I have been struggling in the last years with depression and the more I think about it, the more I notice that my mental state is closely linked to my weight and my level of physical activity.
I come from a family of physically fit people and my mother has made me feel guilty about what I eat since as long as I can remember, albeit I was lean and mean. In my twenties, I have developed bulimia and I have been yo-yo dieting for most of my life because I have always wanted to be skinny and picture-ready perfect.
As a teenager, you could not get me off the tennis court. I love a sportive challenge, I am very competitive, and I need to embrace that part of me again because it is precious, fun and strong.
In the last year, I have been physically inactive and eating poorly. Sometimes my dinner consists of a large bag of chips which gives me a headache because of the salt content and all the added chemicals. Calorie-wise, I don't eat that much, but I am so inactive that I have steadily gained thirty pounds in the last two years and a half.
It's hard for me to share these struggles with my friends so I am hoping that by joining this forum, I will be successful into making long-lasting life changes.
Nice to meet you and thank you so much. I have a good feeling about this.
Your comment about exercise and depression really resonated. I had post natal depression. The first thing my psych diagnosed was exercise! It was so damn hard to make myself do it but it made an astonishing difference, and still does when I find myself getting sunk. One of the most valuable things my psych ever gave me was the saying "motivation follows action". On the days it is really hard I rant that phrase a lot until the endorphins kick in. I'm sure the neighbours think I'm a little mad but hey it works for me!
I also really connected with your comments about wanting to have sport back in your life - though for me it is not competitive sport as I am a total gumby on any sports field. But I so desperately want to be out in the bush again. I grew up climbing mountains - few things top the feeling you get when you turn the corner after a long climb and see the world at your feet. My avatar is a place called Cradle Mountain, which is one of the most beautiful pieces of wilderness in Australia. Here's to walking those trails soon!
Love your avatar. It is a stunning scenery. How many girls do you have?
It was so nice to read your words. I love mountains too. It is my element - some of my friends used to call me "mountain goat or blond buck" and I plan on getting to the top of one next weekend.
Ten years ago, I was on antidepressants and followed by a psychiatrist. After the third week, I had seen a drastic upswing in my mood, so the psychiatrist asked me what I had done all week. I was doing 90 to 120 minutes of bike per day (the bike was my means of locomotion). I was also walking a lot.
He looked at me and said, your present well-being is not from your meds , it is from your physical activity, and if you want to stop your meds that's fine with me which I did.
Too bad I did not stick to the exercise.
There are numerous studies that correlate the good short and long time effects of exercise on moods. Exercise is even doing better on the long run.
Quote:
Some of the evidence for that comes from broad, population-based correlation studies. "There's good epidemiological data to suggest that active people are less depressed than inactive people. And people who were active and stopped tend to be more depressed than those who maintain or initiate an exercise program," says James Blumenthal, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Duke University.
The evidence comes from experimental studies as well. Blumenthal has explored the mood-exercise connection through a series of randomized controlled trials. In one such study, he and his colleagues assigned sedentary adults with major depressive disorder to one of four groups: supervised exercise, home-based exercise, antidepressant therapy or a placebo pill. After four months of treatment, Blumenthal found, patients in the exercise and antidepressant groups had higher rates of remission than did the patients on the placebo. Exercise, he concluded, was generally comparable to antidepressants for patients with major depressive disorder (Psychosomatic Medicine, 2007).
Blumenthal followed up with the patients one year later. The type of treatment they received during the four-month trial didn't predict remission a year later, he found. However, subjects who reported regular exercise at the one-year follow-up had lower depression scores than did their less active counterparts (Psychosomatic Medicine, 2010). "Exercise seems not only important for treating depression, but also in preventing relapse," he says.
Nice talking to you ForMyGirls, for the last twelve years I have felt a special kinship with people from Australia on a political message board. One of my closest friend is from Melbourne. I wish you a successful weight loss journey.
Melbourne is a fabulous city. Have you ever visited? I am not a big city person but if I was ever to do it Melbourne would be my pick! I think that there is often an affinity between Canadians and Aussies. Wonder what it is about. Maybe the great big open spaces?
To answer your question - I have two girls - 7 and 8 so a really fun age. Independent enough that life isn't just about meeting there basic needs but young enough that they still delight in being with family! They are good kids too which I am pleased for. How about you? Any littlies in your life?
Cool that you conquered depression with exercise! I managed to do it without meds too - I was quite willing to go on them if I needed to but wanted to do it without if I could so I wouldn't then have the challenge of getting off the meds later on. Exercise was key and also mindfulness, plus a really awesome Mum who held my hand until I was well again.
Are you still a keen cyclist? I have an off and on again love affair with my bike Lucy. I rode her to Melbourne once in fact :-) At the moment she is an indoor bike on a mag trainer with an iPad holder on the handlebars (I get soooooo bored when there is no scenery!)
I am also intrigued by your name? Art maker or art enthusiast?
I have recently been following a ketogenic diet (my version is the Ideal Protein Diet but there are others: Atkins, low carb, etc) and I have learned first by experience and now by reading, that for some people, carbohydrates contribute to depression. Going ketogenic can help.
Depression is an awful state to be in. I have been diagnosed with chronic low grade interspersed with several major depressive episodes. I never want to go back to a 'major' and since being on IP, the low grade has subsided.
There are articles on the net about this. You might want to explore. IP is a tad expensive. I like it for its convenience. But there are other avenues to go ketogenic.
sending my love,
clouds do pass by and the sun does shine again,
Annik
ps despite the fact that the ketogenic diet is helping, I still take my meds (lower dose)...I never never want to go through another major if I can avoid. They say if you been there more than once, it is easier to repeat.
Wanting to be fully engaged in life again
I am wishing you all the best on your Journey! 
