Depression/Anxiety and Weight Loss
batteryacids
Posts: 11 Member
hey everyone, i'm kit and i'm 21 years old. i currently weigh 272 lbs and have recently been diagnosed with depression and social anxiety and have started medication for both (100 mg of sertraline daily). i just wanted to know if anyone else on these forums has dealt with the mental illness hurdles that you face when trying to lose weight. on the days when my depression rears its ugly head, i find i don't have the energy to cook anything really and will instead order delivery or even go to a drive-thru and get fried things. i don't really have a ton of money either because i'm a college student working full time for the summer. this is mainly just me half-venting and reaching out, but if you have any advice, i'd love to hear it!
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Tip from Nigella, but I find having portioned meals in the freezer handy for when I'm too tired/busy/lazy to cook from scratch. I tend to batch cook when I have time and nearly always have portions of veg curry I can nuke in a hurry.
All the best for managing your illness.0 -
I was on fluoxetine for depression and anxiety while losing weight. I found that as long as I weighed and logged all of my foods accurately that nothing else mattered. If I was feeling too miserable to go for a bike ride or walk, so long as I weighed everything and ate at my calorie goals for the day, the results followed. With the results, brought way better mood.0
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Be kind to yourself. Until I was able to get a handle on my anxiety based depression, I was unable to have success at weight loss. Focus on things that are good for both mental and physical health like walking, eating nutrient dense foods, 8 hours of sleep and cognitive therapy along with your medication.0
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Try out some simple meals with good macronutrient ratios, and when you have an idea of what s filling for you, just repeat them.
It's ok to rely on frozen stuff for a while. When I didn't have time to cook, I liked this one brand of lighter meals (blue line by PC if you're in Canada, don't know if that's still around).
What are your favourite foods? Are there any meals you know you like and can get together in under ten minutes?
An easy one I like is a pan-fried steak (can also use a foreman grill), bag of salad, and a small piece of bread.0 -
Here's my experience with pills for depression and anxiety - YMMV. I took Zoloft for a short time and found it completely killed my ability to have an orgasm. I don't remember what effect, if any, it had on my energy level, but drowsiness is a common side effect: http://www.drugs.com/sertraline.html
Welbutrin worked much better for me. It's a little speedy, which is helpful. I have Xanax as needed. My shrink always frowns and says it's addictive, and I remind him that he only gives me 6 pills every 6 months, which is not enough to form a dependency.
For not wanting to exercise due to being depressed and unmotivated, I remind myself that exercise is a great remedy for depression and force myself to just start.
For Depression, Prescribing Exercise Before Medication
Joel Ginsberg was a sophomore at a college in Dallas when the social anxiety he had felt throughout his life morphed into an all-consuming hopelessness. He struggled to get out of bed, and even the simplest tasks felt herculean.
“The world lost its color,” he told me. “Nothing interested me; I didn’t have any motivation. There was a lot of self-doubt.”
He thought getting some exercise might help, but it was hard to motivate himself to go to the campus gym.
“So what I did is break it down into mini-steps,” he said. “I would think about just getting to the gym, rather than going for 30 minutes. Once I was at the gym, I would say, ‘I’m just going to get on the treadmill for five minutes.’”
Eventually, he found himself reading novels for long stretches at a time while pedaling away on a stationary bike. Soon, his gym visits became daily. If he skipped one day, his mood would plummet the next.
“It was kind of like a boost,” he said, recalling how exercise helped him break out of his inertia. “It was a shift in mindset that kind of got me over the hump.”
Read more: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/03/for-depression-prescribing-exercise-before-medication/284587/0 -
hi...i have BPD type 1 and i am on seroquel (caused me to gain about 40 lbs) and i'm also on 3 others for OCD, anxiety, etc. when i don't feel like cooking, i have a freezer full of lean cuisine. i know they aren't the healthiest choices, but better than mcD's drive-through where you can easily rack-up over 1000 calories in one meal. last night, i had 210 calorie meal (smart ones frozen) and it was good and satisfied me. there are days that i feel better than others, today i am cooking homemade fajitas and some days when i'm in bed when my husband gets home so we have to take each day as it comes. the meds are helping and i'm just about at a 180 from where i was when i was first diagnosed. it's not easy, i log every single thing i eat, every single day, and once per month, i take a day and eat anything and everything i want (that just happens to be today!) i wish you well. sorry i couldn't be of more help.
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daniwilford wrote: »Be kind to yourself. Until I was able to get a handle on my anxiety based depression, I was unable to have success at weight loss. Focus on things that are good for both mental and physical health like walking, eating nutrient dense foods, 8 hours of sleep and cognitive therapy along with your medication.
