Being overweight can sometimes be a symptom of a deeper mental health issue, and it should be addressed.

Background: 21M, Height: 170cm; SW: 205lbs, CW: 181lbs, GW: 140lbs.

Sometimes, weight can be a symptom of a deeper psychological issue. Research shows that eating disorders often coexist with depression, anxiety, etc. Personally, I have both depression and anxiety which got me to my SW in the first place. It is incredibly challenging to lose weight when you cannot even get out of bed.

I have started to lose a lot of weight after I started therapy because I started putting massive effort into improving my mental health, which requires a lot of introspection. When I started thinking about why I eat the way I eat, I figured some things that prompt me to eat. This helped me figure out how to deal with these and build better eating habits. For example, I have a self-loathing cycle where I hate myself, often for my body, and eat to calm myself down. Now, whenever any intrusive thought comes up, I practice some self-compassion exercises that my therapist recommended. This helped me avoid binges and eat reasonable portions.

While my habits are still not perfect, I believe that without addressing my mental health, it would have been a massive challenge to lose weight. I firmly believe that weight loss is a psychological thing more than physical. And weight loss is not just reducing a number on the scale, but building a healthy lifestyle that helps you be the best version of yourself. It is incredibly challenging.

Mental health is as important, if not more important, than physical health. Try to take care of it before you start your weight loss journey because it is easy to worsen your mental health when you are trying to lose weight. It is also the ideal way because you will be more realistic with your goals and not be too hard on yourself when you are mentally stable. Most importantly, do not let others demotivate you. Looking at people talk about how easy it is to lose weight can be demotivating (fitness YouTubers in particular), but know that to each their own. It is your personal journey, not anyone else's.

submitted by /u/sayinedi
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