I mentioned on another thread that I wanted to bring up this topic.

I have spent much of my adult life gaining and losing weight. I have also suffered from depression. I know that I eat for emotional reasons. I have been really working hard on myself and getting my head okay. But this is what I'm wondering about....

I have always known that I have issues going back to childhood that cause me pain as an adult and cause me to eat. Like I said above, I've been working very hard for 10 years to "get better". I have come ALONG way, but I have been really frustrated that I still continue to over eat. I know that much of it is habit, but even still, I am frustrated that I'm still so plagued by over eating.

So, in Adkins book, he talks about the emotional garbage that can come from eating too many carbs, the depression, the basic unhappiness, etc. A light bulb came on for me, and I started wondering if THIS is the reason I have continued to eat for (what I felt was) emotional reasons, even after having gotten over my emotional baggage. I have begged for answers as to why I was so compelled to over eat, and now I wonder if it wasn't physical-----simply too many carbs in a body that doesn't do well will so many carbs------kindof an emotional response to a physical problem.

Does any of this resound with you? Have any of you been able to look at your previous over eating (since being on Adkins or an LC diet) and say, OH! That's a huge reason why I felt emotionally unbalanced and why I just wanted to eat, eat, eat!

Also, someone else was saying (in another thread) that they wondered why they had so much self control while on this plan.....more self control than ever before. I have had the same thing and am hoping it lasts! I've thought it had to do with the reasons I mention above (that being on high carb causes you to feel the need to constantly eat for emotional reasons and now the low carb is allowing me to just feel "normal" about eating) and also because the high protien and high fat really do control hunger better so you don't _need_ the willpower.

Sorry so long! I've been wanting to post this since yesterday but knew I'd have to spend a while writing it to get my point across!

Thoughts?

I think you hit the nail on the head. I've been chronically depressed my whole life. Which of course lends to fact that I could never stay on any diet to loose my weight.
But ever since Day # 10 for me, the day I was hit with all this energy. I have not had any depression at all. I just feel great. I guess this is how we are meant to feel.
I keep an offline Journal. and in I wrote the same thing, that I wonder if all my years of depression could not be related to blood sugar levels.
To feel this great and have a little side effect of loosing all my weight. hmmmmm I think I'm on this diet for life.

I agree also. The carbs cause cravings, you deny yourself and your body chemistry changes - very well could cause a seritonin (or other chemical) unbalance. Eating LC, greatly reduces the cravings and the chemical imbalance caused by the carbs is evened out (not necessarily gotten rid of). Then we lose weight, feel better about ourselves, and are in fact healthy; thus makes us happier - and on and on. Wonderfull cycle.

That is the way I like to think about it.

I am sure glad you posted this. I have had depression since childhood and I have struggled with weight as long as I can remember. I probably have lost and gained the same 40 lbs. three times. This is the best I have felt and even though I am still on anti-depressant (Wellbutrin SR) my moods have stabilized. I also have less allergy symptoms. I plan to make this a WOL.

You've been thinking, sister!

One of the reasons that I finally figured out that a low-carb plan was the way for me was when I sat one night, around Christmas, and ate almost an entire tin of Quality Street chocolates, just because. The next day I woke up with a terrible chocolate hangover! I felt nauseated and headachey and slow-witted and weak. I thought I was coming down with something. I didn't eat much until later in the day I had some toast (3 slices) and then had some more toast (2 slices) and then just one more, with peanut butter and Jam (for dessert) and almost immediately started feeling better.

This is a pattern for me. Carbs then carbs then some carbs. And some carbs for dessert. With some carbs. It was that day that I started thinking about the effect that carbs have on my mood and my energy. Both are negative when I eat carbs. I started to chart my eating and after a week I realized that carbs was all I ate, aside from some occasional meat, chicken and vegies.

My mother, in her infinite wisdom, tried to convince me to go on weight watchers with her but I knew that until I got up the strength and courage to try to go cold turkey with the carbs, I was going to wallow in toast (and frenchfries and potato chips and rice and...)

In retrospect, I can see now that some of the sadness and mild insanity that I have been dealing with for the last couple of years has nothing to do with my children (but don't tell them that) or my husband, and everything to do with food. Carbs bring me down.

So, in short (OK not so short), yes, I have found that I suffer from sadness, mild insanity, bloaty, farty, headachey blech when I consume too many carbs.

Thank you for posting this - it helps me to realize that I am not alone in this feeling.


Goose

Thanks everyone for your responses! I hoped I would find some people who knew what I was going through! It really validates what I'm experiencing.

