Depression and Exercise?

Umeboshi

First I'll explain the problem: I have severe depression and most of the time I do not have the energy to even cook meals for myself (so I eat lean cuisines and sometimes muster the energy to make a healthy frozen skillet meal). As embarrassing as it is, I struggle to do basic cleaning around the house, or shower and brush my teeth, brush my hair, etc. I'm often emotionally exhausted after a shower, and going out to the grocery store is a huge ordeal for me. It's not a matter of physical energy, as I have plenty of that... it's a matter of how much I can do without having a mini emotional breakdown or just wanting to go back to sleep. I try my best to budget my energy and take breaks between things so I don't overwhelm myself, but it's a challenge. I really want to exercise to help with my weight loss efforts but when it takes a ton of effort to do the basics, I just don't know how to add in some form of exercise.

I know not everyone on here totally understands depression but that's okay, I would just like some advice on how to get myself motivated or get small amounts of exercise in throughout the day. I was thinking of setting up some kind of reward system for myself but the rewards would need to be small and inexpensive, so any ideas for that would be good as well. Thank you all in advance

jmruef

I do understand depression. I know how hard it can be to get out of bed, let alone do anything else in a day.

One thing that MAY help is to celebrate each little thing. You got out of bed? It's a victory. You brushed your hair? Another one. Teeth? Yet another. You get the idea. Just realizing that you did those things - that you were able to get out of bed and FUNCTION - means that you are winning over your illness for that moment in time. It really is a moment by moment thing.

Are you in treatment / on any kind of medication? A lot of people resist the idea of meds for depression, but it really might be something to consider if you haven't already.

hroush

I understand where you are coming from. I was 280+ lbs 6 years ago and battled depression all my life. What I found was a group exercise class that I loved (spin). It didn't feel like exercise to me. I also paid for the class, so that was also my motivation to go. I found I have to have a schedule or I won't do anything, so I schedule in my workouts where I have to go at that time.

Hopeinanguish

Exercise is the absolute BEST depression fighter! Take it from me! I have struggled with it all my life and I cannot tell you how putting forth a little effort (just a little to start) completely changed me.

First, I recommend seeing a doctor and assessing things if you haven't. But be real careful...anti-depressants are the most prescribed drug in America, and (I believe) over-prescribed. SO MUCH of weight loss is mental. The workout I do is called, "Walk Away the Pounds." It's a wonderful dvd that is low impact on your knees and allows you to work your way toward being a happier, healthier you. The videos go from 1 mile up to 4 miles. Let me tell you...I started out barely able to make it through the one mile, but I didn't beat myself up...I hung on! Now, about 2 months later, I plug through the 4 mile and am so proud of myself every day!

I would encourage you as someone who has been where you are that not only is there something so much better out there for you, but you totally deserve it. And NOW is the time! Come on, girl!

Umeboshi

I do understand depression. I know how hard it can be to get out of bed, let alone do anything else in a day.

One thing that MAY help is to celebrate each little thing. You got out of bed? It's a victory. You brushed your hair? Another one. Teeth? Yet another. You get the idea. Just realizing that you did those things - that you were able to get out of bed and FUNCTION - means that you are winning over your illness for that moment in time. It really is a moment by moment thing.

Are you in treatment / on any kind of medication? A lot of people resist the idea of meds for depression, but it really might be something to consider if you haven't already.

Thank you for the advice. It's hard to remember to congratulate myself for those things when I know other people can do them so easily, but I will try to give myself more credit.
I am on medication now but it's a process of getting the right ones and doses I guess. My meds were recently switched around a bit and a new one was added so I am in adjustment between being totally emotionally cut off and actually feeling things. Hehe I'm just hoping things will get easier when this medication starts really working at a therapeutic dose.

Umeboshi

I understand where you are coming from. I was 280+ lbs 6 years ago and battled depression all my life. What I found was a group exercise class that I loved (spin). It didn't feel like exercise to me. I also paid for the class, so that was also my motivation to go. I found I have to have a schedule or I won't do anything, so I schedule in my workouts where I have to go at that time.

I wish I could handle a group exercise class but my anxiety goes into high gear when I'm around a bunch of people and it's worse if people are seeing me exercise. I feel like a spectacle "Look at that fat chick try to work out!" A schedule sounds like it might work well for me though, I will just have to find a good way to keep myself accountable to it

hroush

I understand where you are coming from. I was 280+ lbs 6 years ago and battled depression all my life. What I found was a group exercise class that I loved (spin). It didn't feel like exercise to me. I also paid for the class, so that was also my motivation to go. I found I have to have a schedule or I won't do anything, so I schedule in my workouts where I have to go at that time.

