Weight loss is for the mentally stable........ :(

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  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
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    i agree with you on some points but tbh i don't think all mentally ill people should be lumped together. such a variety of illnesses. and even within the illnesses a variety of manifestations
  • TS65
    TS65 Posts: 1,024 Member
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    I'm getting the feeling you are treating this as a diet - instead of a healthy eating plan. There is no failing. Yes, you may slip. Yes, you may fall. One of my favorite quotes is this: "you don't drown by falling in the water, you drown by staying there."

    If it's too stressful to worry about what you're eating for a day, then just log it. If you go over your calories, then just exercise enough to get down to at your BMR (but don't stress over it - go for a walk, dance around the living room, just get out of bed and move!). Take it one day at ta time and don't allow MFP to be a stress in your life.

    When you look at this as a lifestyle of healthy eating instead of dieting, it's amazing how it becomes a helpful friend and not a nagging nemesis. :wink:

    I realize you may not have control over the anxiety (are you on meds now)? If not, you may want to speak to a psychiatrist to help stabalize you.
  • theresnoeggs
    theresnoeggs Posts: 188 Member
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    First of all, (((Hugs))).
    I know all too well how hard it is just living each day, let alone trying to better yourself on top of it. All too well..... If you'd like another friend, who "gets it" please feel free to add me.

    Secondly, ditto those above who mentioned doing one thing at a time. I'd start with exercising. My depression was to the point that just getting off the couch to tend to my children became harder than running a marathon. Well, that's how each day felt. Like I was running a marathon with no end in sight. Start small. Go for a 15 minute walk, then 30, then 60. Try boxing. I found the Golds Gym Cardio Workout for Wii was great for when I felt like just getting out of bed was impossible. It's mostly boxing and I swear if you throw yourself into it, it helps the anger and frustrations.
    I found the more I work out, the less frequently I let my pessimism get to me. I am naturally a 'glass if half empty' type of person. Filled with "I can't" and "I could never's".

    Thirdly, ditto those who mention, just jumping back in after a bad meal/day/week. I have my bad moments. I still have 1-2 really awful "treats" a day. Hell, if someone CCed my diary it would be pretty ugly..... But I keep limping forward. As another mentioned 2 steps forward, 1 step back is still progress!

    You CAN do this. Your body CAN do this. Call me immature or childish, but The Little Engine That Could should be motivation enough for many. Just keep telling your self, "I think I can, I think I can". You may be a bit twisted like me, and end up arguing with yourself wanting to scream, "No I Can't" but again, you CAN!


    And Lastly, since I've already typed up a book here....if your depression is effecting your day to day life, and you are feeling down more than up, please seek counseling. It took me a long time to even admit I needed help, and I nearly lost my life for it. Depression is no joke at all, and there are so many options for treatment.
  • pinkgigi
    pinkgigi Posts: 693 Member
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    You CAN have a healthy lifestyle, everyone can! Have you heard about 'faking till you making it'? That's what I did. You can act like a winner, and eventually you will be.

    I also am on medication to deal with depression, and I manage by doings lots of exercise and trying every day. I fall down a lot but any journey is not a straight line, there are lots of detours, but we can keep going towards our goals if we keep our eye on it.

    Lastly, lots of us have recordings in our heads about 'you are a failure', 'you are not going to make it' etc. These are not serving us, let us replace them with words that will serve us, because babe you are worth it, and you can do it!

    *hugs*

    GG
  • callipygianchronicle
    callipygianchronicle Posts: 811 Member
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    I have depression. I have anxiety. I have PTSD. I am happy and healthy right now, but I have to manage my triggers each and every day. I spent two years in therapy just so I could learn how to leave my house. My therapist taught me a lot of mind/body techniques that I use to calm my thoughts and I use them whenever I start to have flashbacks or can feel an episode of panic. I highly recommend this style of therapy for anyone dealing with depression and anxiety because it saved my life.

    But I absolutely agree with the others that have advised exercise. I have many dark days where my self loathing is high and I am overwhelmed by something as small as making breakfast in the morning (just got through a few). But nothing has changed this for me like exercise. Above all, I have been completely transformed by a regular yoga practice. I have found it to be even more powerful than talk-therapy in teaching me how to practice self-love and self-forgiveness.

    But trust me:
    You are stronger than you know. You just have to be brave enough to be tested. You deserve to be happy, to feel vibrant and healthy in your body. And you have everything necessary to give yourself exactly that. This community will lift you when you need it. But once you commit to yourself--truly commit in your heart and mind--you will be amazed at what you can do.
  • Gretchen22276
    Gretchen22276 Posts: 97
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    Let me start off by apologizing before I get started. I don't mean to offend. I just feel strongly about this. The drive and determination lies within you. There is not a book, CD, DVD, or anything else that can give you anything. You already have it. You have already made the decision that you want to change. You just have to find that drive and determination to take that first step because that is always the hardest. The first step leads to the second and they get easier. As far as the people that you live with, you have to do for you. Let them eat whatever they wanna eat. You buy what you need to eat.

    People make MILLIONS of dollars on books and multimedia selling their own ideas about what should work for people. My Dear, please do not fall victim to this sham. You have drive, determination, and motivation within your heart. You have to dig deep to find it sometimes, but we all do. But the longer you sit around wondering about it, the deeper it falls and the harder it is to find.

    Reading a book isn't going to help you lose weight. Neither is watching a video, or listening to a CD....unless you have found it within yourself to do this while you are EXERCISING and EATING HEALTHY. I wish you the best of luck.


    Amen! Took me a long time to realize that I needed to do it for me, by me, and in the end it is me and MY Maker that wake up every morning and say.."gonna try to do this today." Dig deep and you'll find it. :)

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