The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Nancy]

Hi, Kids ~

I got a good question from a guy friend of mine and I thought I would post it and my reply and ask you for your input, too.

Question: Anyone ever report any issues with depression on this diet? I find that I just sometimes seem to "crash" and get real down. Perhaps it's my natural impatience and guilt about letting myself go for so long, but it can really get bad at times. I never get to the point at all that I break the plan, I'm religious about that.

Just wondering.

Dear Just Wondering ~

Yup, a number of us Foodies go thru periods of depression – usually it is related to saying good-bye to our foody friends.

I wouldn’t say that I was strictly an emotional eater – I just plain love food – all varieties.

I am an excellent cook, a top-notch baker and candy maker and enjoy recreational cooking and entertaining.

It was really hard for me to stop baking and cooking AND eating!

I went thru a period of feeling angry that I couldn’t eat as much as I wanted to eat or to be able to eat whatever I wanted like other “regular-size” people can eat.

I actually felt resentment toward some of my friends who could have whatever they wanted.

I hated not being able to eat real live food. Then I started looking around at other people – I saw some who were really in poor health – in wheel chairs, riding on scooters, etc. I saw some who looked really porky – porkier than me. Then I began to realize that there were worse things in life I could have to deal with – like having my toes amputated, or blindness or heart disease or hurking bruises on my arms and legs or having to give myself shots in my thighs or belly so I decided that having a shake five times a day and no candy or pie for 7-8 months was better than having no life.

At first my whole goal was just to look better: To be able to wear a bathing suit in public without emptying out the Pacific Ocean from body displacement.

Then my goal was to feel better: to be able to walk beside another person and simultaneously carry on a normal conversation with out huffing and puffing. For my feet and knees to not kill me at the end of a class session (I was a teacher.)

Eventually I began to value having better health and that is my quest for others now – optimal health is where it’s at – the physical improvements are natural by-products of weight loss.

So, yes, I would say I was depressed – but my weight loss was very motivating. Once I was at the 1/3 mark, I began to feel much better physically and that was also the point that I began to get comments from others – they wondered if I was losing weight – that was very positive and helpful for me.

Many of my clients also go through periods of discouragement and depression – it is totally natural – we are making major changes in our life and lifestyle.

As we begin to replace food and eating with other healthy outlets, things come together. We still have social gatherings and I enjoy cooking and baking – AND eating - I just don’t make penuche and Marionberry pie every day any more!

Change takes time.

We are making a lot of changes right now. I had to change my way of thinking and it changed my life.

Food is not my all in all. I still love it; it doesn't love me.

I can have what I want; I just can't have all of it, all of the time!

I would rather have some of it, some of the time than to have all of a debilitating disease all of the time.

Your favorite foods will still be around and available once you reach your goal weight - they aren't going away forever - just temporarily while you are in the thinnin' process.

In the fullness of time, you may have them (favorite foods) again - there are some things that I used to eat a lot of and to this day, I have no desire to even have a taste of them.

I also know that there are some things that I am not ready to have yet - I could not be satisfied with just a taste so I am not going to revisit them - I do not trust myself.

I have lived happily since July 14th, 2002 without them and I still choose to have them remain merely memories of my pre-Med days...

How about others? Anybody ever feel some depression?

[martha]

NANCY---

You really had a great article there.. answered alot of Questions I had been having.. I must say only when I firs started this and I thought the scale wasn't moving as it should i thought " I am doing everything right and it's not moving--everyone else is eating whatever and here I am" BUT then the scale would drop in a few days..and I was so glad to have hung in there.. I also am considered a good cook, love to bake and make candy. It definetly makes a difference in all of that .. I just made fudge as gifts for B.days(requested) and thought this is it.. I will go off for today.. put a piece in my mouth to see if the smoothness was there and then spit it out and washed my mouth out.. YEAH!!!!!!!!!! I controled it this time..Then wrapped it all up.. even mailed some to Huntsville,Al.. I CAN DO THIS.. since I was depressed alot and gained over100# since moving in with mom already I must say I have not been since I started this program.. all of you have helped me along with this program and I have beat the FOOD MONSTER (you know the ones that forces you to open your mouth and chew ) He now has left this house to find his next victim.. -- once I got over the depression thing life is great(and losing almost 60# has helped alot)--thanks--GREAT ARTICLE--Martha

[aphrael]

Nancy,

This thread was just what I needed. Last weekend espcially I wasn't just depressed, I was flat out angry with everyone and everything. My husband and I had gone to lunch with his parents and we had our lean and green but than out of the blue some freinds we hadn't seen in a while called and wanted us to go to dinner. Obvously that wasn't an option on the plan. I was mad that if I went I would be cheating myself, and mad that I was missing out on something I loved to do, we always enjoy trying new food with these friends. It just fed a lot anger and other emotions I had inside me. The "it's not fair" and "why does it have to be so hard for me" feelings. I imagine that people that have food adictions all go through this and while it doesn't make it easier, it is nice to know I'm not alone.

The depression hits usually at lunch and dinner time. I have a small office and they like to all go out to lunch, mostly to places where a lean and green would be imposable to get. So I just smile and say no I am having a shake or soup. It gets lonely and depressing. When so much of my social life has revolved around food, it is depressing to have to find other outlets for that.

Well enough rambling, in time I'm sure these feelings will lessen some.

