Can dieting affect your mood?

If it makes you super hangry and snappish, you might be eating way too little (which you've mentioned in your post). Cutting calories by too much will definitely leave you in a less-than-awesome mood.

Sure it affects my mood on occcasion. When I decided to go on this journey I recognized this issue from previous times and also seeing it in other people. As well as wanting it to be a lifestyle change that I could maintain it was one of the reasons to go for a slow, but long weightloss journey and giving mself time in maintenance on holidays. I have a job which includes a lot of negotiation and has been damn stressfull due to staff shortages. I have responsibilities to friends and family. I want my friends to stay my friends and I want to stay married to my wonderful husband and keep my job.

For me personally, that psychological balance loosing while not going hangry, is as important as CICO. So it takes longer this way - well it took me around a lot of years going the wrong way, so it will take me a lot of time going back on the right and sustainable track. So be it.

Unequivocally yes.

Absolutely. The old conventional wisdom says eat less to lose weight. Don't listen to it. Eat balanced instead.

Sounds like you cut your calories too much....

The__Wolf wrote: »

Yes and it should because that is how we've survived as a species. Our body provides us with subtle and not-so-subtle hints about its needs (especially basic needs like food). Given that we live in a relatively abnormal time in human history (more calories available to the average person than their body can absorb), we don't appreciate the value of these cues.

Don't most of us end up here because our bodies actually DO absorb more calories than we need?

And the cues. What may be a cue to me could be a rationalization to a person with an eating disorder.

I see what your getting at. I just disagree with it. We can plan around set values and achieve results. This is observable and repeatable. The only things required are the decision to make the right choices, following through on that decision, and a dose of being honest with ourselves.

Cylphin60 wrote: »

The__Wolf wrote: »

Yes and it should because that is how we've survived as a species. Our body provides us with subtle and not-so-subtle hints about its needs (especially basic needs like food). Given that we live in a relatively abnormal time in human history (more calories available to the average person than their body can absorb), we don't appreciate the value of these cues.

Don't most of us end up here because our bodies actually DO absorb more calories than we need?

And the cues. What may be a cue to me could be a rationalization to a person with an eating disorder.

I see what your getting at. I just disagree with it. We can plan around set values and achieve results. This is observable and repeatable. The only things required are the decision to make the right choices, following through on that decision, and a dose of being honest with ourselves.

I could have been clearer - we live in a time where, for the most part, we are not battling calorie shortages as a society which means that our bodies, which evolved to survive calorie shortages, are now dealing with a very different problem - calorie abundance

HayleyGonzales wrote: »

Just realized by tracking again that I am not eating enough calories in a day. I have noticed my mood has changed around that same time of starting cutting calories.

Perhaps you occasionally depend on emotional eating to relieve anxiety and weren't able to meet that need while trying to maintain a calorie deficit? If that's the case, nearly any calorie deficit (or even maintenance) is occasionally going to be a struggle until you confront the underlying issues a different way.

Yes, yes, yes! Day one and two I normally feel great and happy because I'm on a high from being back on the wagon. Day 3 and 4 I'm cranky because I can't have things I want. Don't forget that sugar is just as addictive as some drugs so you are asking your body to go through withdrawal. When I started seeing it like that, I found it easier. I tried doing intermittent fasting and on the fast days I was a *kitten*! Hangry is a real thing. You do come out the otherside once your body is used to it.

Yep the lower calories, the meaner I get lol. I'd re-run your stats and adjust up your calories. If a .5lb loss per week means you can have more calories and have a better mood than it's worth changing. No reason to be absolutely miserable through this process!

Oh yes. I'm maintaining now but it definitely affects my mood a lot not to be able to eat what I want when I want it. Going out to eat, for example, used to be enjoyable, now it's just extremely frustrating and even upsetting at times when you realize that you can't eat 95% of what's on the menu (when it's not 99% of it) without leaving feeling deprived and/or hungry. And that you pretty much always have to pass on dessert unless you want to wipe out half your week's deficit or more. I don't deprive myself by any means but it's still very hard to fit a 1000 calorie entree and even less a 1000 calorie dessert (and most days half a portion won't be enough to satisfy me).

So yeah, I'm definitely not as happy as I used to be at times... but there are things I'm much happier about now than I used to - I don't cry over my weight anymore, I don't feel extremely self conscious in public anymore, I don't miss losing my breath all the times etc (and I certainly don't feel guilty when I indulge in public anymore either!).

As some people say - being overweight is hard. Being a normal weight/losing weight is hard. But you have to pick your hard.

I experience poor moods when my calories are too low, but a sensible deficit that includes plenty of good/healthful foods usually leaves me feeling great. I feel energized and upbeat when I'm "dieting" correctly. No idea why, since I am technically giving my body less fuel than it requires!