I wish I could handle a group exercise class but my anxiety goes into high gear when I'm around a bunch of people and it's worse if people are seeing me exercise. I feel like a spectacle "Look at that fat chick try to work out!" A schedule sounds like it might work well for me though, I will just have to find a good way to keep myself accountable to it

I know you won't believe me when I say, people will not say that, but they won't. Many people attending these classes are in the same situation as you, they are there to lose weight. I cannot tell you how many compliments I received from the fellow members of my class due to my commitment and weight loss. If you have the space, get a treadmill, exercise bike, or similar off of craigslist or local ads. This would allow you to workout at home without anyone watching.

As for the schedule, once you make it, you cannot break it. If you skip just once, it will allow you to skip again the next day, and the next, and soon your machine is now a clothes rack. I would suggest doing some walking everyday at a set time. This would help you get into a routine. Try to go a little further or a little longer each day. This can be a great motivating tool because you will want to achieve a greater distance or time. You can also set goals for yourself and earn rewards. Once you've become accustomed to this, check out the C25k program.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

Do you have a friend or two that you can pull from locally that will say "hey, I'm going to zumba (cardio dance, something low impact with good music that's lots of fun) I'll be over at xx:00 to pick you up and I'm not taking no for an answer."? I get depression, because you're totally going to say no, I used to say no. I didn't have an issue with over weight back then, I was anorexic and bulhemic, so my support system usually said "here's a sandwich, the bathrooms are broken." I didn't want to do anything, including eat, so I didn't and when I finally did eat my body would reject the food. I'm racking my brain, because it's so hard . . . it's not like you're 4 and can be motivated by stickers, or can you? Buy a nice calendar, and when you're having a good day put a sticker on the calendar and a dollar (or quarter or something you can handle) in a jar . . . but only an honestly good day. That way you can see your good days racking up on the calendar and in the jar, have in mind a good reward in mind and know how many days it will take to get to that reward. You need something do drive for that you can see the progress and you're working for a short term goal (one good day) a mid term goal (what ever you're saving for) and a long term goal (something better than what you have going on now).

AlsDonkBoxSquat

To add, I am a group fitness instructor (3 months ago I was a group fitness instructor carrying 25 pounds of extra weight), and my favorite days are the days that someone new enters my class. I feel like I must impress them and make it seem like even more fun than it is because my goal is to fill that room and if people aren't connecting with me I don't fill my room. I don't judge people who walk into my room, I'm the one on trial, I'm the one that's there to impress. I also know that my participants don't judge others either. You have to remember, every single person in that room remembers their first day too. I remember mind, I was all knees and elbows, 18 months later I started teaching because I loved it so much, and now it's been 3.5 years . . . the group atmosphere, feeling like Norm walking into cheers.

Actually, my favorite day is the day that one of my regulars walks in wearing an outfit that they wouldn't have been caught dead in on the first day of class (like trading in their sweats for yoga pants and their over sized tees for a racer back or tank).

sunyg

Bob Harper has some awesome challenges on his website.

http://www.mytrainerbob.com/challenges

Most of them you don't need anything to do it, no one is going to see you do it and you can pick just one a day to do at first if it's easier. Then maybe add another one after a few days?
Working out does help with depression I have found. But it's hard to get going. This will give you baby steps to start. Until you feel stronger to do more.

brandiuntz

Just want to chime in that I understand depression, as it's something I've fought with a lot over the past 6 years. 2.5 years ago I was in the "can't get out of bed to even brush my teeth" situation most days (how I didn't lose my job- I'm forever grateful for an understanding boss). I still have days where my first thought is "I don't want to get up".

I hope you're actively working with someone (therapist/doctor) to handle your depression. It's definitely a tough cycle, but you can learn the mental tools you need to conquer it.

Praising yourself is a very good start. Work on your self-esteem. Take everything step-by-step. One foot in front of the other, literally, if you have to.

Have a mini-goal every day, especially with exercise. For example, "tomorrow I will do five push ups". Give yourself all day to do them, but, just get them done. Then, do something that you enjoy once you do those 5 push ups.

Exercise will help you fight depression. I couldn't believe what a difference it made in my mood! Best natural mood-booster ever. So, fight tooth and nail to do some sort of exercise every day.