I know exactly what you're talking about. For the first six months of low-carbing I experienced a feeling of freedom that I never had before.

After about 6 months, the honeymoon was over and it was time to examine the emotional aspects of overeating. Then it was time to make progress with the spiritual aspects. It's probably different for everyone, but for me it became obvious that I had to work on all three. And I have low-carbing to thank for the initial kick in the butt that got me on my way!

Karen

Wow, as a newbie here, I feel very honored that I got a response from the "forum founder". Thanks Karen (for replying AND for founding the forum!!)

I'm wondering if anyone has been at this (LCing plus working on the ol' psyche) long enough that they feel they've made great strides.......or even that they've completely kicked some old habits. I don't mean eating habits, cuz' I think that takes a lifetime of daily work, but depressive, "life sucks", way-of-thinking-and-living type habits. And actually, those types of issues DO reflect on eating habits, so I guess I do mean eating habits also but in a secondary way.

I would love to hear if anyone has experiences to relate....

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I'm so happy for you Gimmpy. Do you sometimes feel like you won the (emotional) lottery??!! I know that if this feeling I have continues, I'll be feeling that I've been give a huge gift and blessing. Unless you've been plauged by depression for a good chunk of your life, it's hard to understand how totally liberating and awesome it would be just to have the feeling of "Oh, so THIS is what it feels like to be "normal"! And when this is acheived you feel like you could fly with the joy of it!

I think this posts should also be in the Depression and Addiction section of this Forum.

Louisa , Yes I do feel like I hit the Emotional Lottery. Let me share with you my best example.
My grandson is a little over 2 years old. Every time he comes over and see's me he cries and runs away from me. Big fat scarry grandpa, guess he is afraid I'm going to eat him.
But with all this energy and all my depression gone. He came over last weekend and he could see this big change in me. He was up in my lap giving me hugs and kisses. I was down on the floor playing with him and outside helping him with his bike. When they left he actually wanted to stay here with me. My daughter in-law and her sister were so impressed with this change in me that they both decided to go on Atkins as well.
Oh yes I hit the lottery this time. I feel great, I'm loosing my weight, and best of all I finally won over my grandson.
There is a lot more to this LC WOL than can be measured on any scale.

Not only am I impressed by your ability to keep your sense of humor:

"Big fat scarry grandpa, guess he is afraid I'm going to eat him."


I'm also really inspired knowing that this change can come for me........I just want my head to be okay, because I know that that is what determines my weight and all other aspects of my life. Thanks for sharing..........it really is inspirational

We do know that too much insulin causes "hormonal hunger," so there's more to high-carbing eating that simple self-control issues. This is explained in detail in Natural Hormone Enhancement, by Rob Faigin. (www.extique.com) I also have a copy of Atkins NDR, but haven't read it cover to cover, so apologies if it is explained in there also.

Since I've been LC ing, my eyes have really been opened on the entire subject of food! There are SO many issues...for me, one of them is other people's expectations! When you eat completely differently from your family (and they don't want any part of what you're doing) it brings to light some of the social aspects of eating, and just how much of life revolves around food! Aside from that, you have to analyze what you're doing when you're alone and why. When you're eliminating pleasure foods, you start to wonder why you think you need them so bad, and then you try to figure out what you can do to replace that gratification.

This is a journey...and sometimes I feel sorry for myself that I can't indulge the way other people can...the old life-isn't-fair syndrome. But on the other hand, I've done some things to be proud of...my metabolic disadvantage has made me a stronger person in many ways...I've made the choice to be thin and healthy rather than indulgent. I've made exercise a solid habit, and that in itself is a tremendous mood drug! For me, running is one of the best...walking works, too, IMHO because rhythmic motion is calming, like a baby is calmed by rocking.

Great comments Greenwings----I love it all and thanks so much for the book references----I always love seeing other books to read on this topic. I am a knowledge fiend!

"Resting is Rusting"---that's a good one.

Low Carbing has kept me balanced out, when no other plan has come close to giving me energy and a sense of well being. I have had mild-medium depression for most of my life and lost and gained 30-40 lbs several times since childhood.

I have cheated over the weekend and have had to come to grips of why I cheated and had a carbo binge. I (physically) feel terrible after cheating I know that it is not healthy on my body to do this. This cheat made me feel sooooooo bad, that I don't think I will do it again. Obviously, I am not 18 anymore, so my body does not put up with high carb abuse.

I believe that boredom and not having a cookbook with tasteful recipes have had some effect on the cheating, so I have ordered a low carb cook book, so I can try out some healthy and tasty & easy recipes.

Good Luck to everyone in the quest for good health