Ok so I haven't had any junk food in about 6-7 days but I'm tired and dh is working 6 days straight. So yes I had a 1,2,3 oh who's counting diet cokes over the past few days. And now I'm depressed, irritated, annoyed, etc. I KNOW caffeine, sugar and especially aspertame affect me badly so why is it so hard to give it up? Over the past year I've seen a direct result between my diet and my mood. I know what I can and can't have and yet I still keep doing it. Ugggg....

How do I stop?

Maybe getting some fresh air and exercise would help. And lots of water? I hope you feel better soon. hugs

I know how you feel, why would we not want to do what makes us feel better? Been there!!!

I would also highly recommend the exercise. I read somewhere something like 3 days a week of regular cardio has the mood enhancement of taking zoloft! I've been formally exercising for about 6 weeks, and I've never felt better. I also take effexor and was still pretty down till I hit the gym!!!

Best of luck to you! I really know what it's like when life bears down!

Yesterday I really messed up. I GAINED weight which caused me to go out to eat and overeat (yeah like thats gonna help). I had junk food and sweet tea then later had candy and a diet coke. But somewhere in there I had this aha moment where I realize that I'm putting myself last. I take care of my kids, school stuff, my husband, my friends, my house, etc. everything but me. My days automatically get filled because I don't make the time for me like with exercise.

The last time I was doing well with diet and exercise was when I made it a priority. I quit answering the phone, I exercised before I did anything else, etc. I just did that first and then did everything else. Now that school has started back and I have 2 kids there now I've gotten too busy and my priorities are messed up so I need to fix that.

Sigh....it's just hard. My 3 year old isn't sleeping well so while I was motivated to start working out today I'm just too tired. But I will eat right thats the least I can do right?

I've been eating junk the past like month, and now I'm on that TOM so that always makes me overeat. I always drink diet soda cause I need it to take my pills daily - I'm very sensitive to swallowing pills.

People say exercise helps mood - It doesn't with me. In fact when I exercise/clean I get moody and irritable and cranky. I think I'm just hating life altogether, lol.

Hi Karen,

It's difficult to think of ourselves first sometimes, especially if we have a family that needs our attention. Your experience has shown that making time for yourself is very important so go ahead and settle into the new routine of schoo with the kids and find out how to best reorganize your priorities to include time for you. Also, if you absolutely cannot make yourself work out, then at the very least do some yoga stretches. Stretching will help elevate the serotonin levels that will help to keep you in a more positive mood. Good luck and {{{hugs}}}

I will include you in my prayers. Try to think of activities that excite you, when I'm depressed I eat ice creams

I'm doing better now. I started back taking my supplements and it's really helping both my mood and the cravings. Boy do I love that!! It's amazing the difference they make. I have ZERO desire for junk right now. Love it!

What supplements are you using?

Well I've fallen off the wagon....again but normally I take things like Glutamine for sugar cravings, fish oil, magnesium, B vitamins, amino acid, etc. that are all supposed to help depression but duh you actually have to take them (and eat right) for them to work. As I sit here drinking diet soda and eating halloween candy....

Karenann,

Like others have said, you HAVE to put your health first. You know that you feel better when you are eating right and taking your vitamins, so do that...even if you don't feel like it. I know how hard it can be to do what's right for our bodies and minds...especially at first, when it feels like we're stuck in a hole that we'll never be able to climb out of. I felt the same way. I used to feel soooo depressed. I just wanted to hurt myself, which scared me (I didn't.) And then something clicked in my mind this past summer, and I realized I knew what I had to do to make my life better...and I just did it. That was the key...to just do it. Don't analyze it or anything. If you know what makes you feel good, do it. Don't do what makes you feel bad anymore. 24 lbs. down later I feel great and like a huge weight (literally & figuratively) has been lifted off my shoulders. I feel so much more capable and like my dreams are within reach. I also feel a lot more confident about myself. I feel like truly living again. I still have a ways to go, but I am glad that I didn't choose to go down the meds route. The problem was being exacerbated by choices I made, so now I am fixing myself.

Exercise is a godsend as well. Just melts the stress away and makes me feel soo good afterwards...unlike eating junk, which made me feel good while I was eating it but awful afterwards.

I agree with everyone else in this post. YOU NEED TO BE SELFISH AND PUT YOURSELF FIRST. There is NOTHING wrong with doing this. IF YOU DON'T TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, then you will not be any help to or be able to take care of your children and your husband. Every woman whether your are a mother, not a mother, working single woman, working wife, working single parent, non-working single parent or housewife needs ME time. Spending time away from home, going on a mini vacation or going for walks by yourself will help alot. Also I been through what you are going through as far as depression. Although I stopped eating sweets, sodas and carbs I still go through depression periods but it is no longer severe and it doesn't last as long as it used to. If something else other than the food is triggering depressive moods, find out what is going on inside of you that is making you feel this way. Also, exercise does help tremendously.

I was addicted to the DC too. I first switched to Crystal Light for about a month. Then, I went to flavored water. Now, just water. I "swore off" water for years because I didn't like it. DC makes me feel yuck now. I have it on rare occasion--maybe every ten days or so.

ARe you more concerned right now about your depression or your eating?
Often when you get your depression under control, your eating habits become more normal.. Though not always. Also when your depression gets under control you typically don't feel so negative about your self, and your faults, and mistakes....
*hugs*
*Hugs*
*hugs*

Take one day at a time....
I don't know if you keep that stuff in the house...or not...
but what we do, if we want to treat ourselves, is like buy a pint of ice cream, i eat it all or share it. then it is all gone.......
If we buy a half gallon eat it for days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!
We don't buy soda, except if we order pizza or if we are at a restaurant.
At home we drink water mostly.

I LOOOOOOve coffee, and i love diet coke, but i have to stay away,
because both effect my anxiety, and my sleeping. So to me it just isn't wort it..because i suffer in the end. If i'm desperate, i have 1/2 reg with 1/2 decaf coffee, and i get caffien free diet coke.......

dont be hard on yourself,,
you are not alone *hugs*

I have lots of moments like all the other folks above have mentioned ....when it comes to food... I stop and think as I go to eat (as I have become much more of deliberate person these days)... and I look at junk food and I always say "that is what made me 400 pounds...and a little voice in the back of my mind says, never again..." because for me my weight is not only the key to my health it is also helping me overcome depression somewhat (not entirely) but eating healthy and exercising is a much better life style than my life previously was... sometimes I make mistakes and I am human so it's ok, I am the best "Elliott" that I can be for "today" and by continuing to make good choices I make my tomorrow all the brighter... I hope someone gets something from my ramblings.. and I wish everyone strength to overcome their battles with depression, it is an amazing thing to have to deal with. People who have never had it cannot understand what it feels like, people who do understand immediately.

Hugs all around,
- Elliott