Maintaning good diet and exercise with depression

Options
2»

Replies

  • princessnarmor
    princessnarmor Posts: 67 Member
    edited December 2014
    Options
    kristimason3 wrote: »
    You are not your anxiety, you are not your depression, you are not your past traumas! You are a perfectly created soul with a divine purpose! Those things happened TO you they DO NOT equal you! Every label put on you that picked away at your self esteem, every med you've taken that has altered your brain chemistry and likely made matters worse...its a viscous, terrible cycle. Like being bound in chains and padlocks on top of more chains and pad locks you are constantly struggling to break free of. Who are you? Really think about that. Before all of this started who were you? A kid with talents and interests and hopes and dreams like everyone else? If you were able to bury all the crap in your life that no longer serves you in the dirt, walk away leaving it all behind you where it belongs and get back to that heart of who you are how would that feel? If you could just let it all go and move forward how valuable would all you have learned in overcoming that be? not just to you but others in the same boat you could then help? To those who have been in your shoes? You know what this world is lacking the most of? True, heartfelt compassion. Nothing teaches compassion like trauma does. Nothing. Have all those shrinks been through what you've been through? Have they walked in your shoes? Lived through what you have? Who are any of them to define who you are? They can't. You have GOT to get back to you! You've lost your center. Your balance. But as long as you are still breathing you can reclaim it. Please feel free to add me as a friend and message me if you need to talk. I'm going to be sending some serious positive vibes your way, praying for you, whatever it is you believe in. You deserve to live your life. Love and light!

    You know, I don't think you are that far off Kristi. Nor the epitome of all that is evil in the mental health system.

    You believe in being an overcomer. I don't believe in just accepting an illness, either.
    But some healing is walked out and not automatic. With PTSD, it is a process.

    While I'm not ashamed of it, I am certainly not going to wear it as a badge to get attention. That's another illness all its own. Hypochondria!

    I think you believe in the divine, as do I. So I direct you to the man by the pool of Siloam. Jesus walked up to him and asked, do you really want to get well? From my own self, I can tell you, that with depression and PTSD, you have to want to get well, because it is way too easy to sit back and just let it overcome you. But there are greater healing options than just counseling and drugs. Although I wouldn't ever condemn someone who chose those options.

    And you are right. Medicines and a lot of the other stuff only treat symptoms. Sometimes the root are much deeper.

    You were trying to be encouraging and comforting and meant absolutely no harm. Sorry you were so misunderstood. I understood.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited December 2014
    Options
    I understand that the illnesses OP is dealing with play into it as far as motivation is concerned, but I think it would be great if people tried to focus on OP's question, which was about managing diet and exercise with these issues.
  • princessnarmor
    princessnarmor Posts: 67 Member
    edited December 2014
    Options
    tomatoey wrote: »
    I understand that the illnesses OP is dealing with play into it as far as motivation is concerned, but I think it would be great if people tried to focus on OP's question, which was about managing diet and exercise with these issues.

    So little of it is diet and exercise. Most of it is mood and inner healing. I believe I did deal with that in my earlier post.

    Mood swings and medication ARE the issue with depression and PTSD and how you cope with them.

    Maybe I should break it down more. Binge eating IS the issue with depression and PTSD. In my case the issue is/was eating in order to fill an empty starving hurting soul.

    Sorry you misunderstood.

  • GingerbreadCandy
    GingerbreadCandy Posts: 403 Member
    edited December 2014
    Options
    missuswells wrote: »
    i am 27 years old and was skinny most of my life, 5'5" and 115lbs for years. In my mid 20s I got up to 135 but was still healthy, I just filled out more.

    I suffer from very severe and debilitating depression, along with anxiety, PTSD, and chronic pain. Last November I suffered from a psychotic breakdown, tried to light myself on fire, and spent a week in the psych ward.

    Since that time, with my focus being getting mentally better, and the battle against depression so difficult, I gained 50 pounds.

