Weight Loss due to Severe Depression/Anxiety?

**Katie35801** · 11-23-2010 08:04 PM

Severe meaning, homebound. Anyone lost weight due to loss of appetite or fear of food, from extreme anxiety/depression? (not on meds)

**caterpillar79** · 11-23-2010 09:36 PM

Have you been seen by a doc yet (GP)? Find a counselor to help you though this as well. Try to determine what is causing your depression. Also, go out for a walk and at least be more mobile. I am homebound as well, and I do have my frequent ups and downs. I'm not on meds, but I do an hour of workout 3x/week - it helps.

Do you have friends where you live? How about relatives/family?

**lizzardb63** · 11-23-2010 09:46 PM

Yes, I was recently extremely depressed and had anxiety this past August and I would barely eat. I was down to 116 lbs and I am 5'6". I am not back to 125. It's not healthY!

**Katie35801** · 11-23-2010 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by caterpillar79

Have you been seen by a doc yet (GP)? Find a counselor to help you though this as well. Try to determine what is causing your depression. Also, go out for a walk and at least be more mobile. I am homebound as well, and I do have my frequent ups and downs. I'm not on meds, but I do an hour of workout 3x/week - it helps.

Do you have friends where you live? How about relatives/family?

I have dealt with severe anxiety and depression for 10 yrs, but this year is by far the worst. I am depressed due to being homebound from anxiety. Also lower back pain keeps me from doing much.

**Katie35801** · 11-23-2010 11:08 PM

Lizzard-Was the weight hard to gain back? Or did you keep loosing despite no change in diet or appetite?

**lizzardb63** · 11-24-2010 04:29 AM

Ha! Weight is never hard for me to gain back, but I guess if you think about it, it took me 3 months to get there. I had change in appetite for sure. I actually COULD eat. Before I was so upset I felt literally ill. I have also since then lost my job, so I am not quite as active as before, but I dont think 10 lbs is bad. As long as it stops there.

**lizzardb63** · 11-24-2010 04:31 AM

I should add, the reason I was able to eat was because I had enough with how I was feeling. No one should live that miserably, especially when it starts to affect your health and relationships with other. I have been on antidepressants since I was 15 (i am 25), but I had just went off the birth control pill which caused anxiety (I've never had to deal with anxiety before) so I was put on a LOW dose of Citalopram (Celexa) which helps with anxiety, and I was feeling a lot better after even 1 week. It just helps me think clearly and rationally...

**Katie35801** · 11-24-2010 09:07 AM

I changed my diet and portions drastically on purpose, I cut out dairy/wheat/sugar out of my diet. And started eating like 4 snacks a day (tiny meals). And only drank water, on occassion a small amount of juice or milk. But Ive also been severely stressed and depressed, and lost the desire for food. (I think my stomach also shrunk from eating so little. I'm 5'4" and weigh 185, I started out at 220 4 months ago. I didn't think it would make me loose so much, so quickly....which through me into a state of panic. And now Im terrified something is wrong with me, Im trying to eat more in hopes that I won't keep loosing so fast.

**lizzardb63** · 11-24-2010 09:33 AM

Well being depressed can do 1 of 2 things. Make you unable to eat by taking away your appetite, or make you crave food as some sort of comfort. I suggest you put dairy and wheat back into your diet. Both are very good for you, and I think this will balance out your loss issue. It's not healthy to lose so much at once. It should be gradual if your goal is to lose. Why did you cut out Dairy, wheat and sugar anyway? Just curious.

**KMonte85** · 11-24-2010 09:42 AM

Acutally, losing 35 lbs in 4 months isn't an unhealthy rate of loss for you, so please try to set your mind at ease about that. You shouldn't worry that your weight loss is going to hurt you at this rate. You won't hurt yourself by losing around 2 lbs a week (35 lbs divided by 4 months divided by 4 weeks in a month averages out to about 2lbs each week). This is a perfect rate of weight loss, and is often what is suggested by doctors as a goal for people in weight loss programs.

HOWEVER, the lack of nutrition is something to look into (which I can understand is difficult to even think about when you're suffering from anxiety and depression). lizzard's right that you should bring wheat and dairy back into your diet.. part of feeling healthy is nourishing your body. It may help with your anxiety to make sure you're ingesting the nutrition your body needs - some vitamin deficiencies can actually increase anxiety and depression, but this is something you may want to discuss with a doctor.