Depression and Weight Loss
shelleygold
Posts: 178 Member
Having experienced bouts of Depression over the years, I have found that my mood impacts in direct and indirect ways my weight issues. The direct impact is eating more food when I am feeling down and or hopeless as I think less of the longer term consequences rather than the immediate sense of trying to fill a void in my life and/or eating whatever I like because everything is futile and there is no point in worrying about weight since we are all on the Titanic. The indirect impact is a creation of higher levels of cortisol in my system due to increased stress and this reality creates an imbalance in my homeostasis which makes weight loss harder. Also, not eating health foods in a depressed state denies the body of the necessary range of nutrients and this can create lethargy and may even increase the depression. I am wondering if folks might be interested in sharing their experiences with the Depression and weight management and we might discuss some important strategies and ideas that may help? Just throwing this up for consideration.
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Replies
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Exercise helps hugely for me, as does avoiding alcohol.
Also having some very simple recipes on hand, or tins of soup or homemade soup from the freezer, for when I really don't want to cook.
It's not possible for me to not have food such as crisps or biscuits in the house, but if you are able to do so, it could be helpful. Dragging yourself to the shop to buy them may be feel like too much of an effort.
I know it's a bit chicken and egg, because 'bad' food + lack of exercise = depression, but depression causes me to overeat and not exercise in the first place.
You deserve to treat your body well.7 -
I am wondering if this topic is of little interest to most of the users of this forum. It just seems to me that weight problems often correlate with our thought processes and how we manage our feelings. The choices we make are often "automatic" and predictable and if we have learned to ignore our bodies and more directly, the impact(s) of what we eat we create the very problems we then have to manage with a high degree of mindfulness and discipline. I am just wondering if individuals with weight management issues are aware enough of how they orient to food, exercise and lifestyle?0
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I have had some pretty bad bouts of depression. One spell, other than going to work, I never got out of bed. I would go to bed at 5:30 Friday evening, and other than to eat or use the bathroom, stay there til Monday morning.
I have taken an Anti depressant for awhile, which helps some. But honestly, I think exercise helps more. That's how I broke out of it the first time, and I feel better now than I have in years mood wise.8 -
Speaking from experience here: Weight loss is REALLY tough while you're battling depression.
To successfully lose weight, you need to feel like you're worth it. You need to have enough self-esteem to want to do this for yourself, and enough self-confidence to know that you can.
Depression is a double-whammy: It cuts away your self-esteem, and it cuts back on your desire or ability to do the things that could make you feel better -- including (and especially) seeking out help.
And depression lies to you, telling you that "if I could only lose the weight, I'd be happy". Wrong. It's the other way around: If you tackle the depression and get it under control, then it will be MUCH easier to lose weight or to do the million other things you want and need to do in life.
My advice to anyone who comes on here with this question is the same: Deal with the depression first. Then deal with the weight loss.16 -
One of the biggest lessons I've been taught, particularly when I'm feeling depressed is to try and just nourish my body with good stuff rather then comfort food. See food as a fuel only and before I know it, the feeling will pass. I've always suffered from depression and emotional eating but right now, with the combination of cutting out refined sugar, good meds, great counsellor and exercise every day, I'm the best I've ever been. But I did change everything in one go, I've very much eased in to this over a three month period.1
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The book The Mindful Way Through Depression is really helping me stay in the present perfect and not ruminate on the past or worry about the future. So it's been really helpful for my eating habits too.3
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Hi,
When people say they eat for comfort, what do you think they mean?0 -
I suffer from depression and i am finding it helpful to take it one day at a time.2
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When I went through a terrible bout of depression, I lost a drastic amount of weight. I could hardly swallow food, couldn't stand it in my mouth, had no appetite whatsoever. I wound up a sickly, scrawny, miserable 115 pounds at 5'8".
So, I agree that depression can drastically affect one's appetite.