    Any tips for sticking to a diet and exercise plan, even when extremely depressed and/or anxious?

    Hey dear,

    I have never been officially diagnosed with depression, but I have suffered a lot of the symptoms and have dealt with anxiety problems. Currently waiting for my TSH results to know if it may be due to that. Really hoping it is.

    Anyhow, as I am not psychologist, or psychiatrist, I can only speak from personal experience…

    Overall, I found that it helped me to not visualise things as restrictions, or obligations, but find a different way to look at them, so that I would actually look forward to doing these things.

    When it comes to diet, I am lucky in the sense that I really enjoy cooking and trying new recipes actually is one of the things that gives me joy. So rather than seeing my diet schedule as something I have to stick to, I see it as an opportunity to try new recipes and learn more about healthy eating.

    Exercise… I decided to do something good for myself and do yoga. Which is something I knew would help me but had never done before.

    So, I guess you could try asking yourself the following questions: Is there something I really like about food and nutrition? Is it cooking? Is it tasty recipes? Is it gourmet food? Is there some type of exercise or sport I always wanted to do? And then see if you can fit those in your schedules.

    Also, it goes without saying but having a gym close to your place, and having videos to use as an alternative, really, really helps.

    Best of luck! PM me if ever you want some support or to share your successes! :)
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Options
    I can see you have loads of advice already, so will keep it short. I dont think theres anything that different about the depression except it will act as a deterrent from you achieveing.

    Exercise, its daunting at first, but it can be a great stress reliever. When your world makes no sense, then the gym or exercise offers you the opportunity to create your own routine where you cna focus on the exercise only and shut everything else out. I can actually be a cure for mild depression and help refocus things. Once you get going then keep on and it will give you a structure and sense of achievement.

    Diet. There are many things to put you off. pepare properly , especially for all those arguments that will lead you to resisting or stopping. It cna be hard work and boring, it may make you feel worse. careful planning and then get the right mindset so you know what to do is what i would suggest. Start to learn how to use MFP understand about nutrition, pick up tips from the forums of common traits of effective diets, learn to use MFP and calorie traccking, then make all your tragets realistic. Finally focus on one decision and one day at a time. That way you wont get overwhelmed, can mee your targets and build some momentum in making progress.

    Please dont demonise food and above all believe in yourself and be your own best friend. You can do it if you cna keep consistently maintain a calorific defict, by eating less and moving more. Best of luck.
  • toscarthearmada
    toscarthearmada Posts: 382 Member
    Options
    cindytw wrote: »
    The best mood lifter ever is running! The "runner's high" is no joke once you get in shape for it. Download Couch to 5K and go from there! I have suffered from depression and honestly that is what worked the best was running.

    This all day long! Let your depression and anxiety FUEL your running motivation. The first time I did the C25k I worked all the way to the half marathon app. I got sick and kind of gave up on life...

    I realized that while I was running it was the only chance in my day to live in the moment. I personally worry so much about things that COULD happen or COULD go wrong that I forget to live my life. Running also gave me that amazing high that I could accomplish anything.

    So I tried the Zen Labs C25k app again and found myself really bored with it, so I switched it up and started the Zombie 5k app. I just started week 8 today and it has changed my life!

    Get mad and get determined to change your life. It will happen, how bad do you want it?

  • missuswells
    missuswells Posts: 35 Member
    Options
    tomatoey wrote: »
    I understand that the illnesses OP is dealing with play into it as far as motivation is concerned, but I think it would be great if people tried to focus on OP's question, which was about managing diet and exercise with these issues. [/quote

    Thank you! :) my thoughts precisely
  • missuswells
    missuswells Posts: 35 Member
    Options
    999tigger wrote: »
    I can see you have loads of advice already, so will keep it short. I dont think theres anything that different about the depression except it will act as a deterrent from you achieveing.

