Tips/Support from Anyone Dealing with Anxiety/Depression and Influence of Food?
Makingchanges17
Posts: 124 Member
Hello, just wanting to see if there are people out there battling anxiety or even depression and noticing the effects/influence it has on food choices. Some days it makes me want to consume sugar like crazy and other days I can't even stand the sight of food.
Looking for support and to help others as well! It's nice not being alone in the mental battle!
Looking for support and to help others as well! It's nice not being alone in the mental battle!
9
Replies
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This is so very much me. I am lucky in that depression affects my food choices more than anxiety. I say lucky because right now it is my anxiety that is running my life. On the plus side, learning to adapt my diet for long-term sustainable habits that help me lose weight now and hopefully maintain later, are also beneficial for me learning to maintain my depression and anxiety. I am learning to be kinder to myself and forgiving when things don't go as planned. Far far far from perfect, but it is a work in progress. In the meantime I have also learned to accept that sometimes the depression and/or anxiety get the best of me and make me want to eat my feelings. And as long that is only once in a while and I do it knowingly rather than unknowingly, I am ok with that because I now know how to get myself back on track again afterward.5
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This is so very much me. I am lucky in that depression affects my food choices more than anxiety. I say lucky because right now it is my anxiety that is running my life. On the plus side, learning to adapt my diet for long-term sustainable habits that help me lose weight now and hopefully maintain later, are also beneficial for me learning to maintain my depression and anxiety. I am learning to be kinder to myself and forgiving when things don't go as planned. Far far far from perfect, but it is a work in progress. In the meantime I have also learned to accept that sometimes the depression and/or anxiety get the best of me and make me want to eat my feelings. And as long that is only once in a while and I do it knowingly rather than unknowingly, I am ok with that because I now know how to get myself back on track again afterward.
That is really awesome that the strategies you have learned have carried over to help with your depression and anxiety! I totally get the whole work in progress thing! That is honestly really insightful and helpful to hear. My anxiety is horrible as of lately and I'm sorry that you are dealing with it all as well! I'm here for support!4 -
I have anxiety and depression. I found that within 2 weeks of starting MFP, the symptoms had lessened.
If it helps, I eat pescatarian, which is plant based with seafood, eggs and some dairy.2 -
Yes. To all of this. When I'm depressed I just want the greasiest fast food I can find. Because there's nothing worse when the world is grey than cooking my own food. It just looks grey and unappetizing as heck. Some days you just can't face chicken and potatoes.
When I'm anxious, greasy/high salt food is all I can keep down. If it's not a very strong flavor with little texture, I gag like crazy.
So. Yeah. What helps is my anxiety medication and that little surge of happiness when the scale drops a little more. Lots of things taste better than skinny feels (god, I hate that vapid saying), but food can't give me happiness.
Also if I need to keep something down, popcorn is a better choice than KFC. Lol.7 -
I have anxiety and depression. I found that within 2 weeks of starting MFP, the symptoms had lessened.
If it helps, I eat pescatarian, which is plant based with seafood, eggs and some dairy.
I appreciate your response! I definitely have been working on incorporating more plant-based foods and trying to lessen carbohydrates. I tend to have meat only at dinner, but I do need to include more fish in my diet and/or at least take my fish oil supplements. I've been working on bettering my gut health in hopes it'll help ease my anxiety and depression. Thank you again, so much!1 -
Yes. To all of this. When I'm depressed I just want the greasiest fast food I can find. Because there's nothing worse when the world is grey than cooking my own food. It just looks grey and unappetizing as heck. Some days you just can't face chicken and potatoes.
When I'm anxious, greasy/high salt food is all I can keep down. If it's not a very strong flavor with little texture, I gag like crazy.
So. Yeah. What helps is my anxiety medication and that little surge of happiness when the scale drops a little more. Lots of things taste better than skinny feels (god, I hate that vapid saying), but food can't give me happiness.
Also if I need to keep something down, popcorn is a better choice than KFC. Lol.
I completely agree, I cannot seem to make any food if I'm depressed and I tend to make poorer choices. I can never seem to eat much when I have high anxiety, I just get too nauseous or I begin to even worry about the food choices lol.
