Does anyone feel LESS happy during his/her weight loss

delgrand

I lost about 30 lbs in 3 months. Most of the loss was within the 1st 2 weeks. So I am losing about 1.5-2 lbs a week.I am now 240 lbs and still have about 75 lbs to lose.

I am not hungry or tired, but I feel less happy. Binge eating was the best thing ever and probably the reason why I was so happy during the past 3 years when I gained all the weight.

Last year when I tried to lose weight I lost 13 lbs in 3 weeks but then I quit because I did not feel happy. This time I am more determined.

Is it normal to feel a bit sad during losing weight and is there a real scientific correlation between binge eating and happiness or was it just a habit of mine?

fitoverfortymom

Eating less food helped me lose weight, but it didn't help me lose the feelings and sads that I had. I had to find other ways besides gorging myself to make myself happy. I turned to running. Maybe there is a hobby or activity you want to spend more time doing?

I didn't feel like I had a lot of joy in my life, so I had to make it myself.

toxikon

Found a study... I admit I didn't read it, but it looks like it may interest you!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2977997/

Here's an article as well: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/addicted-to-fat-eating/

Need2Exerc1se

Maybe a little. I mean, not worrying about weight was one less worry, right? And I like to overeat. I like a big meal. Bigger than I need. I like to feel stuffed.

That's why I don't eat the same calories every day. I'll gladly under eat by a lot a few days a week, sometimes even fast for a day, to be able to overeat on other days. I still do this now over a year after meeting my weight loss goal. I eat at a deficit 4-5 days a week so that I can overeat on the weekends.

I don't know that this would work for you. I did not and do not "binge eat" (as in eating totally out of control). I simply overeat. I simply choose to save calories for a couple of big eating days.

whosshe

I did feel sad at the beginning. I missed food. I felt like I couldn't enjoy all the fast food I ate before but honestly, if I even overeat a little now I feel like crap for days. I used to feel like that every single day, like I was going to explode. That feeling sucks now.

delgrand

fitoverfortymom wrote: »

Eating less food helped me lose weight, but it didn't help me lose the feelings and sads that I had. I had to find other ways besides gorging myself to make myself happy. I turned to running. Maybe there is a hobby or activity you want to spend more time doing?

I didn't feel like I had a lot of joy in my life, so I had to make it myself.

My motive to losing weight was not to change my emotions or feelings. I am happy at my job, I have good friends, and a loving girlfriend. So I was a happy person before starting losing weight.

I wanted to be a healthy person with minimal risk of developing diseases like diabetes and Hypertension, and that's why I started losing weight.

Glad that you found running as something you enjoy. I tried to find a sport to replace my binge eating habit. I tried weight lifting but did not like it.I started walking last week but had joint pain all over my lower limbs, so I decided to wait a little bit. I hope I find a sport that I like.

delgrand

toxikon wrote: »

Found a study... I admit I didn't read it, but it looks like it may interest you!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2977997/

Here's an article as well: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/addicted-to-fat-eating/

so after all binge eating was not just a habit and it really made me happy ! hmm!
Thanks for sharing. The article was interesting to read.

jemhh

I was not unhappy while losing but did go through a period of being unhappy after I lost the weight. When I was obese, I didn't think much about what I was eating or wearing or people seeing me--it was kind of like being invisible, which I enjoyed. Thinking more about my food and appearance and not being quite as invisible was difficult. It still is at times but it's not as bad as it was in the beginning.

kenyonhaff

I wouldn't say I felt more sad.

But I certainly was a bit cranky in the first two weeks...it's hard to maintain a certain energy level on less fuel.

Getting more protein in my diet helped, so did finding food I liked, getting used to "the new normal", and finally just seeing some success.

Aaron_K123

I don't think ones weight is directly connected to ones happiness. I think people who are overweight assume that weight loss will introduce happiness somehow in and of itself but really its a net neutral. If you enjoyed eating X and you no longer eat X so you don't get that enjoyment then yeah that would be less enjoyment.

Simply being smaller doesn't automatically generate happiness. That said there are things one can derive happiness from that are only possible with fitness. If for example you found you really enjoyed bike riding then losing a lot of weight and getting into better shape would allow you to enjoy it more as you would be able to go on longer rides with less effort and no soreness the next day. There might be things you can do now that you would really enjoy doing that you couldn't have done before or that would have been much more difficult. Might be worth exploring a bit and trying things in the physical domain you haven't tried before. If you end up finding a physical activity you really enjoy then it will be win/win because that will help you with fitness and weight loss/maintenance while adding to your overall happiness.

nowine4me

When you say sad, do you mean deprived, depressed or maybe low energy? You might find you’re better suited at running a smaller deficit and stretching out the time it takes to hit your goal. Then you can up your calories and work in more treats. Also, with higher calories, you should have more energy for activity. If you’re depressed, please talk to someone.