I also know that getting outside and exercising was one of the best things that helped me through that awful time. My appetite and weight thankfully returned to normal as my depression faded with the help of an antidepressant and some counseling.1 -
I started lifting and exercising intensely to cope with clinical depression. I had to get my motivation and drive back somehow. I am seeing great progress. getting looks/compliments and feel that things are starting to turn around.4
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I never accepted that I use food as a crutch but I am pretty sure I do.
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shelleygold wrote: »Hi,
When people say they eat for comfort, what do you think they mean?
Food has a direct impact on serotonin which contributes to the subjective feeling of "comfort." Psychologically, too, food can produce feelings of well-being. That's what I think folks mean.
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Thanks Lifting4Lis, good to have a laugh. How come you are here?1
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I started this thread to explore the relationship(s) between mood and eating and then left MFP for approximately 6 months. During that time, I gained back the weight I lost and did not keep my promise to myself and my partner that I would maintain my work-life balance. So... here I am again. Humbled and a bit sad. Nevertheless, we cannot do anything about the past so today is a new day.0
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I suffered from severe clinical depression and for me the only way I was able to lose weight was to begin anti-psychotic medication. Sometimes you are that unwell that medication is the only solution.
The medication did lead to weight gain initially but after waiting for everything to settle I was able to begin the long road from 235lb down to 170 (that was 5 years ago and I kept the weight off ever since). Now I am back again for another 30lb weight loss to get down to 140lb (my ideal weight, right in the middle of my healthy range).
There were some hiccups along the way where I slipped back into depression and gained weight once more (I freely admit that I use food as a "stimulant" to feel happy -it never actually works but I still do it) and my psychiatrist would tweak the medication (increase almost always) to bring me back to normal and I would be back on track.
I will be taking a significant amount of medication for the rest of my life but that's a minuscule price to pay given that I am now depression free.
In my case, weight loss without all the medication I take would not have been possible....no amount of sleep, exercise and good diet was ever going to cure me on its own. Having said all this, my diet is now really healthy, I sleep well, can work full time again and I live and enjoy life like a normal human being should. Life is actually good now :-)
Sometimes you are forced to focus on fixing your mind before you are in a position to fix your body, backward as that may seem.4 -
I don't know how to manage this...I feel like I'm winning but then I get knocked back down again...I guess the trick is to keep getting up, getting back to the good things afterwards. I guess just not working on your own...I'm getting monitored by both a dietician and a therapist, so that I have accountability and professional opinions, not just my own thoughts. I find that forgiving yourself, which is hard, correlates with positive behaviours, and hateful/guilt-tripping thoughts bring bad ones. I find when things are going well, everything is going well, and when something trips me up, everything falls. I guess it's all a balance? I'm trying not to extrapolate every little misstep into ultimate, complete, universal failure.2
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I'd say it makes it difficult as I am bipolar so I have bouts of depression so I have these jags I don't want to cook or exercise but mostly I don'tnotice I am depressed until I am eating in mass quantity then I get it. I know walking is my mood stabilizer if I don't do it or stop I get so moody and irritable and I just do not deal well. So that is my healthy it has gelped level out me and I am not having the mood swings etc wgen I am active but when I get depressed I forget howgood it felt.0
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Wow kae612 and angelexperiment - I. So. Get. You. It's unbelievably tough when you know exactly what you should or shouldn't do and you choose against yourself in spite of yourself. Almost like punishment. I too, battle depression, mostly anxiety and trying trying trying to better myself. I eat healthy and Quit smoking after 20+ years almost 10 months ago and have been working out religiously at least 5x/wk. since January. It couldn't be done without meds though. The last 15# have been impossible to lose for me. When I slide, even a little, I eat not-good-for-me stuff as a kind of "oh well you blew it, might as well go full blast with failure" punishment. I am literally stressed all. the. time. And how do we find out if our cortisol levels are high? I'm sure that's my issue. I've lost 25# but really need to lose that last 15. I'm 47, so it's tough. Hang in there guys. We are not alone.0
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Hey. I lost 2 kg this week. Feeling more inspired.