This.0 -
Re cooking: I used to cook enough food for myself for three or four days. They were easy things like baked chicken thighs. Bags of frozen broccoli are easy to cook in the microwave.
I cook a lot of beans and lentils. They are pretty much the most inexpensive food you can buy.0 -
I was on fluoxetine for depression and anxiety while losing weight. I found that as long as I weighed and logged all of my foods accurately that nothing else mattered. If I was feeling too miserable to go for a bike ride or walk, so long as I weighed everything and ate at my calorie goals for the day, the results followed. With the results, brought way better mood.
I am not diagnosed, but I have had my fair share of crappy days and anxious moments. ^ This is true 100% for anyone looking to lose weight. Days that you feel like crap, that is okay. Dont workout, dont cook fresh, whatever - AT THE VERY LEAST, LOG YOUR FOOD! With that, and staying around your calorie goals, you will continue to lose weight.
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I have to say walking is the best mood stabilizer
also when I feel absolutely not cooking bc I am depressed, having premade meals or something quick and dirty like tuna or eggsalad or even just a salad, also have some emergency meals like smartones or atkins frozen meals. Or soups. That keeps me in check. I don't have the option to eat out so think like if you had to walk there instead of drive there by then you don't want it anymore:). Besides you could just stop at the grocery store and get sushi or a sub which is healthier:) 0 -
In my experience, it makes sense to turn to unhealthy and salty carbs when feeling down - carbs boost your serotonin and calm you down. But that is also something that we can use to our benefit. I used to have a baked potato with cayenne pepper and salt and a tsp of olive oil (microwave 10 minutes or bake for 45) whenever I felt my mood slipping. Some basic whole wheat pasta with salt, a few spices, and a little bit of good cheddar can also do the trick. Maybe these are better alternatives to your drive-throughs?0
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Yes!dakotababy wrote: »I was on fluoxetine for depression and anxiety while losing weight. I found that as long as I weighed and logged all of my foods accurately that nothing else mattered. If I was feeling too miserable to go for a bike ride or walk, so long as I weighed everything and ate at my calorie goals for the day, the results followed. With the results, brought way better mood.
I am not diagnosed, but I have had my fair share of crappy days and anxious moments. ^ This is true 100% for anyone looking to lose weight. Days that you feel like crap, that is okay. Dont workout, dont cook fresh, whatever - AT THE VERY LEAST, LOG YOUR FOOD! With that, and staying around your calorie goals, you will continue to lose weight.
Keep logging even when you go over. Logging is a self-care strategy.
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batteryacids wrote: »hey everyone, i'm kit and i'm 21 years old. i currently weigh 272 lbs and have recently been diagnosed with depression and social anxiety and have started medication for both (100 mg of sertraline daily). i just wanted to know if anyone else on these forums has dealt with the mental illness hurdles that you face when trying to lose weight. on the days when my depression rears its ugly head, i find i don't have the energy to cook anything really and will instead order delivery or even go to a drive-thru and get fried things. i don't really have a ton of money either because i'm a college student working full time for the summer. this is mainly just me half-venting and reaching out, but if you have any advice, i'd love to hear it!
I have to tell you, Setraline has saved my life. I've been on it since January after dealing with a 23 year depression and I feel great. As far as weight, I've found that food tastes better now that I'm on the meds than it had before - so that makes it a bit tougher with self control, but not impossible. Just keep your goals in sight and you will be fine. I've managed to maintain my 50lb weight loss with diet, exercise, and daily logging - so it can definitely be done.0 -
daniwilford wrote: »Be kind to yourself. Until I was able to get a handle on my anxiety based depression, I was unable to have success at weight loss. Focus on things that are good for both mental and physical health like walking, eating nutrient dense foods, 8 hours of sleep and cognitive therapy along with your medication.
This.
Seconded. Control actually soothes my anxiety about 80% of the time, but there have been times in the past two years where I had to stop for a while and just maintain while I get my mental health under control.
Don't put your diet above your mental health, and don't be afraid to take breaks. I have lost all of 7 pounds in the last six months -- I could be done faster if I put my mental health on the backburner, but I also think I would have quit two months in if I hadn't balanced my physical and mental health.0 -
i dont have depression, I have an anxiety disorder. Which sucks. I like to say that my brain is a dick. My brain would like me to not ever try new things.
*kitten* that noise. I take my medication, and I push myself to try new things, and when I slip into an anxiety fueled binge, I dont do the shame spiral thing. I log it, and move on. Every meal is a new start.
Practical advice-
It helps me to eat similar foods, in rotation. Right now I am doing a protien powder shake every morning for breakfast. Before that I was doing a bowl of cereal with soymilk and fruit every morning, and before that, I think I ate oatmeal every morning for like 4 months.
