Trying to get out of a depressive funk.

[Niobe]

I've been severely off plan at least one meal the last three days. :( I got some bad news on Tuesday ... well, nobody around me seems to think it's bad news or at least understand why I'm quite so upset. But it's life-changing and going to stir up a lot of **** for me--the last thing I need after the last two years of endless disasters.

Anyway, I know very well that eating won't make it better. I know that, and I'm not eating to try to make myself feel better. I've been eating carbs because I've been too depressed to care. Too depressed to put the energy into making something more nutritious (or sometimes anything at all, it was six o'clock tonight be I ate anything), too depressed to care about my health when I'm hate my life.

I have still been doing my exercise (I even turned down a late-night Waffle House invite from a co-worked because I wanted to go swim tonight!), and I haven't been gorging non-stop, so I'm still coping better diet-wise than previous emotionally-driven derailments. At the moment, though, I'm very down on myself--Taco Bell binges do that to me--and I feel very self-defeating. (Yet again.)

I guess the point of this whining is that I'm really beating myself up over not being able to control this most recent situation (which I consciously know is stupid) as well as not controlling my eating. I just wanted to vent here because I know you all understand what it's like to kick yourself over this kind of stuff. :frown:

[Gaelen]

Niobe, I truly understand how depression can affect attitude...and how once it does, eating often spirals out of control. One thing that helps me is to keep a file of articles like the one I'm including here...when it's not that I don't know what to do, but just can't muster the emotional energy to do it, reading through one of them usually helps to jolt me back into action. Here's one of my favorites...hope it helps!

(reprinted from SparkPeople archives)

Get a Handle on Emotional Eating
The Secret Sabotage of Your Weight Loss Program

-- By Zach Van Hart, Staff Writer

Ever been angry or upset one minute and then on your couch eating the next, unable to remember why you started eating or how long you had spent munching? If so, then you have entered the world of emotional eating. It’s something than can happen to anyone, and one of the most common dieting obstacles out there.

Emotional eating at its best passes after a few minutes. At its worst, it can take over your life and cause you to eat uncontrollably for extended periods of time. And according to nutritional experts, 75% of overeating is caused by emotions. So don’t worry, if you suffer from emotional eating, you are not alone.

People often eat to relieve stress or to get something off their minds. The kicker is that stress, and the insulin jump that goes with it, may actually cause you to crave high sugar, high carbohydrate foods – foods that go straight to your waistline and cause you even more stress.

Rather than munching, it's better to develop new skills for dealing with boredom, self-esteem issues and stress. Try to pinpoint the major reasons for your stress or unpleasant emotions, and see how you can turn the tide. Here are a few suggestions to combat your emotions:


Get your trigger foods out of the house, get your crutch foods out of arms' reach
Go for a walk or jog. Physical activity relieves stress.
Do deep breathing and relaxation exercises
Keep a reminder of your goal handy
Talk to a friend
Visit and post on the support message boards
Surround yourself with positive re-enforcers, like pictures and people
Keep a journal that includes your best personal accomplishments
Track your eating patterns, including when and why you pick up food.


If you still seem to come back to food when your emotions get the best of you, you can at least be prepared. Eating large amounts of snacks is not a good thing. But if you eat low calorie foods, it’s not so bad. So stock the fridge with healthy alternatives, foods that have good nutritious value, are smaller in size, and will not pack on too many calories. Here are a few food suggestions to keep within arms' reach:


Apple or orange slices
Carrot sticks
Banana
Broccoli
Whole wheat toast
Bran muffin
Fruit smoothie
Applesauce


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(note from Gaelen: yes, the suggested 'alternative' foods are maybe higher carb than your typical munchies...but they do give you a way to indulge a carb craving with whole fruits and veggies that is less damaging than -- oh, a whole box of Double-Stuff Oreos or a bag of Doritos. When these moods hit, sometimes the severity of indulgence is a matter of degree. In my case, 'indulging' in a whole orange or apple or banana doesn't derail me completely, while the Oreos or Doritos are like a land mine of continuing derailment. YMMV. ;))

[Belfrybat]

I can certainly relate to the "need" to indulge in carbs when one has an emotional set-back. Been there, done that. The article Gaelen posted in excellent. Look at what you have accomplished and your successes: You haven't allowed yourself a complete carb blow out for the past three days, you are still excersising (the first to go for me). I doubt you have degenerated to a total couch potato. These are successes that you need to credit yourself with.

And do remember, Protein Power is a way of life -- we will have set backs and then we get up, dust ourselves off, and keep on going. You can do it! :thumbsup: And those of us on the Board are in your corner to encourage and support you. Please do post as often as you feel you need to until this crisis passes.

[laughingW]

My bias is that emotional eating always has a physical cause that comes before it. I was a binge eater for 40 years and now, no more.

Low serotonin can cause both depression and loss of impulse control around those carbs. Also low omega3 fats.

How's your omega3 program? lots of omega3 compared to the other?

Serotonin situation? Are you doing all the things that build it up, and few of the things that bring it down? You mentioned a couple of years of bad things. Trauma blows through serotonin faster and maybe you're in a low situation before you've had sufficient time for your body to build it up again.

[Missy]

Hang in there Niobe!!! I feel for you dear. I've been down that road many many times myself...and your right, know one can possibly know what your feeling and to the depth of it that you are. But, in saying that...don't feel alone. ~ all of us have been there with our own personal pain.

It's those moments that you feel like the last thing you want to do is BEHAVE eatingwise...after all those carbs can "baby" you like no one else can....:rolleyes: (in our minds anyways)...but don't let that same ol same ol message work it's conviencing message in your mind. Tell yourself that this time, it's gonna be different...this time, DISPITE EVERYTHING, your going to draw a line in the sand with yourself and even though you might not have control over the issue...you can have control over yourself. That might seem like a mountain to climb...but, you can do it!

Coming to the board, asking for support, is/was the BEST first step you could make for yourself....good for you. Vent on it, build on it, and before you know it, you'll feel back in control.

On occasion, the 10 days PRIOR to my TOM the world sometimes becomes overwhelming to me that I otherwise can normally handle.....could this be a factor for you?? Not to get too personal. It's just that it just recently happened to me again...and this board helps me through it.

[gitfiddle]

...emotional eating always has a physical cause that comes before it.
If you've identified that trigger, it's half the battle. The other half is slow slogging through the mud. I'm getting to the point where I can say what the trigger was as I'm reaching for that carby tranquillizer. I consider that progress. It's also progress that you're here sounding the alarm before the train wreck instead of after. I don't have any better advice that what everyone has said so far. Keep coming back!

[deirdra]

Eating WELL can get you OUT of a depressive funk (I know, I was in one for ~30 years while on and off low-cal high-carb diets).

Indulge in your favourite low-carb foods with plenty of fat and don't worry about calories. In a couple of days you won't crave the junk & will feel more clear headed. Eating low carb keeps my mood up.

[SherryJ]

emotional eating always has a physical cause that comes before it.
Indeed!

Miss Pirate, this week I read a saying... "Treatment stems from treat..." Which means, WHY AM I EATING/WHAT AM I TREATING? This thought has helped me TREMENDOUSLY...

Hopefully, you are doing better today... thinking of you!

Sherry

[Niobe]

Thanks everybody, I knew I could count on you for support and good advice. :) I still haven't gotten back on track, but my life for the next two weeks will be easier: my adopted family is on vacation, so for two weeks I don't have to deal with the children baking cake every time they're bored, or unhealthy leftovers in the fridge, etc.

I'm actually sort of excited, being sure that tomorrow will be the day I get 100% on track again. :) See you on Monitor Monday ...