Depression AFTER weight loss
 

I'm not sure if there is a thread on this topic elsewhere, so if there is please excuse me.

I feel like I am relapsing back into depression and that it's connected to my weight loss. I think that I feel sort of trapped in the fact that I can't fully enjoy myself like I used to (eating and drinking) and that this is really throwing me for a loop. Anyways, I'm having a hard time expressing this in words, but has anyone else experienced depression AFTER weight loss?

Hi Kry172,

I think this is something you need to talk about with your doctor, sounds like you could use a little help either with meds or with counceling. I'm so sorry after all the hard work you did to lose the weight your depression is rearing its ugly head.

One think that pops into my pea brain is what are you eating? are you eating enough calories and are you exercising. What calories are you eating? enough protein, veggies? I think what we eat plays a big part of how we feel as well.

There are some articles (stickys) on exercise and depression you might want to look at on this board.

Leenie

KRy, you might want to try fish oil and getting more Vitamin D either through supplement or sunshine. I struggle with depression from time to time. I am coming out of my most recent bout which I am sooooo excited about. Before, my bouts lasted for several months at a time. This one only last a couple of weeks.

Yes KRy...It is actually very commen I have found. After I lost my first 75 pounds or so, you'd think I'd be on cloud nine...but I wasn't. I felt worse. MUCH worse. (Depression and major anxiety) After numerous doctor visits and a couple good counseling sessions I came to the realization that I actually really wasn't any worse, I could just feel the pain because I wasn't medicating myself with carbohydrates and alcohol. I have found that forcing myself to exercise and getting as much sunshine as possible, (sometimes impossible during the cold Nebraska winter), helps almost as much as anything.

I agree with you, Lori Bell. Anxiety at times, is much worse for me. I don't have my food crutch now to numb out. So, I have to find other relief which can sometimes be hard. The anxiety for me comes first and the depression follows. I am trying to let myself "play out" my emotions rather than masking them with the eating. I hope this makes sense.

Wow, what an interesting thread.

you're right, after your body has been getting so much extra food/junk/calories for so long, you must go through some kind of withdrawal period where you have to learn how to replace that dependency with other things. However, if you don't have any other "things" to replace it with, I can see how it would start to affect you.

Do you get enough protein? I never knew what I was lacking until I tried 8 g of protein powder daily. It felt good immediately! I immediately began to have such a sense of well being, it was incredible.

Are you getting any fish oil in your diet?

~CGH~

Thanks for all of the responses. I'm not sure if I am getting enough protein. I like to think that I eat a well balanced diet.

I'm going to look into the fish oil. We give it to our dogs and they have terrible breath because of it. This may dissuade me from taking the plunge!

Originally Posted by KRy172:
We give it to our dogs and they have terrible breath because of it. This may dissuade me from taking the plunge!

I'm not sure that dogs have nice breath at anytime! lol.

~CGH~

They have fish oil caps that are treated in some way that is supposed to remove the smell. If I sniff the open container, I can still smell it. But I have not had any of the aftertaste or fishy burps I have heard about.