Clinical Depression and Obesity? has anyone here beaten it?

Question

I want to stop punishing myself with food I want to stop hating myself, how did you do it?

Answer 1

Kind of. I had gastric bypass surgery and I'm on Cymbalta. I am not thin but I'm still 125 lbs lighter 6 years post op than my pre op weight (400lbs).

I did, however, "substitute" alcohol for food and am now a recovering alcoholic, not recommended.

Good luck, I'm still where you are.

Answer 2

I beat the depression but still not beat the obesity LOL, I'm happy being a bit chubby but I am working on it! If you just get off your *** and exercise you will eventually beat both or like me you wont get too upset about the other. Oh yeah, I moved to another country, away from my old friends and family! I stopped living alone aswell, I now share with other people that are just renting a room in the same house! Its much better for me

Answer 3

I was in a support group on livejournal.com for binge eating, they have groups for everything. Talking to others and giving and receiving support is a great way to get healthy again you should check it out.

Answer 4

I had both , but then had 5 ops and a life threatening illness. Both have now gone. There is logic and sense to what I have just written. But its deep.

Answer 5

You need to go to therapy of some sort.  I think that is the only way to help yourself.  You need to find out why you punish yourself with and how you can overcome this behavior or thinking.

I have a bad body image and will probably not overcome this part of myself.  I am not overweight and don't eat because I am sad or anything.  Usually I eat out of boredom.  But I have been depressed  before and went to therapy.  Part of the reason was because I had gained some weight and hated it. The rest had to do with family change, etc.  But I went to therapy and also was on anti depressants.  For me it worked.  I wouldn't say I never have the same thoughts I had before but for me, talking to someone and getting on medication worked.

Everyone is different.  I think your first step should be seeking help and talking to a professional.  You need someone to help you understand why you feel this way.  

Answer 6

Exercise, helps with the depression and the obesity

Answer 7

Let me throw another possibility out there.  Have you been checked for diabetes?  I may seem unconnected but it is.  

I am also obese 100 pounds overweight.  I had been depressed for quite some time when I was diagnosed with diabetes.  I started researching and learned that with diabetes there can be metabolic changes to the brain that don't help with depression, they make it worse.   Go check out psycheducation.org there is a lot of info there.  Just see if it rings true.  The docs main thesis is that metabolic syndrome (prediabetes) and bipolar II (which can manifest with obsessions or anxiety in place of a manic high) run together and sometimes if they treat the metabolic syndrome the depression is alleviated.  

An interesting point that the guy brings up is that in a bipolar clinic only 20 percent actually needed meds.  They had nondrug therapies that really worked.  A couple of ideas that really worked for me were walking just 15 minutes a day.  I walked out my door for 7.5 minutes and then came back.  Voila, as long as I kept it up my symptoms were greatly relieved.  Morning or evening would be best.  The breeze feels so good and the first time I did it I actually felt like my cells were breathing for the first time in ages.  It felt fantastic.  He encourages you to gauge your progress by your mood.

Another idea was darktime.  Getting 14 hours of dark every night.  Meaning shut off The TV and compy and get a good nights sleep.  All of that bright light is unatural to our brains and it actually really helps.

Well then shortly after that I was diagnosed with diabetes and I had to go on a low carb diet or go blind or lose a leg, kwim.  The low carb diet is super easy to stick to and when my blood sugar evened out I felt tremendous relief from my exhaustion that had also previously contributed to my depression.  I felt a greater mental clarity, and I'm not the tinyest bit depressed any more, even with the diabetes monkey on my back.

Like I said, the low carb diet is super easy to stick to think of a 2 egg omelet with cheddar for breakfast.  A beautiful chef salad for lunch with real full fat dressing.  A steak or pieces of chicken WITH the skin on and maybe some broccoli sauted in butter for dinner.  Really, the ideas are endless.  

When you get rid of the starchy carbs and sugar and start eating real foods it is honestly amazing how quickly the cravings for junk dissapear.  Go check it out at www.lowcarber.org.  BTW I've lost 20 pounds and I feel good.  100 to go but I have no doubt that I've found the secret recipe.  Please email me privately if you want any help.

Answer 8

You can absolutely do it, and at the same time. One problem people have is that they think about food with emotions. It's a way to punish yourself, it's a way to reward yourself, it's a way to comfort yourself, it's a way to show love...the list goes on. Instead, think about food as fuel. Your body is a machine. Just like you wouldn't "starve" or "overload" your car with gasoline, you shouldn't starve or overload your body with food. When your body is fed properly, your body is happy. There are actually a lot of mental impacts that come from eating bad foods, too much food, or too little food. It puts a strain on your body, which puts a strain on your mind. It can make you irritable, upset, and even depressed.

Exercise is good for you physically, but also releases endorphins in the brain (it was theorized and now recently proven with brain scans), which make you happier. It's also a great way to reduce stress. Another good thing about exercise is that it's a positive way to take control of your life. Once you take control of one part of your life, it encourages you to continue taking control of other parts of your life. Just set various fitness goals, NOT a weight goal.

I've done it, you can do it! If you need any help or encouragement or are just having a bad day, my inbox is always open :)

Answer 9

Man, that's a tricky combo. First thing I did when I was depressed was put on weight. Try punishing yourself by going without food. The slight pain on the inside may give you a physical manifestation of your mental anguish, but it will lead to weight loss which will slowly boost self-esteem. On the long road to a cheerier outlook on life, some sort of physical exercise always helps too.  

Answer 10

this is a hard question to answer because this is something i struggle with also..whats been working for me is talking witha  counslor once a week and i got myself a personal trainer for weight loss. i also use WWW.SPARKPEOPLE.COM to keep a log of my food intake, seeing how bad some of my food is really makes me realize what i should and can eat.  and i reward myself each time i lose weight, i never focus on how much i have left i just focis on how much i have alreayd lost...also exercise always makes me feel happier so even small exercises each day will help.