Use a food scale. It helps alot.
Learn the calorie counts of your favorite dishes at fast food chains and chain restaurants. My husband orders a lot of dollar menu chicken sandwiches on the road (no mayo) because they are cheap, filling, and low calorie (300-350 per sandwich)
If you are too overwhelmed to cook, a sandwich makes a fine dinner get a good group on non-judgemental MFP friends to cheer you on. You got this! 0 -
I'm clawing my way out of a massive bout of depression now. I'm medicated and in therapy, but it's still a fight every day. Thankfully, some days the fight is less awful now but gosh it's been rough. I think Daniwilford was bang on - being kind to yourself is critical. Do what you can, what is within your abilities for the day. Here are two examples:
- Going to the grocery store is such a normal thing for people. For me, it's the ONLY thing I can do that day. I've learned to go in the afternoon, after lunch, with a list. I get myself a frozen dinner because I know I won't be able to cook after.
- My therapist was adamant that I start exercising again in some way to help burn off some stress and connect with reality. It took three months of her gentle nagging but I finally started this week with something that is challenging in just the right way for me without being overwhelming - karate classes.
So do what you can. Find frozen foods or other quick foods that work for you (I'm a HUGE fan of Morningstar Farms "breakfast" patties, personally.) Hungry Girl has a good guide to what to order at some fast food places so you can start aiming yourself in a good direction. Don't beat yourself up if you eat french fries because you need them.
Oh, and depression LIES.0 -
Lifelong struggle over here, last year was pregnant and dealt with crushing antenatal and postnatal depression. Exercise, sunshine and a good physical lifestyle/positive body outlook are absolutely the best antidepressants I have ever experienced. Sometimes you can't get there until you feel better though - in that case, I second the wellbutrin over traditional SSRIs, because it has a similar mechanism to amphetamines (amphetamines release more dopamine and norepinephrine whereas wellbutrin prevents their reuptake) so it is a good one for someone struggling to feel motivated or who tends to gain weight easily on other medications. It's what has gotten me through the past four months and I am slowly inching back to where I want to be. Good luck with everything! You can do it!0
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I find it useful to recognize that food cravings for fast food and junk food are the stuff of chemical addictions, and manage them accordingly to minimize the calorie damage.
Personally, I don't treat anything processed as 'real food' - but rather than eat a processed meal or a whole bag of chips (since I will if I open them) I switch it up to get through the craving. My current trick is a diet pepsi and the smallest tin of pringles chips I can buy. I've also used buying a single small french fry and a diet pop, or waiting until a weekend and then walking to buy an ice cream. Keeping apples and peanut butter on hand works for me to get a protein/sugar kick. Poached eggs are also an easy dinner trick.0 -
I second what other people above have said, that your mental health should always come first. Losing weight is a challenge, psychically and emotionally even in the best of situations, so be very patient and kind to yourself, especially if you slip up or don't see the results you want right away, I can't stress this enough, not punishing myself in those situations and instead treating myself with love and compassion was a game changer for me. I know doing that isn't easy, it's a journey in and of itself, but I found it to be crucial.
On a more practical note, what I used to do is rely on bags of frozen vegetables like peas, corn, green beans or mixes that you can microwave or boil, and add some protein to it, easy things like canned lentils or beans, a couple eggs or a veggie buger in the microwave, not terribly exciting but with spices, you can make satisfying, nutritious meals in like 10 minutes, less even. Portioning out snacks or small meals in advance is also a good idea, hopefully things you'll enjoy, personally I'm a fan of almonds and raisins. If you're going to get food delivered, maybe you can look into other options that are at least a bit healthier (I know it can be expensive though) and have smaller portions, that would already be a big improvement.
I wish you all the best, I hope your medication helps you feel a lot better and you reach your goals, if you ever need motivation or advice I'm here for you!0 -
Me! This sounds so fun!0
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batteryacids wrote: »hey everyone, i'm kit and i'm 21 years old. i currently weigh 272 lbs and have recently been diagnosed with depression and social anxiety and have started medication for both (100 mg of sertraline daily). i just wanted to know if anyone else on these forums has dealt with the mental illness hurdles that you face when trying to lose weight. on the days when my depression rears its ugly head, i find i don't have the energy to cook anything really and will instead order delivery or even go to a drive-thru and get fried things. i don't really have a ton of money either because i'm a college student working full time for the summer. this is mainly just me half-venting and reaching out, but if you have any advice, i'd love to hear it!
I have been there. On the days I'm feeling really tired and depressed, I will make something easy pasta or something) or I just get takeout that fits in my cals. I have struggled with depression and anxiety for many years but have still managed to lose 80lbs. It is possible.
