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Is eating right messing with your mood?
jlynn1991
Posts: 50 Member
I've been eating pretty healthily in the 1200-1500 range for a couple of weeks. Working out 20 minutes 5 days a week. Until this week I had stayed clear of chocolate, alcohol and ice cream. I recently bought some of the Kroger knock off version of Halo Top... super dissapointing btw! Halo Top is so much better!
But what I've noticed is that I am so moody lately! I'm doing all this great stuff for my body and health and yet I am so irritable. This has been for the entire month of August!
But what I've noticed is that I am so moody lately! I'm doing all this great stuff for my body and health and yet I am so irritable. This has been for the entire month of August!
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Replies
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Oh yes! I never got moody but I cried a lot. At random *kitten*.2
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Ha, its driving me crazy!1
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By the way I'll mention...this didn't come from eating healthy exactly, but losing weight did it.1
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Thats strange. Youd think once the weight was off youd be ecstatic? Or were these happy tears?!1
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A healthy diet has room for moderate amounts of anything you like. Maybe you're moody because you're denying yourself pleasure from food.14
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Make room in your calories for indulgence - do an extra workout, walk to the shops, whatever it takes. Or just buy one of those "Will run for wine" t-shirts
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Well exercise makes me feel giddy while eating low number of calories makes me cranky so it's kind of a 50/50 split for me. I just started going to bed early, didn't want to hang out with my stupid friends and their delicious food anyways.5
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To be fair, eating to lose weight and what your body thinks of as "eating right" are slightly different things. You may need to lose weight, but your body is stubborn and would like to hold on to it. It thinks it's being starved, so naturally it fights back.
It's also difficult to get necessary nutrients at 1200 calories. Not impossible, by any means, but you do have to pay attention or you will be depriving yourself. Make sure you're getting enough iron and protein.6 -
Overall exercise puts me in a better mood but from the time I finish my workout and drive home from the gym, I'm a total witch. I don't know why!!!!! My daughter and husband are usually with me and they know not to talk to me until we get home. After those 20 minutes I'm in a great mood!!! WEIRDEST THING EVER1
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jdbulger1018 wrote: »Overall exercise puts me in a better mood but from the time I finish my workout and drive home from the gym, I'm a total witch. I don't know why!!!!! My daughter and husband are usually with me and they know not to talk to me until we get home. After those 20 minutes I'm in a great mood!!! WEIRDEST THING EVER
Irritability is a classic symptom of low blood sugar - your liver acts to bring it back up but may not be able to keep up with your workout. Try eating or drinking something with about 15g quick acting carbs immediately after you finish and see if the problem continues.6 -
rheddmobile wrote: »jdbulger1018 wrote: »Overall exercise puts me in a better mood but from the time I finish my workout and drive home from the gym, I'm a total witch. I don't know why!!!!! My daughter and husband are usually with me and they know not to talk to me until we get home. After those 20 minutes I'm in a great mood!!! WEIRDEST THING EVER
Irritability is a classic symptom of low blood sugar - your liver acts to bring it back up but may not be able to keep up with your workout. Try eating or drinking something with about 15g quick acting carbs immediately after you finish and see if the problem continues.
I will try that! Thank you1 -
To the OP, I'd suspect moodiness is more related to calories being too low for your activity level or (in some people) carbs being too low for you, not eating well. I suppose it could also be related to feeling deprived and might think about whether your idea of doing good things for your body is too restrictive.2
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What @lemurcat12 said. It might be a physical issue, and playing with what food you eat would help that. Or it might be a mental thing. I know I was pretty grumpy a couple of months in, but it seems to have gotten better (maybe I should ask my wife if it has).4
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It might be psychological, but I feel more vulnerable as the weight is coming off. If I engaged in eating to bury my emotions, they seem to be coming un-buried as the weight comes off.2
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Oh, my goodness. I so remember this from when I first started with a 1200 calorie base--a lovely combination of hangriness, food-panic, and despair. I felt like I had an inner bedraggled cur snarling over a bone, or Golem with his Precious.
The thing that really helped was increasing my exercise level so I could eat more--you get the endorphins, plus you can afford the occasional (or daily!) treat. Once I figured out the right mix of healthy foods and exercise for me, it changed. Over the past 2 years (over a year in maintenance) I have been very positive, even-keeled, and energetic. And I recognize the times when I need to eat a Snickers, and I just eat the dang Snickers--and make my family go on a walk with me instead of being hangry and lashing out at them.
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Yeah, you sound hangry. Eat more or at least eat more chocolate.3
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That is all good advice! Thank you! I think I was in a better mood when I made room for dark chocolate in my diet every day. Maybe I'll go back to that.4
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Yep, I've never felt better. I don't have tabboo foods (except for dairy - have an actual allergy to casien), I just eat a lot of healthy foods and have unhealthy foods in moderation. For me, the combination of healthy eating and exercize is a mood booster.1
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When I tried low carb, I got super *kitten*y.
As I lost weight, my hormones kinda freaked out and PMS was worse for a while until my body re-regulated.
Lifting heavy weight usually puts me in a great mood.
That's what I've noticed, so far.
I leave about 300 calories every night for chocolate, ice cream or candy. I can't cut them completely out of my diet or I'll freak out and binge on them eventually.4 -
Have you been hitting all of your micronutrient goals? It can be hard while trying to eat less. Studies have shown a link between micronutrients and mood stability, among other things. Even when cutting calories, it's important to make sure you're getting enough of all of your micros! Most westerners don't get enough omega 3 and a deficiency in that has been directly linked to mood disorders.
On the other side of things, you may be seeing the effects of withdrawing from an emotional addiction. A lot of people turn to junk food to feel good so when you take it away, they struggle emotionally. Keep that in mind!1 -
Sounds like hangry syndrome4
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That did not happen to me, but since my diet was already filled with mostly healthy foods I didn't make many changes except in amount. And even the amounts weren't much of a change.1
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I do hit my macros most days as I plan my meals ahead of time using the app. I think the emotional part of eating "junk" and taking that away was the problem.1
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I eat healthy whether I'm cutting weight or maintaining...but I hate cutting calories, so yeah...that makes me a little moody.
While I do eat healthy, I also allow for indulgences...it's not all or nothing.2 -
I can relate.
Since cutting my calories I have turned into an emotional wreck!
I have a hard time with moderating sugar - so I'm going down the low carb route.
It's hard but easier than feeling really hangry all the time.2 -
I agree with what someone said above -- when I go days with strict carb limits, I get cranky. Amazing how pretzels can turn it all around!2
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Not taking in enough fat can cause clinical depression. The brain needs fat to function properly.
Plenty of medical studies linking low fat diet to mental health issues including depression.2 -
My mood is actually better! But, I have only been doing this for around a fortnight. Ask me again in a few weeks!
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So, you are in the 1,200 - 1,500 caloric intake range? Might we ask what your stats are? Meaning, height and weight? Totally cool if you do not want to share that information.
It is possible that you are physically not consuming enough calories or it is possible that you are having a psychological reaction to 'you can't have this any more'. Or, both!
Since you are somewhat new to that caloric intake range (you stated that you were doing this for two weeks) what - if we may ask - were you doing before that?
If we might ask, what are your macros at this new caloric intake range? What were they before?
What are your current goals? And, what is your nutritional history (read: how often have you 'dieted' before)?1
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