Hi everyone!! I new to this support forum and 3FC in general.

I've struggled with Bipolar II pretty much since I first got to high school. That was also when my cycles of dieting and binging started. For me, the two have always been very closely linked. When I'm up, things are great, I eat less, I'm happy, I work out more, the weight drops off pretty easily. But when I'm depressed, some days all I can manage is to go somewhere to buy a takeout order of something fried and greasy, crawl back in bed, and eat it while watching sitcoms.

These days after years of medication and therapy (though I'm not currently on either at the moment), I've learned to much better recognize my emotional states and triggers. The past few months, I've been feeling great, losing weight quickly through logging calories, eating healthy and exercising, getting fit. I dropped 10 lbs in April.

But then a weekend trip derailed me, triggered the depression, I gained most of the weight back in the past 2 weeks, and sure enough, last night, I was back in bed with a bag of Doritos and Portlandia.

That's why I joined this forum. I'm so sick of all of the endless cycles. I'm proud of how far I've come with my diagnosis and that I'm now off medications, but I wish that my weight and eating patterns would just stay where I want them to!

Anyone else going through something similar here? I could really use the support!

This sounds just like me. I've not been diagnosed with bipolar, but I suspect it's what I have. Getting a diagnoses means going to the doctor and you have to leave the house to do that. Then during my ups, I feel so great that I don't think I need meds. My weight has been up and down my whole adult life, but the patterns have gotten worse the past five years or so. Right now, I'm almost to my highest weight and I've given up. I'm so sick of the gaining and losing and the ups and downs. I'm feeling hopeless. My husband has threatened to leave because he can't take it anymore.
I'm not very motivational lol, but its nice to talk about it to someone going through something similar.

My last up cycle was from September of 2013 through February of 2014 and managed to lose 50 lbs. Then I fell into a down cycle and gained 30 lbs in 3 months. I finally managed to pull myself out of it and back to feeling better. How long will it last this time? Hopefully at least 6 months.

How long do your up cycles and down cycles usually last? I know right now I have been down since September except for 2 2 week ups. I cannot seem to pull myself out of this one.

Hi! My up and down cycles coincide with how much stress I have in my life. About 3 weeks ago I could almost literally feel the weight lift off my chest and shoulders when my kid's school was over. Now I can concentrate on my health again. For the last 4 days I have not had any nighttime cravings. I see a ray of hope....

Hi Ladies!

I wanted to chime in that I believe I deal with the same issue, though I've never been officially diagnosed.

Since my teens, I can remember that during my up cycle I'd feel happy, so so happy, like life was the most amazing thing ever. I'd eat less, exercise more, that's usually when I start new endeavors like new jobs, new schooling programs, new clubs, I'm so motivated.

Then the downs come. I actually just posted about this. And it depressing is so crippling. And I tend to lose all those new friendships from all those new adventures, because I don't want to talk to anyone or leave the house. I eat CONSTANTLY. I too can gain the weight back far too fast. I feel like I'm just waiting for the cloud to lift. Sometimes it only takes a week sotimes it can be months.

I've thought about seeking out a support group, just to help me get through those tough patches when they come.

Ok that makes sense....so outside forces can trigger ups and downs. My depression started after losing a job and a friend in September and I haven't been able to come out of it. I just got a new job so I'm hoping that will help.

Yep sounds like me. I've been dealing with it for years and I've finally decided to see a Dr. Because the downs are too hard to handle.