Losing weight, improving mental health: a thread where we find the confidence to be who we are! Who is with me?

[Cittadina]

Hi all!

Lately life seems to be hitting me with one ball of crap after the other, think job loss and professional identity loss. Loss of 'status' for want of a better word. It's about the money but it's not about the money at the same time. I no longer know who I am.

I have developed the self-harming habit of cheering myself up with food, and sometimes with drink. Hey. It works. It makes me feel better. At least short term.

I have therefore put quite a bit of weight on and can only fit my chubster dresses. Food it's only a short term fix and is making me more and more depressed not to move, and it's sapping up all my energy.

I am having online therapy to tackle my unhealthy ways of coping, which is, sadly, only helping so much.

I have decided to take responsibility and attempt a lifestyle change, get back into my good habits and shed the lard.

One of my problems is that I have no support network so I thought perhaps a thread here where we give support to each other and slowly but surely ditch the comfort blanket of food and learn other coping mechanisms and lose some weight in the process.

Anyone with me?

[Cittadina]

I wanted to add that my goals for today are eating when I am hungry and avoiding sugary foods, whilst looking at healthy eating regimes and deciding which one could work for me.

If you are starting today or have started recently what system are you using?

[OldGreggsMangina]

I’d like to join you please. For the past 5 years I’ve suffered with depression and anxiety and it has really affected my weight and confidence. I went on medication for it which made me more hungry, plus I’m a huge emotional eater and
I’m now 4 stone heavier 😔 I also have weekly therapy which is helping a little.

So I started trying to lose weight 6 weeks ago and so far have lost 16lbs, although had a bit of a binge last night. I’m trying to eat around 1,300 calories. Sometimes it’s more and sometimes less. I really need to choose healthier snacks though as I eat too much sugar!
I’m trying to get into exercise too as that is supposed to be a huge mood lifter, it’s just finding the motivation some days, plus I’m a single mum of 4!

We can do this 💪

[Cittadina]

Hi @OldGreggsMangina! Thank you for joining me. sorry to hear you are struggling too but YES, we can definitely do this!

[Cittadina]

It's interesting what you say about medication making you more hungry. I am not on medication but this morning I was suffering so much I thought I would call my GP next week and have something prescribed. But I am worried about the side effects including weight gain.

[Cittadina]

And I absolutely know what you mean about exercise. I know that if I exercise I will feel better but just cannot find the motivation to do it at the moment.

But... single mum of four, you are a true hero. Respect to you!

[Cittadina]

DAY ONE... done!

Eaten when hungry (fairly easy) no sugary food (ok-ish) and done 9,000 steps. Very early days but I am going to bed feeling a lot better abut myself than I have in a long time.

I am grateful that:

I am healthy
I have a job (albeit temporary)
I am loved

[Mcbj86]

Hi, I will join you both too.

I also am a horrific comfort eater. A few months ago i started on AD's and have put on a stone in the last month . However, I got to such a low place I had no other choice. On the outside, I was a married mum of 3, great life, great home, professional job but on the inside I woke up in the morning and my first thought was I cant wait to get back in bed. I just couldn't cope with life and didn't recognise myself (still getting there with that). The ADs have given me life back but Im still anxious, struggling with motivation to return to the gym and self medicating with food. Im having therapy but the sessions are so far apart Ive been looking online to go private.

Well done on your first day.

I think its fate I found this thread as I came across it by accident

[rootsonshow]

Can I come with you please?. I could have written your post myself. I have been sticking to low carb diet and feeling better. But when I get it wrong or over indulge I start to feel sluggish again. Sometimes life just takes over.

[Cittadina]

Amazing - welcome Mcbj86 and rootsonshow! Hoping you are well today OldGreggsMangina.

It's my day two. It took a lot of self-talk this morning to do some exercise on waking. I do not recognise my body and the way it reacts. I find it really difficult to get up and the day is like a long log of to do things, and I never seem to be able to finish my to do list. I am also procrastinating due to this anxiety I feel. But I have made a list and one thing at the time I will tackle the items on it!

So far I have eaten: 35 gr porridge (with water and salt), 30 gr cheese, one apple from my tree (that was nice) and 2 figs.

Exercise: 30 minutes on exercise bike.

How I feel: really crap to be honest.

[Cittadina]

Mcbj86 I am really sorry to ready you feel that way. I know I am only some random from the internet but I really do! I think it's so much harder when the sadness comes for, apparently, no reason.

I know that my anxiety and depression are reactive to my life's difficult situation and I believe that if I find the strength to swim through this wave I will get better, but if everything is well in your life and you still are depressed, that's much tougher.

It is great that you are being proactive about it instead of soldiering on, and looking for more private counselling. If you can afford it it really helps. I am stuck with online counselling at the moment that, although i have a great therapist, it helps only a little - there is something in taking therapies that cannot be recreated online I believe.

[Cittadina]

So rootsonshow It's great to hear you have found a way of eating that helps you - I think the 'enemy' for me is sugar. I love sweet things and do not seem to have an 'off' button for them. I am trying to find my 'natural' hunger this week, eat when I am hungry instead of eating to make myself feel better. I will now get off MN and do some work, but I'll check in again tonight to report on my day and, hopefully, read about yours.

[OldGreggsMangina]

How is everyone doing? I’ve had a few ok days mentally and food wise. Sometimes I’d get so overwhelmed with everything that I’d forget things like reading with the kids and I had no motivation on an evening so I’d leave the tidying and washing up until the next morning. Since Sunday I have made an effort to do those things before bed and even though it’s such a chore I feel a little better coming down to a clean-ish house (teenagers still make a mess at night 😠). I’ve set a reminder so I remember to listen to the kids read and now don’t feel as much of a bad mum.

[OldGreggsMangina]

With regards to medication I found certraline made me ravenous and I had no off switch when it came to food. I’m now on citalopram and I’ve had no side effects.

I also bought 2 books yesterday, 15 minutes to happiness and a big CBT handbook. Hoping they will help although I felt a little silly buying a book about how to be happy. Me and my family are healthy etc so I feel I should be happy, but that’s depression for you