Depressed and feeling guilty?

funkyspunky871 · April 2010

I've been on my diet/lifestyle change for over a month, and now suddenly, I'm feeling really down. I don't want to eat. I feel guilty when I'm eating. I feel guilty thinking about food. It's like that feeling right after you binge. But! I haven't been binge eating. I've been following my diet perfectly fine. I haven't been exercising as much, because I'm feeling down. For the past week, I've just wanted to crawl into bed and stay there. What's going on? I was feeling great last week!

aippolito1 · April 2010

Exercising releases happy endorphins - like eating chocolate or having sex. Exercise & you MAY feel better emotionally. :happy:

txcwgirl · April 2010

I was going to suggest doing some kind of exercise and get moving. I know I feel better when I've done something. If it continues though I would suggest talking to a doctor and ruling out physical problems.

amk44 · April 2010

Strange, but I had a similar feeling about a month into my journey... And then I just "went through the motions" of what I knew was healthy. I ate (healthy food) at meal time when I wasn't hungry and I exercised when I didn't feel like it. Those feelings eventually passed, and things leveled out for me. Maybe it was part of my "relearning process". I've lost 35 lbs and have 3 to go to reach my goal. I feel SO great now, so I truly hope you can push through these feelings that you are having. There is a prize on the other side, and it's WELL WORTH the effort to win it...

Although this was my experience, it could be that someone knows of some nutritional deficiency that might cause your current feelings. If they do, I hope they will stop by and share their knowledge.

In any case, I send you LOTS of positive thoughts!!!

hooah_mj · April 2010

I've been on my diet/lifestyle change for over a month, and now suddenly, I'm feeling really down. I don't want to eat. I feel guilty when I'm eating. I feel guilty thinking about food. It's like that feeling right after you binge. But! I haven't been binge eating. I've been following my diet perfectly fine. I haven't been exercising as much, because I'm feeling down. For the past week, I've just wanted to crawl into bed and stay there. What's going on? I was feeling great last week!

You hit the nail.....
If I skip more than my 1 day off from the gym....the slug comes right back....

bec' I hate the junk now...don't get me wrong, I want it, but w/in a hour I feel so drugged! so it's not even worth the pain...a little sad at times, but we don't have time to feel sorry for the crap we used to live for....!!!!

fight it...it will give in, I promise!

questionablemethods · April 2010

I have been going through feeling depressed and guilty lately too. Feeling like I am not seeing results FAST enough (I am so impatient) and feeling cranky when I do eat because I just want to eat MORE. On Sunday evening I gave myself permission to have a high calorie meal and had pizza and a cupcake with my boyfriend. He was relieved because he had noticed me being cranky a lot too.

Just taking a peek at your diary, it looks like a lot of days you aren't even eating all of your allotted calories even on the days you don't log exercise. Are you starting to feel deprived and restricted? I think a lot of us fall into the mindset that if we aren't depriving ourselves then we are doing something "wrong" because, we reason, losing weight and being healthy is supposed to be a miserable experience, right?

Wrong. I can't speak to all of the psychology, but I think you need to stop feeling guilty for eating and, in fact, even eat a little more. Restricting yourself too much can just lead to more cravings and, subsequently, more feelings of guilt. At least I find this with myself. The right foods will nourish your body and shouldn't be a source of guilt and shame.

I agree with Arielle, too. Force yourself to exercise if you have to. Sometimes, if I am feeling really down, I will tell myself that I will just do 10 minutes and then stop if I want to. Typically, those 10 minutes fly by and I don't stop. I complete my whole workout.

Finally, if you truly are feeling depressed, you should take it seriously and seek professional health. Not everything can be cured with diet and exercise (although they can go a long way).

TropicalKitty · April 2010

We all have funks. Last week I was doing great too. This week, not so much.

I've been a binge eater for a long time, so I can understand what you're saying. There's a retraining you have to do in your head. Food isn't the enemy, it's the relationship that I have with food that's not healthy. You have to eat to live and by avoiding eating, that's just as bad as overeating. Recognizing your feelings is a great step. Sometimes you just don't have the mojo. I don't let that keep me from continuing.

Try and get yourself going. Like Arielle said, exercise is a natural way to feel better. You don't have to do a hardcore workout; a simple walk around the block in the sunshine can help. Look at what you've eaten too. Some foods can propagate the icky feelings - like refined carbs make me feel sluggish. The last couple days of your food diary don't really have fresh fruits and veggies. Good nurishment might help ya out.

:flowerforyou:

byHISstrength · April 2010

Try not to be too discouraged and although it can be extremely difficult, I know first hand, try not to be ruled by your emotions or your feelings...FEELING LIE!

You say that you have been eating right and still feeling guilty; try just speaking out truths about food..."Food is not my enemy", "Food is fuel"...things like that to help get through each feeling of depression. It will be a moment by moment act.

And like others have mentioned, in spite of your feelings exercise anyway...you WILL feel better. Think of it as medication to treat your depression and best of all...NO bad side effects.

I'll be praying for you.

God bless you.

amk44 · April 2010

Yes, I agree with those who have suggested that you might benefit from talking to a doctor about your feelings if they persist.

Exercise always makes me feel better (as others have stated), but sometimes that exercise can just be a nice long brisk walk around the neighborhood, enjoying the flowers as I go.

Part of this journey is getting to know yourself... and using things that may motivate you, even if no one else in the whole world is motivated in that same unique way.

For me - I went to Goodwill and bought myself some beautiful glass bowls and glass serving dishes. After washing them, I put fresh lettuce salads in the bowls and I put some cut fresh fruit mixtures in the individual serving dishes. To me, they looked like something I might see in a magazine. Even my husband can't resist stealing "my diet food" from the frig. And I love it when he does!

My exercise involves setting the timer and "dancing" on my basement stairs... :happy:

Think about things that you enjoy, and somehow include them into your routine. Be creative.

fitinyoga14 · April 2010

amk- i love your advice!! very inspiring. :happy:

i think that doing things for your health is one of the best ways to improve your mood and feel better about yourself. yes, exercising and eating nutritional foods will make you physically feel better, but sometimes you need to go a little farther to be truly satisfied. maybe go to a local market and pick up some fresh produce you've never tried before. discovering a new food or recipe you love that benefits your healthy diet is very encouraging. also, try going on a shopping trip with a girlfriend or family member to find a new outfit for yourself. sometimes it just feels good to wear something fresh and pretty. something newly discovered is always a great way to lead you out of a funk.

Depressed and feeling guilty?

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