I love popcorn! That's always a good choice! I'm here for you when you need support. Thank you so much for sharing that. I'm sorry you have to deal with it, yet it is also nice to know I'm not alone!1 -
I am right there with you. I have exreme highs and lows. Some days I think I may vomit just making myself eat. Other days I want all comfort food all day. I try to fast for 10-12 hours at a time and get plenty of cardio in. I’m here if you ever need anything.1
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I have depression and anxiety. Right now my depression is kind of overtaking my life. I want salty and sweet food. Constantly. I put on 70
Pounds eating my emotions and now I fighting to lose it. I recently joined a gym and that’s been helping. Also whenever I get a craving I drink water. When my anxiety is bad, I can’t eat. It’s a terrible cycle.2 -
With depression I can’t get myself to get out and go to the gym. What helps you get to the gym?1
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Overeating, unless it’s a social event, is always emotional for me. I have very high anxiety and will eat to procrastinate or distract myself. Almost compulsively sometimes. I am working to control this & develop healthier outlets like exercise and journaling.
When I’m truly depressed junk food was a comfort and a punishment- I felt like trash so I ate that way too. I would envision myself becoming so fat I couldn’t walk and dying early. Luckily those kinds of binges haven’t happened in a long time now. Maybe over a year. I still get an “I’m sad I don’t care I want food” numb/sad feeling, but I just eat extra toast or pasta rather than ice cream chips and candy until I feel sick. Progress? Lol.1 -
ManufacturingMyMojo wrote: »I am right there with you. I have exreme highs and lows. Some days I think I may vomit just making myself eat. Other days I want all comfort food all day. I try to fast for 10-12 hours at a time and get plenty of cardio in. I’m here if you ever need anything.
Aww thank you, and I'm here if you need anything as well! Those extreme highs and lows definitely take a toll. I've been working at 16 hour intermittent fasting and I feel like it has helped with those extreme cravings on days where I just want to have sugar to cope. It sounds like you know what works for you and that is SO awesome! Each day is a step. Thank you for reaching out and responding! 1 -
I have depression and anxiety. Right now my depression is kind of overtaking my life. I want salty and sweet food. Constantly. I put on 70
Pounds eating my emotions and now I fighting to lose it. I recently joined a gym and that’s been helping. Also whenever I get a craving I drink water. When my anxiety is bad, I can’t eat. It’s a terrible cycle.
I'm so sorry! Depression and anxiety are no fun at all! I hope that the gym keeps helping and hopefully can counteract some of the depression! I'm dealing with that fun anxiety piece right now - I am just too anxious to have very much and nausea takes over. It is definitely not a good cycle, and I'm here for you if you need anything!!0 -
gloriahellsund wrote: »With depression I can’t get myself to get out and go to the gym. What helps you get to the gym?
I get that same way as well! I really try to remind myself that it could possibly help uplift my mood and also exert depressive energy. However, it does get extremely hard to motivate myself and even move because I am just so tired. Some days I just self-care but I really try to push myself and remind myself that energy creates energy and see the workout almost as a therapeutic session.1 -
Overeating, unless it’s a social event, is always emotional for me. I have very high anxiety and will eat to procrastinate or distract myself. Almost compulsively sometimes. I am working to control this & develop healthier outlets like exercise and journaling.
When I’m truly depressed junk food was a comfort and a punishment- I felt like trash so I ate that way too. I would envision myself becoming so fat I couldn’t walk and dying early. Luckily those kinds of binges haven’t happened in a long time now. Maybe over a year. I still get an “I’m sad I don’t care I want food” numb/sad feeling, but I just eat extra toast or pasta rather than ice cream chips and candy until I feel sick. Progress? Lol.
I'm sorry, depression can be so horrible and debilitating! It's good that you are working at developing healthier outlets though! Journaling and exercising are both amazing outlets! You have definitely made progress!! It takes time and baby steps and sometimes just riding the wave until the worst passes. You've got this! I'm here if you need anything at all! 0 -
Depression and especially heightened anxiety always gets my cravings going! I'm on a medication that makes me hungry and that doesn't help either. I've been eating between time windows to help with this. I might end up looking at the clock a lot on bad days, but can usually hold out if I eat 3 meals and a snack with lots of protein, berries, and vegetables. My hardest thing is when I'm not home and at a party with a lot of food, especially when I don't know anyone. The one time I don't feel hungry or as much anxiety is when I'm working out and right after so I try to do cardio every day and lift weights every other. Getting enough sleep helps too. Feel free to reach out!3
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Depression and especially heightened anxiety always gets my cravings going! I'm on a medication that makes me hungry and that doesn't help either. I've been eating between time windows to help with this. I might end up looking at the clock a lot on bad days, but can usually hold out if I eat 3 meals and a snack with lots of protein, berries, and vegetables. My hardest thing is when I'm not home and at a party with a lot of food, especially when I don't know anyone. The one time I don't feel hungry or as much anxiety is when I'm working out and right after so I try to do cardio every day and lift weights every other. Getting enough sleep helps too. Feel free to reach out!
