Well, I'm obese again

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  • taziarj
    taziarj Posts: 243 Member
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    They say the chances of long term success are less than 5%.

    I was in the same situation as the OP. Starting out in the 320lbs range back in January 2012. By April 2013 I was down to 190lbs. I fluctuated between that and 225 through 2014. From 2014 on I slowly gained making it back up to 264 by February 2017. When I only had two shirts that still fit me, I knew I had to take action again. I didn't want to buy a whole new wardrobe. I knew I had to start tracking again and here I am now back down to 230 and still working at it.
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
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    I've really noticed a difference in bring able to take care of my weight and general health after being put on a medication to help chronic exhaustion, sleep and depression issues. In my cade it was a cpap, provigil and 500mg htp-5.
    I'm not saying you need drugs, but look into getting the physical causes of depression fixed, because those are also the same things that contribute to obesity and overeating.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
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    Good for you that you caught it before you gained more back! You've got this my friend. You did it before and you will do it again. And by the way congratulations on such a huge loss. That's amazing. This is a process and we are all learning.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    SteveMFP123 wrote: »
    Now is the time I tend to struggle, from 6pm onwards. I've just had my dinner (literally half the portion compared to last week, and it didn't feel like too little) but I won't make it to bed time without getting the urge to stuff my face with something, hopefully I can resist. I know from experience the first 1-2 weeks is really going to suck, but I'm already thinking about filling in my numbers next month (decided against weekly weigh ins).
    Cravings are annoying, and they can be strong. It feels like a life/death situation, doesn't it, and it is - because eating enough is about staying alive. Getting enough to eat has always, up until the last few decades, been extremely difficult, so we are equipped with an appetite. Not eating has to be unpleasant in order to make us seek out food, and eat, to make that discomfort go away. But the voice in your head that is telling you to eat now, is too strong, misplaced, out of synch with reality. You have eaten enough. It's telling you to eat because in nature, an abundance of food is always followed by a long period of not getting enough to eat. Being surrounded by food all the time means to the more primitive parts of the brain: Eat all the foods! You have even imposed semi-starvation (mild, but it has to be some kind of conscious restriction) on yourself earlier, when losing weight. Trying to not eat when there are mountains of delicious food right in front of you, and everybody else are eating, and you are feeling like you are starving, and feel that you shouldn't eat, is torture.

    You need to engage the other parts of your brain, the neocortex and frontal lobes, the parts that are responsible for planning, thinking long term, judgement, analyzing complex problems, delaying gratification, in short, the parts that make us human. The parts that made that mountain of food possible, are also capable of handling it:

    Trying to fight yourself will almost certainly not work, not for long anyway. What if you did this instead:
    Remove temptation. Don't bring home any junk food. Don't seek out fast food joints. Bring lunch.
    Eat regularly, eat enough, eat food you like, eat more varied, and eat more mindfully.
    Think positively about food. Learn to cook. Get to know your ingredients, where they come from, how they taste, what they can do for your health and well-being. Eat with others whenever possible.
    Make eating your choice. Decide how many meals you'll be eating, what you'll be eating, and when. Stick to your plan.
    Don't try to distract yourself or suppress cravings, practice to tolerate them.
  • Duchy82
    Duchy82 Posts: 560 Member
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    Well done for recognising the slippery slope of weight gain and stopping it in its tracks before being back to square one. You are still lighter now than you were at your heaviest.

    I would recommend getting some help for your depression it is an illness and you need some medical help whether it be counselling or tablets or both. Nothing to be ashamed of, and recognising it is a great step. My DH suffers from severe depression, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy but I made him get help and he has been so much better since.

    As for the times where you struggle with food and wanting to snack, find something to do to occupy yourself, go for a walk around the block (good for weightloss and depression), find a hobby, occupy your hands so they can't reach for food, go and do something you enjoy and that wanting to eat mindset should go, if still peckish pick up and piece or fruit or raw veg to munch on fewer calories and will take a bit of time to chew, go back to keeping busy.

