Hi. I joined this site in 2010 but this is my first post.
I have isolated in the last year so I do not have many face to face friends left. I am hoping to find some support here so I can stop burying my upset in fast food and candy every night.
I am not really sure where to start. I am crying as I write this because I feel like my life has spun out of control in every way. I have struggled with depression since I was a teen. In February of 2012 I stopped working because of it and the last two years have been a nightmare of trying so many different meds and not finding relief. Some of the medicine caused me to gain weight and I made it so much worse by overeating to comfort myself.
I just stepped off the scale. That's when the tears started. I have avoided it for months. The 191 pounds is a shock and I feel like I have been punched. Logically it shouldn't be. I have one pair of sweatpants that just barely fits and I avoid looking in the mirror and going out in public because I have gained so much weight. Everything has spun out of control, my body, my house, my finances. Everything is a mess.
I am trying to think of this post as a first step on my journey of trying to get back to me.
Shelby, I really feel for you and hope you can dry your tears and turn this around and find a way to empower yourself through a difficult situation. I know how it is to struggle....I struggle with chronic daily migraines and I've tried meds that have made me gain weight (without helping any of the pain, btw)....so I can't imagine how rough things are but I can tell you that you can just start by putting one foot in front of the other. Find something you can stick to and make small steps to reach your goal. It might start out with something as simple as drinking more water. Then, perhaps you can start walking more (get a cheap pedometer and try to move more with each passing day). Exercise is not necessary for weight loss but it's great for health and improved mood.
I hope to see you posting more and that you find this site helpful.
Last edited by luckymommy; 11-02-2013 at 12:52 PM.
Welcome, Shelby, you have taken a terrific first step. Good for you for reaching out even though, I know, it's difficult. Pat yourself on the back (because finding a way to give yourself credit for the good things you do -- even the small ones -- is an important skill).
I'm a librarian, so I have books to recommend:
The Beck Diet Solution and/or The Complete Beck Diet for Life by Judith S. Beck. These books helped me use Cognitive Behavioral Techniques to change how I think about and act around food, replacing unhelpful behaviors with strategies and structures that really work. The same techniques work in other areas of my life, including boosting my mood.
The End of Overeating by David A Kessler. This was the book that helped me see that the foods I was eating contributed to my problem. It wasn't just my lack of willpower that meant I couldn't stop eating -- the foods themselves, and the way the are marketed, are engineered and designed to be irresistible and to induce cravings. A little righteous indignation at the food industry helped me stopped the cycle in its tracks and start a new way of eating.
Hi Shelby. It's my first post too. I just joined. I know how you are feeling. I'm on depression meds also and they do cause weight gain but in my case it's 95% eating too much of the wrong things and not moving. I hate socializing because I'm embarrassed. It's an awful feeling. I'm perfectly happy to work (I work from home) and then veg on the couch and watch TV. Don't feel alone. I'll be your start buddy.
Thank you all for your kind words. They have really helped today.
Luckymommy I got my water bottle and pedometer off the top shelf. Drinking water as I type this.
Joy my library has a copy of The Beck Diet Solution and they are going to let me know when it comes in. I will look on Amazon for the other.
Kim I would be glad to be your start buddy. I have developed the bad habit of zoning out to Netflix as a way to avoid other socializing. Maybe we can motivate each other to leave the couch.
Sounds good to me, Hon. I need to know how to know when I have a response from a friend on these posts though. I have no clue what I'm doing. I'm having to recheck the whole site to find things. So confused. btw… Your Avatar looks just like my beloved dog Max that passed 3 years ago.
Hey Kimkim I am still trying to figure things out too. My avatar is the Verizon dog that was dressed up in the commercial. I liked him because he seemed to smile.
Night time is my hardest time. I am trying not to eat the refrigerator.
Hi Shelby! I am so glad you posted! I just hurt hearing your story, but things can and will get better. Just take it one step at a time. Good for you in reaching out! That took courage! I hope you keep posting. People here really do care and they want the best for you!
I am new too and thank you for my welcome. As one of the other replies stated, we all just have to take it one thing, one day at a time. I am starting with the drinking more water too.... Welcome to the site and I hope we all can be support for each other. I think it is more difficult when we don't have face to face friends to see everyday. It just gets easier to stay inside and not socialize. I moved to a new area 3 years ago and I found myself just staying in the house and the more I did that the worse things got. As another poster mentioned, exercise is not key to weightless, but it definitely is a mood booster.
I don't know how you know if you have a reply to a post unless you just go back and look at your thread. Have a Great Day!
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