do you loose more weight when you're happy?

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humblestudent
humblestudent Posts: 47 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
i put on around 15kgs in the past 2 years partially due to medication... but as i think back i realized that the past 2 years or so has been an emotional roller coaster... and i remember not only eating without awareness and having no exercise due to depression and stress, i wondered if my body somehow went into "survival mode" and put on loads of weight to keep me "safe"? in 2009 i went through a very traumatic relationship break up and in 2010 my beloved pet got very ill and stressed out majorly. plus during these 2 years and the first half of 2011 i lived in a mere 20sqm tiny dark apartment with very very very loud neighbours and no resolution. so apart from the affects of medication, i think that perhaps these factors added to my severe weight gain... although i do not know how... what do you think? some traditions and theories say that your body and mind are linked somehow and that if you are imbalanced in either one, you will show imbalance (ie unusual weight gain or loss, or mental illness) in the other... do you agree?

has anyone noticed any weight changes when stressed and depressed compared to being happy and full of life? what are your experiences? please be as detailed as possible.

and just so you know, i moved a few weeks ago and now live in a very nice, large and bright apartment with a beautiful view and not too much noise. i have a loving boyfriend and 2 beautiful bunny rabbit kids, and have joined myfitnesspal so i hope to loose some weight! :D

thank you for your input!

Replies

  • LilMissFoodie
    LilMissFoodie Posts: 612 Member
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    I kind of agree. But for me, I feel like it is almost the opposite way around. By that I mean that arguably one of the most tumultuous times in my life was when I was at uni but because I was exercising a lot, I managed to stay 'reasonably' happy and upbeat and maintained my weight. At other times, I may have eaten for comfort and such when I was unhappy but I think part of why I felt unhappy was because I had stopped exercising at those times.

    So in a way, I feel that my exercise and weight loss affects my happiness more than my happiness affects my exercise and weight loss if that makes sense?
  • JoDeeD
    JoDeeD Posts: 391
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    I think exercise and happiness both release endorphins which helps with weight loss by boosting your metabolism. When you are unhappy your movements slow down. At least that is the way it is with me. I did nothing but gain weight and lose my temper easily when I was under the control of a horrible person. A year and a half ago I moved away from her control and happiness started coming more and more. I don't lose my temper nearly as easy now. I am happy and the weight is coming off easily. I love to exercise and my need to eat healthy food is really high. When I am stressed I tend to eat fatty foods.
  • 2Bgoddess
    2Bgoddess Posts: 1,096 Member
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    I kind of agree. But for me, I feel like it is almost the opposite way around. By that I mean that arguably one of the most tumultuous times in my life was when I was at uni but because I was exercising a lot, I managed to stay 'reasonably' happy and upbeat and maintained my weight. At other times, I may have eaten for comfort and such when I was unhappy but I think part of why I felt unhappy was because I had stopped exercising at those times.

    So in a way, I feel that my exercise and weight loss affects my happiness more than my happiness affects my exercise and weight loss if that makes sense?

    ^^^this.
  • dobarber
    dobarber Posts: 611 Member
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    I find myself wanting to eat when I'm happy or sad or even out of sheer boredom(I have a job that requires hours of sitting waiting for the phone to ring) but I do find that stress makes me want to eat especially sadness stress. I remember when my favorite cousin died of cancer. She had been in hospice care for a month and finally passed. That night right after I heard I went to a subway restaurant and got a 12 inch sub, ate it on the way home then ate supper and desert afterward. I do agree that if your mind is in a dark place then your body will tend to drift there too but its really up to you to see that tendency and force yourself to overcome it.
  • woo1324
    woo1324 Posts: 168 Member
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    for me its a bit of both if im super happy i kinda wanna eat something really fun and naughty,
    and tend to get in to the head space of well lets just have some care free fun throw in some alcohol and screw excercise and healthy food

    If im depressed sad or stressed I want to eat something heavy bad salty and carb loaded and my general feeling is well i just may as well be fat or im to overwhelmed to care about losing weight ,, emotions of any extreme are pretty much a trigger for me latley though im learing to cope, not all the way there yet but have started to find ways to calm myself down and stop myself before giving into to my emotions its just taken practice trials and patience
  • humblestudent
    humblestudent Posts: 47 Member
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    I kind of agree. But for me, I feel like it is almost the opposite way around. By that I mean that arguably one of the most tumultuous times in my life was when I was at uni but because I was exercising a lot, I managed to stay 'reasonably' happy and upbeat and maintained my weight. At other times, I may have eaten for comfort and such when I was unhappy but I think part of why I felt unhappy was because I had stopped exercising at those times.

    So in a way, I feel that my exercise and weight loss affects my happiness more than my happiness affects my exercise and weight loss if that makes sense?

    cool.. yeh totally makes sense... sometimes i think when i feel really depressed or sluggish and i force myself to go for a salsa class it makes me happier and of course its exercise so it burns calories! :D
  • Eponine7
    Eponine7 Posts: 161
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    What I have found is that when I am in a good place emotionally, I have more mental energy to focus on weight loss.

