Depression & Health/Fitness Goals
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Yannaove
Posts: 5,185 Member
I recently rejoined fitness pal in an attempt to once again, as an ultimate goal to become healthier and thus feel better about myself. I suffer from major depression and have to take meds daily. I struggle to get myself to do anything good for myself and always take care of others first. I am also an emotional eater and have and still suffer from an eating disorder. No one but a handful of people know this but have come to realize that I must branch out for help and offer help if i can. I said all that to ask if any of you suffer from depression and my other issues as well. And if so how do you manage staying on top of your health and fitness goals. How do you stay motivated and how do you handle pitfalls. Im pretty much all by myself in this getting healthier journey and i need advice. Thanks so much in advance! 
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Replies
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Hi,
I am not depressed but I can relate to the feeling. About 2.5 years ago, my world was crushed when my son (at the time, 2 years old) was diagnosed with Autism and severe language impairment. I felt like the ground was taken from beneath my feet, I felt so angry, and so sad. I couldn't even bring myself to tell my family about it. With my son being evaluated by so many people, and the evaluation results coming back so low and so many sessions of therapies I was going crazy. After about 2 long months I decided to go to the gym and try out some weight lifting. I would exhaust myself to the point that I was too drained to even think about how sad I was-and there were many times when my eyes were tearing up while I was working out, I would throw in a few more reps until again, I was too exhausted to cry. I began to crave the exhaustion of weight lifting every day and stuck with it. Little by little the weight started to come off, I was getting stronger, and I was even feeling a mixture of hopefulness and happiness. When that started to happen I was hooked! I am 5'7, 29% body fat, HW 240lbs, CW 171 lbs, GW 150lbs. What began as an outlet to my depression has now turned into a lifestyle.
I am an emotional eater as well, I tend to turn to food when my son has his moments (poop all over the wall isn't cute-yes even after dealing with that I can still eat! ), so I joined MFP to help me with that:)
Weights are my thing. I hope you find what works for you:)
(I tried to make it as short as possible:/ )0 -
I rejoined today. Since 2010, I lost 200 lbs and today I have regained all but 10 lbs of it. It's like when I started losing, it was a light bulb moment, and then, the light bulb burned out. I have a childhood history, while not the worst ever, but traumatizing enough to cause me some issues. Depression is one of those issues. Eating disorder could match my eating habits. I had no idea why I was so driven to lose weight, but it was working, and now, I have no idea why I lost that drive. I recently went to the dr, got my lab results, which of course were indicative of my eating habits the last couple years. I do know, from my original weight loss, every choice I make must be deliberate. I struggle with being well balanced. I feel either all in or all out, however my health is now again in jeopardy. So again, I am deliberately choosing to make better choices. That's where I am. I've got to set my sadness and history aside, and take care of myself. I have a responsibility to do that.0
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I believe getting healthier can help fight depression. Do your best to stay away from processed foods. Try to eat what grows naturally. Find any kind of exercise that you enjoy and do it each week. Start journaling as often as you can. Write down what you feel and why you feel it and then write what you are grateful for. It can be anything from lipstick to your mom. Having a self care practice is so important too. Find time each week to do something that is just for yourself that you enjoying...read a book, get your nails painted, do some crafting, watch a movie. Examine theses areas of your life: relationships, career, exercise and spirituality. To be healthy and happy it's important to be balanced in these areas and eliminate negativity. Lastly, saunas boost pleasure sensors in the body n reduce stress. Message me if you want to chat.0
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daisyruiz86 wrote: »Hi,
I am not depressed but I can relate to the feeling. About 2.5 years ago, my world was crushed when my son (at the time, 2 years old) was diagnosed with Autism and severe language impairment. I felt like the ground was taken from beneath my feet, I felt so angry, and so sad. I couldn't even bring myself to tell my family about it. With my son being evaluated by so many people, and the evaluation results coming back so low and so many sessions of therapies I was going crazy. After about 2 long months I decided to go to the gym and try out some weight lifting. I would exhaust myself to the point that I was too drained to even think about how sad I was-and there were many times when my eyes were tearing up while I was working out, I would throw in a few more reps until again, I was too exhausted to cry. I began to crave the exhaustion of weight lifting every day and stuck with it. Little by little the weight started to come off, I was getting stronger, and I was even feeling a mixture of hopefulness and happiness. When that started to happen I was hooked! I am 5'7, 29% body fat, HW 240lbs, CW 171 lbs, GW 150lbs. What began as an outlet to my depression has now turned into a lifestyle.
