Hi

[spinal97]

Well, I'm Jon. I've had a weight problem since I was in my early teens. So I decided to come online and see what I could find. I also have social anxiety, depression and ADD. I've used online forums in the past and they have helped a great deal in those areas and I thought why not try it for my weight.

I've put on a lot of extra weight this summer. I didn't have a job so I was at home a lot. I did manage to find one but my eating habits are still terrible. I weight 253, up 29 pounds from the same time last year. I've yo-yoed for the last decade many times. My depression is the basic source, I eat a lot when I am depressed. I'm also addicted to sugar and caffeine. I drink a lot of soda.

I've also never had a girlfriend, well I had one but it was long distance. Never kissed a girl, never got passed a 2nd date. I want to start dating again. Someone on a dating forum suggested that I try working out which can really boost confidence. So I'm giving it a try.

But I'm also doing this for myself too. Weight problems run in my mom's family and my dad's family has a history of heart disease. Also diabetes and other diseases are starting to worry me too.

Anyway, that's why I'm here. I've tried everything else to lose weight.

 

[KaraCooks]

Hi Jon. Welcome! I know you'll find a lot of support here.

Dieting while dealing with depression and ADD and so forth can be tricky. There are a lot of dietary factors that can contribute to those things, and learning to eat more healthily can often not only help you lose weight, but also help with the symptoms of the other.

One thing I'd suggest right off the bat is that you register for a free account with a site like fitday.com or thedailyplate.com. You can log the food you eat and see what kind of calories and nutrients you're getting. For a lot of people, getting a good look at how they eat really helps them to see where to cut back and where they can make changes.

My housemate deals with chronic depression and takes meds for it and he has said in the past that when he takes the time to pay attention to his food and eat healthily, he can tell the difference in how he feels.

Also exercise is great for dealing with those issues as well. Getting up and moving around gets the hormones working and can help lift your mood.

Be sure and read the sticky posts in the forums - there's so much good information there and I know you can find things that will help you and inspire you.

 

[Marathon Man]

Hey, Jon. I was out of a job and gained a lot of weight the last year too. Though I may not have had depression. I was definitely depressed and didn't put much focus on myself or my health. I've found that since working out I've gotten a much more happy and positive outlook.

A great way to start cutting calories is by replacing all that sugary soda. I started drinking a ton of crystal light (actually the generic brand at Walmart). And also finding good diet soda (root beer and diet dew are my favs). From there I've cut it down to mainly water with the occasional low cal beverage.

I binged a lot on snack foods when I was depressed. But I find I crave those sugars less and less since eating healthier. So, at least for me, I gets much easier to stick to a healthy diet the longer you do it.

Best of luck. And make sure to stick around and stay motivated!