    As you know, being committed to weight loss requires enormous effort: planning meals, shopping, exercising, tracking food, staying motivated, etc. etc. When your mind is clogged up with other more pressing issues, it can be difficult to stay focused.

    So glad you're back on track!
  • humblestudent
    humblestudent Posts: 47 Member
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    I think exercise and happiness both release endorphins which helps with weight loss by boosting your metabolism. When you are unhappy your movements slow down. At least that is the way it is with me. I did nothing but gain weight and lose my temper easily when I was under the control of a horrible person. A year and a half ago I moved away from her control and happiness started coming more and more. I don't lose my temper nearly as easy now. I am happy and the weight is coming off easily. I love to exercise and my need to eat healthy food is really high. When I am stressed I tend to eat fatty foods.

    oh interesting point... i think perhaps i do the same! :o... did not think of the stress related to choice of foods! this opens up a whole new topic i think... i def go for salty fatty foods if i am sad or stressed... mostly i thought was because its convenient....
  • humblestudent
    humblestudent Posts: 47 Member
    Options
    I find myself wanting to eat when I'm happy or sad or even out of sheer boredom(I have a job that requires hours of sitting waiting for the phone to ring) but I do find that stress makes me want to eat especially sadness stress. I remember when my favorite cousin died of cancer. She had been in hospice care for a month and finally passed. That night right after I heard I went to a subway restaurant and got a 12 inch sub, ate it on the way home then ate supper and desert afterward. I do agree that if your mind is in a dark place then your body will tend to drift there too but its really up to you to see that tendency and force yourself to overcome it.

    mm well said... u know at this point of reading all the replies to this post i am starting to think of another point... because the medication i'm on is a psychotropic med which makes me more relaxed and less aggitated but more flat... i wonder if its because this flat mood that makes me less anxious about my weight that makes me eat bad foods and put on weight etc.... mmm
  • humblestudent
    humblestudent Posts: 47 Member
    Options
    for me its a bit of both if im super happy i kinda wanna eat something really fun and naughty,
    and tend to get in to the head space of well lets just have some care free fun throw in some alcohol and screw excercise and healthy food

    If im depressed sad or stressed I want to eat something heavy bad salty and carb loaded and my general feeling is well i just may as well be fat or im to overwhelmed to care about losing weight ,, emotions of any extreme are pretty much a trigger for me latley though im learing to cope, not all the way there yet but have started to find ways to calm myself down and stop myself before giving into to my emotions its just taken practice trials and patience

    ahhh this is so tru! i was just thinking how would the equation of over eating when i'm happy fit into it... that's a great way to put it... extreme ends of emotions triggers bad eating habbits!
  • humblestudent
    humblestudent Posts: 47 Member
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    What I have found is that when I am in a good place emotionally, I have more mental energy to focus on weight loss.

    As you know, being committed to weight loss requires enormous effort: planning meals, shopping, exercising, tracking food, staying motivated, etc. etc. When your mind is clogged up with other more pressing issues, it can be difficult to stay focused.

    So glad you're back on track!

    thank u! :) i think one day i just though... what the hell am i doing living in this place?? then i found a place overnight and moved in 3 days later lol and totally agree here... i def find exactly the same thing... when u neglect that awareness u simply neglect health dont u... mmm!
  • humblestudent
    humblestudent Posts: 47 Member
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    ps please add me please!! :D xoxo
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
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    has anyone noticed any weight changes when stressed and depressed compared to being happy and full of life? what are your experiences? please be as detailed as possible.
    In the summer of 2005 my then-partner of 10yrs announced that had met someone new and wanted to split up. If I am being honest, it wasn't unexpected and looking back we probably only had 3-4 happy years followed by 2-3 mediocre years together.

    When I met my Ex I was a bit chubby at 75kg but within 2-3yrs that had gone to a fat 90kg and that's when yo-yoing began. At our break up I was about 100kg and a 40" waist. In the months that followed I lost about 20kg and dropped to a snug 36". I wasn't eating differently, I did go to the gym most weekday mornings for 20-30mins on X-Trainer and I started having lots of casual sex (which after 5 years in the desert ... well let's say I was very thirsty!)

    Having lost a lot of weight I felt really good about myself and vowed never to get heavy again.

    Then I met a very nice man and we became very good friends and flatmates for a while. The physical relationship only lasted a couple of months, but in the 5-6 months we lived together I put on about 10kg as I was no longer able to go to the gym (I now lived 50miles away from work and I'd need to have gotten up at 4.30am to get to the gym for 6.30 and in the evenings I just wanted to get home before it was too late.)

    Eventually I moved out to my own flat and ate pretty much what I wanted to. Then I met the man who was to become my husband. Now you'd think being blissfully happy, I would lose my appetite and thus lose weight. But my man was a foodie and we ate wonderful food and lots of it. I ballooned!

