Diet making me depressed

debraodu

Wow it's my second week of eating healthy and I feel depressed. Food was really a comfort to me - it's psychological. Any tips on breaking the mental hold!!!! I miss chocolate big time

MakenzieWinans1

I feel you. I've been bullied all through school and food was my only comfort. Are you cutting out all chocolate? Some chocolate is okay I think. Do you like chocolate covered raisins? Maybe distract yourself with fun activities, something you are passionate about. When I do that though I sometimes forget to eat at all…..

tcunbeliever

It might not be just in your head - what you eat and your nutrient balance can impact your mood:

http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/diet-recovery

TeaBea

Don't eliminate things you really like. Fit a small bit of chocolate (or some treat) in your day. Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate squares are my go to. I keep them in the freezer and then eat it nice and slow.

If I am going to keep weight off (this time) I need to make lifestyle changes.....not temporary ones. Managing cravings is something I need to do forever.

debraodu

MakenzieWinans1 wrote: »

I feel you. I've been bullied all through school and food was my only comfort. Are you cutting out all chocolate? Some chocolate is okay I think. Do you like chocolate covered raisins? Maybe distract yourself with fun activities, something you are passionate about. When I do that though I sometimes forget to eat at all…..

Thanks. I am cutting out all chocolate as I have a bad addiction to it. One taste and I

debraodu

Thanks for the advice

RoseTheWarrior

Have you really cut down on carbs in general? I found that when I have too few carbs I am miserable. So rather than cut carbs to a level my body doesn't like, I just eat more complex carbs and try to really limit refined or quick carbs. This may also just be a reaction your body is having to the new foods, or lack of old foods, and it may clear up after a while. Are you exercising? That will help with depression. Finally, if you find you're eating well, exercising, and still depressed, it's time to see your doctor.

Ready2Rock206

Tazo has a chocolate chai tea - really hits the spot - I put in a little sugar free salted caramel torani syrup. Get a delicious treat without the calories.

debraodu

Thanks, I'm not eating any carbs at all except through fruit.

I'll have a look at the link
Thanks for the advice

RoseTheWarrior wrote: »

Have you really cut down on carbs in general? I found that when I have too few carbs I am miserable. So rather than cut carbs to a level my body doesn't like, I just eat more complex carbs and try to really limit refined or quick carbs. This may also just be a reaction your body is having to the new foods, or lack of old foods, and it may clear up after a while. Are you exercising? That will help with depression. Finally, if you find you're eating well, exercising, and still depressed, it's time to see your doctor.

rankinsect

Well, you need to find what works for you, but for me, I eliminated nothing categorically. I eat junk foods in moderation by planning my days in advance and giving myself small amounts of the things I enjoy.

My philosophy is to give up nothing for the diet that I won't give up forever, since the diet is practice for maintenance.

TeaBea

rankinsect wrote: »

Well, you need to find what works for you, but for me, I eliminated nothing categorically. I eat junk foods in moderation by planning my days in advance and giving myself small amounts of the things I enjoy.

My philosophy is to give up nothing for the diet that I won't give up forever, since the diet is practice for maintenance.

This^

OP - Very low carb (temporarily) helps you lose weight.....but losing weight is just the first step. You don't want to get to goal and ask yourself "now what?" Think more in terms of lifestyle changes. I got fat because I eat too much chocolate....but I won't give it up for the rest of my life...so I need to manage it.

rbee2015

Couple of things you might consider. 1) power smoothies ( you need a base like water, you need fruits & veggies, you need boosters ( stuff like flax seed, chia seed, spirulina, protein powder, hemp powder or seeds etc) Pinterest has lots of charts showing options for different combos. What this power smoothie does is provide your body with a huge amount of easily digestible nutrients. ( you couldn't eat that much healthy food) but you can drink it. I have a power smoothie going at all times in my fridge. It will help relieve your depression. 2) I use air popped popcorn for mindless, emotional eating. It provides a lot of chewing for few calories. 3) let yourself have a chocolate treat every other day, small portion, worked into your calorie allotment. Then you don't feel deprived and won't give up. I make some killer blackbean brownies that I eat a lot and they satisfy my sweet tooth & have not effected my weight loss. Good luck.

debraodu

Thanks guys sone good advice

debraodu

Thanks guys some good advice

Bonny132

I eat low carbs and high protein as it fills me up, and when the call of the chocolate hits me, I have found these fab whole grain rice cakes which are chocolate covered and comes in at 79calories. When I have the calories, I work in a glass of wine. I usually also eat under my allowance during the week as I like being a piggy wiggy at the weekend and eat what I fancy, so over the week in all, I eat my allowance. I even have cake and ice cream at times.

heartemis

I can really empathize. One thing that has been helpful to me has been accepting the relationship I have with food, and acknowledging that I sometimes default to using food as a sole source of pleasure in my life. When I start to feel low due to my diet, I take a minute to slow down and reflect on all the other potential sources of pleasure in my life. Simple things like reading a good book, taking a warm bath, spending time with friends, or going for a walk. Nerdily- I call this diversifying my pleasure portfolio

brandid34

Magnesium supplements can help with depression and it is also found in chocolate which maybe why you crave

jennk5309

I've read recently how having a low fat diet can wreak havoc on your central nervous system, setting you up for anxiety, depression, memory loss, etc. I've been trying to include nuts, olive oil, and some full fat dairy (homemade whole milk Greek yogurt!) into my diet. It has the double benefit of being really satisfying, so I find that I feel okay eating a smaller volume of food due to needing to stay on my points (I'm on weight watchers) and higher fat foods having a higher amount of points.

headofphat

You're probably less depressed than when you were overweight and out of shape. Silver lining.

debraodu

Lol!!! True talk

quote="headofphat;34724581"]You're probably less depressed than when you were overweight and out of shape. Silver lining.
[/quote]

Lizzy622

When I was starting out I tried to add things before I started to cut back. I added more water and vegetables and movement. Then I realized I had to cut out potato chips completely ( my trigger food). You can do this.

zorahgail

GAHHHH do I know that mental hold well LOL @debraodu Great job on asking for help. Here are a few things that have worked for me in regards to psychological trickiness:

- Find comfort, pleasure, indulgence, joy that's not food. You mentioned in your original post that 'food was really a comfort.' Where in your life can you experience comfort?

- Practice missing chocolate. The better you get at feeling the emotions you have when you DON’T have chocolate, the easier it’ll be when you don’t eat it. (That's kind of a clunky sentence; hope it makes sense haha.)

- Constantly remind yourself of why you're making healthful changes in the first place. A compelling "why" will help keep you motivated over time. Notice which is powerful for you: Is a fear-based reason (I'm afraid of disease, being judged, etc.) more motivating than a love-based reason (I want to be an example to my kids/family, I want to love myself, etc.)?