Hey there,

This is like my third(?) time coming back to this forum and probably my 45th time trying to re-start my weight loss journey. I'm so fed up with my situation and myself.
I'm sick of starting over again. The worst thing is that I only have 20lbs to lose but my anxiety and depression triggers over eating and bad choices.

Anyone have tips on actually sticking to your diet and keeping motivated

Therapy has helped me a lot with depression and anxiety. It's still a struggle, but having someone to talk with and discover the root causes of my anxiety and depression (and my weight problem too) has been helpful.

I also have both, so I am subbing for tips as well!

Hi Emula, I have depression and anxiety too. I understand how difficult it can be to lose weight while dealing with these issues. Especially on days when it feels like it takes all of your strength just to make it through the day. I have recently re-started therapy, after a particularly rough year with two deaths of close loved ones in a two month time span and it is helping so much just to talk to someone. If you have the ability, I really recommend therapy as well as possibly seeing a psychiatrist for medication. I am now on an anti-depressant, and an anti-anxiety medication and they have helped tremendously. I know that you want to lose weight, but getting your depression and anxiety to a more manageable place first will really help you with your weight loss efforts.

A few things that my therapist recommended that are helping me are journaling, positive self-talk, and self-care. I think when you are in that dark space just trying to take care of yourself in small ways can be helpful. Taking a long relaxing bath, watching a movie you love, or whatever makes you happy can help. My dog can usually cheer me up at least a bit.

When you are feeling like you want to binge, maybe just take a 5 minute break and write down what you are feeling at that time. If you can see what your patterns are, you can more easily break them. Just try to start in small ways to change your patterns.

Also remember that willpower is a finite resource. You only have so much and when we are depressed it takes so much of our willpower to just try to function a work, school, home that we have none left for dieting. Restricting calories requires willpower that you are already drained of. Getting help for your depression will enable you to have more willpower, well it did for me. I wish you all the best and know that things will get better.

Hi clawlady. I really like what you said about taking that 5-minute break. I, too, lost two family members at the same time in January, so I have been having a hard time acknowledging the toll that has played on me and trying to heal from it in additional to all of the other family drama that has been going on since last summer. I struggled SO much yesterday with wanting to binge. It took me two hours to finally get out of it. I am going to try the writing exercise and see if it helps next time.

Hi Britt. I'm glad what I wrote about the 5 minute break helped you. I am sorry for the loss of your family members. It takes a toll on us. My losses happened last September and October and I am still dealing with it. And the family drama, I understand there too. I love them all, but they can be stressful to deal with sometimes. I just want you to know that you are not alone in how you are feeling and that there is no proper time-table for grief. You take as long as you need to deal with your losses. It is getting better for me day by day and I know it will for you too. I am sorry you were struggling yesterday and great job making past the urge to binge. I hope today is a better day, and I hope the break and writing will help too. Best wishes and take care of yourself!

Thank you for the encouragement and support, clawlady.

I battle with anxiety and depression and all my life I've blamed weight as the culprit. But in reality I have to spend my energy coping with the anxiety and depression and when I do my weight drops. So I focus on good sleep - not just sleeping enough, but sleeping well, getting enough nutrients, spending time every day resting and relaxing, doing enjoyable things, meditating, exercising, and connecting with others. As long as those needs are being met my anxiety and depression settle and my weight stays down. The worst thing I ever did was trying to diet through depression. I blame that for all my weight gain.

Those are such good points, Palestrina. For me, I think dieting is helping me feel like I have some semblance of control in my life, so that seems to be working. But I like what you said, and I think as I continue on with my journey that I will keep checking in on myself to make sure it is still making me feel better. For now, the weight loss is, but I know it is not linear, and I can exhibit a lot of excessive behaviors that can be destructive for my mental health in losing.

Mental illness is not fun, I have it myself. If you keep dieting over and over, perhaps you'd be happier not dieting? Many people find it's more trouble than it's worth, probably the majority, and it's certainly not worth making yourself ill over. Would an approach like Intuitive Eating be any good for you?

This is a good point.

Food was my anti-depressive of choice for too many years. I have horrible reactions to AD meds. Finally had a doc treat my anxiety and I am doing better. Trying again to lose weight. I had lost 65 pounds with the help of gastric sleeve surgery but then the weight started to creep back on. I swore that I would never be one of 'those people' who didn't follow through on all the new eating rules.

My husband saw how awful I was feeling and --for the first time -- has joined me on a healthy eating plan and allowed me to remove so many of the tempting foods from the house. I think with his support I may be able to get back on track.

I'm trying to find a psychiatrist but the waiting lists around me are so long!

Muggles, I also have been using food as medicine. It's a wise adage for what it was intended, but I have taken it too far. I have been binging to try to get temporary comfort, and it is making me sick. I ended up binging on Monday, and I am trying to recover as best I can. It's nice that your husband is on board. My fiance is also on a fitness plan, but he is trying to gain/bulk. He is doing well, but I have been messing up. I am trying to be kinder to myself.

I'm bipolar. I quit all my meds, (ssri) because the science behind them is very questionable. The long term effects are dangerous, and also they cause you to get really fat.

Once I quit the SSRI's and went to a vitamin and food (high fat low carb) orientated regime, my anxiety level went down, and also my weight. I would say my mental health issues are resolved. I am not really trying to proselytize, but I have read several books on mental health and diet, and lack of fats, and too much sugar in the diet are associated with mental disease, ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar.

Hi, giselley: this is very interesting. I do not take meds of any kind, so I am always looking for ways to help heal myself by making smarter food choices, using essential oils, aromatherapy, etc. It's interesting that you brought up lack of fat and sugar as being related to mental illness. I know that whenever I binge (I also have BED), I always gravitate towards foods high in fat, salt, and sugar. I wonder if there is a way of eating that would help to balance those things out for their mental impacts.