Depression and weight loss

Kevalicious99

Stop taking anti-depressants if you are taking any.

My biggest recommendation ... get out there and move it.

You will not need those pills and will feel a zillion times better without them. I know right .. they are supposed to make things better but in many cases make things worse.

I stopped taking them at the beginning of my journey and only take a very small dose now .. to help me sleep. But the depression is gone .. after decades of fighting depression.

dlb777

To my surprise, I have something called hyperparathyroidism, which creates huge levels of calcium in the blood. One of the symptoms is depression -- so you might want to ask your doctor about blood tests to see if anything biological is contributing to the depression.

As a lot of folks have written here, exercise definitely helps. However, if you're feeling depressed, your exercise has to be fun to motivate you. If you have a stationary bike or some other in-house equipment, exercise while watching a highly entertaining or humorous movie. The time flies by and you'll feel much better on many levels.

zericaaaaa

Depression can be resolved by changing what you eat.

Maybe it helped you, but for most people with a brain disorder, they need actual medical help, real science backed by research, to stop getting worse or even get better.
That being said, I've read studies saying that exercise (regular, sustained cardio/aerobic exercise) is as effective for some people as medicine.
Start where you are. If all you're up to right now is walking to the end of the driveway & back, do that. Then do it again this afternoon. Then do it again tomorrow morning & afternoon. Eventually, increase the distance. FORCE yourself to do it, just like you take your medicine or brush your teeth. Yes, it's going to feel a bit foolish just walking to the street & turning around, but ya gotta start somewhere.

When I started exercising, I did 5 min on the treadmill. In a few weeks, I was up to 15 min, and I started some light weightlifting. I've been building ever since. I no longer (normally) feel exhausted, overwhelmed by life, or like I'm wrapped in an 8" stack of quilts & have to drag them everywhere with me. Most of the time I'm sort of blah, but that beats being down!

when I'm depressed doing things just seems like an insurmountable obstacle

YES! This!!!

And it's not as easy as most people think, it's not a nike commercial of "just do it".

It's not easy, no, but that's the only way: just do it.
Get up off the couch or out of bed, put on your clothes & shoes, and walk around the block.
Then you can go back to bed.
Yes, it takes an incredible amount of willpower, which is why you set small easily-achieved goals to reinforce your success, which gives you more willpower. Eventually exercise becomes a habit.
Last year, and for several years previous, I was a complete couch potato, severely depressed for years. On the highest dose of 1 psych med, with a medium dose of another to potentiate it. I decided I was going to start exercising, lose the weight, and it was entirely willpower... at least until I started seeing results.

Malnourishment does affect the brain, and obese people are very often deficient in vital micronutrients; hence why one overeats uncontrollably. Nothing else worked for me; not drugs (is anyone born with, or develop, a deficiency of pharmaceuticals?) , not counselling, not exercise, not anything, until I changed the FOOD.[/quote]
Part of why many people with depression overeat carbs is because they increase serotonin...
which is what some psych drugs do, with no calories.
And yes, it's already been answered that some people have a deficiency of certain neurotransmitters, which causes the brain to not function as it should.
If that could be solved by taking a multivitamin, that would be a lot cheaper & easier.
[/quote]

^a whole bunch of truth!! well put

exercise has definitely been my saving grace. eating lots of fruits and veggies has also played a huge part in helping with my depression. the food + exercise does the trick for your brain, and when you see the physical results it makes everything even better!!

FatFreeFrolicking

Thank you all for taking the time to reply to me and for the advice I am under my GP and am on antidepressants which I think is a good start

lauraloveslav - thank you for that tip about small tasks as at the moment I am focusing on the 2st I have to lose rather than breaking it into more manageable chunks

:flowerforyou:

A GP isn't specialized to treat mental illness. You need to ask your GP to refer you to a psychiatrist/psychologist who will be able to help you more.

Whatever antidepressant you are taking, stop it if you can (only if your doctor gives you the OK, of course). I gained 111 lbs from antidepressants and wish I never took them in the first place. They ruined my life, my body, and my health.

There are many alternatives to treating depression like:
-Exercise
-Cognitive behavioral therapy
-Acupuncture
-Essential oils
-Supplements (specifically B vitamins and fish oil)

Remember, a routine is key. Getting enough sleep and eating healthy are also important. Go out and do something fun- something you've never done before.