    Good luck!
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,389 Member
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    @SteveMFP123 Don't beat yourself! Sometimes life just gets in the way. I've made the same experience after maintaining for over two years. Then some *kitten* happens, and more *kitten*, and more, and then I ended up testing all the different chocolates and crisps available here. I didn't gain as much as you, but it does pull you down additionally. I find that tracking food again gives my day much more structure and does help. I'm not sure I want to be back at my old lowest weight as I feel it was too low, but losing some that I've gained would be grant. Working on this now, and I do feel much better, and manage to organize at least one part of my life better now.
  • Mezzie1024
    Mezzie1024 Posts: 380 Member
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    Sounds to me like you made a major change: you were able to catch yourself before you went back up to your starting weight. Also, you've been successful losing before, so you know what to do. I think you're going to be fine. :smile:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,503 Member
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    SteveMFP123 wrote: »
    And I feel like *bleep*.

    Long story short I was 320lbs back in July 2014, by July 2016 I was 205lbs and I felt great, fast forward to today and I'm 244lbs and I feel awful. My depression has been really bad so I've been comfort eating a lot and this is the result. I've known for awhile I had gained a lot of weight, the clothes I bought when I lost all the weight no longer fit and I feel so sluggish but it wasn't until today I had the balls to actually get on the scales and see the damage and I'm just kinda walking around like a zombie right now, so disappointed with myself.

    So here I am again, I've dusted MFP off, put in my food for the week and I'm doing my grocery shopping online now, what I've noticed is my portion control has been non existent, I've just been throwing as much on my plate as I wanted, so going back to measuring and calorie counting will really help. It's quite fitting that I started my original journey in July 2014 and here I am in July 2017 restarting it.

    I've made myself this desktop wallpaper for my computer as a reminder: http://i.imgur.com/wVmCjz7.png
    First and foremost...............are you addressing your depression professionally?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • MrsLannister
    MrsLannister Posts: 347 Member
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    SAMe and a good B complex has done more for my depression that any prescription or therapy ever did. Started it last month and have felt great since.
  • SteveMFP123
    SteveMFP123 Posts: 298 Member
    edited July 2017
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    "ninerbuff wrote:
    First and foremost...............are you addressing your depression professionally?

    No I'm not, I've thought about seeing the doctor many times but I just never do, I don't really know why. I have what you'd call "situational" depression as opposed to "clinical" depression. There are problems with my life that cause me to be depressed, all of which are fixable, some more easily than others but after so many years I can't even see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore. Losing weight was the only positive thing I've done with my life and I managed to almost undo that. I really should see someone though, I know that, but I've never been good at making the correct choices for myself which is why I'm in such a state now. Being back on the diet has given me something positive to focus on though at least, 4 days back on the horse and I haven't cheated yet.

  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    Congrats on 4 healthy days! Stay with us.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,676 Member
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    SteveMFP123 wrote: »
    Now is the time I tend to struggle, from 6pm onwards. I've just had my dinner (literally half the portion compared to last week, and it didn't feel like too little) but I won't make it to bed time without getting the urge to stuff my face with something, hopefully I can resist. I know from experience the first 1-2 weeks is really going to suck, but I'm already thinking about filling in my numbers next month (decided against weekly weigh ins).

    Don't just sit around, do something. Go for a walk after dinner. Meet a friend for a cup of coffee. Find a dog that needs some exercise. Go to the gym. Find a class or a group that does things in the evening.
  • RosieRose7673
    RosieRose7673 Posts: 438 Member
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    SteveMFP123 wrote: »
    "ninerbuff wrote:
    First and foremost...............are you addressing your depression professionally?

