Depression and Overeating

If you have read my blog then you will know that I have been very honest about the fact that I am an emotional overeater. I know that mentally I do not feel that I am in a good place at the moment and this is having an impact on my healthy eating. I have been reading around the subject and basically trying to draw up strategies to help myself.

Overeating can be a vicious cycle. I feel miserable so I eat something bad for me that temporarily makes me feel better. Then I feel worse for giving into temptation and will want to eat again to try and feel better.

I suffer from situational depression. Basically it means that if things go wrong or get too much for me then I don't cope very well. I think it's the fact that things are often out of my control and overeating, although it is the wrong decision, is something that I can control. I'm also very good at putting on a mask and covering up the fact that I feel crap but this does put added pressure on me.

I was thinking about what may have triggered my current low moods. Injuring my tendon is an obvious one. I can't control how quickly that heals plus I am missing working out as that always helps my moods. My hormones are fluctuating wildly at the moment too and I feel like I have PMS constantly. Add to that ongoing financial worries, including whether my ex husband will be able to continue to pay my mortgage next year, plus the strain of being a single parent 24/7 and it's probably no wonder that I feel so low.

So how can I deal with this? I've tried to draw up a little plan.

1. Keep taking St John's Wort. I'm a great believer in this and it definitely helps me

2. Keep taking Evening Primrose

3. Start doing yoga again. I used to do this on a regular basis. It's great for calming you down plus it does you good!

4. Plan little non food related treats through the week even if it's something just as simple as a bubble bath, spending an hour reading a book or painting my toenails.

5. Focus and remember why I started. I don't want to end up back where I was. I just need to keep that in the forefront of my mind.

6. Seriously plan workouts that I can do while my tendon heals.

Therapy is always recommended as a treatment for depression but I can't afford to pay for that so I just have to try and heal myself. I just need to point myself in the right direction.