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Why I am eating marshmallows this week. I seem to move from one type of bad food to another. I wonder if you have ever thought that we tend to sabotage our success and/or we just cannot maintain consistency. Is this depressed thinking or just lack of discipline. The results of weight gain can be depressing; not necessarily in a mental health sense but more in the idea that overweight people make really bad choices. Deliberately?
What do you think?
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Marshmallows Are good :-/. Just saying. With me, I tend to make bad choices when I feel I've failed or if I'm not seeing improvement. Like I said before, I think it's kind of a punishment for not being good enough. We are our own judge. Good or bad. ( friendly hint: maybe don't buy any more of those yummy puffy white things once you've finished 'em off!! ;-) )0
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@shelleygold hi there,
I totally understand where you are coming from and up until maybe 4 weeks ago I was back to doing nothing feeling lethargic not wanting to go outside my house let alone get dressed. You always get someone who posts excersise will help and I would be like I cant excersise its not my thing ive just stopped smoking 8 months ago im extrememly over weight and I cannot excersise! I tried all the fad diets and tablets for depression to no avail!
Then I decided that I had to change something as its been the same old story for over 10 years now and im so un happy in myself. I KNEW THE GYM WAS A NO NO FOR ME! and you probably feel the same. So I bought an excersisie bike and started doing a 15 mins of zumba in the morning by watching youtube videos and then I would watch my fav tv programme for 30 mins while riding my bike!
I cannot tell you what a difference I felt after that 1st zumba and bike session, I felt so good and so happy ( honestly I did and I wasnt expecting to feel like that at all if anything I was expecting to never want to do it again) then the next day came and couldnt wait to get the kids off to do it again to get. It was hard it wasnt easy at all as i have been very sedentary for 10-15 years but I stuck that out for a few weeks then decided maybe i should switch it up. Still I cannot go to the gym so i researched home dvds and found the 30 day shred. Yesterday I done day 1 level 1 and I woke up today aching all over however I was extrememly proud of myself for even trying it! I could hardly move but i had some porridge and a banana and i got to it ans finally completed day 2 JUST! and feel great!!.
So if there is one thing I could tell you it woul dbe to do something that will get you sweating you will feel so much better ( i now know why ppl get addicted to going to the gym etc) If i had known I would feel so good doing this I would have done this years ago as it wasnt as bad as i thougth it was going to be esp as i am out of shape overweight and a new ex smoker, if i can do it anyone can.
I was the person who got out of breath climbing the stairs to the loo, i would hold my wee in to the point of pain as I couldnt manage the stairs as they really puffed me out 4 weeks on and I am not out of breath at all doin g the stairs you will for sure suprise yourself.
If you wanna add me your more thank welcome, if you start excersising i know the healthy eating will follow as you will feel so good you will not want to comfort eat and your moods will be so much better
lots of warm well wishes and good luck
michelle x2 -
Crisis-level depression aside, I've found small steps the best way to help your brain in the long run. It's like, you want to give your brain the best chance at having the chemicals and hormones it needs to be its best. You might still be depressed, but if you start adding little by little the things that give your brain what it needs, then you can keep getting out of bed most days.
Here's what I do to give my brain a base of balanced chemicals and hormones:
-regular sleep schedule (helps balance serotonin)
-regular exposure to daylight (same as above, also to make Vitamin D)
-hug or pet someone or something daily (oxytocin)
-walk 30 minutes (helps with sleep, anxiety, leveling dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, increases metabolism)
-eating complex carbohydrates daily -- from veggies, whole grains, legumes (needed for the building block chemicals for hormone and neurochemical production and balance)
-eating fruit (vitamins for proper hormone and neurochemical production)
-make sure to get all essential amino acids -- either by regularly eating animal flesh or ensuring a spectrum of essential proteins from non-animal sources (minerals and vitamins required for those same hormones and neurochemical production and balance)
-find ways to pre-package the foods you need or make them easier to find and eat than the foods lacking these qualities
-become more self aware of what causes your mood and developing coping strategies that don't hinder your basic health and the steps you already take.
