Depression triggered by dieting??

[Diana the Hun]

Hi all,
I seem to be going through something strange. Several months ago I quit Jenny Craig because I was getting quite down and teary and it felt like there was a big cloud hanging over me every day.

I took a break from restricting calories for awhile, and I was starting to feel in better spirits, but unhappy with my weight. So I started Weight Watchers (no meetings, just by myself) about a week and a half ago.

I feel a lot better eating this way, as opposed to Jenny Craig, but I'm finding my moods going down again. I don't think I've ever had such a pronounced reaction to calorie restricting in my life.

I want to continue to lose weight, but can't stand this down feeling, not to mention I feel down about my weight if I stop dieting! I can't win!

Does anyone else experience a marked change in mood like this? And I don't mean just getting snarly cause you can't have cake, I mean, genuinely bluesy? Is this some sort of medical condition??

Thanks!

[Kate109]

Hi!

Ok, I am not an expert, but as far as I know food plays a huge part when it comes to mood.

A lot of foods have influences of your brain chemistry, they evoke (don´t kow if the word is right...can´t find dictionary...) serotonin for example. Most diets cut down the food with the hugest impact on your brain chemistry: sugar.
No sugar- low serotonin and other things I forgot- depression.

It´s quite the same for me...I am an emotional eater/ overeater as well, that´s why I work on that issue and lose veeeery slowly. Diet plans don´t work for me
I read several books from Kathleen DesMaisons. She explains very good what happens when you eat a certain food, how it influences your moods etc.
The good thing is: there is a way out of the vicious circle!

Oh, well, I hope you understand what I wanted to say!

Kate

[CousinRockingChair]

Well, I have a tendency towards stubborn, severe depressive moods and I have a sugar addiction as well. I believe the two are firmly linked.

The way I try and combat this is by restricting cals (to lose weight...or try to!) but by eating whatever I want within that number, so if i wanna eat 1500 cals of sugar one day then fine, I'll do that. And by eating a lot of sugar, I GENERALLY find after a few days, I want it less.

I shudder to think what I'm doing to my body..I wish I cared about me enough to change, really.

emily
xxx

[jsully75]

I do believe that this is true. I never had any depression issues until I lost weight. I was actually a pretty happy go lucky person until I lost all my weight (the first time). When I lost over 130 pounds I found myself depressed, anxious and cutting myself all the time. I would be scared, crying and hating everything. I am not the only one either. I have a friend that was heavy and he went through the same thing. Or is going through.