Tips/Support from Anyone Dealing with Anxiety/Depression and Influence of Food?

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  • Pamela_Sue
    Pamela_Sue Posts: 563 Member
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    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    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.
  • Makingchanges17
    Makingchanges17 Posts: 124 Member
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    pjshawley wrote: »
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    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! :)
  • thutchinson2210
    thutchinson2210 Posts: 33 Member
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    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.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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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. :smile:

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