Trying To Lose Weight When Living With Depression

If you’re struggling with depression, at times it feels like the world is working against you. You’re navigating life with what can be a debilitating illness, and working towards losing weight while you’re down in the dumps is a daunting thought. Starting a weight loss journey with depression presents unique challenges, but with patience and dedication it’s achievable.

With or without depression, a weight loss journey requires a lot of patience.  But when you’re suffering from depression, you need to approach your journey with compassion, you need to treat yourself with kindness, and create goals that take both your physical health and emotional wellbeing into consideration. When you’re starting a weight loss journey, it’s a good idea to start journaling. In this case, we’re not talking about a food diary, we mean checking in with yourself.

Log your thoughts and feelings when you can, that way you can reflect on what might have lowered your mood that day. Unfortunately, starting a new diet can negatively impact your mood, but don’t let this deter you, try to remember this is simply scientific, and depending on how different your diet was prior to starting your journey, it’s extremely common for your mood to dip. A weight loss journey is more than physical appearance, it's about bettering your health, and there’s a proven emotional component. 

A weight loss journey takes time, so patience is crucial. It’s a big lifestyle change and similar to breaking bad habits, creating good habits comes with trials and tribulations. It’s okay to slip up, and just like anything else in life, it’s normal to make mistakes. Don’t go in with the mindset that your journey will be perfect, perfection is overrated anyway! Take it one day at a time and remind yourself that everyone, no matter their emotional state, will still struggle with sticking to goals. Strive for a happier, healthier you, not perfection. 

Setting attainable goals for yourself is key, if you aim to lose a rapid amount of weight too quickly, it’s going to negatively impact your mental health because you won’t be able to sustain it! People lose weight at different rates, and there are so many factors that contribute to this, so never compare yourself to someone else. Have a read of our blog on the safe and attainable rate of weight loss to learn more about it. 

Weight loss journeys are difficult, and eradicating all of your favourite foods in one go is both difficult and a sad thought! Like we said, take it slow — this applies to your new and improved diet plan. This is particularly important if you’re big on sugar! Our brains crave sugar like a drug, and it’s ideal to cut down on it when trying to lose weight, but cutting it out too quickly can bring on withdrawals that are proven to lower your mood. Take a look at how you can avoid or at least ease the pain of sugar withdrawals here.

Depression comes with a string of challenges and people still suffer even if they’re receiving professional help, but believe it or not, certain foods have been proven to boost your mood! The best part? These foods are all suitable for those trying to lose weight! 

Nutrition plays a significant role in terms of your emotional wellbeing, so eating right is a great way to help. We recommend healthy fats, green tea and even dark chocolate! You can read more in depth about good food choices to boost your mood here.

Depression can be crippling, and losing weight with such a taxing illness is understandably difficult. We’re always going to recommend you seek professional help if you’re depressed, but incorporating these steps in your journey will further your chances of sustaining it! Celebrate even the smallest of victories, and these don't have to include food! 

Focus on your accomplishments rather than your downfalls. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.