Becoming emotional with weightloss?

  • I apologize if this topic has already been covered! And if it has, feel free to redirect me!

    I've been losing weight VERY slowly for the past year, but recently started to really buckle down with calorie restriction (around 1500 calories) and exercise (not as much as I should be doing yet). The weight has obviously been coming off quite a bit more quickly than previously and with it has come a crazy emotional roller coaster. As in PMS style, except, well, WITHOUT the PMS. Is it just my body getting thrown out of wack because of the weight loss and my emotions following suit? Has anyone else experienced this?

    Thanks!
  • im very emotional as well. i dont quite get it, but i feel energetic and emotional. i think maybe im not suppressing the emotions with food? or the new found energy is bringing out suppressed emotions?
  • There is some amount of hormonal release with weight loss, and yes, it can send you into a tailspin temporarily. As your body finds it's new equilibrium, your moods will level off again. :-)
  • Ha! I'm an emotional mess on a good day! This weight loss journey has made me a raving lunatic sometimes...but I'm trying to recognize this and make a real effort to watch my emotional reaction to things.
  • You guys are not alone! I have been the same way and hate it. In my mind I should be "thrilled and happy" due to the weight loss, but my emotions are way worse than when I was pregnant! Thankfully hubby deals with me, but I feel bad. We should all make an effort to stay positive, one day at a time!
  • I figured it must be because I couldn't stuff down feelings with food, I was having to face them! I've rarely cried in the 20 years I was fat and in the last 2 years have shed enough tears to more than make up for the previous 20.
  • I didn't know if it was hormonal or what but I have been experienceing this to a very LARGE extent. I thought it was simply the emotional part of the weightloss journey. I also thought it was perhaps some regret that I have waited this long to do this and how many years I lost feeling so bad physically and mentally. It is nice to know that I am not a lone however sometimes I think I need a weightloss therapist to help me through some of these more complicated feelings.
  • I definitely relate to you and a few of the above posters. I can no longer soothe my feelings with a McDonald's value meal (or two) and I guess when the pressure builds up, I let loose with tears. And guess what? It feels so much better to do it that way!

    The happy side of the emotional me is that I'll find myself tearing up when I think about how much progress I made and how much better I feel mentally and physically.

    And good for you for sticking with your journey even during the tough times. That in and of itself is fantastic!!
  • Aw man! I can't even put into words how much better all of your responses made me feel! I'm not usually a cry-at-the-drop-of-a-hat kinda person but recently it feels like anything slightly tough/sad/whatever makes me want to burst into tears! I feel so much better just knowing that this is normal and that others are going through the same thing and have come out the other side better!

    Thank you ALL so much!