Which Came First: The Depression or The Weight Gain?
As an emotional eater, it may be difficult to separate the answer to this question. It is a classics chicken-egg conundrum.
When you feel strong emotions—grief, anger, anxiety—it is likely that you turn to food to sooth them away. Likely the foods you choose are ones that bring you a sense of comfort (you have happy memories associated with it) and give you a dose of the feel-good serotonin followed by a sugar crash that might made you feel dull or tired enough to sleep (and block out all feelings). These foods are likely high in fat, sugar, and taste amazing! But they are the kinds of foods that can lead to weight gain if eaten quickly and without mindfulness. In this scenario, weight gain comes from the food used to calm emotions like depression.
On the other hand, it is natural to gain weight as life circumstances change like becoming a new mom, after a breakup, or during a global pandemic. In these scenarios, you might find that you’ve gained weight and begin to feel sad and incredibly self-critical. This negative self-talk can lead to an inner dialogue of “I’m too fat”, “I’m not good enough”, “I’m so ugly.” Sound familiar? In this case, the weight gain may have caused a spiral in your mental health wellbeing, making you feel much less resilient and leading you to finding comfort in food.
No matter which of these scenarios sounds like your story, the solution isn’t to begin a restrictive diet. Instead, get curious about what makes you feel GOOD again. That may seem like a tall order if you’re sitting in your depression, but it doesn’t have to be a big step. Try going to bed at the same time each day or opening the windows in your house to get some fresh air. Contact a friend through text, it doesn’t have to be in-person if that feels overwhelming. Try reaching for water to drink more often or lay on the ground in front of the TV to stretch. If you feel called to, sign up for our First Step Course to get support at your fingertips.
Little-by-little these steps add up until you’re feeling more optimistic most days.
💛 Your peace awaits.