That's awesome that you have been able to figure out what works for you and helps you! I eat between time windows as well and there are definitely days where I am counting down the clock as well lol. It sounds like you are on a great track - thank you so much for opening up and sharing that! It's super helpful to see what works and it gives me ideas to try! I appreciate it a ton. Thank you so much! You can reach out to me any time as well! 1 -
Hello this is a novel and I don't know if any of it is helpful, but the teal deer of it is that you're definitely not alone.
I have anxiety and ADHD, and one of the things I struggle with intensely is the fact that when untreated, my brain desperately seeks out that dopamine hit in the form of food (and spending money, but that's not relevant here). There's some really interesting research about untreated ADHD in adults and the compulsive consumption of sugars and carbohydrates. So when my untreated brain is ready for a food, it's all in for that food. It circles the idea like a shark in water. Meanwhile, I also tend to try to soothe my anxiety with food. I am a very food-motivated and food-focused person.
Therapy and medication have been big for me -- medication helps my brain feel more even and helps me sort of leave food out of my head for a while. (It was wild to me how very much different being hungry felt, emotionally, when I started taking ADHD medication.) Meditation sometimes helps, but I've never been good at meditation.
Before I was medicated (when I lost the bulk of my weight), I stumbled into running, which I found personally very helpful with my errant brain chemistry. I journaled a lot of my feelings on food, and did a lot fo sort of recenter my relationship with eating and with food, and to think about what hunger and eating was when it was a feeling rather than a need.
Basically, I did a lot of introspecting and running, lol. I gained a little bit of weight again when my schedule got very busy a few years ago, and then about half of what I lost while I was pregnant because my brain chemistry was out of control -- pregnancy does not agree with my mental health, and bad mental health meant a lot more eating and not exercising for me. So now I'm done with school, far out of pregnancy, and though medicated, still trying to figure out how to balance my mental health, my life, my eating, and my goals.2 -
I struggle with depression and self esteem and often turn to the fridge/pantry for medication. Being regularly active helps. I'm sure there's a brain/chemical part to it, but I also think that being engaged with my life, rather than passive, helps. I'm fairly certain it's a control thing for me... but I'm still working through some of that.
I'm not an alcoholic... but I've heard people say that once and alcoholic is dry, they can't/shouldn't drink as the alcoholism is always there. I think depression is similar... even when I'm clear of it, it's still there, waiting for me... waiting to grab ahold and drag me back under. As such, it's an ongoing battle for me with good stretches and not so good stretches.5 -
Hello this is a novel and I don't know if any of it is helpful, but the teal deer of it is that you're definitely not alone.
I have anxiety and ADHD, and one of the things I struggle with intensely is the fact that when untreated, my brain desperately seeks out that dopamine hit in the form of food (and spending money, but that's not relevant here). There's some really interesting research about untreated ADHD in adults and the compulsive consumption of sugars and carbohydrates. So when my untreated brain is ready for a food, it's all in for that food. It circles the idea like a shark in water. Meanwhile, I also tend to try to soothe my anxiety with food. I am a very food-motivated and food-focused person.
Therapy and medication have been big for me -- medication helps my brain feel more even and helps me sort of leave food out of my head for a while. (It was wild to me how very much different being hungry felt, emotionally, when I started taking ADHD medication.) Meditation sometimes helps, but I've never been good at meditation.
Before I was medicated (when I lost the bulk of my weight), I stumbled into running, which I found personally very helpful with my errant brain chemistry. I journaled a lot of my feelings on food, and did a lot fo sort of recenter my relationship with eating and with food, and to think about what hunger and eating was when it was a feeling rather than a need.