[beautifulb]

When I first started on the program I definately had feelings of why can't I eat what I want to eat when I want to eat it. Because like Nancy, I love food! At times I did feel sad, anxious, or blue. But I would not call it depression. Depression is a serious medical illness just like diabetes or heart disease. It's more than just feeling down in the dumps or blue for a few days. It's feeling down and low and hopeless for weeks, months or years at a time. For some people its hard to get out of the bed, some people don't feel like eating, and some people are tired all of the time but can't sleep.

Does this sound like you...
I am really sad most of the time.
I don't enjoy doing the things I've always enjoyed doing.
I don't sleep well at night and I am very restless.
I am always tired. If find it hard to get out of bed.
I don't feel like eating much.
I feel like eating all the time.
I have lots of aches and pain that don't go away.
I have lettle to no sexual energy.
I find it hard to focus and I am very forgetful.
I am mad at everybody and everything.
I feel upset and fearful, but can't figure out why.
I don't feel like talking to people.
I feel like there isn't much point to living, nothing good is going to happen to me.
I don't like myself very much. I feel bad most of the time.
I think about death a lot. I even think about how I might kill myself.

If you checked several of these items you should call your doctor. You may need to get a checkup and find out if you have depression.

Depression can be treated and you can feel better.

My intent is not to offend anyone with this post but to educate and to possible help someone get help if they are in need.

Tena

[fedup]

I can relate to this thread... big time. I currently take medication for depression, and it does help. However, I still feel like I'm fighting that battle each day. It's defintely making my weight battle harder also. Especially this time around. When I did MF in the fall, I was at this place that I wish I could get to again... so motivated, so strong... I know I have that place inside of me, I just need to pull it out somehow. I know MF works, I'm proof it does! But some days I feel like it's hard to do anything... other days are okay. Weird huh! I know if I could get that strength back for even a couple weeks then that would start me on the "roll" I need to be back in the swing of things 100%. I know I just need to MAKE MYSELF do it, even pretend to be energetic, and then maybe the real thing will follow... who knows! SOunds crazy huh?

[oregonrose]

I have been feeling angry at everybody for 3 days now. I think I am turning the corner and it is helping to be on the forums. Nancy, Martha,Aphrael , Tena, and Fedup, you are all right on the money. I eat to suppress emotions. I had not been on the forums last few days because I was in this funk. I am back on today and I know I must be on the way back out. Before MF I would have just given up and gained all the weight back with interest. With MF and this forum I can get back on the train and hang in your draft till I am strong again. When we get in the "dumpsters" we need to know that we have all been there and we are here to reach out that hand to each other. nancy

[martha]

Orgeonrose--

So glad to see you back with us.. I missed you ..we all get in these funks but now you know we are all here for you.. just don't give up and log on anytime and one or more of us will be here to say Hi and we know exactly how you are feeling.. you are doing good with your program..like you said any other time you would have quit and regained everything and then some.. keep your chin up..you're in my prayers..

TENA-- thanks for the list.. knew all about it as it runs in my family(bipolar too) would have never thought to list it all for everyone.. you go girl thanks so much.. this is an important thread..Martha

[Guest]

Oh my gosh - I can just really relate - last week I was going through the "I just love food and want to eat it, a lot of it " and boy have I been mad. I find myself thinking - Will I be able to eat a double western bacon cheese burger and fries again etc ? It is so sad, but I want to not just taste it but eat a lot of it. I too am a great cook - but love most eating out with my husband or getting really great take out. I had NO IDEA how much this meant to me until I started MF. Sad to admit but one day I just started to cry like a petulant child - boo hoo I cannot eat a big XYZ with PDQ. Anyway - I miss it and hope in time I will find other hobbies and at some point find some personal control - I have been reading a lot of gossip magazines and like it so who knows.

I wanted to add here something I have noticed about myself - it was more evident when I was on Atkins but I have noticed it with MF too. The more energy we feel from being in Ketosis for me it is like hypomania - I don't know if you guys know this and if so sorry - but when stressed we naturally crave carbs. Additionally, overeating causes serotonin release and makes one essentially sedated - much like being under the influence of alcohol. Personally I think I was using large sums of food to decrease my anxiety and to essentially sedate mysellf. Learning to deal with the feelings that accompany life without food (read without sedation) is very difficult- but I am trying. I have found in the past if I can push myself to do some really good cardio for about 35 minutes I get a similar sedation - it just doesn't taste as good as overeating did - but I am hoping it will look a lot better and be better for my health in the end. Thanks everyone for your honesty here - food is tough but we are stronger. Mytime

[oregonrose]

you are sooooo rgiht. When I get stressed I find myself craving BREAD but I know I feel so much better when I'm in ketosis. lots of energy, etc. guess thats why I was able to sleep in! HA this is great info, thanks. nancy

[DogMa]

I have been treated for depression in the past, too. Although I previously took prescription anti-depressants, my condition is now controlled with fish oil capsules instead. Fish oil has been shown in several studies to be good not only for your heart, but also for depression and bipolar disorder. If your friend is seriously depressed, he or she needs help. If it's the blues, it'll pass. If it's mild clinical depression, you might suggest that he or she ask his or her doctor about fish oil (I wouldn't suggest anyone take ANY supplements without checking with their doctor first).

[martha]

MYTIME--


You are so informative girl.. and you were worried about not spelling things right---PLEASE!!!!!!!!!! I'll take your knowledge any day over spelling I am so amazed at the way everyone supports each other .. I can feel the LOVE nothing taste as good as eating did but just the thought of being thin is enough to make me keep on slurping--Martha