I can understand not joining an exercise group. I have anxiety issues, too. So, make a plan of what exercises you can do at home. Then, something you can do outside (nothing like some sun to lift your mood). Join a gym if you want, but you don't need that to get in shape.

And keep reaching out here at MFP. Lots of understanding people here.

mathjulz

I understand you. I deal with depression (part of bipolar) too. I have found that when I'm depressed, I eat poorly (either almost nothing or just a bunch of crap) and don't exercise.
But I also found that once I start exercising regularly, depression doesn't flare up as badly. It's hard to get started. I've had days when I go to the gym, feel like I can't do anything (ie running on the treadmill is just so much harder than usual) and end up going home early and crying my eyes out. But if you keep trying, it gradually lifts your mood. And once things are better, it's easier to keep exercising. But I won't pretend there aren't days when I still feel like getting out of bed is a MAJOR achievement, and exercise doesn't happen.
I think my point is to do what you can when you can, because it will help, but don't beat yourself up for the days when you can't.

beccala18

You could keep yourself accountable by using the money in a jar idea (said earlier) to build up to something you want, like a massage or a manicure. Put in a dollar every day you exercise - it will motivate you to do it to build up the money to get a prize and it will be something tangible to keep you on schedule.

Oh, and I find paying for something is much more incentive to go - like paying for a personal trainer to show you how to do something or paying for an exercise class.

kklindsey

I totally completely understand depression and I hope your meds get your feeling good enough to do more soon. About a year before I started my weight loss journey I went to a psychologists because my husband said he loved me dearly but if something didn't change he didn't want to be married to me anymore. whew! eye opener. I was diagnosed with cyclothymic disorder and got some great meds. I took them for a year and I will never know if I felt better so I ate more or if the meds helped but I went from an already too heavy 260 to 300. I also found out that the best med I had could cause permanent facial tics with long term use. So I weaned myself off the meds, dropped 10lbs right away and thought, hey, maybe I will try to lose some weight. I am simplifying it all of course but through trial and error I realized that I was carb sensitive. I lost 70lbs in 7 months and also lost my depression, my ocd, my anxiety attacks in the middle of walmart that caused me to leave my cart and go home. I am not saying this is the answer for you but I so understand how you feel. My husband told me to exercise and I would "feel better" but I didn't have the energy mentally or physically to get out of bed, do the dishes, brush my hair. It is kind of a chicken and the egg thing. YOu need to move and lose weight to feel better but you need to feel better to do those things.

I went on vacation 7 months in to my weight loss and ate the same garbage I ate before, cookies, fried foods, bread, candy and guess what? I had ocd, I had anxiety I had insomnia. That convinced me to stick to the low carb, protein at every meal plan and after 2 1/2 more years I was down to 140 and a size 4 so you can do it. You can get better physically and mentally and it will feel so great when you do!

As far as rewards I made deals with myself, I can read two chapters of this book after I work out. I can get my nails done when I have dropped 5lbs. shoes and jewelry don't care how heavy you are if you like those you can treat yourself there and jewelry can be costume and not expensive. I don't recommend any expensive rings till you are done losing as I had to have my wedding ring sized from a 10 to a 5!

Try walking around your house so many times, try fitness shows on tv, look on the internet for simple things you can do that don't require you to make a massive commitment that you can just pick up and do for five minutes. And start out with 5 minutes. when I first worked out I did 10 minutes 3 times a day, I was too heavy to do anymore. But every time I did those 10 minutes I felt better.

Good luck, I really hope you get better it is so fabulous when the dark lifts!

CommandaPanda

Look up the benefits of fish oil, and then I recommend that you go out and purchase some fish oil tablets!

1 gram per day (usually about 3 pills or so, depending on the dosage)

NewVonnie

Look up the benefits of fish oil, and then I recommend that you go out and purchase some fish oil tablets!

1 gram per day (usually about 3 pills or so, depending on the dosage)

Dude!!!! I just looked it up...WTH....helps depression, weight loss, soreness after exercise, stabilizes mood. Well crap...thanks..I need to go get some. Wonder what kind is good?

stepbystep6

My heart goes out to you! Adding exercise does seem like way too much when life in general is way too much. I suggest that you don't need to think about exericsing for a whole week, or 6 months, or a year - you just have to exercise today. Just one day, I find it always helpful to tell myself when faced with a difficult task, "I only have to do 15 minutes. I don't have to finish I just have to start and make some progress." sometimes I stop after the 15 minutes, but sometimes havingmustered up the momentum to begin I want to continue.

