Hi all,
I seem to be going through something strange. Several months ago I quit Jenny Craig because I was getting quite down and teary and it felt like there was a big cloud hanging over me every day.

I took a break from restricting calories for awhile, and I was starting to feel in better spirits, but unhappy with my weight. So I started Weight Watchers (no meetings, just by myself) about a week and a half ago.

I feel a lot better eating this way, as opposed to Jenny Craig, but I'm finding my moods going down again. I don't think I've ever had such a pronounced reaction to calorie restricting in my life.

I want to continue to lose weight, but can't stand this down feeling, not to mention I feel down about my weight if I stop dieting! I can't win!

Does anyone else experience a marked change in mood like this? And I don't mean just getting snarly cause you can't have cake, I mean, genuinely bluesy? Is this some sort of medical condition??

Thanks!

Hi!

Ok, I am not an expert, but as far as I know food plays a huge part when it comes to mood.

A lot of foods have influences of your brain chemistry, they evoke (donīt kow if the word is right...canīt find dictionary...) serotonin for example. Most diets cut down the food with the hugest impact on your brain chemistry: sugar.
No sugar- low serotonin and other things I forgot- depression.

Itīs quite the same for me...I am an emotional eater/ overeater as well, thatīs why I work on that issue and lose veeeery slowly. Diet plans donīt work for me
I read several books from Kathleen DesMaisons. She explains very good what happens when you eat a certain food, how it influences your moods etc.
The good thing is: there is a way out of the vicious circle!

Oh, well, I hope you understand what I wanted to say!

Kate

Well, I have a tendency towards stubborn, severe depressive moods and I have a sugar addiction as well. I believe the two are firmly linked.

The way I try and combat this is by restricting cals (to lose weight...or try to!) but by eating whatever I want within that number, so if i wanna eat 1500 cals of sugar one day then fine, I'll do that. And by eating a lot of sugar, I GENERALLY find after a few days, I want it less.

I shudder to think what I'm doing to my body..I wish I cared about me enough to change, really.

emily
xxx

I do believe that this is true. I never had any depression issues until I lost weight. I was actually a pretty happy go lucky person until I lost all my weight (the first time). When I lost over 130 pounds I found myself depressed, anxious and cutting myself all the time. I would be scared, crying and hating everything. I am not the only one either. I have a friend that was heavy and he went through the same thing. Or is going through.