Medication caused weight gain but too depressed to lose it

[Steven_v]

about two years ago tablets i was taking as well as other things that ment that in a year i went from 13 stone to 19. i stoped taking these tablets very soon after (about a year afyer) but am till finding it hard to loose any weight. doctors will only give me cetain tables that havent worked and ive complety changed my diet but its not had much of a difference and my craving for food is constant. ive tried exercise but found that im almost always to depressed to even start exercise sometimes. so its turned int o viceous circle where i dont exercise (and sometimes pig out because of these cravings and because im so depressed) and then that makes me way to depressed to exercise. its been going on ages now and im its been beging to really get to me ive lost all my confedence especially with women (wich gets me vene more down) but every time i go to exerecise i either start nad just give up half way through cause i dont see the point or i seat there wanting to exercise been and so down i dont have the energy to do much at all. just look ing if anyone has any advice as my confedence goes down everyday i maytaine the weight, im still used to being about 12-13 stone and feel so disgusting being the weight i am especially when i catch myself in the mirror. and as i said its effecting other parts of my life reall bad

 

[Daniel E.]

Re: Tablets Caused Mass Weight Gain but to Depressed to Lose It

I would consider getting a personal trainer, if you can afford it, since that provides motivation through social facilitation. A similar idea is getting a gym partner or doing activities in which exercise is a secondary benefit like walking at the mall while going shopping.

And there's always talk therapy to help one achieve any goal, including weight loss. For example, a cognitive therapy approach to weight loss:

Amazon.com: The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person: Judith S. Beck: Books

Regarding exercise motivation in general, suffice it to say, a gradual approach is better than an all-or-nothing approach, with 5 minutes of walking being better than nothing. Similarly, I do think traditional notions of exercise can get in the way, in addition to the depression. For example, there is significant research that replacing long aerobic workouts with short periods of aerobic interval training can actually burn more calories. Other things that can replace traditional notions of exercise:

...Walking to lunch, pacing while on the phone, cleaning the house, cooking, climbing stairs, standing while you talk to a friend, folding laundry...If you simply convert sedentary TV time to active time, you could lose 50 pounds a year.

...The behavior research suggests that if you adopt a change for about 21 (or 20) consecutive days, your brain adapts.

How to drop pounds with all-day activities, not exercise - Psychlinks

...I ask clients to remember what it was like to play as a kid. You ran around, climbed on things—your goal was not to lose weight, it was to have fun. Being active gave you a sense of freedom, excitement and amazement. You have to reconnect with that emotion.

...Aerobics is no longer the panacea for losing weight. It's the change in body composition that makes you look better, and for that, strength training is more effective.

Weight Loss and Faulty Thinking - Psychlinks Psychology Self-Help & Mental Health Support Forum

I would guess that, for many people, 5 minutes of challenging weight/strength training could do more for weight loss than 20+ minutes of aerobic exercise. One reason men lose weight faster than women is because men have more muscle mass:

Weight Watchers She Loses, He Loses ... - Google Book Search