Depression after weight loss

I am 53 and was in menopause - hot flashes, moods etc. I read up also that fat and alcohol contribute to all of this. I decided to get my life in order. I weigh myself, log food and exercise, cut out alcohol (the hardest) and voila - symptoms went away. Then I stopped all this for the summer - not sure why. Weight, flashes and moods came back. I am not back on track and finally sleeping through the night, no bloat and gained weight is coming off. I have to keep on my regimen or I will go back to weight gain.

I did get depressed a little after getting to my goal because I was done. Now what. It was fun to see the scale go down and clothes get looser, but now what. I got the clothes that fit, they don't get looser and the scale stays the same. I needed another goal - which is maintaining. I need to do the same as weight loss but make sure I am +/- 2-3 lbs. It is hard to see my body as "normal".

Depression can come on for any number of reasons and your focus on weight isn't uncommon, I do the same thing. Personally, I think you'll be fine in the long run. But if you think the depression is really a problem I suggest talking to somebody in a professional capacity and see if they can help. Breathing exercises can help too.

Hang in there, good things will happen.

this exact thing happened to me. I lost weight starting this past January and starting in about the spring I just started to feel off (right about the time I added weight lifting). It was terrifying as I had felt Down before, but never this bad. I spent this past summer just dragging my self out of bed in the mornings. I also started getting migraines. I scheduled my gym time in the mornings all summer and it was the only thing that kept my head above the water. I also stopped talking to friends and family for months. Anyhow.. long story short, I went for a lot of testing and blood work. I had a major vitamin imbalance and hormones were out of whack due to the chemical changes in my body due to weight loss. I am taking a lot of supplements now, as well as some herbal remedy's to help with the hormone adjustment, and some B12 shots. It took a couple months to regulate it all, but I feel so much better.

I think the other thing is, coming from someone that has had body issues my whole life, I think I imagined that when I was slimmer I would be soooo happy with myself. People look at you as well, and assume that's the case, but its not. You need to have a whole body approach to health and realize that just because you look different, you still are the same person on the inside, if you struggled with esteem issues, they will still be there.

hope you figure it all out

cheers

I didn't necessarily have depression after weight loss (or because of weight loss), but I was actually more comfortable with my body before losing weight. I just accepted "this is my body" and thought it was ok enough, so I didn't put much thought into it. After losing weight and doing recomp, I was never satisfied. I thought I looked fantastic, but I always wanted more, more, more. Then thanks to some medication, I gained some weight, and that hit me hard for a while... nothing I could do would get rid of it. And it wasn't much weight... just ten pounds or so, but it bugged me.

I'm currently stepping back from calorie counting and not pushing myself as hard with exercise, and I'm feeling happier again. I know logically that losing that ten pounds doesn't make any difference in who I am. I'm not a better person at 10 pounds less. Just a smaller one. Slightly smaller. Barely noticeably smaller. I'd rather be a happier, less obsessed person than a smaller one. :happy:

I think weight is a lot like money. We think it's going to make a big difference in our life, and going from poverty to above poverty does make a difference. Just like going from unhealthy to healthy makes a difference. But it doesn't change who you are. You still need to put your pants on one leg at a time.

Talk with a doctor and if you aren't satisfied, talk with another one! The fact that you are asking for help is great ... It shows that you are ready.
I had a bout with depression after recovery from a stroke. Fortunately, my sister took me in hand and found a counselor for me to see. I didn't need meds, my depression had its core in fear that I'd have another stroke, but there is help out there.
You can see in these posts that you have support here! Best of luck to you!

Losing weight is such an emotional thing--for one (as my doctor discussed with me), as you lose weight you're releasing hormones, and that can mess with you. For example, if a man my size were to have his testosterone extracted from him, he would be left with the estrogen levels of a pre-menopausal woman.

I personally fear weight loss. I have never been thin, or a "standard size," and have never been "seen" in the way that some women are--where people open doors and make eye contact freely--especially buy you drinks, etc. I have always sort of lived as if on the outside looking in, so the idea of taking this shield down is scary. I am doing better this time around--less outright panic--but it's a thing. Someone said "excuse me" in an isle the other day and I was sort of shocked.

Some have mentioned too the amount of pressure we put on the lifestyle we'll have when we're "thin," and how that life will be so much better than the ones we have now--and if it's not--the disappointment.

Then there's dysmorphia (like others have also mentioned) of not being able to recognize where our bodies have changed. I deal with that a lot myself.

I personally have a hard time with weight loss--it's triggering on a lot of levels. I have a hard time with where my body is now, and the surgeries I'll need, and other physical things, and my hormones are probably making that worse, and it makes everything else harder. I have issues with suicidal ideation that hinge on body image issues that weight loss has worsened for me in a weird way, and with help from myfitnesspal members, I got up the guts to talk to my doctor about it and start antidepressants to get some floor under me. I agree with what others have said--talk to someone. Don't feel like what you're going through is too mild for someone to care, or not severe enough for professional help. There are so many levels of care too...maybe chemical levels need checking, or maybe acupuncture, maybe you're depressed, or maybe you just need someone to TALK you through this transition and get you some closure. I think closure is important with weight loss--like a mourning process. It is it's own beast.

I wish you the very best!