What do you like to do? What resources do you have, or can you acquire - considering used or borrowed. Could you get an exercise ball and a poster with various exercises? Do you have stairs in your house to go up and down? Is there a person who you could walk with around the block? Do you have music you love to dance to?

I'll share what happened to me last night and maybe my light bulb moment will help you too. Faced with a quiet house, the children were all in bed, the house was a disaster, and I put on my runners to do at few minutes on the tredmill. I wasn't feeling super motivated so I didn't commit to any length of time, just to get on. After 10 minutes - when I do my usual stretches, I had an epiphany. Activity is activity - I could continue with my tredmill walk or I could walk around my house, bending, lifting, walking, moving and putting away all the things that had migrated from their homes through the day. Waking up today, I was much more happy to face the day because I decided to be active - not to 'exercise'. What if you were to get a pedometer? That way all your activity would be measured and help you feel a measure of success and you can track your progress in your journal. O maybe log them onto an exercise ticker for your page here.

It has been astounding to me how exercise is helping with my moods - I applaud you for trying to figure this out in your life. And I know that you will be able to come up with a way to incorporate more activity (if not exercise per say)- especially if you begin and see some benefits, which I think you will.

CommandaPanda

Look up the benefits of fish oil, and then I recommend that you go out and purchase some fish oil tablets!

1 gram per day (usually about 3 pills or so, depending on the dosage)

Dude!!!! I just looked it up...WTH....helps depression, weight loss, soreness after exercise, stabilizes mood. Well crap...thanks..I need to go get some. Wonder what kind is good?

Wow, honestly I did not think anyone would take me seriously. Normally I would go into FULL detail right in the post but I figured nobody would pay me any attention so I just threw in my two cents and left. I probably wasn't going to return back to it.

My friends and I all take fish oil, I was skeptical at first because I was like "this sounds stupid..." Brand does not matter, it just depends on how much you're getting into your system. It's recommended that you take 1 gram per day. So when looking at the label, you’re mainly paying attention to the EPA dosage. Currently, I’m taking GNC’s Triple Strength fish oil… which is just a higher dosage, I still have to take 2/day to meet the 1g. And by the way, those studies on depression are very true. It does help and makes you feel “better” in a way… hard to describe.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/82042-recommended-fish-oil-dosages/
^^ This link will help shed light on dosage an general information.

Some brands are cheaper (in cost) than others and that’s what I would recommend. The one from GNC that I just bought ran me a little too much money for me to be comfortable with. I’m glad you did as I requested and did some research into it! Please let me know if you have any other questions!!

Behavior_Modification

Good for you for reaching out. I understand depression very well as I have been suffering from it for most of my life. Please feel free to message me if you're interested in more personal information, I'm happy to share, just not publicly.

For my answer to your question, this would be my suggestion. It has worked really well for both myself and my best friend when we're having a hard time getting back on track. Basically it is just a way to get back to basics. Give yourself a minute goal and make the requirement "movement". Doesn't matter what it is, just get moving. Walking, bicycling, stretching, stairs, weight training, etc...

So for example, not including today there are 8 more days of the month. Maybe you could say I'm gonna do 3 hours worth of movement in the next 8 days, so you would make your minute goal 180, or if you're interested in challenging yourself even a little more, you could round up to 200 minutes. No matter what you do, it counts!

mheightchew

I do understand! Bipolar type II and generalized anxiety disorder. I agree on the "Walk Away the Pounds" DVDs. I started out the same way, barely able to do the mile. I would do as much as I could each day. My feet barely left the ground! I guess I was "Scooting Away the Pounds." I didn't notice it getting easier at first, but I did notice that i WANTED to do it a little more each time. I understand about the group classes, as well. I hated that stuff, I couldn't do it at all. Not enough anxiety meds in the world lol Now I go to Zumba once a week and love it. I'm still nervous, still feel like I look like an idiot, still worried about what people think and say about me, but I love it enough I don't care as much as I would have a year ago. You just have to take it one hour at a time (I would say one day at a time, but that would have given me a panic attack) Celebrate every accomplishment and focus on how you feel when you accomplish everything. It does get easier, I promise!!

blm625

I have been depressed in the past, not as much so as you describe so I can not fully understand what you are going through. BUT I did want to tell you how much working out has improved my well being and has helped me with my mild depression. I wanted to maybe give you a bit of advice... commit to walking around the block? or maybe if not around the block half way? Just do a little and add on and you will get to were you want to be.