Basically, I did a lot of introspecting and running, lol. I gained a little bit of weight again when my schedule got very busy a few years ago, and then about half of what I lost while I was pregnant because my brain chemistry was out of control -- pregnancy does not agree with my mental health, and bad mental health meant a lot more eating and not exercising for me. So now I'm done with school, far out of pregnancy, and though medicated, still trying to figure out how to balance my mental health, my life, my eating, and my goals.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me! It's definitely nice knowing I'm not alone! That definitely sounds like it has been tricky and it is really awesome that you have been finding what works well for you! Pregnancy was difficult for my mental health as well so I can relate in that sense too! I am in the same boat of trying to figure out how to balance it all as well! I'm here for you and can be a support for you along your journey if you like! You've got this!! 1 -
I struggle with depression and self esteem and often turn to the fridge/pantry for medication. Being regularly active helps. I'm sure there's a brain/chemical part to it, but I also think that being engaged with my life, rather than passive, helps. I'm fairly certain it's a control thing for me... but I'm still working through some of that.
I'm not an alcoholic... but I've heard people say that once and alcoholic is dry, they can't/shouldn't drink as the alcoholism is always there. I think depression is similar... even when I'm clear of it, it's still there, waiting for me... waiting to grab ahold and drag me back under. As such, it's an ongoing battle for me with good stretches and not so good stretches.
I can TOTALLY relate to you on this! Being engaged in my life and staying regularly active is a key for me as well. It is when I sit with my thoughts and ruminate and dwell on things that I begin to spiral and I think it is a control thing for me too.
I never really thought of it in the sense of alcoholism, and it completely makes sense! I go through the ups and downs as well and it's those ups that really push me to continue on. Thank you so much for opening up and also shedding light to it in a new way for me! I'm here for you as support! 0 -
I think depression is similar... even when I'm clear of it, it's still there, waiting for me... waiting to grab ahold and drag me back under. As such, it's an ongoing battle for me with good stretches and not so good stretches.
Wow - this is one of the most profound statements I have ever read that reaches me right where I am. For the first time in my 60 year life, I am doing really well with my depression for the last 6 months. But this statement made me realize that, yes, I too am waiting for it to grab ahold again and drag me back under. However, the lessening of my depression in the last 6 months has enabled me to lose 20 pounds and begin daily cardio exercise. Every pound lost, every day of exercise, is another victory. Will depression always be with me? Probably. But my goal, and my hope is, that my new habits will help bridge the gap when depression returns. That the habits of eating better and exercise will carry me along through darker times and help me reach the light on the other side.2 -
I think depression is similar... even when I'm clear of it, it's still there, waiting for me... waiting to grab ahold and drag me back under. As such, it's an ongoing battle for me with good stretches and not so good stretches.
Wow - this is one of the most profound statements I have ever read that reaches me right where I am. For the first time in my 60 year life, I am doing really well with my depression for the last 6 months. But this statement made me realize that, yes, I too am waiting for it to grab ahold again and drag me back under. However, the lessening of my depression in the last 6 months has enabled me to lose 20 pounds and begin daily cardio exercise. Every pound lost, every day of exercise, is another victory. Will depression always be with me? Probably. But my goal, and my hope is, that my new habits will help bridge the gap when depression returns. That the habits of eating better and exercise will carry me along through darker times and help me reach the light on the other side.
It's definitely profound! And that is awesome that you have been doing really well these past 6 months! That is so great to hear, and I do believe that the new habits will definitely bridge the gap! Having those healthy habits can honestly be a life saver during the dark times, and it does help pull us through! I'm here if you need anything and it is so wonderful to hear that things are going well for you! 1 -
I deal with depression/anxiety on a daily basis and it's always a struggle. I lose my appetite for anything healthy and turn to junk food which always leads to more junk food inevitably. It's good to know that I'm not alone in this battle and these symptoms. I do believe it is possible to overcome the connection that bad food has with mental health disorders, I just haven't been able to been able to break it yet.0
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Not specifically food related, more logging related, I guess.
But there used to be a clear connection between "dieting" and anxiety for me. I was always anxious that I was eating too much, not enough, the wrong things. Did I eat well enough to have a little dessert? Will this one cookie spoil everything? I would spend an hour trying to calm my thoughts and figure out whether I "deserved" to eat a damn cookie or not. Once I was logging consistently, a lot of that disappeared. I could see in black & white whether I had the calories or not, and know that if I didn't have the calories, I probably wasn't really hungry anyway. Not to say I didn't sometimes eat the cookie anyway, but I did it mindfully and knowing exactly what effect it might have.
I also found pre-logging "sometimes" helps with this and with mindless stress snacking. I pre log at least the foundation of each meal and snack at once, so I know what my numbers look like, and I know I have 150 cals set aside for an evening snack. Taking as much of the in-the-moment thinking out of it helps to avoid in-the-moment over-thinking! Again, it's not perfect, but every little bit helps. 1
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