Feeling healthy

I don't always feel any different when I lose weight. Maybe my knee doesn't flare up as often and I can do more things I want to do...but mentally? Ehh.

But I was also struggling with chronic depression and undiagnosed adult ADHD plus a vitamin deficiency.

Fixing my Vitamin D deficiency and taking a magnesium supplement (with my doctor's knowledge) helped some. I felt lighter.

• Getting meds for my ADHD helped me the most. Anti-depressants didn't do anything for me.
• So it may be you need a decent multi-vitamin or D3. Check your vitamin panel.
• It may be that you have an underlying condition you aren't aware of---make sure you check your overall health and mental well-being.
• It may be that weight is a symptom and not the problem of a bigger issue. Perhaps losing weight doesn't give you that lift--because it isn't fixing the underlying issue.
• Or it may be that weight loss is just not changing your life that much overall.

My weight problem was tied to multiple issues. My depression, my stress, my vitamin D deficiency, my ADHD, bad choices, and other things I can't talk about here. Often you have to address issues holistically. Weight gain is often a multi-pronged issue. It is as much mental as physical.

Perhaps try to get that lighter mental feeling by adding a new activity that you love, joining a group you are interested in, finding a new hobby, adding a multivitamin, trying therapy, or trying to understand what is between you and that 'feeling'. It doesn't seem to be a weight only issue.

I hope you find it. It took me three tries and I'm finally almost there mentally.



L

This is a tricky question. Here’s what happened to me. Before I lost weight I felt completely lethargic. I had sleep problems, was irritable (for me), had more anxiety, generally felt more negative and pessimistic, had daily ongoing headaches, memory and focus issues, I’m sure I’m leaving things out but you get the idea.

After I lost the weight I didn’t feel… those things anymore. So, thats fantastic, but not in the emotional way those people you describe are portraying. At least not for me. I think whoever we are before we lose the weight is who we are after, with less ailments. You do have some exciting moments though, like when you can fit something you have in your closet again, but those feelings can be fleeting.

It was more than worth it to me. It’s one thing off my plate I no longer have to struggle with and it frees me up to focus on things that do make me feel fantastic like getting more activity, volunteering more, and participating better in my family.

People aren't lying. But I wonder how much of this is about:

1. Starting point
2. Expectations

When overweight, if a person is already experiencing weight-related challenges or health complications, reaching a healthy weight may have more positive effects. For example, I still have osteoarthritis - probably worse OA than when I was obese - but it hurts much less often and much less severely. That's a pretty big deal, for me.

People can end up dropping meds that are no longer needed (losing side effects and maybe saving money), being able to do fun activities they couldn't previously do, etc. That can feel pretty big physically and emotionally.

For some people, just the acts of losing weight or getting fit can feel empowering, which may be meaningful emotionally in their lives.

If you've been overweight, but the consequences haven't hit yet, you may be avoiding future problems (unknowable), but may not be seeing a big payoff in how you feel now. For me, if I'd been smarter, younger, maybe I wouldn't have had the advanced-stage cancer of a sort that's more common among obese women.

When you describe what you're hoping to experience, I'm feeling like you're anticipating something dramatic, revolutionary. I'm not sure that's realistic, at least not universally.

Personally, I got quite active after cancer treatment, even though I stayed overweight/obese. It was a matter of gradual progress to go from very unfit to pretty unfit, though. I did feel better, much better, but that was also gradual. I didn't much feel it day to day or even month to month, but it was noticeable if I thought back to what I could do and how I felt at the beginning vs. a few years in when I'd become more fit.

It was another dozen years, still staying active, before I lost weight down to a healthy range. That took the better part of a year. Again, big quality of life benefits, but they arrived quite gradually and subtly, not just during loss but also in the early months of maintenance once my body reaped more of the benefits of carrying around 50-some fewer pounds every minute of every day. I didn't notice a day to day difference while losing, or even a sudden one at any point. I had to compare start to end (plus some) to really recognize the differences.

None of it was instantly revolutionarily wonderful. But better, even amazing, cumulatively? Absolutely.

So, recap: How many bad consequences you'd had from overweight/unfitness will color how much improvement you feel. And improvements are rarely an instant revolution, more a matter of noticing and being grateful for what happened gradually over a long period of time.

Just my opinions, though.

disneymum84 wrote: »

Hi I’m 39 years old. I have 283 days until I’m 40. I know how to eat healthy and workout. I have lost weight many times over the years. What I have never felt is amazing or exceptionally healthy. You see people on tv talk about after weightloss or new workout routine how fantastic they feel. I want that.

I don’t feel bad now I just feel normal. Like meh

Does this I feel fantastic exist ? Or are people lying ?

Someone give me tips please. I want to start my journey to 40 with that amazing feeling

Thank you

You can be in physically fit shape and NOT feel fantastic. Because your physical shape is basically a reaction to stimuli, you could basically zombie your way through workouts day to day, eat right day to day.........................but it's your mind and emotional feeling that contributes more to how you actually feel.
Any hardships in your life? Relationship issues? Feeling overwhelmed at work or unappreciated? Feel as if you're not getting any breaks in your day while working hard?
I deal with clients all the time that have to deal with baggage beyond their physical being. And many times they love to just come to work out and vent to me. Which is fine because if they need that outlet, then it's something I'm happy to oblige them. I work not only to physically get them in shape, but to also let them see where they may be in their life so they can make adjustments to be happier overall.



A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition