.

    Do you see a therapist?
  • SeaStarRI
    SeaStarRI Posts: 20 Member
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    FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »
    First things first, I think it's important to figure out the underlying causes of your depression and anxiety. Weight loss can be difficult when your mental health isn't stable.

    Do you see a therapist?

    I just started a week ago. I do hope that will help me.
  • SeaStarRI
    SeaStarRI Posts: 20 Member
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    I need to lose 150 lbs. I look in the mirror and don't even recognize myself.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    SeaStarRI wrote: »
    FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »
    First things first, I think it's important to figure out the underlying causes of your depression and anxiety. Weight loss can be difficult when your mental health isn't stable.

    Do you see a therapist?

    I just started a week ago. I do hope that will help me.

    Happy to hear that!

    If your therapist offers CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), I HIGHLY recommend it. I was diagnosed with severe generalized anxiety and panic disorder when I was in high school and CBT was the only type of therapy that helped me. Before CBT, I wasn't able to go to the mall, restaurants, or grocery store. I wasn't able to drive without having a panic attack. I had to take a medical leave of absence from my university twice. Now I am able to do all of those things plus some! Anxiety no longer controls my life.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    edited January 2015
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    SeaStarRI wrote: »
    I need to lose 150 lbs. I look in the mirror and don't even recognize myself.

    My advice:
    • Buy a food scale (you can order one from Amazon or in a store like Bed, Bath, & Beyond)
    • Log your food consistently and accurately
    • Drink plenty of water
    • Eat enough fat and protein (it will keep you full)
    • Eat the foods you enjoy in moderation

    Take it one day at a time.

    ETA: Measuring cups/spoons are not accurate which is why I recommended buying a food scale. You will be able to weigh your food in grams or ounces so you will have a more accurate idea of how many calories you are consuming daily.
  • nannersp61
    nannersp61 Posts: 2,315 Member
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    right with you there Sea StarR1. I wish I saw the girl I used to be. I decided that I would do this and get it done this year. If you are the sole caregiver of someone, it can be very difficult to get outside and go exercising. But you need to carve time out for yourself and get outside and get some sunshine. There are a lot of aps on your phone that can help keep you motivated, find some and download them. Most are free. 7 minute workout, Daily Victory, Daily Workouts(like this one), Dance fitness, Just Dance Now, My diet Coach, Stretching, Virgin Pulse, Water Your Body and WeightMeter just to name a few. I hope that helps fire you up! Hang in there, just start, then stay with it!
  • SeaStarRI
    SeaStarRI Posts: 20 Member
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    Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. This is a starting place. I'll let you know when I need some help. Bad days pop up more often than you think, and they have a way of undoing all my good intentions. It's such a struggle, and I give up so often. I'm really down right now, as you can probably tell. Tomorrow is another day, and hopefully a better day. I can't change what I've eaten in the past, and I can't be sure of what I'll eat in the future. But I can try to control the present, one moment at a time, if that's what it takes. Thanks for listening.

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