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Should I get my anxiety better managed before beginning to take on calorie counting?

sarahfeelingood
sarahfeelingood Posts: 21 Member
in Getting Started
Hello,

My name is Sarah. I am 23 years old and have about 74 pounds to lose. I struggle with OCD and the anxiety and depression it can cause. I am seeing a psychiatrist and therapist to manage my medication and to coach me in coping with my OCD. I want to lose weight, but I feel so worn out right now that I don't even want to think about calculating every meal when I'm just hungry and want to eat already. Half the time I care and want to try, the other half I really don't care. So I am constantly on and off my "diet" (by diet I mean MFPing). Should I wait until my OCD is not as intense to begin to really focus on the diet? Managing OCD takes a lot of my energy and leaves me mentally drained of focus, energy, and motivation to use for weight loss. I do want to incorporate exercise into my life for both physical and emotional reasons, but am waiting for the weather to warm up. Anybody have any suggestions or a similar situation where they had to postpone their weight loss efforts?

PS. I don't mean postpone weight loss as in overeat and pig out every day until I "start" dieting again. I mean just trying to eat reasonably and use common sense rather than meticulously counting and weighing everything.

Replies

  • literique
    literique Posts: 85 Member
    Yes, healthy eating in moderation without counting is better than yo-yo dieting due to the stress of counting. It's a small step in the right direction. Kuddos to you for not using the stress as an excuse to totally throw the towel in!
  • jenglish712
    jenglish712 Posts: 497 Member
    Willpower is a finite resource. Sometimes you have to prioritize what's important to you first. I went to the gym for months before working on diet because I could only establish one at a time. Now neither seems like a big deal.
  • jenncornelsen
    jenncornelsen Posts: 969 Member
    If u have recently begun therapy focus on that. Mental health is of course as important if not more than physical health. Once u feel that is more in control move on to the next. Try to focus on healthy choices without stressing yourself about it. Exercise can be great for positivity so workout if u can, even just 15 minutes can help. Its awesome your trying to better yourself all the best
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Try the No S Diet. No calorie counting involved but the concept I think is spot on. No snacking, no sweets, no seconds except on days that start with S. This may be what you are looking for.

    www.nosdiet.com
  • cathyleabo
    cathyleabo Posts: 6
    You might benefit from a program with local coaching. Someone you can talk to in person.
    Best wishes in your journey!
  • JordisTSM
    JordisTSM Posts: 359 Member
    It took my doctor a couple of years to get me on the right cocktail of meds to get my panic attacks under control. During that time I tried to focus on weight loss but I kept crashing, I just didn't have the mental strength to focus on my body while my mind appeared to be out of control.

    Now that I know my meds are working, I've been able to focus my energy on to my physical well-being, and finally shedding the pounds (25 pounds since the start of January).

    If you can try to eat in moderation while getting your OCD under control, that would be fantastic, but I would not get too wrapped up in weight loss just yet. If you can do it, awesome, but I don't want you to get down about your weight, or weight loss, as it's not going to help your mental state. Just remind yourself that right now, you need to focus on your mental health, the physical health will follow.

    Having said that, starting on a mild exercise plan will do you the world of good. This may be a bit 'ScienceBro" but I believe the dopamine (?) that your body produces while exercising also lifts your spirits and can help with your mental state. (apologies if I'm talking out of my *kitten* there)

    Good luck with both journeys, feel free to add me as a friend if you need a travel companion :smile:
  • sarahfeelingood
    sarahfeelingood Posts: 21 Member
    Thank you to all of you! I appreciate every reply. I agree that it might be better to get the mental settled before trying the physical. Like jordistsm said, I get too down about my weight and lack of weight loss. It became almost an "obsession" for the OCD. Not a good path to take. I also felt like I was not enjoying things in life NOW because I wanted to lose weight first. I think I will really put my focus on the mental right now because for too long I would get a little better, slack off with therapy, get worse again, return to therapy, repeat the process. I don't want to keep doing that I want to continue making progress this time. And yes, jordistsm exercise does effect your mood significantly! I think it is serotonin, or dopamine or both perhaps. And queenliz99, I was so excited that someone else knew about the No S Diet! I have done that on and off as a teenager and it did help. I may try using that to put some structure in my crazy schedule and have regular meal times. That's a great idea. Thanks again to everyone!

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