In my case, I was hangry, pretty much all the time until I decided to up my calories and take 2 years to get to my goal rather than one. I took a lot of pressure off myself and here I sit 23 months later with 1# to my first goal.

MelanieCN77

I hit my goal weight in March and maintained pretty well till the last month where I crept up three pounds so last Monday I went back into diet mode again. I am so much less anxious about my food while cutting, this I know how to do, but maintenance is a minefield for me yet and I have some things to figure out for January when I should be back at 135.

HellYeahItsKriss

I was depressed when i was obese and depressed now as a smaller size.

I believe in both instances the depression is simply situational. It's almost like two different universes lol

In universe A, my fat self had a great job, a beautiful apartment after spending almost 3 years homeless, After years of being bullied i had built up a good back bone and did not let people treat me badly anymore. But there was things also missing in my life, I had no friends but i did have a lot of online connections, I spent a lot of my life single with very short term relationships, I believed weight loss for me was not obtainable so that left me feeling pretty lost and hopeless. I believed my life would be better if i was smaller.

Universe B, i am smaller, My health is better, I have a good boyfriend, I haven't ended up homeless again, and the back bone i developed isn't needed as much now because the amount of people who were treating me badly has decreased, since most of the abuse was due to my weight. But there is still things missing now too.. I still don't have friends and now that i am older online connections have faded so the internet world is just as equally empty for me, I think my views were skewed, pretty beautiful girls always had pretty and beautiful friends and they would go out and have a great time, for some reason i figured it was due to that, and that i wouldn't be so depressed skinny so that plus being smaller now would attract friends. It took some time to accept the fact that my weight really had nothing to do with it and that its just me as a person, people just don't like me. It does make me depressed from time to time, but that is the situation and while i have grown and changed over time it's something that just isn't going to change and will likely be something i deal with depression wise until i can fully accept it. I lost my good paying job after being forced to resign, so the huge drop in pay and an increase in my expenses also sometimes gets me down as well, but that is something i have more control over and am working on by going back to school.

I think it's just going to take some time for the things i thought were going to change for me when i was fat if i was skinny but didn't to sink in and be accepted. After that i may be depressed less often, and maybe actually for the first time be proud of myself and enjoy my accomplishments with my weight loss.

batorkin

No... I feel awesome and it's only 5 weeks in. 11 pounds down and I don't see myself changing this new lifestyle. I feel a million times better despite still needing to lose 60 more pounds.

Do you lift? I hated it at first, but now it's my go to motivator. You can see changes in your body very quickly if you lift VERY heavy/low reps, 1-2 times a week.

bapity88

The first 30-40 lbs gone I was feeling healthier and happier. Ten months total now and 55 lbs down, I feel like it's a never ending journey and I'll be dieting forever. I only have 15 lbs left to lose, but it's seeming farther and farther away for some reason. I think I'm just absolutely sick of weight loss, dieting, watching everything I eat, logging it all, and having it go so slowly these days. It gets exhausting and depressing sometimes. BUT I don't want to cry every time I look in the mirror anymore, so that's a plus. lol

Shellz31

I have a long history of depression. When I decided to tackle it some years back, I purposefully put any concern over my weight on hold. I gained a lot! But treatment (therapy) worked and i haven't lived in that fog for a couple years now.

Now that I'm refocusing on losing weight, I have noticed some anxiety and rumination returning. I'm not depressed, but am less happy.

This is pure speculation on my part, but I know certain foods raise serotonin, specifically carbohydrates. While not low carb by any means, my intake has gone down as i try to fit everything in on fewer calories. I think I'm just not getting that upshot of serotonin. Plus, calorie deficit is stressful on your body even at reasonable rate, and I believe that could have an impact.

When it started to get bad after just 2 months of a deficit, I took a diet break, eating at maintenance for almost 2 weeks. I felt so much better! I didn't binge, which is why in my case I dont think it's an addiction to binging, but I did eat more serotonin producing foods. I don't know if this is even close to what you're going through but that's my experience so far. Unfortunately the effect is slowly wearing off. I plan on another break over the holidays.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

ms_maruska

I definitely don't feel less happy when losing weight but I can relate for a different reason. I have a lot of food intolerances (like, a lot, whole food groups) and I have to avoid foods or eliminate them completely. After a few years of being on elimination diet I realized I don't really miss bread or yoghurt or whatever, I miss the tastes and textures of different types of foods and their combinations. I personally can't compensate this in any other way than to make an extra effort and incorporate different spices, try out new recipes with the foods I can eat and rotate them more often.