I sent you a FR 0 -
I have panic anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder and treatment resistant depression. I have been on just about every anti depressant for over 30 years now. Major depression along with panics and anxiety has crippled me most of my life. Nervous breakdowns are no joke and being hospitalized isn't either. My lowest weight was 82 lbs and my highest was 170... Just started trying to lose weight again. It's hard when you literally will stay inside your home for months and not go anywhere. Right now I'm struggling to stay motivated. I've lost 6 lbs in 5 weeks but I wanted to lose more than that. I have taken baby steps on my weight loss place to try an minimize my disappointment. I have no friends so I'm on my own in this. Hang in there and do what you can when you can. The more you beat yourself up the less likely you are to move forward. I understand 100% as I too am trying to stay positive.0
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Anxiety and major depression here. Struggled with it almost my entire life, and it made losing weight almost impossible. I'd pull it together for a couple weeks, then I'd fall apart and start drinking again, eating fast food, and generally hating myself and everything about my life...losing any kind of progress I'd manage to make.
Getting treatment was the best thing I've ever done for myself. Taking Lexapro and seeing a therapist, gave me the motivation back to take care of myself. Lost 25 lbs since then. It's still a fight sometimes, but at least now I feel like I have the strength to fight back.
As far as food goes, cook a bunch of stuff up and throw it in the fridge, cause then even if you don't feel like cooking, you can just grab something already made and go. I also buy alot of easy to make microwaveable stuff...cause depression or no, I'm still not much of a cook.
Best of luck to you, I'm sending you a friend request. We're all gonna make it.0 -
I'm taking citalopram for my anxiety and depression at the moment. I know how you feel about cooking, it really is difficult. I'm actually in the process of moving out of my university house, so I've been in almost exactly the same situation it seems
I would try and find fresh fruit cheap, which is especially easy at this time of year, and frozen ready meals. I wouldn't worry about calories too much right now, the important thing is that you actually eat enough to keep going right now.
I hope you get better soon. I've really found MFP useful since I've been diagnosed, it's given me something to pay attention to and helped me gain some control.0 -
My depression is largely gone now although it was severe and I do still suffer from anxiety. Exercise helps me massively with my anxiety. Just be kind to yourself, take it slowly - for the first couple of weeks I wouldn't try to make any changes, just log. If you can keep a diary or a note of how certain foods/hunger make you feel that might help as well - some foods can affect our mood e.g. chocolate causing that surge then dip, and I know when I get too hungry my anxiety is much worse.0
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batteryacids wrote: »hey everyone, i'm kit and i'm 21 years old. i currently weigh 272 lbs and have recently been diagnosed with depression and social anxiety and have started medication for both (100 mg of sertraline daily). i just wanted to know if anyone else on these forums has dealt with the mental illness hurdles that you face when trying to lose weight. on the days when my depression rears its ugly head, i find i don't have the energy to cook anything really and will instead order delivery or even go to a drive-thru and get fried things. i don't really have a ton of money either because i'm a college student working full time for the summer. this is mainly just me half-venting and reaching out, but if you have any advice, i'd love to hear it!
I am in a similar situation. I was diagnosed with depression many years ago but it wasn't until the last few years that it's taken a toll on my weight. As I get older, I get more wore out, less motivated, and realizing that although I am only 26...I cannot eat like a teenager! The problem is that with depression, we are always seeking some form of comfort. And I have been finding this in food. I also eat a lot when I am bored at home every night. This starts that vicious cycle of gaining more weight, feeling more depressed, more fatigued, less motivated, craving more comfort foods (I have a weakness for sugary foods). Has anyone found ways to really kick yourself in the butt and get motivated? I work full-time, am also on a tight budget, and am in the process of moving to a new city and new job to begin graduate college so I am in need of some serious stress reduction too! I would be more than willing to help each other out of you want to add me! Social support can do great wonders0 -
batteryacids wrote: »hey everyone, i'm kit and i'm 21 years old. i currently weigh 272 lbs and have recently been diagnosed with depression and social anxiety and have started medication for both (100 mg of sertraline daily). i just wanted to know if anyone else on these forums has dealt with the mental illness hurdles that you face when trying to lose weight. on the days when my depression rears its ugly head, i find i don't have the energy to cook anything really and will instead order delivery or even go to a drive-thru and get fried things. i don't really have a ton of money either because i'm a college student working full time for the summer. this is mainly just me half-venting and reaching out, but if you have any advice, i'd love to hear it!
Hi Kit,
I am Teri, 27.... Also suffer with depression and use food as something for comfort. I am also on 100mg Sertraline...
Feel free to add me if you ant some support xx
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