Depression...low calories

cherriegh

Im going through a very rough patch in my life and cant swallow down not more than coffee a day or if forced by my sister to have a cracker and eggs.....how do u eat more when depressed? i dont wanna lose my muscle mass after such hard work

nanainkent

Drink Protien drinks, buy the shake mix, mix with juice or milk and drink it down it will add up your calories and give nutrients. Add flavorings, peanut butter, cocoa mixes, fruit, bananas mix it up for different flavors. I have been where you are and it is easier to just drink something real quick than to actually have to feel the food in your mouth. You can buy it at walmart for about $15 for a tub of it. Comes lactose free if you need. Hope your feeling better. I am an emotional eater so when I get emotional I am either not wanting to eat or can't stop eating. I understand.

jeme3

Do you see a doctor about your depression?

If not, go.

And let them know not eating is one of your symptoms.

Medication can make a huge difference, don't be afraid to try it.

I was on medication for ten years for depression, and it made a world of difference for me.

Pinkigloopyxie

I've the opposite where I just want to eat when depressed. I think the same thing for me will work for you, though. I keep about 4lbs of carrots in my fridge and when I get sad or bored and want to eat, I munch on a few of those since they're fresh and sweet tasting.

For you I would say just make yourself nibble on something every half an hour, stick to healthy foods because you don't want to form junk food nibbling habits.

As for depression, see a psychologist if possible, or at least take some time and write down why you are depressed and try to think of ways to combat it. Ultimately other people can aid you, but only you will really know what's wrong and how to try and make it better.

Secondly, go outside for a bit, even if it's crappy out. Just sit outside for a few minutes and take some deep breaths, try to relax and clear your mind of everything but breathing and sounds of the weather outside.

I'm honestly depressed every single day. The worst fight is in the morning, just getting up and getting ready on time to go to classes. Sometimes I start the morning with walking to college just to breathe and wake up. The sadness goes away for a bit but comes back in the early afternoon. I generally combat sad eating by having carrots and an apple then. In the late afternoon and evening I'm struggling to stay motivated and pay attention when doing homework, when mostly I just want to go home and curl up in bed and think about what a failure I am. But if you can just force yourself to do something completely opposite, like go outside in the dark and skip down the sidewalk or jump face first in the snow, you can redirect your brain and make the sadness go away.

I would also recommend getting a UV light. Sometimes the lack of sun can make us really sad, and a UV light helps wonderfully with that.

sdbart

Do you see a doctor about your depression?

If not, go.

And let them know not eating is one of your symptoms.

Medication can make a huge difference, don't be afraid to try it.

I was on medication for ten years for depression, and it made a world of difference for me.

Very true! You really should go see a psychologist about your depression if it is causing you not want to eat. Admitting you are depressed is not weakness or a sign of persona failure. It is damaging to yourself when you do nothing about your depression and to the ones you love...

zonah

Smoothies with flax seeds and/or chia seeds. Hope you are feeling better soon

sissiluv

Whenever I get like this I find it best to go to a more liquid diet. Broths, meal replacement shakes, etc cus that's the only way I'm going to be able to choke it down. Just watch your nutrients.

Good luck, I hope you feel better soon.

treehugger215

I battled (still battle) with depression/bipolar for over 6 years now. First, it gets better, I promise. You will find a way to control it instead of it controlling you.

I would go see a doctor, I know it is the last thing you probably want to do though.
You can, however, find a lot of natural products that will help, like 5HTP, St John's Wart, Holy Basil etc

I would start adding in foods that have a lot of nutritional value. Liquids, like soup or smoothies are a good place to start. You can hide some high calorie/high protein nuts/seeds in your smoothies.

I hope things get better, take care of yourself.
If you need anything you can always message me.

cmriverside

It's a common response to extreme stress to not want to eat.

Do you think the acute part of this stress will pass? Is there something you can do to alleviate this stress?

rebeccap13

Cal dense foods, beefed up protein shakes, good fats.

I noticed while I was going through a sort of mini-depression for lack of a better term, my low cal intake only made things worse. I incorporated fish oil to get some good fats in which seemed to help a lot as fat is essential for absorption of certain vitamins.