This link discusses nutrition and depression: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2738337/

Adpalangi

I'm so happy for you! That doing your jog is impressive. From one depressed person to another... Lol. Best wishes

Stripeness

Start with logging. Seriously. Just that. In my experience, depression can make things get overwhelming FAST. So be kind to yourself, and just start by seeing where you're at.

Do not stop taking your meds if they seem to be helping your depression. If you haven't been around the depression block enough times to realize, there are perfectly good GPs and perfectly awful psychiatrists, and of course vice versa. Unless you are taking prednisone (unlikely as it's an anti-inflammatory, NOT an antidepressant), you are not going to blow up like a balloon.

Depression can change your eating habits in the form of conscious and unconscious coping mechanisms - from psychological "comfort or anxiety eating" to *extremely* high carb consumption as an unconscious attempt at self-medication (carbs raise serotonin - not surprising then, to have those cravings!). However, neither depression nor antidepressants dramatically change your metabolism so that calories don't matter.

Do your logging. Find out where your calorie count is now (over say a week or so), and also, how do your macros (carb/fat/protein) look? If you use MFP on a smartphone, how does your piechart look?

That will give you a REASONABLE starting point for making doable changes, based on your patterns. What will give you the biggest improvement? Cutting out a daily soda? Eating 1 fruit or veg? It's a little different for everyone, but pick something easy that you'll be able to do, on say 8 out of your 10 worst depression days.

Go outside. Even if it seems like a silly, slow walk around the block - not challenging at all. Just do it. When you're depressed, getting outside is one of the best things you can do. And even if it's only 18 calories, you've done SOMETHING on the exercise front.

If you can do one small food thing, and go outside (even to breathe), then you will have been successful with two things, no matter how crappy the rest of the day is. And as you begin to see progress and feel better, you'll be able to make bigger changes.

It's easy when you're depressed, to beat yourself up for failing at one more thing. So don't set yourself up that way. Start by logging, use whatever prescription support you need right now, and take it from there.

You've GOT this! :flowerforyou:

FatFreeFrolicking

Start with logging. Seriously. Just that. In my experience, depression can make things get overwhelming FAST. So be kind to yourself, and just start by seeing where you're at.

Do not stop taking your meds if they seem to be helping your depression. If you haven't been around the depression block enough times to realize, there are perfectly good GPs and perfectly awful psychiatrists, and of course vice versa. Unless you are taking prednisone (unlikely as it's an anti-inflammatory, NOT an antidepressant), you are not going to blow up like a balloon.

Depression can change your eating habits in the form of conscious and unconscious coping mechanisms - from psychological "comfort or anxiety eating" to *extremely* high carb consumption as an unconscious attempt at self-medication (carbs raise serotonin - not surprising then, to have those cravings!). However, neither depression nor antidepressants dramatically change your metabolism so that calories don't matter.

Do your logging. Find out where your calorie count is now (over say a week or so), and also, how do your macros (carb/fat/protein) look? If you use MFP on a smartphone, how does your piechart look?

That will give you a REASONABLE starting point for making doable changes, based on your patterns. What will give you the biggest improvement? Cutting out a daily soda? Eating 1 fruit or veg? It's a little different for everyone, but pick something easy that you'll be able to do, on say 8 out of your 10 worst depression days.

Go outside. Even if it seems like a silly, slow walk around the block - not challenging at all. Just do it. When you're depressed, getting outside is one of the best things you can do. And even if it's only 18 calories, you've done SOMETHING on the exercise front.

If you can do one small food thing, and go outside (even to breathe), then you will have been successful with two things, no matter how crappy the rest of the day is. And as you begin to see progress and feel better, you'll be able to make bigger changes.

It's easy when you're depressed, to beat yourself up for failing at one more thing. So don't set yourself up that way. Start by logging, use whatever prescription support you need right now, and take it from there.

You've GOT this! :flowerforyou:

Over 25% of people on antidepressants gain weight so you can't exactly tell OP she won't "blow up like a balloon."

Stripeness

^^Gaining some weight is not the same thing as blowing up like a balloon ala prednisone (which is why I specifically called out that distinction).

The smartest thing to do is log your calories. That way you can see what is really happening. If you are gaining an unusual amount of weight on a (for you) small number of calories, it's time to get your metabolism measured - and your doc can do that.