I'm not sure if you're specifically into binging for the sake of binging because, I assume, if you wanted to binge on e.g. tomatoes and lettuce (if you can call it binging?), you wouldn't really get the same feelings. Perhaps your diet is a bit bland to you or you find it dull (at least subconsciously since it took me a while to come to this realization). This is just a shot in the dark, obviously, it could have other causes

madisonrmartinez

It sounds like you’ve been using food as a form of therapy like so many of us do. Maybe you should look into binge eating disorder or food addiction and talking to someone about it. Food can absolutely be addictive, and it can take a while to switch your mindset from feelings-driven eating to fuel-driven eating. I would warn caution to anyone who believes that they will suddenly become happy when they are thinner. Emotions are not externally based, but internal. Ask yourself, what truly would make one happy if they reached a weight loss goal. Would it be the appearance? Perhaps that is a factor. I would argue, though, that much of it would be developing a sense of self respect and self love, along with leading a lifestyle that is more fulfilling, rather that food-filling (hah). My biggest advice to you and anyone who is struggling with their happiness during this journey is to continue on, but focus equally on mental health as you do physical. You cannot be successful with weight loss in the long run if you do not the face internal problems as well.

naomiday85

This one is so true. My friends used to say I was more confident when I was heavier, I would say I cared less about how I looked because I was “the fun one” i do however really really struggle with what I see in the mirror now. My partner says this is the smallest and fittest he’s ever known me and I know this to be true. It’s a really difficult one, I want to lose at least another 14Ib but it frustrates me no end that I dislike what I see anyway

RodaRose

toxikon wrote: »

Found a study... I admit I didn't read it, but it looks like it may interest you!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2977997/

Here's an article as well: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/addicted-to-fat-eating/

Thank you so much for the two articles. I appreciated their talk about the role of domaine.

Also, I liked the one (2nd) that said the rats' favorite food was Sara Lee Cheese cake.

sytchequeen

I dunno, I'm not an expert and I don't have any studies, but it looks like you have at least recognised how you got where you were. Now to find something that makes you as happy as food did. I love to cook and eat (think Masterchef here...) and I'm very happy in the kitchen. But I think I enjoy feeding other people as much as I do eating it myself. I don't enjoy the gym (treadmills and cross trainers leave me cold) but I love walking outdoors and I love dancing. Find your happy.

Let us know how you get on.

callsitlikeiseeit

i was a happy person fat, and am even happier now.

find what makes you happy.

i love to cook and bake. So... i cook and bake to my hearts content when i have people here to eat it all or send it home with! lol

kq1981

^^^ that. I used to turn to food for comfort. Much like a drug addict would comfort themselves with a fix. I no now that it was a "quick fix" to a "happy" or feeling Comforted. Because at the end of the day, the things that made me feel sad and depressed and anxious were still there. I still have anxiety and suffer depression but am trying to deal with those things without a "food-fix" and I feel so much more confident, positive and happy 14.5kg into my weight loss. I play piano again, I dance with my kids in my lounge almost every night, I play football too. My happy places. Good luck, keep us posted, there are many supportive people here who always have an ear to lend

Need2Exerc1se

bapity88 wrote: »

The first 30-40 lbs gone I was feeling healthier and happier. Ten months total now and 55 lbs down, I feel like it's a never ending journey and I'll be dieting forever. I only have 15 lbs left to lose, but it's seeming farther and farther away for some reason. I think I'm just absolutely sick of weight loss, dieting, watching everything I eat, logging it all, and having it go so slowly these days. It gets exhausting and depressing sometimes. BUT I don't want to cry every time I look in the mirror anymore, so that's a plus. lol

If you want to maintain the loss after you get to goal, it is a never ending journey. Ceasing to pay attention to diet once weigh loss goals are reached are why most people regain the weight. It really is a lifelong thing.

lemurcat12

I'm curious what you mean by binge and also being less happy.

I am an emotional/stress eater, so giving up that (I sometimes slip) meant giving up a way I had of making myself temporarily happy if I felt things were bad. Fear of losing that kept me from getting my eating under control for a while. Doing that did not actually make me happy, though -- I felt bad afterwards, and although I did not binge from what I hear from many who did/do, they also felt bad afterwards (and often even during -- feeling out of control can be a bad and terrifying feeling).

