I realised today just how miserable I really am. Its not the first time I've felt like this, but every time I think Im feeling better it's not long before I start to feel down again.

I look in the mirror and I dont even recognise myself. It's not just a weight thing, and I'm sure shifting the weight weill help, but I just look so tired and unhealthy. Rather than pushing me to keep at it and work towards my goals it just depresses me and I end up doing the opposite.

I just feel like I've grown older and that I've wasted the past year and a half getting fat and being unhealthy. Not only that, I also feel as though the damage I've done is irreversible and that I'll never be healthy and happy again.

Does being overweight really make you feel this bad? I don't just mean psychologically, but physiologically, because my body doesnt seem to like me much at the moment. I dont even drink, smoke or take caffeine - sugar is the only thing I indulge in, and yet, I look and feel so unwell at times, and this is without any serious medical condition.

I think I'm going to have to sleep on it ... work first thing in the morning

I totally believe it can.

Heya's MC,
Unfortantley yeah being overweight does make ya feel
like crap.But the good thing is with each day you stick to your plan
and each weeke you lose ,you start to feel a heck of better.
You can do it.Have a gr8 night,Tammy

Being overweight and overeating can make a huge difference physiologically. The weight puts extra pressure on your joints (causing or exacerbating joint pain), and bladder (stressing or adding to pelvic floor problems). It seems to play a part in gall bladder problems. In my case, fluctuations in my diet sometimes lead to stomach or duodenal pain, nausea or bloating. The weight makes me puffed if I climb stairs and the fat on my stomach squashes my lungs and internal organs if I bend over or crouch. Then there's the problems that come from not necessarily getting all the good things our bodies need from healthy food...

What I eat can make me feel like sleeping all the time. When it has a bunch of food to digest the body's hormones are focused on that - the opposite of the hormones that make us feel like bouncing around. Exercising on the other hand also makes us feel more like moving in general, plus the brain also releases the chemical that makes us all feel good - endorphin. This is without the biggies of diabetes, heart disease, blood vessel disease, cancer...

All of that is without more psychological things like considering the impact of feeling guilty, out of control, undesirable, unfashionable....and the impact that these negative feelings can have as they feed back into our unhappy bodies.

I had a counsellor who I saw purely about emotional issues once or twice, tell me that to make myself feel better I should avoid sugar, even small amonts(I forget her reasoning for that), and go for a walk. She said a half an hour's exercise would be the equivalent of one antidepressant tablet. I don't know whether it's true about the tablet, but I definitely feel heaps better when I walk, and less emotional when I avoid sugar.

I have had some unhappy days since starting my eating/exercise plan this time but mostly am feeling much happier and have had moments of excitement that I had thought might be gone forever, after so many years without them.

You haven't mentioned any specific health problems that involve permanent damage, but most of the problems I've raised here can be reversed. I've even heard of people who have developed type II diabetes and been on tablets for it, managing to turn that around.

I hope some of this addresses the issues you raised - but of course if you feel unwell a doctor's visit might be worthwhile.

Just reading this post affected me the way you're probably familiar with. First things first, you're not alone.

I've always been one of those guys who was at the 'front' of every crowd. I've been a 'leader' in everything that I do, and frankly, not one to shy away from a microphone. But that all changed when I came to a realization about my weight.

Quite bluntly, when it hits you, it hits you hard. You feel like crap. If you're like me, you look in the mirror, and wonder what the hell you did to let yourself become what you have. It's completely psychological.

The best news is, just by posting here, you've made a great first step. Just like any other addiction, food can damage you if you're not in control of it. Just find out what you did wrong, and fix it. It's not that simple of course, but just like anything else you set out to accomplish in life, you need to set a goal, and work towards that goal. Nothing else should matter.

Little steps first. Hang in there, and just remember, you're not alone.

well i dont know if this will help you or bring you down so dont get mad....
Im 15yrs. 5'11 and i weighed 200lbs.! and I was like THATS IT! i am going on a diet....when I actually "started" my diet the weight had gone down to 194...now on my 3rd day of my diet i am 187....just stick to it! it will get easier!

Hi There

Thanks for the comments. I guess I was having a bad day ...

Well, I have decided that I really need to cut out sugar. Not only that but wheat and dairy also seeing as I have a mild intollerance to them. It's not going to be easy as just about everything I like is wheat and dairy, but I have to do it, even if it's just for a week or two to see if it makes a difference to how I feel.

I'm finding it really hard to resist. I don't know what's happened to my will-power ... I just cant stop myself. It's a good thing I don't drink or smoke.

Any tips on how to resist?

I need all the help I can get.

Thanks

I resist by making sure I have a well balanced diet with 3 meals - controlled amounts of protein and complex carbohydrate at every meal and lots of veges and a little fruit. My aim is to feel satisfied and not hungry, and to keep my blood sugar levels on an even keel, so they don't lead me towards cravings. I know that highly sugary food or low fibre carbohydrates spark cravings for me.

If I feel hungry I have a healthy snack. If I am still hungry I have another healthy snack. I have things like whole grain crackers, lite soy milk, a stalk of celery, a carrot, a fresh mushroom, sugar snap peas (with the pod on), a glass of unsweetened tomato juice, low sugar cereal and soy milk, low fat diet yoghurt. These things do not appeal to me when I have cravings, or when I am eating badly, but they do help prevent me getting cravings, and help deaden them if I am caught out. They take no more effort to prepare than an unhealthy snack. Also they actually taste yummy to me now I'm past the change over time. When I first changed to a healthy plan this time, I planned to have 3 snacks a day. Now I find I'm only looking for them occasionally and have cut back my portion sizes a little because I feel more comfortable with less.

I drink a lot of water. I know that if I am thirsty that can be a trigger to overeat.

I try pretty hard to get enough sleep (still a bit of a failing though). I have read that people who lack sleep get too much of some chemical that makes them want to eat. I know I have grabbed and munched unhealthy food like a robot when I am overtired.

I let my eyes just slide as fast as possible over the foods I want to avoid, and try not to think about them at all.

The other thing that helps me a lot is the internet. Not only this website, but just being on the computer instead of sitting in a comfy chair, reading or watching TV like I used to (avoiding things I associate with unhealthy eating I guess). Other hobbies and interests have the same sort of effect for me.

Going for a walk helps me too. I just started with eating right then added a little walk with my dog. I know a lot of people on here can't walk much with the weather right now and talk about other interesting exercise programs they are using.

I'm sorry to talk so much about myself in your thread. I just know that these things work for me. I have too much experience of having cravings, but have barely noticed any while trying the above things in the last three weeks since I joined here. I hope some of this turns out to be a help to you too.

Nothing wong with talking about yourself. Anyhow, it saves me from going on about me all the time

I guess I'm just disappointed in myself as I used to have a will-power that was unshakable. It seems that the lure of christmas treats and snacks has overwhelmed me. The fact that I've started feeling this way at this time of year was just bad timing too.

Anyhow, I will see changes and I will see progress.

It's not easy, but then again, it doesn't have to be hard.

I'm not usually the kind of person that would wait until a new year comes around to decide tomake changes, but for practicalities sake, next year will certainly see a lot of changes ... most for the better I hope!

Thanks for all your advice.