Does the happiness come back?

LegacyUser

I am 27 and massively overweight. I have always been big and knew it was not healthybyt just ignored the problem. Last week I went for a work sponsored health check and it was such an eye opener. Nobody had ever described my ill health so bluntly to me before. I have been on a low calorie diet since then, but have been massively depressed the whole time. I am putting it down to not eating any sugar.

My question is this - will this depressipn last until I get off the diet or will my brain adapt? This diet is guaranteed to fail if I have to feel this bad for the next two years

Overheal

Only your GP can really answer that but it sounds like your body chemistry will take some time to re-adapt. Those symptoms won't last forever, imo. Just keep supporting yourself, keep track of your progress. If you stick with it you'll feel much better about yourself by the end.

Bottle_of_Smoke

The depression is probably nothing to do with the sugar. Processed sugar has nothing valuble for your body.

The shock of the whole confrontation is probably causing it. You're bound to be angry with yourself for not taking charge before.

Good news is you're sorting it out. I hope they've instructed you to join a gym, not only will it help you lose your excess fat but it will also give you a rush and help your body and brain run more efficiently.

Best of luck and well done for sorting it out.

phelixoflaherty

Best of luck with it.
One thing that should help is exercise, mainly walking.
Anytime I get bluesy it's out the door, mainly in the evening

dudara

It can take a while to get used to eating a low-sugar diet. The insulin rushes that you got from ingesting sugar are gone now and body is adjusting. Additionally, you probably feel a bit self-disgusted with yourself, but as the weight starts to come off, you will feel better.

By cutting sugar out of your diet, you are massively reducing your chances of diabets and all the associated nasties. Good work!

TheDollyParton

I lost a significant amount of weight last year and I can tell you that every time I stepped on the scales and saw the number going down I became happier and happier. Hopefully that's some help to you.

Best of luck and fair play to you for making a change. I know how difficult that is.

LegacyUser

If you need moral support there's a thread in the Ladies Lounge and there's the Health & Fitness forum.
The happiness does come back - I've been through those lows and the more results you see, the better you feel. Your body is adjusting, give it time.

Couldn't agree more about how important it is to exercise - get moving and you'll be releasing endorphins, which give you a natural high

Re: low calorie diets - you still need to make sure you're eating enough - you'll be miserable if you're starving yourself. Don't go ridiculously low with your calories or your body will go into starvation mode and hold onto the weight.

I'd steer clear of most of the packaged low cal stuff, go for whole foods instead and lean meats. You'd be amazed at how much fruit and veg will give you the same amount of calories as some of the packaged stuff, bulk-wise.