Probably as a result of this, I actually felt much happier almost immediately after I got started on a more controlled eating pattern and felt good overall about how I was eating. I also found that it had benefits in terms of more consistent energy, a lack of the highs and lows associated with food. However, I still had that panicky "oh goodness, what to do about bad feelings" and a natural tendency to depression that I had to find other ways of dealing with (for me meditation, journaling, sitting with the feelings, music, exercise, especially running).

Do I sometimes miss being able to just eat whatever I felt like and as much as my heart desired, without thinking about it? Sure, but that to me does not make me less happy.

bapity88

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

bapity88 wrote: »

The first 30-40 lbs gone I was feeling healthier and happier. Ten months total now and 55 lbs down, I feel like it's a never ending journey and I'll be dieting forever. I only have 15 lbs left to lose, but it's seeming farther and farther away for some reason. I think I'm just absolutely sick of weight loss, dieting, watching everything I eat, logging it all, and having it go so slowly these days. It gets exhausting and depressing sometimes. BUT I don't want to cry every time I look in the mirror anymore, so that's a plus. lol

If you want to maintain the loss after you get to goal, it is a never ending journey. Ceasing to pay attention to diet once weigh loss goals are reached are why most people regain the weight. It really is a lifelong thing.

Yeah, but I feel like I'll be much happier having maintenance calories of around 1700 versus my current weight loss calories of only 1200.

Need2Exerc1se

bapity88 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

bapity88 wrote: »

The first 30-40 lbs gone I was feeling healthier and happier. Ten months total now and 55 lbs down, I feel like it's a never ending journey and I'll be dieting forever. I only have 15 lbs left to lose, but it's seeming farther and farther away for some reason. I think I'm just absolutely sick of weight loss, dieting, watching everything I eat, logging it all, and having it go so slowly these days. It gets exhausting and depressing sometimes. BUT I don't want to cry every time I look in the mirror anymore, so that's a plus. lol

If you want to maintain the loss after you get to goal, it is a never ending journey. Ceasing to pay attention to diet once weigh loss goals are reached are why most people regain the weight. It really is a lifelong thing.

Yeah, but I feel like I'll be much happier having maintenance calories of around 1700 versus my current weight loss calories of only 1200.

Yes, I imagine so.

maybe1pe

I think initially is was sad about some things. I didn't cut any foods out but I did choose to eat less of them and I love food and I love the social aspects of gathering for food so in that respect it wasn't as much enjoyment I guess.

But I think overtime I found new and different things that gave me the same enjoyment as eating used to. I mean I still get enjoyment from eating and sometimes when I've been particularly stressed I feel tempted to turn towards an entire container of cookies and go to town. But I've learned to find relief and enjoyment in having 2 cookies and going for a long walk outside.

It took some time but I found a lot more things that I enjoy doing than I used to. I've taken up more hobbies and tried more things than I ever thought that I would and those things have helped replace some of my old hobbies and old sources of enjoyment. I do still love food though. I'm definitely more happy about what I can accomplish strength and endurance wise now than I was about how much cake I could fit into my mouth.

It's different and it takes time to adjust but for me it was worth it.

Holly_Wood_888

Their is a certain euphoria that comes from satiating foods such as fat and sugar. I for one, have found that I top out in the happy department after a few months of watching my weight. Then I can sit in front of Netflix at 11pm and eat candy and chips and feel SO happy... Then as I pack on the weight and the unhappiness settles in when I realize my clothing doesn't fit. I realized long ago that I cant have my cake and eat it too ... eating what I want makes me heavy. Realizing that I weigh 18 pounds more than I should, and having my pants roll down, ultimately made me so unhappy that it trumped eating what I want . Its a vicious cycle!

Remember to treat yourself a cheat meal every week. Experiment with cooking different foods, trying different foods and always try and improve. Let yourself have that glass of wine in the middle of week but only have one. Start doing fun things that are active. Rearrange your home. Reward yourself by buying something new for your living space... We have to replace our old habits and find something that will give us the same feeling Sometimes that includes buying ourselves flowers to brighten our space!

cwolfman13

No...but I have never been an emotional eater or stress eater. I gained most of my weight because I went from being a very active person to sitting behind a desk and not adjusting for that with my food.

I was actually really happy during my weight loss because I was getting my old, fit self back and it felt great to be active again.