100 lbs to lose and severe depression

Hi Heidi! I had to do a double take when I read the first line of your post because I swear it was me that had written it. I can SO relate to the struggles you're dealing with. I've lost around 60 lbs of the 160 lbs I need to lose. This is not the first time I've lost that amount of weight, either. And I am in no way bragging. You have no idea how foolish, ashamed, guilty and just plain embarrassed I am to have lost 160 lbs when I was 17, only to gain it all back and have to lose it again a decade later. I've struggled with mental health since I was in my early teens. I've been on probably every medication there is, and every combination of each too. I have bipolar type 2, which means I deal with depression mostly, not mania, and I also have PTSD which leaves me with constant anxiety and panic attacks. I also have horrible insomnia. I was positive my depression and anxiety would go away with my weight loss, but it didn't. It got a lot better for a year and a half. But once I reached my goal weight, my depression manifested itself in addiction. That brought on a whole new slew of problems. So fast forward 11 years later and the birth of one child, dealing with horrific postpartum depression, and you have me back at my all time high weight of 276 pounds. I might have been over 280, but I avoided the scale as much as possible. I literally one day just decided I was going to drink water that day and see if I could do it...and hell, if I'm drinking water, I might as well eat healthy that day too. It was literally just a snap decision to see if I could do it that day. And I did. So I tried again the next day. And I did. I've been doing that since December and I've lost around 60 lbs.

I am going to friend you. I would love to be part of your support team and cheer you on. I know you can do this. I know how extremely debilitating depression can be, and I know what it feels like to not even have the ability to get out of bed. I literally force myself to live each day. But after I start moving and get going, I don't have to force it anymore....I start to feel better gradually. Not all days. Some days are awful. But most days are manageable. And some days are even awesome! Especially lately. One thing that has helped tremendously for me is being preoccupied with something other than being a stay at home mom. I recently became a presenter for Younique and that keeps me busy each day...gives me something fun to look forward to and goals to meet. It also gave me a branch of a whole new support system, which I REALLY needed. Get involved with something for just you. It makes a world of difference.

You got this, girl! I know you can do it!! We just gotta get you believing it too :-)

Hi there. I have BiPolar II and Borderline Personality disorders and throw in some social phobia for good measure. I have been on and off meds and in and out of therapy for 20 years. I have the same trouble finding motivation to exercise. Bed always seems like a much better choice.

When I first joined MFP I found out about a website called Nerd Fitness. They have a very basic body weight training circuit that only takes a few minutes. I did it a few times a week for 2 weeks. In between I would take short 10-15 minute walks. Right now I am not exercising but I am losing 1-2 pounds weekly. I just log and measure my food religiously.

My motivation to finally lose weight came because of the progress I was making with my current therapist. I have had a lot of them and unfortunately there are a bunch of bad/mediocre therapists out there. Medication is a good first step but I highly recommend going to therapy as well. Be persistent, if you don't connect with one, move on to another. I couldn't even tell you how many different medications I have tried. Again, you have to be persistent. Educate yourself and work with your psychiatrist until you find a combination that works. If your psychiatrist isn't receptive to your ideas, find a new shrink. You have to empower yourself when it comes to these things, you don't have to settle for less.

And finally, unless your illness is under control, despite how much weight you lose, you still won't love yourself and be happy. So, focus on your mind first and your body will follow.

Best wishes.

Hello!
I have Bipolar Disorder (Type 1) so I know exactly what you're going through. When I was first diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, I was 14 - which is when I was gaining weight at a pretty rapid weight. Unfortunately, endless medication exacerbated the issue for me (Fluoxetine, Quetipaine, Risperidone, Olanzapine, Lorazepam, Sertraline, Citalopram, Propanalol, other benzodiazepines and sedatives of which I can't remember because they were used against my will during psychiatric ward admissions).

Luckily, I've found that Fluoxetine, Sertraline and Citalopram didn't cause much weight gain (if any) and that was in fact caused by a lack of motivation to do anything and a close friend in fattening foods. Who needs to get out of bed and cook a meal when they have a cupboard full of chocolates and cakes? Your medication may, however, be a contributing factor - discuss this with the doctor or psychiatrist that prescribed your medication.

If you're still lacking motivation to the extreme of not really wanting to do much at all, your medication obviously isn't helping and therefore you may need a higher dose, different medication and/or therapy (CBT, DBT, Counselling, Mindfulness etc) in addition to any medication you may be taking.

Next you need to find a form of exercise that suits you. It doesn't necessarily have to be high-intensity cardio, but walking at a moderate speed for an hour or partaking in some form of Yoga can be beneficial in terms of both burning calories and boosting your mood (exercise releases endorphins and I always feel better after a bit of exercise). I find Yoga to be quite relaxing. When I lost 7 stone before my most recent relapse into a psychotic manic episode, followed by a depressive episode, I did it by simply eating healthily, walking and doing medium-low intensity short workouts at home.

You need to get into the mindset of realising that exercise can be both fun and beneficial to your mental state. The more physically fit and active you are, the more your mind benefits from the hormones and chemicals released by the physical activity.

As others have said, losing weight isn't all about exercise. Making healthier choices in your eating habits is a huge change which can also increase your mental Wellbeing along with your physical Wellbeing. To lose weight you need a 'calorie deficit' - you need to burn more calories than you consume. The amount calories you need to consume is based on your BMR, activity levels and any exercise you may do.

I said earlier on in this post about doing an hour of walking. Well, it doesn't even need to be that long. Start by going for a short 15 minute walk every day and slowly build it up. Eventually you'll find that you're actually enjoying walking and you'll most likely WANT to increase how long you walk, along with increasing the pace. You don't need to run a marathon, at all. Just start off slowly and you will be burning calories, even though it won't be a huge amount. I'll repeat: combine this exercise with a healthy diet.

You'll notice that once you start eating healthier and exercising, the low periods caused by Depression won't be so low and you'll have positives to focus on - increased cardio performance, weight loss, healthier eating and discovering tasty yet healthy foods.