I want to give up

Listen, Sweetheart, I want you to get back to the doctor, tell s/he how you're feeling and demand a medication that doesn't cause weight gain. I truly believe there is one.

Don't give up on yourself! You're doing amazing things!!

What do you do when you want to give up?

I'm exhausted. I fight bipolar unmedicated along with 2 jobs, and full time university. I fit in running 3-5 times a week, and the gym once a week if I'm lucky. I just don't have time. And I want to give up so bad. I lost almost 30 pounds this summer, and I was definitely in a 'high' period. I am so in a low and I am so stuck.

I eat gluten free, vegan, no corn, no canola, no a lot of things. My diet is extremely clean most of the time, just a little repetitive - and sometimes I don't have time to make something with fresh veggies and have to have a shake or a bar instead (the bars I chose extremely cautiously though).

I'm at a loss. I'm unhappy, I can't fit in another type of exercise and I have been around the same weight now for almost a month.

And please don't suggest medication, it's the reason I need to lose 60 pounds (well, now 30 ish).

Please help, I'm almost at the point of throwing my hands up and giving up - not just on my weight loss but on everything.

Your last statement is a little scary to me. I pray you are not thinking of harming yourself. You definitely need to be talking to someone. Is there someone in your life that you trust? Remember that feelings are very real but not always reliable. Right now your feelings are telling you that you can't do it and just give up. The truth is that you are doing it and very successfully, as well. The truth is that you are worth good health and and a peaceful spirit. Take some deep breaths step back and really look at how good you are doing. I will be praying for peace and hope for you.

how many calories are you eating,increase your calorie intake by 100 cals per day,the first week u might see a gain,that helps budge a plateau,make sure u increase ur intake gradually to atleast ur bmr calories,eventually u can hit tdee.

Well, no wonder.....full time school and two jobs? That's a juggling act very few could handle. Plus add trying to eat well. Wow, that is a HUGE amount of reason for stress and struggles. Know first, that is totally normal for you to feel out control and overwhelmed with all you are trying to fit in. You are okay. It's just the weight of the load you have on your shoulders that is the challenge.

A friend of mine said her college offered counseling for free. Maybe yours does, as well. With the burden you are talking about, you should get together with someone to offer you advice and support face to face.

Meanwhile, give yourself a break. You are so young, you have time to do it all. Maybe you need to cut back on work or school. You wouldn't be quitting, just putting your goals into more manageable portions. It isn't worth your mental and physical health to get it all done now. I don't know your situation, but give yourself permission to do what it takes to take care of you.

Get a friend to give you a hug. Go outside and deep breath. Don't give up, but give yourself a break and step back and decide what really needs to be done now and what can wait. Seek out a friend, don't keep this to yourself. I'll be praying for you.

(((((virtual hug for you))))

Hi treehugger,
For a short time...well for ten years,... in my past life, I was self employed. I HATED working for myself. I was such a slave driver!
Counsellors are good but even a friend could help to assure that the demands you place on yourself are humane. Right now it sounds to me like you have been responding to the tyrant within and it has worn you right out. It would wear ANYONE out.

And please don't suggest medication, it's the reason I need to lose 60 pounds (well, now 30 ish).

I am not going to lie to you but I am being treated for bi-polar too and I am taking med and still lose.. Ask your doctor for med that WON'T make you gain... You need to be back on med to control your life better.

Treehugger, it sounds like you need to rest. The body produces more cortisol when stressed, which makes it harder to lose weight. And if you are bipolar, you are likely to get a lot more easily fatigued than people who are not bipolar. From what I understand, bipolar is similar to autism in some ways - sensory hypersensitivity, and an inability of the brain to automatically filter out irrelevant info, so you have to consciously filter, with your intellect, which is exhausting. I'm on the autism spectrum, and have a few friends with bipolar, and we seem to have these things in common. I know the feeling of being overwhelmed. For myself, when I was a student, I had to switch to part time, which made it a lot easier for me. Can you get disability support at uni? The most important thing is to look after your health, amd that of course includes mental health as well as physical - the two are interdependent anyway. I would really recommend looking into doing less - finding strategies so that you can work fewer hours, and studying part time. This should increase your quality of life and make it easier to maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine.

im unmedicated bi-polar as well - i had to quit my honours degree at uni because of the crazy it brought out in me. Basically for me without clean eating + exercise at LEAST 1hr per day 6 days per week I start to lose it - but also I find i ALWAYS feel like you describe when I'm not getting enough sleep. If I start feeling overwhelmed or like giving up I force myself to start allowing 9hr of sleep every night, and also exercise in the morning, have to cross it off the list very early in the day or else there are so many things that need to get done it becomes totally paralysing.