    Exercise, its daunting at first, but it can be a great stress reliever. When your world makes no sense, then the gym or exercise offers you the opportunity to create your own routine where you cna focus on the exercise only and shut everything else out. I can actually be a cure for mild depression and help refocus things. Once you get going then keep on and it will give you a structure and sense of achievement.

    Diet. There are many things to put you off. pepare properly , especially for all those arguments that will lead you to resisting or stopping. It cna be hard work and boring, it may make you feel worse. careful planning and then get the right mindset so you know what to do is what i would suggest. Start to learn how to use MFP understand about nutrition, pick up tips from the forums of common traits of effective diets, learn to use MFP and calorie traccking, then make all your tragets realistic. Finally focus on one decision and one day at a time. That way you wont get overwhelmed, can mee your targets and build some momentum in making progress.

    Please dont demonise food and above all believe in yourself and be your own best friend. You can do it if you cna keep consistently maintain a calorific defict, by eating less and moving more. Best of luck.

    Great advice. Thanks so much
  • kristimason3
    kristimason3 Posts: 131 Member
    Options
    princessnarmor wrote: »
    kristimason3 wrote: »
    You are not your anxiety, you are not your depression, you are not your past traumas! You are a perfectly created soul with a divine purpose! Those things happened TO you they DO NOT equal you! Every label put on you that picked away at your self esteem, every med you've taken that has altered your brain chemistry and likely made matters worse...its a viscous, terrible cycle. Like being bound in chains and padlocks on top of more chains and pad locks you are constantly struggling to break free of. Who are you? Really think about that. Before all of this started who were you? A kid with talents and interests and hopes and dreams like everyone else? If you were able to bury all the crap in your life that no longer serves you in the dirt, walk away leaving it all behind you where it belongs and get back to that heart of who you are how would that feel? If you could just let it all go and move forward how valuable would all you have learned in overcoming that be? not just to you but others in the same boat you could then help? To those who have been in your shoes? You know what this world is lacking the most of? True, heartfelt compassion. Nothing teaches compassion like trauma does. Nothing. Have all those shrinks been through what you've been through? Have they walked in your shoes? Lived through what you have? Who are any of them to define who you are? They can't. You have GOT to get back to you! You've lost your center. Your balance. But as long as you are still breathing you can reclaim it. Please feel free to add me as a friend and message me if you need to talk. I'm going to be sending some serious positive vibes your way, praying for you, whatever it is you believe in. You deserve to live your life. Love and light!

    You know, I don't think you are that far off Kristi. Nor the epitome of all that is evil in the mental health system.

    You believe in being an overcomer. I don't believe in just accepting an illness, either.
    But some healing is walked out and not automatic. With PTSD, it is a process.

    While I'm not ashamed of it, I am certainly not going to wear it as a badge to get attention. That's another illness all its own. Hypochondria!

    I think you believe in the divine, as do I. So I direct you to the man by the pool of Siloam. Jesus walked up to him and asked, do you really want to get well? From my own self, I can tell you, that with depression and PTSD, you have to want to get well, because it is way too easy to sit back and just let it overcome you. But there are greater healing options than just counseling and drugs. Although I wouldn't ever condemn someone who chose those options.

    And you are right. Medicines and a lot of the other stuff only treat symptoms. Sometimes the root are much deeper.

    You were trying to be encouraging and comforting and meant absolutely no harm. Sorry you were so misunderstood. I understood.

    Thank you Princess. I guess I'm not that great at wording things properly. At first, I was surprised it was taken in a different way. Then I went back and re read what I wrote and was like yeah..I can see how that could totally be misinterpreted. I was trying to be kind and helpful. Didn't mean to offend anyone. I was trying to convey some realizations I had along my journey is all. And it was not an overnight process for me getting off the meds, out of the system and letting go. It took a lot of time and introspection. A lot of self work. But you are correct, I believe in overcoming, the divine and mind over matter. I do hope everyone finds peace with it all, regardless of how they choose to go about it. It was not my intention to condemn, just frustration from my own journey I guess. I really was trying to be helpful.

Categories