I think depression can give you a negative outlook on life, and being overweight can contribute to depression (both mentally and physically).

For me, my weight doesn't really make me grouchy, but dieting sure does. Sometimes I just have to remind myself (and sometimes my husband) that it is the hunger talking. I tend toward blood sugar spikes and drops, so I have to keep that in mind too. Lower carb dieting works great diet wise for me because it cuts down hunger, but sometimes so much that I don't even realize I'm hungry until hubby is cowering in the corner (ok, slight exageration, but he has said that he's been tempted to just toss a sandwhich into the room and run for cover)

I was like that for a long time at my heaviest. I hated myself, and everyone around me, and I acted like it. I did more screaming than talking. As I lost weight, I calmed down. I went to the other extreme. Instead of having a chip on my shoulder and a hair trigger, I've become almost unflappable. I think I have only lost my temper half a dozen times in the last 2 years, and I'm Irish.

I think my problem is a 17 year old and 20 year old that

1. Know everything
AND YET
1. Have no idea how to do chores without being told, sometimes over and over
2. Haven't figured out yet, you are going to do them, might as well get them done
3. Don't understand the concept, you have time to do it wrong you have time to do it again


Mom is mean, mom runs their life, mom doesn't let them have any fun

Ya Ya since time began mothers have heard this.

Tends to make me cranky lol.

I have been very successful in everything I've done in my life, except (you guessed it) weight loss. When I am in control of my weight issue, I am calmer in most aspects. Unfortunately, I still have a bit of a hair trigger because I am learning to deal with emotions and stress without my food sedation.

Hugs!
Rat

When I first went to OA, I was miserable. I didn't even realize HOW miserable I was! Relationships were strained, my sense of self sucked, and I had absolutely no excitement about the future, much less about my life right at that moment. AllI knew was that I wanted help with eating and losing weight. That was it. That was my entire goal.

Now that I've been abstinent for 7 months (as of today!) from white flour and sugar and have really, intensely addressed my issues with food, I'm the happiest I think I have ever been. I'm really excited about my life, now. I wake up and I'm ridiculously happy. I've even said that I don't know if I'm allowed to be this happy, because everyone else in the world seems miserable. I have fantastic plans for next year, five years from now, ten years from now, when I'm 80...I no longer dread "having" to live through all those days to "eventually" get "somewhere good". RIGHT NOW is fantastic, and I believe tomorrow will be fantastic, too.

I don't know if there's some direct chemical reason that weight would make you grumpy, though I do know that sometimes the endocrine system has problems keeping things level and steady in an overweight body. BUT I do know that the reality of being overweight is that everything is harder--physically and emotionally. Moving, negotiating the world, bending over to pick something up, keeping up with a full schedule, even breathing: everything is harder when you're heavier. That would make me grumpy, too!

sidhe
I am so glad you are finding your way and are happier now.

ratkitten
The hair trigger may have less to do with the food as it has to do with that is how you deal with stress. I am the yeller in the family. I get over things very quickly and am generally never mean, just yell when things get to me. Since I don't generally let things stress out so it is ok to yell once in a while.