I am an emotional eater as well, I tend to turn to food when my son has his moments (poop all over the wall isn't cute-yes even after dealing with that I can still eat! ), so I joined MFP to help me with that:)
Weights are my thing. I hope you find what works for you:)
(I tried to make it as short as possible:/ )
Thanks so much for sharing. Im sorry you have had such a difficult time but im glad you found a constructive outlet. And congrats on all that weight loss. I feel that once i get into a rhythm of working out i will be good but its just getting there thats the problem. Its interesting that your thing is weight lifting because i am interested in that as well but dont know how to start. Like i said its only me on this journey. I want to be and feel strong...any tips on getting started? And what does MFP mean? Sorry im not that hip to know 0 -
tracymayhall wrote: »I rejoined today. Since 2010, I lost 200 lbs and today I have regained all but 10 lbs of it. It's like when I started losing, it was a light bulb moment, and then, the light bulb burned out. I have a childhood history, while not the worst ever, but traumatizing enough to cause me some issues. Depression is one of those issues. Eating disorder could match my eating habits. I had no idea why I was so driven to lose weight, but it was working, and now, I have no idea why I lost that drive. I recently went to the dr, got my lab results, which of course were indicative of my eating habits the last couple years. I do know, from my original weight loss, every choice I make must be deliberate. I struggle with being well balanced. I feel either all in or all out, however my health is now again in jeopardy. So again, I am deliberately choosing to make better choices. That's where I am. I've got to set my sadness and history aside, and take care of myself. I have a responsibility to do that.
Thanks for your reply. I can relate to you in the fact that i look at the past and wonder how did i do that when it comes to food discipline and working out. I mean i would work my 12hr shift and then head to the gym. If i didnt go to the gym i would work out at home. I want to be that way again but cant zone in to that fire i once had. Sigh....and i too have a responsibility to make sure im healthy. I have an almost 3 yr old to think about. I wish you lots of luck dear.0 -
I believe getting healthier can help fight depression. Do your best to stay away from processed foods. Try to eat what grows naturally. Find any kind of exercise that you enjoy and do it each week. Start journaling as often as you can. Write down what you feel and why you feel it and then write what you are grateful for. It can be anything from lipstick to your mom. Having a self care practice is so important too. Find time each week to do something that is just for yourself that you enjoying...read a book, get your nails painted, do some crafting, watch a movie. Examine theses areas of your life: relationships, career, exercise and spirituality. To be healthy and happy it's important to be balanced in these areas and eliminate negativity. Lastly, saunas boost pleasure sensors in the body n reduce stress. Message me if you want to chat.
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I am a vegetarian so you would think i woyld eat an abundance of vegetables...but no, mac n cheese is trumping as my main food group... My husband is not on board with eating healthy and is a meat eater so that throws another wrench in my plans. And journaling is hard for me. Idk why but it is. And i feel like i have no time for self care. Im too busy taking care of my son, husband and my house. Balance is what i lack.0 -
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I recently rejoined fitness pal in an attempt to once again, as an ultimate goal to become healthier and thus feel better about myself. I suffer from major depression and have to take meds daily. I struggle to get myself to do anything good for myself and always take care of others first. I am also an emotional eater and have and still suffer from an eating disorder. No one but a handful of people know this but have come to realize that I must branch out for help and offer help if i can. I said all that to ask if any of you suffer from depression and my other issues as well. And if so how do you manage staying on top of your health and fitness goals. How do you stay motivated and how do you handle pitfalls. Im pretty much all by myself in this getting healthier journey and i need advice. Thanks so much in advance!
