Hi all,

I have suffered with depression, anxiety, social phobia and agoraphobia for some time and the agoraphobia in particular has added to my "weight problems". I rarely leave the house so obviously don't lose the weight by burning it off out and about, I also have chronic pain and fatigue so am limited with indoor activity too. Its a very tricky position to be in but I'm determined I will find a way round it.

Looking forward to meeting some of you and beating it together x

Hey there.

I have had panic disorder and depression for 9 years now so I know the feeling. I even had a bout of agoraphobia.

The one good thing about being home is that you can home cook healthy meals .

As for exercise a gentle recumbent or pedal bike is great to use when watching tv.

I use work out video games, but I'm not sure if that would be too strenuous for your fatigue.

Best of luck!

-Sally

It must be very hard to be in your position, but since you've decided to get a hold of it all - You will succeed! Good luck!

I have really bad anxiety myself which seems to make weight loss a constant battle. I'm either 100% perfect to every calorie or completely give up. I am trying to get better with making weight loss and maintenance a lifestyle rather than something for my anxiety to grab onto. <3 Good luck!

HEMUM:
I can relate to the anxiety problem. I think I came out of the womb anxious and I struggle with SAD in the late Fall and Winter.

It is good that you reached out for support. Hopefully you will stay connected with others this year and start down the path for a better year. Connecting with others on a message board can be very beneficial.

There are lots of exercise options you can do at home. Others have given you some good advice here. In addition to a stationary bike, you can get a trainer to use at home with a regular bike (that way you can have a real bike and use it for both inside and outside). Lots of exercise options for home use.

lack of energy many times comes from the anxiety and depression. We can't change overnight, but with some form of exercise at home. Start for short periods of time and increase the time little by little.

Make it a goal to get out of the house. The longer you delay getting out, the worse it will get. As with the exercise, start out small and work your way up.

Many of us know the "all or nothing" dilemma. A lot of that stems from our tendency to have everything perfect or not at all. The answer for all of is "between all and nothing". We are all going to fall down and off the good path - we just need to get ourselves back up and continue on. We don't fail until we quit trying.

Life moves fast, don't waste it. You have the power to make 2014 a better year. You won't regret it. It will never be easier to make positive changes than it is now.

Munchey

I have a lot of anxiety issues also and I understand to the fullest what you are going through and I am here for you if you ever need a friend.

crimsonrose91, delosmuertos44, SallyLa, and HEmum, if any of y'all feel so inclined, please join us in the Ups & Downs Support Group thread for January: it's a warm, friendly place where people can check in with each other, share what they're going through, and get lots of support on their journey.

munchey, it's nice to see you again! I like your New Year's graphic and your distinctive purple letters. =smile= I hope we'll be seeing more of you in the Ups & Downs group.

Hi Hemum-

I have suffered from Depression and I have Fibromyalgia amongst other things. I have been fit and overweight and all in between. I have realized that it always was dependant on how I was mentally.

This time around I am focusing on the mental aspect and trying to clear up any triggers and reasons behind the eating.

Sometimes depression can be so debilitating that you can't move. So once that is handled and any other health issues as best as possible (Medications etc) then the weight loss will not be so impossible.

Also if you figure out your fears as far as going outside and where they stem from then maybe one day it won't be as hard. I know I don't like to go places I used to when I am overweight. I am not sociable when overweight. The world also scares me because there is stuff happening all the time.

You are not alone.

Hey I have bipolar, severe anxiety disorder (I used to be agoraphobic-still am a little), and recovered from anorexia w/ purging and binge eating disorder. I've been underweight, overweight, and everything in between.

Its good to meet you! we can do this!

Hi, one thing you can try is changing your eating habits while you deal with your other issues. This is something that you can do while you are alone and in your home. Just consume fewer calories every time you eat. I'm not talking about drastically reducing your food intake, because this usually slows down your metabolism. In other words, your body will think there will be no food for a while so it will try to save energy by storing/keeping the body's fat for survival. So depending on how many calories you consume every day, try cutting back ten percent of you daily consumption. If this is too much for you, try cutting back five percent. I wish you the best!