-friends to reach out to whenever.
You don't add everything today, but over the years new habits build up.4 -
shelleygold wrote: »Why I am eating marshmallows this week. I seem to move from one type of bad food to another. I wonder if you have ever thought that we tend to sabotage our success and/or we just cannot maintain consistency. Is this depressed thinking or just lack of discipline. The results of weight gain can be depressing; not necessarily in a mental health sense but more in the idea that overweight people make really bad choices. Deliberately?
What do you think?
Well you need to be careful you dont fall into a victim , excuses and not taking responsibility mentality.
Just becayse you ahve depression doesnt mean there arent things you can do if you wnat it enough instead of using it as a stick to beat yourself with.
Work out small steps that will work.
Use your available energy to complete basic tasks each day.
Make progress.
You will find exercise is a great booster for your wellbeing and combating depression. Walking is a good start.
You should also try some cbt therapy.0 -
@shelleygold Here's what I think....keep trying. When you fall down; get up again. Do whatever it takes to get up again and....keep trying! Your community is offering you great tips and I'm grabbing onto them, too. Whoa....here we go again. Back on the journey with our friends by our side!1
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Forgot to add to my too long of list to make sure you're eating the fats that help your brain. If not from eating fatty fish like tuna or salmon, then eat a variety of nuts
I know I sound like a hippie, and of course all the good nutrition won't help if you aren't doing the things you need to get help when you're in crisis situations. But I have truly found depression to be more manageable when I'm giving my brain lots of the building blocks it needs to make and recycle the neurotransmitters and hormones efficiently.
Eating at a deficit is tough on a healthy brain. Someone with depression can really get overwhelmed if they add deficits to their already stressed brain.2 -
Thank you for all of your thoughts, encouragements, insights and stories. I like the suggestion of not playing the victim combined with taking responsibility for good health regardless of mental health challenges. I also loved the story of (moc247) who just started sweating. Ok. So, no more marshmallows will cross these lips for the indefinite future. I get to decide what I put into my body and what I don't. And I agree with you WBB55, that making Depression worse by living within a deficit model is counterintuitive.
So, the Cognitive Behavioural Therapists suggest we reframe our problems into challenges and focus on the positive thought processes and not on the feelings of hopelessness and despair. I suppose if it was that easy, we would all be lining up for more CBT and less chocolate. Nevertheless, I am a big fan of the Brain That Changes Itself and I know I have a few neutrons that are not completely assigned to making me fat forever. I may give them a working out at the gym, after I eat my organic Paleo-certified salad and sip on pure mineral water flavoured with a dash of lemon. Just salivating as I think of this. Jealous anyone?
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My mom has suffered from major clinical depression for so long that I can't remember exactly when it started. She's also obese and has nearly every obesity-related health problem you can list, including most recently, brain degenerative disease. She has always refused to exercise, and eats a poor diet most of the time. It breaks my heart every time I think about it.
This makes me determined to eat well, exercise, and keep a positive attitude as much as is possible. I have had the occasional bouts of mild depression myself, and what has helped me the most is making sure I am not falling into any cognitive distortion thinking patterns (see this article for a list of a few of these http://psychcentral.com/lib/15-common-cognitive-distortions/). These kinds of thinking patterns are what has driven most of my mom's depression, so breaking them down before they take hold really helps, along with eating well and exercising.
Another thing I find that really helps whether in a deficit or not is making sure I have a steady supply of lysine in my diet, through protein sources. There is a body of research that shows it helps with cognitive function, and it is used with PTSD sufferers to help their symptoms.
Oh, and I love marshmallows.0
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