Losing Weight With Depression

amandzor

Losing weight is a struggle all on its own, as I'm sure most people here are aware. It requires being motivated to change, and caring about yourself enough to make good decisions without turning to the comforts that were once available.

My last attempt at MFP was great, I spent 6 months counting calories and working out 4-5 days a week. I wasn't working (I'd lost my job a few weeks before Christmas) so I was able to really dedicate myself for the last 2 months. I'd eventually lost 40+ pounds and was doing really well when everything came crumbling down.

A series of events, including being laid off, having a dim outlook on life, losing my transportation to the gym, and an unstable living situation, led me towards defeat.

I gave up. Turned back to food (I don't smoke/drink) and worse yet, started spending too much time at the Casino. I wasn't gambling away hundreds, but $20 here and there definitely adds up. I gained back 20+ pounds within 3 months and was miserable. I needed help.

So, I contacted (with my new ACA health insurance) a doctor and went in for a physical and to discuss the possibility of anti-depressants. Within 3 days, I knew they weren't for me. (I started hallucinating, and felt stoned -all the time-) This was not helpful for my motivation, or my life. So I stopped taking them, went back to the doctor, and we decided on something much more mild. Just a little mood stabilizer (which is interestingly enough, also used as an anti-seizure medication for epilepsy) to keep me from going too low. The dosage is super low, but within a week the fog began to clear, the hopelessness began to recede and I finally felt like myself again.

I was motivated to dive head-in to the job hunt (I'd been unemployed for 3 months at this point, living with my sister with miserly unemployment benefits) and within 2 weeks I had a job, a car and was searching for a roommate to find an apartment. Within a month everything was back to mostly normal. I was able to find a great place to live, join a gym that's between my home and my workplace (Best, most convenient thing ever.) And most importantly, purchase and plan my own meals without the temptation of the fast food my sister is clearly addicted to.

So, with my first week down, 5 full days at the gym, and a full week of careful calorie counting I'm back on track, down 4 pounds and working on my 1.5 mile time. (Vital, as I want to become a police officer.)

I drive past the Criminal Justice Training center every day, and use that as my motivation.

Weight-loss is already a difficult journey, adding depression to the mix makes it almost impossible.

And I wonder how others suffering from the same manage to remain motivated. Thanks for reading my story, and I hope to read yours.