Dealing with depression & eating

^^ This. After a long cold winter, a medical injury, and numerous disappointments personally and professionally, I regained 44 pounds of the original 116 I lost. Now that I can bicycle again due to better weather and a healed injury, I feel much better and the desire to lose weight has returned. Depression can be easily controlled through activity and regiment.

I think it's going around - must be in the water or something. I've seen a lot of posts of people talking about losing their motivation or having stumbled, lost their way, thrown a shoe, whatever you want to call it when life happens after you've made other plans.

I'm on Lexapro for depression too. Happy pills seem to go along with the hormone imbalance I have....so I'm not crazy, it's the hormones! LOL

It's hard not to let "life" just get to you. It's really a decision: This is what I'm doing. Something in you isn't wanting to buckle down and do it. It might be worthwhile to get a therapist. I have one who's had gastric bypass surgery. It does help a lot.

There were things I had to "get over". The things that I let stand in my way included festering in feelings of "Everybody else can eat whatever they want whenever they want and not gain an ounce." "Studying always came easier for my siblings than me." "Nobody else has to deal with what I'm dealing with."

Truth is: Other people may not be dealing with the same struggles you are, but they all have their own struggles they're dealing with. Only one not dealing with that sort of thing is God.

I began this journey in April 2011. I lost 115 pounds, then another 26 through weight loss surgery. Life threw me for a loop for the last year, and I gained back to the point where I've now only lost 76 pounds from where I started. Almost 2 weeks ago, I said, "Self....time to get back on it." I told myself that other people have their own challenges, I've done this before, I know what to do, I can do it again. Time to quit giving in to my inner child who wants the cake, thinks she deserves the cake for all the crap life has dealt her lately. Time to quit using food to cope with my emotions. Let's just do this!!

Time to focus on the goal. You know what to do, you've done it before. You can do it!!!

I suffer from depression as well and I'm an emotional eater. When I want to eat I'll go for a walk and that helps. At work I get on the computer and come to MFP or play games on Facebook, anything to distract me. Love chocolate, try to keep it out of the house. My doctor prescribed Seroquel but I stopped taking it because it increased my appetite. Still taking Effexor and Abilify for my depression.

I'm right there with you. I have issues with binge eating. It's partly depression, partly constant worrying, and partly boredom. I only have the issue on my day off from my two jobs.. when I am at work I don't have the problem.

I can't exercise due to multiple injury issues. I know I have to deal with the root of the problem. I refuse to take medication for my depression, so music is what I use. I try to find activities to do that won't flick the food trigger. For instance, watching TV will flick the trigger, and so will reading. I tried almost everything to kick the binge habit.. there were days I would eat 8 meals a day.

The only thing I have going for me now is that I do not make enough money to binge eat anymore.. that's one small advantage to being poor. Coming on MFP and reading the success stories also is a big help to remind me that I have a goal in mind.

Best of luck to you!

Depression is what made me gain all this weight to begin with. And as long as I was depressed, it was harder for me to lose weight. One factor is that I stay at home everyday because of my job, and my car died. My husband and I only had one car for like 3 years. We just bought another one, and now that I can get out and about, my entire mood has shifted. I'm back on MFP again to lose weight and I'm very determined. Also, my reasoning has changed. Its no longer a vain issue, but a health issue. I think your motivation is important, and if its not a health issue for you, then it will be harder. That is all just my opinion....

I'm there with you too. I have been on Cipralex (escitalopram) for, oh it must be 4 years now after trying a couple other ones first. I now feel centered and grounded and happy (for the most part). It took time but I got out of the depression I was in.
But my weight is another story. I gained during my deepest depression. I'm 5'2" and currently about 175bs (although I admit I haven't weighed myself in awhile because I'm afraid to). My heaviest weight was 200lbs, and I lost 35 using MFP a couple years ago. I too have lost any motivation to lose. I'm so busy running my kids here there and everywhere, and my job is also a desk job with minimal movement. I find that my lack of movement promotes more lack of movement and just plain laziness. And not just lazy excercise-wise but also in food logging. I love my chocolate and my meat (especially red meat) and those are both so easy to over-indulge on :ohwell:
One major thing that keeps me somewhat on track is, if you'll excuse the TMI factor, bowel health. If I over eat or sit too much, I notice it in the washroom. That can be quite the motivator to reduce my intake and move more. I'm sure a few others have had the same experience too.
Best of luck, hon! To both of us - don't give up and don't beat yourself up! That kind of stress is the last thing depression needs. Be kind to yourself and go one day at a time :flowerforyou:

I know what it's like to suffer from depression; it's horrible so I'm sorry that you're going through it. I still have some days when I feel down in the dumps and/or when I have mood swings. I hope that they'll clear up after a while so that they don't happen as often.