What doesn't make sense is to:
1. Decide meds are Teh Ebil and will prevent you from losing weight or even maintaining.
or
2. Don't log and just accuse the meds of making you gain weight (when in reality you are eating too many calories and probably not a balanced diet).

I've struggled with depression, with and without meds. And I have a medically measured low metabolism. I'm well aware that meds can change my dietary habits, so point 2 isn't finger-pointing or dissing others' experiences.

Like it or not, it will always come down to how many calories your body is consuming in a day and how many it's burning off. Whatever that number might be, *given* whatever meds you need to take.

fastfoodietofitcutie

Try spending more time outside and see if that helps. The sunshine and fresh air seems to really help. There are some good suggestions in this thread so maybe try a few and see what works for you. Good luck!

losingdays

Hey chica - I'm 23 and have had depressed for the majority of my adult life. I'm so sorry you're going through this and understand 100% how daunting the concept of 'getting into' exercise can be ...if you can tackle that first exercise session and recognise what a huge step that is in and of itself you're already on your way to succeeding with your goals!
Start out with going for regular walks is what got me going, even if it's just around the block you live on a couple times - you're out of the house and moving and getting some fresh air. After that's a regular part of your routine and exercise itself doesn't seem like too much of a hurdle I can't recommend highly enough joining a gym, all the fancy equipment is fun to play around with, there's a support system to make sure you're progressing as you'd want to be with the personal trainers/staff there, and because you're paying for it I find that alone motivates me more to go as much as possible!
All the best on your journey. Be easy on yourself. Plan ahead and take small steps/focus on putting on foot in front of the other in all aspects of life and you will eventually find yourself where you need to be

Flopzsalter

Hi!
I too suffer from depression and it really is a challenge to keep myself on track and not get frustrated and throw in the towel when my cortisol levels rise with stress. I noticed you were on meds so I assume your doctor has looked at your vitamin B levels but it couldn't hurt to look into that as well. I exercise often to try and relieve my stress but sometimes it doesn't cut it and when the sepression kicks in it's hard enough to just make it through the day. I've never taken meds for mine but my doctor was startled at my description of what I was feeling, said I was moderately depressed and that "we needed to fix this"
Granted everyone is different but my doctor had me start spending atleast 10-25 minutes every morning outside (she wanted me to start with 30 minutes and work up to an hour wearing sunscreen to protect my skin but I just dont habe that kind of time!) I have a little patio where I now wake up 30 minutes early so I can go and sit in the sun while I drink my morning water or tea and eat my breakfast. Usually I spend the last 10 minutes with my wyes closed but she said all that really mattwred was that I had dirwxt sunlight on my face/ eyelids). The sitting in the sun seems silly but I have found that it directly affects my sleep in a positive way. She explained it to me once (but I was skeptical so I didn't retain all the details on how it affects serotonin levels etc) but if you are not sleeping well at night it is worth a shot. I noticed a huge difference after 1 week. I also find it is a great way for me to mentally prepare for the chaous that is my day to day life. My doctor also has me on a super B complex and B 12 sublingual vitamin. I don't take them as often as I should but when I start to feel depressed I make sure I take them every day and I end up feeling much better/ my depression doesn't get as deep as it did before.
Keep up the great work and don't give up. It might take a while to find what works best for you but as long as you keep fighting you will make it to the end of the tunnel. ^_^

pechepanda

exercise lots, it releases endorphin's that should help with depression, but its difficult to get yourself motivated when youre depressed, so try to find a fun way to exercise and try finding something you can do everyday, like running or dance?
and try getting a friend or someone who can hold you accountable to do it with you.
it helps a lot having someone to help when youre having trouble staying motivated.

kemcards

I know cognitive behavioral therapy has been mentioned, but I wanted to specifically recommend "Feeling Good" by David Burns. It's an incredibly comprehensive book that gives you tools for coming up with your own plan to boost your mood by helping you stop beating yourself up. Once you're feeling better, set yourself small, easily achieved goals so that you can start to build your self-confidence. You may not lose (or even maintain) your weight until you believe you can - and depression makes that very hard, because it makes you feel that you are defective and that the condition is permanent. CBT can help you recognize that although you're human and may have problems, you're not hopeless and can still make positive changes in your life.

I agree that exercise is good, but for me the soreness (from weight lifting) and other issues (bunion pain, shin splints) make me feel worse when I overdo it. Aim for moderate activity, ideally with others so you're less isolated.