Question For Big Weight Losers About Mental Health

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ai965
ai965 Posts: 118
in Motivation and Support
Just a quick question for people who have lost a lot of weight already: If you had any mental health problems before you lost weight, did you notice any improvement after you lost weight? I'm not asking for any specific details, just a quick yes or no if you like (or you can post as much info as you like). I've just been reflecting on how I have been on a mental health roller coaster for half my life with anything from S.A.D. to S.I. (more so when I started to gain weight) and wanted to know if there are any mental health benefits to weight loss (for extra motivation if I need it.) If not, that's fine. I'm managing alright, just curiosity simply has the better of me tonight.

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  • CassieLEO
    CassieLEO Posts: 757 Member
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    I had some depression issues. I have definately felt much better since losing the weight. I still have my times when I feel like my life sucks for whatever reason, but its not as bad at all. I have a ton more self confidence now too, which makes it even better because im not down on myself too much.
  • clarech
    clarech Posts: 157 Member
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    Yes its made a big difference
  • oBirdieo
    oBirdieo Posts: 148
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    I've noticed (and my husband has commented) that I'm much more stable since starting MFP. I'm not as moody or irrational or just plain *****y. :smile: I think that's more to do with eating more nutritious food than the weight loss, though.
  • Loopyleanne
    Loopyleanne Posts: 20
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    hi

    I have a diagnoses of bi polar, although i mainly get the depression side of this, and i also suffer with anxiety. I have not lost loads already, in relation to how much i have to loose but have lost a fair amount.

    loosing the weight has and is helping enormously. from the very first week of loosing it helped me as I felt good about the weight loss with both a great sense of achievement and also some validation that I am capable of striving to meet my goals. with the way my health has been i wasn't even sure i could achieve anything. it feels brilliant knowing i can!

    As i have lost more i start to get comments from others and that feels great too. so too does going and getting a smaller size of clothing :-). self esteem goes up a lot.

    More than the feeling weight loss gives you tho, is how eating healthily affects mood. personally i have noticed a big big difference. i feel less sluggish, more 'bright eyed and bushy tailed' lol.

    one thing i will say though is i had to be very careful of trying any 'diet' that was going to be very low in calories. firstly the pressure would have been too much for me to follow something too restrictive, and my p doc tells me that if i follow a plan where my brain doesn't get enough nutrients, including fat, carbs and protien, my mood is likely to take a nose dive. balance is the key.

    in short YES it helps a lot. BUT not just from loosing lots of weight. right from the first few weeks i noticed a difference. the difference was emotional, psychological, and physical.

    go for it!! please also add me as a friend on here if you wish :-)

    take care

    Leanne
  • beccarockslife
    beccarockslife Posts: 816 Member
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    I dealt with my mental health problems mostly before I started to lose weight but I have seen it continue to improve. Don't kid yourself that you are unhappy because you're fat when it's more likely you got fat because you are unhappy was the big revelation for me. It was the turning point to address things properly.

    I find exercise is the key for my mood, I'm happier afterwards and I feel great all day.
  • ai965
    ai965 Posts: 118
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    Thanks everyone for all the inspiring posts about mental health improvement! I feel so amazing now that I have even more to look forward to on my weight loss journey!
  • helloiloveukitty
    helloiloveukitty Posts: 448 Member
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    yes, huge difference. Depression and anxiety are totally gone. I also was in therapy before and during the first 6 or so months of losing weight.
  • DavidH85
    DavidH85 Posts: 19
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    I doubt it has anything to do with the weight itself, just your personal state. When you first started losing your weight, you had to make a mental change in yourself, otherwise, what caused you to gain it in the first place? For someone like me, it's mostly bad genetics, and years ago when I lost weight the first time compared to before I lost it, and after when I gained it back, my mental state was the same. You see yourself how you see yourself, and many of you prefer a thinner, healthier self, which when you see those results, it reflects in your mood.
    Think of it this way, if you just won the lotto jackpot and got every cent of it right away, you would probably not feel depressed even the slightest, until all sorts of "friends" and "relatives" came out from all sorts of places to ask to "borrow" some of it or make extra nice with you over it.
  • elksy
    elksy Posts: 45
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    I've never been overweight, so I can't really comment on the losing weight part... but as someone who suffers from bipolar disorder, I've found that keeping active and eating healthy has improved my moods dramatically. :)

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