Over time my eating habits have changed a great deal because like you I used to be an emotional/boredom eater, however ever since I restarted my healthy plan my eating habits have changed completely (I still have some bad days don't get me wrong) and I no longer binge either. Ever since I restarted my healthy eating plan just over 4 weeks ago I've lost 20lbs

I work out a lot more often which also helps with my mood, I drink a lot of water (it's all I drink nowadays) and I don't forbid any of the things that I enjoy eating.

Also, I've been eating lots of berries - they are sweet, tart and really kill my craving for sweets. Just another hint.

My advice would be don't wait until you're ready to start making changes. Start making those changes now, but start small. Try taking some healthier snacks to work. Even if you're not ready for a full workout routine, get moving a little. Depression sometimes feels like you're disconnected from or not in control of your life. A decision as small as "It's a nice day, so I'm going for a walk around my neighborhood" or "I'm going to close my laptop and go cook myself a healthy dinner" can really help you feel empowered again.
You start to build habits, and those habits can help you feel motivated. Or they're at least habits you can stick to when you *don't* feel motivated. I totally don't feel like going to the gym, but I know I'll feel a lot better afterwards, so even though I'm feeling lazy, I just had my usual pre-workout breakfast and will be out of here soon.

It's funny because when people ask me what changed in my life to make me want to lose weight, I have this huge long story so I never tell it.

I was 103 at 5'7 when I met my husband 18 years ago, I was 18. I gained weight in the following years and in the process of getting medication for what I thought was an insulin resistance issue I became pregnant since they didn't tell me that the medication also acted as a fertility drug, I was 24 and DH worked two jobs so I didn't see anyone ever and I stayed home and ate, I was about 50 pounds over weight quickly. My son became sick at 18 months and passed away at 32 months so during that whole ordeal of him being sick and passing away I ate nonstop and did zero exercise. A year later I was obese and delivered my second son who had colic, I noticed I would literally listen to him cry and stuff food into my mouth mindlessly but I continued to do it all the same. Two years later our daughter was born stillborn, one year later we had a healthy daughter. The kicker for me was last year when I would see people I went to school with and they looked the same and I looked rotten and I though, who cares, I've been through a lot of stuff and I had 4 kids, then one day it occurred to me... My youngest was almost in school, I felt better emotionally, I needed to get myself together and look like I had it together. I started and stopped several times over the years and every time I fell back, this time I'm confident this is who I am, I can't go back there, to the depression or the weight. I'm obviously not judging anyone, just wanted to share my story. Trust me I understand.

I've just picked myself up from depression and an eating disorder. Although at my lowest times nothing much helped, when my depression wasnt AS bad, I found just a long walk totally improved my mind. Also, forget weight loss. Think healthy. And eat according to that, and the weight will come off anyway! All the best!

Oh, and last but not least, do something with your hands. Knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, gardening, drawing in a sketchbook, whatever craftsy thing you know how to do that takes your mind to a place of concentration, and gives you a sense of accomplishment. Very helpful

YES WALKING. Walking, walking, walking! One of my favorite things to do. And I want to also second bah_bug's great suggestion of finding things to do with your hands if you're at all inclined! I learned how to crochet and knit a few years ago, and it helps so much on a bunch of levels- it keeps my hands busy so I'm not tempted to snack, it's very soothing (unless I have a hard pattern, grr), and I feel like I've accomplished something after I work at it.

Also, I have totally inched my way into multiple workouts on bad days by saying to myself, "You don't have to go for a walk today. Just change your clothes and put on your shoes. That's it." "You don't have to do Pilates today. Just lay your mat out on the ground." And then, hey, once I've done that thing, I might as well do a /little/ something, and then a little bit more, okay, and not infrequently I wind up doing what I'd planned to do.

Get exercise. Schedule it, and do it like it was your job. No excuses, just do it! I started by wearing my workout clothes to bed, and setting my alarm out in the hallway to get myself out of bed. After awhile, it just became habit, and I felt better all day when I got that workout in. Also made me less tempted to "cheat", as I didn't want to undo all that work with crappy eating.

^^ This. I purposely picked a gym in between my workplace and home. I have no excuse to drive by it and -not- stop to workout. It's just an extension of my workday now. A requirement or I don't get "paid" (with the satisfaction of a healthy, happy body)