please help :(

laurenduffy1988

Sorry if this is a bit depressing of a post on a friday but wondering if anyone could offer any advise. I am suffering from depression and anxiety at the moment which means I have gained 6 lbs of the stone i lost a few months ago, when I feel like this I just want junk ( I am moving in 3 weeks so I know I will get better) and I beat myself up about it so much thinking if only I had stuck to a diet I could be slim by now and I was 6 lb slimmer I would feel better. I dont think calorie counting of dieting helps me either though although I really want to slim down and be confident

Vegplotter

It sounds as if you are having a pretty stressful time at the moment and I send you loads of hugs of support - even if they are only digital hugs:).
I think the solution to your problem might be in the last line of your message. You say the calorie counting isn't helping. But MFP gives you a lot more information about your food than just the calories.
I know from experienced that if you are slimming and not checking that you are eating a balanced diet, it's very easy to miss out an essential nutrient and that will make you depressed.
They say you are what you eat. And there is such a thing as depressing food. Perhaps your diet is too bland, too colourless, too artificial? And binge eating also leads us to get more depressed. It just doesn't help.
I know it sounds mad, but just making sure you place a variety of colours on the plate will excite your eyes and will in fact be likely to give you a more balanced meal. Eg add slices of seared red pepper, greens, bright yellow sweet corn? (DIfferent colours of food have different nutrients in them)
I'd advise sticking with the calorie counting - but look at the nutrient as well.
There is no cure for depression save finding it yourself. But if it helps long walks help me pound out the anxiety and doing something creative always brings with it a sense of achievement. This can be anything from painting, dancing, cooking or writing. Making a few friends here will give you loads of correspondents and supporters.
You can not change the past - so let that overeating binge drift away like a cloud on a summers day. Look forward to your move and all the new and exciting times ahead of you.
Happy to friend if you like.
Good luck, take heart, we all support you.

boomboom70

Wonderful post, Vegplotter. Hope your spirits pick up, Lauren.

boomboom70

spirit picks up I mean!

laurenduffy1988

Thank you so much for your reply - I think I am going to try just eating when I am actually hungry and not doing it to deal with emotions which I have done for a long time - I love food thats good for and healthy and I know what to eat so hopefully if I focus on this and not reaching for sugar all the time I will feel happier - weighing myself also makes me feel depressed I think because I am so hard on myself - i just want to try and focus on health and hopefully I will notice big changes in all aspects of life its just when I feel low which is alot at the moment all I want is junk

Bghere1

Vegplotter wrote: »

It sounds as if you are having a pretty stressful time at the moment and I send you loads of hugs of support - even if they are only digital hugs:).
I think the solution to your problem might be in the last line of your message. You say the calorie counting isn't helping. But MFP gives you a lot more information about your food than just the calories.
I know from experienced that if you are slimming and not checking that you are eating a balanced diet, it's very easy to miss out an essential nutrient and that will make you depressed.
They say you are what you eat. And there is such a thing as depressing food. Perhaps your diet is too bland, too colourless, too artificial? And binge eating also leads us to get more depressed. It just doesn't help.
I know it sounds mad, but just making sure you place a variety of colours on the plate will excite your eyes and will in fact be likely to give you a more balanced meal. Eg add slices of seared red pepper, greens, bright yellow sweet corn? (DIfferent colours of food have different nutrients in them)
I'd advise sticking with the calorie counting - but look at the nutrient as well.
There is no cure for depression save finding it yourself. But if it helps long walks help me pound out the anxiety and doing something creative always brings with it a sense of achievement. This can be anything from painting, dancing, cooking or writing. Making a few friends here will give you loads of correspondents and supporters.
You can not change the past - so let that overeating binge drift away like a cloud on a summers day. Look forward to your move and all the new and exciting times ahead of you.
Happy to friend if you like.
Good luck, take heart, we all support you.

good post.
Don't forget to celebrate your wins. It is easier for us to be hard on ourselves than it is to be good to ourselves is it not? Don't take the easy road

WBB55

During stressful/anxiety periods, my goal turns to maintenance and logging. Just simply logging every day. Getting mentally healthy is more important than a couple weeks at maintenance.