Hi,
I totally related to your post. I've struggled with weight and depression for years. While I've had success in dropping pounds, I still struggle with depression and maintaining healthy habits and mindset. The last 6 months have been difficult and I find myself slipping into bad habits such as not eating plenty of healthy foods, but eating tiny bits of not-no-nutritious foods, drinking several glasses of wine each evening, and not exercising. Emotionally, I've been pretty down.
I've noticed a correlation, for myself, with the darker winter months and my own depression. I've not sought help from a dr; I have trouble with numerous side-effects from antidepressants and am tired of struggling with those in addition to feeling crappy to begin with. I've recently begun to feel a bit better with the brighter, longer days. I've managed to get out and go on walks and am filling my fridge and pantries with healthy foods. I've banished wine.
I'd be happy to travel this journey with you0 -
Hi there. Sorry to hear you're struggling. I have severe depression and anxiety as well. For a few years, I was in and out of hospitals because of suicidal thoughts, and even one serious attempt to take my own life. I've been in therapy for awhile and was on high doses of antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds. I'm doing better now though, mainly because I'm learning how to articulate my feelings better and deal with negative emotions in a healthy way. I am now off all the medication, and that has helped immensely with my getting my energy back and being able to stay out of bed during the day.
I definitely recommend also getting looked over by your primary care doctor if you haven't gone recently. Make sure you're in good physical health and that nothing else is impacting your energy levels. I found out I have a Vitamin D deficiency and that my iron is often low due to my anemia. Dealing with these issues, primarily through diet but also through supplements, has done wonders for getting rid of that zombie feeling that a lot of depressed people get.
Also, it sounds selfish, but you have to be willing to take care of yourself as well as the people around you. If you're not okay, you have nothing to give to the people around you who need you. You have to be healthy to ensure the health and happiness of the people around you. So you're not being selfish by taking care of you, you're actually doing the kindest, most giving thing you can do. Take things one day at at time, and definitely address all of this with your therapist/psychiatrist so you can come up with a game plan. If you're not already, get help for the eating disorder as well as the depression, and don't be afraid to discuss it with others. That will help hold you accountable and allow you to let people in who might be able to offer help or support.
Sorry this post got long, tried to get out everything I could think of that might be helpful. To sum up, focus on your mental health and on taking care of yourself. The weight will handle itself along the way. And I'm going to add you now so you have one new cheerleader. 0 -
Thanks Roda Rose. Ill definately try this. The first video was very cute. 0 -
I recently rejoined fitness pal in an attempt to once again, as an ultimate goal to become healthier and thus feel better about myself. I suffer from major depression and have to take meds daily. I struggle to get myself to do anything good for myself and always take care of others first. I am also an emotional eater and have and still suffer from an eating disorder. No one but a handful of people know this but have come to realize that I must branch out for help and offer help if i can. I said all that to ask if any of you suffer from depression and my other issues as well. And if so how do you manage staying on top of your health and fitness goals. How do you stay motivated and how do you handle pitfalls. Im pretty much all by myself in this getting healthier journey and i need advice. Thanks so much in advance!
Hi,
I totally related to your post. I've struggled with weight and depression for years. While I've had success in dropping pounds, I still struggle with depression and maintaining healthy habits and mindset. The last 6 months have been difficult and I find myself slipping into bad habits such as not eating plenty of healthy foods, but eating tiny bits of not-no-nutritious foods, drinking several glasses of wine each evening, and not exercising. Emotionally, I've been pretty down.
I've noticed a correlation, for myself, with the darker winter months and my own depression. I've not sought help from a dr; I have trouble with numerous side-effects from antidepressants and am tired of struggling with those in addition to feeling crappy to begin with. I've recently begun to feel a bit better with the brighter, longer days. I've managed to get out and go on walks and am filling my fridge and pantries with healthy foods. I've banished wine.