    Now I've also been through a fair bit of stress and trauma between work situations and losing my mum after a year-long illness, so that didn't help the comfort eating thing. And I didn't even try to lose weight before our wedding... which is what most folks do.

    Having said all that, I am now in a very happy place in my life and I have taken the bull by the horns and started to watch what I eat and exercise regularly. This time round I am enjoying the experience which is not something I could ever say before when I was Slim Fasting or doing Atkins or trying to count WW-points. Thanks to MFP counting calories could not be easier and all the support I get online is brilliant - my husband and friends are very, very supportive too, but are not quite as calorie-obsessed as I am. Having said that, I'll eat what I want to eat, juts sometimes I decide it's not worth it and just have a lighter option instead.

    So to try and answer the question: do you lose more weight when you're happy?

    I think if you are going to succeed in both losing weight and keeping it off, you certainly need to enjoy the process. You have to be happy with what you are doing and the results you achieve. If not, then you are in danger of getting fed up and giving in to temptation and lazy ways and comfort eating. You don't necessarily need to be entirely happy in life - adversity and weightloss can be strange, yet accommodating bed-fellows - but you do need to be happy with the program you have chosen to help you lose weight.

    Anyhow, good luck and may success be yours! :flowerforyou:
  • humblestudent
    humblestudent Posts: 47 Member
    Options
    has anyone noticed any weight changes when stressed and depressed compared to being happy and full of life? what are your experiences? please be as detailed as possible.
    In the summer of 2005 my then-partner of 10yrs announced that had met someone new and wanted to split up. If I am being honest, it wasn't unexpected and looking back we probably only had 3-4 happy years followed by 2-3 mediocre years together.

    When I met my Ex I was a bit chubby at 75kg but within 2-3yrs that had gone to a fat 90kg and that's when yo-yoing began. At our break up I was about 100kg and a 40" waist. In the months that followed I lost about 20kg and dropped to a snug 36". I wasn't eating differently, I did go to the gym most weekday mornings for 20-30mins on X-Trainer and I started having lots of casual sex (which after 5 years in the desert ... well let's say I was very thirsty!)

    Having lost a lot of weight I felt really good about myself and vowed never to get heavy again.

    Then I met a very nice man and we became very good friends and flatmates for a while. The physical relationship only lasted a couple of months, but in the 5-6 months we lived together I put on about 10kg as I was no longer able to go to the gym (I now lived 50miles away from work and I'd need to have gotten up at 4.30am to get to the gym for 6.30 and in the evenings I just wanted to get home before it was too late.)

    Eventually I moved out to my own flat and ate pretty much what I wanted to. Then I met the man who was to become my husband. Now you'd think being blissfully happy, I would lose my appetite and thus lose weight. But my man was a foodie and we ate wonderful food and lots of it. I ballooned!

    Now I've also been through a fair bit of stress and trauma between work situations and losing my mum after a year-long illness, so that didn't help the comfort eating thing. And I didn't even try to lose weight before our wedding... which is what most folks do.

    Having said all that, I am now in a very happy place in my life and I have taken the bull by the horns and started to watch what I eat and exercise regularly. This time round I am enjoying the experience which is not something I could ever say before when I was Slim Fasting or doing Atkins or trying to count WW-points. Thanks to MFP counting calories could not be easier and all the support I get online is brilliant - my husband and friends are very, very supportive too, but are not quite as calorie-obsessed as I am. Having said that, I'll eat what I want to eat, juts sometimes I decide it's not worth it and just have a lighter option instead.

    So to try and answer the question: do you lose more weight when you're happy?

    I think if you are going to succeed in both losing weight and keeping it off, you certainly need to enjoy the process. You have to be happy with what you are doing and the results you achieve. If not, then you are in danger of getting fed up and giving in to temptation and lazy ways and comfort eating. You don't necessarily need to be entirely happy in life - adversity and weightloss can be strange, yet accommodating bed-fellows - but you do need to be happy with the program you have chosen to help you lose weight.

    Anyhow, good luck and may success be yours! :flowerforyou:

    wow what a journey you have been on.. thank you so much for sharing that with me. and thanks for the well wishes! i am so glad ur in a happy place now :) during the time when i put on weight my bf at the time cheated on me.. it was the first time someone did that and it was like all my nightmares came true.. i remember just lying in bed thinking what's the point of it all... my eating habbits became very irregular etc. i gues we all hav to take responsibility for our own feelings no matter what anyone does to us... a buddhist monk said that once.. like if someone came and bashed you on the head yes its their fault but its your responsibillity to heal etc... and about your comment regarding choosing the right program def agree with u... everyone's different and different things work for diff folks. for me its yoga and healthy near vegetarian food... i just need to get back into the habbit again! :D xoxo
  • wooooooow
    wooooooow Posts: 3
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    I would of said that I eat when I am bored or depressed but a few years ago I was suffering quite badly fom depression and didn't eat a thing for a few weeks - I got down to 45 kg's.
  • humblestudent
    humblestudent Posts: 47 Member
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    i guess it can go both ways huh... mmm

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