I’m a 5’2 female, ~160lb. I’ve always been just slightly overweight and have tried many times in my life to lose weight by various means (the most recent being simple calorie counting).
The issue is, I have depression and anxiety and as a result I’m a person with very low energy and motivation. The pattern for me goes as follows: I’ll get fed up with being overweight (often after a holiday or some event where I have to get dressed up and hate how I look, or after seeing a photo of myself). I’ll decide it’s time to make a change, and try to change something about my lifestyle in a way that feels sustainable (low impact exercise programs like couch to 5k, eating smaller / more protein rich breakfasts and lunches while not worrying about what I eat for dinner, cutting out a non essential food item like soda, etc.). I’ll feel good about the change for a while, but since it’s not a drastic I’ll see no difference, I’ll get impatient, an external stressor will make my mental state take a turn for the worse and then I’ll binge eat and the “healthy” phase ends. (Any more drastic change, on the other hand, lasts half a week at most before I get burnt out on it and quit.) Food is a huge coping mechanism for me, and one I find it very difficult to replace—I have a good support system and social circle, a loving relationship, a few hobbies, but nothing feels as good and makes the sad go away as quick as eating comfort food. I also lack the motivation to cook for myself during my depressive cycles and will depend on ordering in, often junk food, for days or weeks at a time.
It’s worth noting I’ve been medicated for my mental health issues for many years and that the medication is effective, but also causes weight gain and seems to discourage weight loss. I’ve spoken to my psychiatrist about trying non-SSRI’s, but it’s not the right move now and my only choice has been to increase my medication dose, thereby increasing my weight gain.
I didn’t mean for this to be such a vent, but after a depressive spiral followed by several days of binge eating I’m feeling discouraged and I guess my question is: is there any way to lose weight while depressed? Has anyone figured out a way to trick their fickle brain into sticking to a lifestyle change when even small changes feel impossible? I would love to love my body and just let it be the way it is, but I’m sick and tired of not fitting into my clothes, looking bad in photos, and feeling slow and lethargic all the time. I fear that my cycle will continue forever and figured this might be a good place to look for advice. Thanks for reading!
[link] [comments]
from loseit - Lose the Fat https://ift.tt/3GPibCl
No comments:
Post a Comment