depression V weight

Sarpri73
Sarpri73 Posts: 12 Member
in Introduce Yourself
hello I'm Sarah and suffer with depression, I am currently trying my best to get more active and combat my depression. I have put on 5 stone (70lbs) over the years and my depression is not helping as i forget if I've eaten and get caught 'loosing time'
I've recently given up smoking once more as I found that it was another thing that made me feel down. Now thanks to the added weight over the years I am now finding my weight makes me feel sluggish out of breath and more depressed!
I have been trying to improve my life and know this is one area that will help me along with being happy to buy clothes once more!!

Replies

  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I have been there. The first thing I would suggest is to go to your Primary Care physician and get a complete physical, along with blood tests. I found that part of my problem was severe anemia and I also had become diabetic. The combined treatment and slap upside the head gave me the motivation to get started losing.

    Are you in any kind of treatment for the depression? I would also suggest talking to a therapist, if you aren't already, to talk through your struggles. He/she can also give you coping strategies for both the weight loss and the smoking cessation. If they strongly recommend medication, think about it. It isn't for every depressed person, but can help many of them.

    Ultimately, you have to decide that THIS IS THE TIME. When that thought is firmly planted in your head, you will succeed. Also, keep in mind that you are engaging in a long-term plan, kind of like starting college. You will not finish in a few months, so don't expect to.

    The best advice I was given was that you should remember that "You are not making a big change in your life, you are making a series of small changes". Baby steps. Start by doing one thing and add another once that has become a habit, rinse and repeat. My first step was making regular meals from nutrient dense healthy foods, then I started counting calories, then I started fitting my macros. Same thing with activity. I started with a water aerobics class because I wouldn't walk more than a block. Then I started walking some, increasing my steps when I was able to. Later, I added swimming laps to the water aerobics.

    It has been 19 months so far and I am not at goal yet, but I am getting there:
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  • TheFred61
    TheFred61 Posts: 3 Member
    My now 21 year old son had a similar situation. His depressive disorder was debilitating for many years. He did not take anti-depressants, because they made him feel too tired. He'd been in and out (mostly out) of counseling, but when he decided to be truly honest and open about his feelings, did anything click inside and he found self-worth. He made a conscious effort to eat less. Smaller portions and better quality foods. He said he felt better right away by eliminating bad foods. The weight came off slowly and when he (and others) began noticing, he ampped things up and got a membership at the gym, where he goes 5 days a week. I thought he would always be overweight, even if he conquered his depression. I'm glad he proved me wrong. The sky's the limit for him now. By reaching out, you are already in a place of wanting change. Start small, but be consistent. Allow yourself periodic failures, but jump right back. I believe strongly, having seen it for myself, that 'clean' foods are directly connected to our feelings of well-being.
  • gabrielleelliott90
    gabrielleelliott90 Posts: 854 Member
    I've not been diagnosed but I think I also suffer from depression! I know it's either eat way too much, or too little. Most of the time, I can stay within calories, but a lot of the time my mind tells me I don't feel like eating, but I end up eating enough or overeating. To commit, you really have to be ready to lose weight, and try and tell the depression it won't get in the way this time. Sometimes we have to really pull outselves together even though it is hard. It's hard to get out of pajamas. It's hard to get out of bed. So much is hard about it. Especially mood. You can do this.
  • Sarpri73
    Sarpri73 Posts: 12 Member
    Thank you for all your kind words and in response to your questions... Yes I am clinically depressed and also have a councillor to help me, but things won't change unless I do something. I'm sick of being depressed allowing it to take over my life and waking up seeing myself get fatter each day just depresses me more!
    I know I am not over my depression but eating badly makes me lethargic and once again I go round the merry go round eating and sitting or sleeping!
    I believe that over the years I have slipped into bad eating I used to be about 9stone (126lbs) but am now almost 13.5 stone(189lbs)
    Used to be quite active and now everything is a mission, yes some of it is depression but if I wait depression will go away slower and then I maybe breaching 200lbs and I can't be doing that!!
  • Becky_charles29
    Becky_charles29 Posts: 125 Member
    I have had several bouts of "depression" - or at least I thought it was until I was diagnosed most recently with Bi-Polar 2. I am mainly depressive but I get periods of relief however my lows are loooooooooooooow so I know how you feel. What I can say is exercise helped me a huge amount. I made myself get up and go to something I knew I enjoyed (in my case spinning) and went. At first I just went to that class, then I started doing more and started feeling so much better. It was so tough the first couple of times to not hide away in the safety of my bed but forcing myself was the best thing I could have done

    Good luck and take care
  • Sarpri73
    Sarpri73 Posts: 12 Member
    Have to agree with you becky, it's amazing how much better I feel and the weight is suddenly falling off which obviously makes me feel so much better! Even now I feel like just going to bed to sleep but I'm going to do some housework instead!!

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