    No I'm not, I've thought about seeing the doctor many times but I just never do, I don't really know why. I have what you'd call "situational" depression as opposed to "clinical" depression. There are problems with my life that cause me to be depressed, all of which are fixable, some more easily than others but after so many years I can't even see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore. Losing weight was the only positive thing I've done with my life and I managed to almost undo that. I really should see someone though, I know that, but I've never been good at making the correct choices for myself which is why I'm in such a state now. Being back on the diet has given me something positive to focus on though at least, 4 days back on the horse and I haven't cheated yet.

    A psychiatris and therapist can help with your situational depression as well. In fact, it's a very good idea to see them because they can help you with coping mechanisms so that you can handle tough life events in a better manner so that you don't go down this road again in the future.
  • MrsLannister
    MrsLannister Posts: 347 Member
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    RosieRose7673 wrote: »
    SteveMFP123 wrote: »
    "ninerbuff wrote:
    First and foremost...............are you addressing your depression professionally?

    No I'm not, I've thought about seeing the doctor many times but I just never do, I don't really know why. I have what you'd call "situational" depression as opposed to "clinical" depression. There are problems with my life that cause me to be depressed, all of which are fixable, some more easily than others but after so many years I can't even see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore. Losing weight was the only positive thing I've done with my life and I managed to almost undo that. I really should see someone though, I know that, but I've never been good at making the correct choices for myself which is why I'm in such a state now. Being back on the diet has given me something positive to focus on though at least, 4 days back on the horse and I haven't cheated yet.

    A psychiatris and therapist can help with your situational depression as well. In fact, it's a very good idea to see them because they can help you with coping mechanisms so that you can handle tough life events in a better manner so that you don't go down this road again in the future.

    I'd suggest skipping the psychiatrist and try a psychologist first. Psychiatrists just manage drugs doses and don't really help with resolving emotional issues. In my experience, at least.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
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    SteveMFP123 wrote: »
    No I'm not, I've thought about seeing the doctor many times but I just never do, I don't really know why. I have what you'd call "situational" depression as opposed to "clinical" depression. There are problems with my life that cause me to be depressed, all of which are fixable, some more easily than others but after so many years I can't even see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore. Losing weight was the only positive thing I've done with my life and I managed to almost undo that. I really should see someone though, I know that, but I've never been good at making the correct choices for myself which is why I'm in such a state now. Being back on the diet has given me something positive to focus on though at least, 4 days back on the horse and I haven't cheated yet.

    Like others, I'd really recommend you get that professional help. I think it's very likely to make working on your weight much easier. I'm not a professional, but it sounds to me like you're downplaying your *very real* depression by calling it situational: if you just had the willpower to fix X, Y, Z (I assume weight is part of that), then the depression will go away. But depression is not that simple. Depression saps your willpower and sucks you into a horrible cycle of apathy and hopelessness. Professionals can help break that cycle. It's hard to take that step, but I think it's absolutely worth it.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
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    MrsLannister wrote: »
    RosieRose7673 wrote: »
    SteveMFP123 wrote: »
    "ninerbuff wrote:
    First and foremost...............are you addressing your depression professionally?

    No I'm not, I've thought about seeing the doctor many times but I just never do, I don't really know why. I have what you'd call "situational" depression as opposed to "clinical" depression. There are problems with my life that cause me to be depressed, all of which are fixable, some more easily than others but after so many years I can't even see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore. Losing weight was the only positive thing I've done with my life and I managed to almost undo that. I really should see someone though, I know that, but I've never been good at making the correct choices for myself which is why I'm in such a state now. Being back on the diet has given me something positive to focus on though at least, 4 days back on the horse and I haven't cheated yet.

    A psychiatris and therapist can help with your situational depression as well. In fact, it's a very good idea to see them because they can help you with coping mechanisms so that you can handle tough life events in a better manner so that you don't go down this road again in the future.

    I'd suggest skipping the psychiatrist and try a psychologist first. Psychiatrists just manage drugs doses and don't really help with resolving emotional issues. In my experience, at least.

    This isn't true in my experience. I see a psychiatrist because I need meds to control my symptoms, but our entire visit is spent working on cognitive behavior therapy.

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