I'd be happy to travel this journey with you
Hi there. Thanks for your reply. I too have been on many antidepressants but feel like i wont be able to cope with life if im not on medicine....sigh. I dont want to be on meds the rest of my life but im too afraid of what can happen if im not. And being outside in the sun helps me as well. Just having the sun shine on my face and filling my lungs with the air is nice. I have a habit of drink as well...how did you stop?0 -
Depression can be a pain in the butt. I have bipolar so I understand the depression portion taking over and not feeling motivated for anything. I am an emotional eater as well but have never went through having an eating disorder. So I can't say I understand or know how you feel. But personally, for me to stay motivated, I think of how exercise makes me feel. I look at it as I'm making the strong parts of me stronger and the weak parts strong. I've only been back to exercising for a few days but its like a light bulb went off and I want to keep it up. As for handling pitfalls, I take them as they are. I realize that maybe my depression is kicking in but that doesn't mean that my life is over (though I used to think that way at times ha) or that I'm a terrible person or a failure. I hope some of that helps! There's some amazing people on here that will help as much as they can. If you ever need to talk, I'll listen! I wish you the best of luck in your journey ^-^0
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ScaredCurly92 wrote: »Hi there. Sorry to hear you're struggling. I have severe depression and anxiety as well. For a few years, I was in and out of hospitals because of suicidal thoughts, and even one serious attempt to take my own life. I've been in therapy for awhile and was on high doses of antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds. I'm doing better now though, mainly because I'm learning how to articulate my feelings better and deal with negative emotions in a healthy way. I am now off all the medication, and that has helped immensely with my getting my energy back and being able to stay out of bed during the day.
I definitely recommend also getting looked over by your primary care doctor if you haven't gone recently. Make sure you're in good physical health and that nothing else is impacting your energy levels. I found out I have a Vitamin D deficiency and that my iron is often low due to my anemia. Dealing with these issues, primarily through diet but also through supplements, has done wonders for getting rid of that zombie feeling that a lot of depressed people get.
Also, it sounds selfish, but you have to be willing to take care of yourself as well as the people around you. If you're not okay, you have nothing to give to the people around you who need you. You have to be healthy to ensure the health and happiness of the people around you. So you're not being selfish by taking care of you, you're actually doing the kindest, most giving thing you can do. Take things one day at at time, and definitely address all of this with your therapist/psychiatrist so you can come up with a game plan. If you're not already, get help for the eating disorder as well as the depression, and don't be afraid to discuss it with others. That will help hold you accountable and allow you to let people in who might be able to offer help or support.
Sorry this post got long, tried to get out everything I could think of that might be helpful. To sum up, focus on your mental health and on taking care of yourself. The weight will handle itself along the way. And I'm going to add you now so you have one new cheerleader.
Thanks so much for sharing. I have a primary dr, a psychiatrist and i was seeing a counselor. I really dont like going to them because all i seem to do is complain about things i have no control over and cry... I also have been hospitalized and commited for attempts on my life. I still struggle with keeping those thoughts at bay. Then i get mad with myself thinking well i really must be crazy because a normal person would not think or feel this way. Its strange but i take care of ppl as a living and would never say, think or treat them as how i treat myself. I do for others before doing for myself. I give it all away and have nothing for myself. Then once i slow down and am by myself i eat and eat. Then feel guilty about it....its a never ending cycle.
I have anemia as well and take vit d n b supplements. How did you get off your medicine? Thats really what i want to do but im afraid. I pay for a gym membership but dont go...im intimidated by all the ppl who look like they know what they are doing. but seriously i need motivation to get back in there. You can message me with your response if you would like. Thanks! 0 -
booknerd137 wrote: »Depression can be a pain in the butt. I have bipolar so I understand the depression portion taking over and not feeling motivated for anything. I am an emotional eater as well but have never went through having an eating disorder. So I can't say I understand or know how you feel. But personally, for me to stay motivated, I think of how exercise makes me feel. I look at it as I'm making the strong parts of me stronger and the weak parts strong. I've only been back to exercising for a few days but its like a light bulb went off and I want to keep it up. As for handling pitfalls, I take them as they are. I realize that maybe my depression is kicking in but that doesn't mean that my life is over (though I used to think that way at times ha) or that I'm a terrible person or a failure. I hope some of that helps! There's some amazing people on here that will help as much as they can. If you ever need to talk, I'll listen! I wish you the best of luck in your journey ^-^
So i wrote this whole long message and accidentally flipped my phone and lost everything lol. Anyways. Thanks for your reply. Im glad you are feeling excited about working out and getting healthier. And yes the after effects of working out is great its just getting that point where u get off ur butt to workout is my problem. I feel tired all the time and would rather sleep or eat. I have some deep self esteem issues so i always feel like im not good enough, a failure, etc. I feel as if i have lost my true happy self and am desperate to feel happy and excited about life again. But not too excited cause that would be weird
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I suffered a year of reactive depression following the death of my parents. During that time I had really disordered eating and no motivation to do anything. At some stage I realised I gained almost 50lb in 2 years but I also realised I needed to sort out my head before trying to lose weight and heading back to the gym, because I would have only used diet & exercise as yet another stick to beat myself with. I invested in therapy and saw a psychotherapist for open ended weekly therapy and it made an enormous difference. Yes of course you moan and cry, but that's part of the process. Eventually my outlook and attitude changed and I now have a perfectly normal (as far as anything is ever normal) relationship with food and exercise. But I knew I needed to really properly prioritise my mental health, before trying to sort my body out.0
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I suffered a year of reactive depression following the death of my parents. During that time I had really disordered eating and no motivation to do anything. At some stage I realised I gained almost 50lb in 2 years but I also realised I needed to sort out my head before trying to lose weight and heading back to the gym, because I would have only used diet & exercise as yet another stick to beat myself with. I invested in therapy and saw a psychotherapist for open ended weekly therapy and it made an enormous difference. Yes of course you moan and cry, but that's part of the process. Eventually my outlook and attitude changed and I now have a perfectly normal (as far as anything is ever normal) relationship with food and exercise. But I knew I needed to really properly prioritise my mental health, before trying to sort my body out.
That makes alot of sense collie fit. Thanks for sharing. I cant let this beat me...ive come a long way so far0 -
Hi,
I understand...I had a very unhealthy relationship with food. I gained >30 lbs BEFORE I got pregnant from binge drinking and eating fast food 5x a week...then I got pregnant, and ate terribly (drank milkshakes every day...), and when my son was here I realized I HAD to change for him. I am most comfortable right around 120, but I used to think I looked huge @ 120. I had to remind myself every day that health is more important than what the scale tells me. I recently lost 54 lbs, and joined a health and wellness company. The ability to help others reach their goals, and to help others create a healthy relationship with food has helped me too.
I value my health, and concentrate on how I feel and look. I eat to feed my body. I workout because It makes me feel better, but I also understand how it affects my body and wellness. I used to suffer with anxiety (diagnosed anxiety, had to take xanax and klonopin daily) and now that I've changed my lifestyle, I am off all meds.
I would love to chat with you- I have been where you are before. I think you look great, by the way!0 -
There's a lot of people on the boards that struggle with depression, me included. For me, it was descent into apathy and the fail cycle. I just stopped caring because that was easier then other things. It didn't have an effect on my eating, exactly, but it did prevent me from doing anything about. Gaining the weight wasn't due to depression, it was due to switching to a desk job and not adjusting my food intake. But losing the weight was something I tried, gave up on because I thought it had to be all or nothing, and that just contributed to the fail cycle. After getting on meds, I was able to break out of the fail cycle and actually do things again.
Everyone experiences depression different, and everyone has a solution that works best for them. Finding that solution can be hard, but you'll know it when you find it. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. You might have to go around a few curves to find it, but it is there.0 -
I suffer from depression and anxiety. I have found that the combination of the right medication plus exercise has done me a world of good. The issue is finding the motivation to exercise in the first place. I've finally gotten to the point where, most of the time, I want to exercise because I realize the benefit it has to my emotional health. I think we all have to find that "sweet spot" that works for us. As dubird said, everyone experiences it differently and you'll know when you find it. Just keep going
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Depression and anxiety right here and I do not take any meds. Honestly the best drug I've found (that I'm willing to do!) is exercise, even though it's only a temporary high. It definitely helps me.0
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