“I’m fat and depressed, how do I help myself?” These are the words I said to myself on June 21, 2012. Are you thinking the same about yourself right now?
If yes, you, too, are suffering from the vicious cycle of gaining weight and losing weight on a variety of different diets and struggling with depression.
But do not despair, because you can put an end to your nightmare.
Obesity and depression link
Research suggests that obesity and depression are related to each other. Some say that obesity is a risk for depression, and vice versa, depression is a risk factor for obesity.
For example, a 2009 study from the University of Alabama, concluded that depression contributes to weight gain faster in depressed people than people who do not suffer from depression.¹
But that study still does not prove depression is the cause of obesity. Because there are antidepressants that increase your appetite and therefore, your weight gain is a result of the antidepressant medications, not the fact that you are depressed.
Other research reported by the Mayo Clinic suggests that a low-quality diet centered on processed foods is more common in people relating signs of depression.²
So, whether overweight is a side effect of clinical depression or depression is a side effect of obesity is not clear. What is painfully evident is that you are sick and tired of being, feeling, and appearing fat and depressed, to yourself, and others.
Therefore, the most crucial question is, can you do something right now, starting today, to help yourself? As Cody says in the video below – can you own it?
How to Stop Being Fat and Depressed
I remember those days when I struggled to find a way to lose weight, but at the same time kept sneaking in snicker bars and oreo cookies.
Every day I got up and declared, this is it, today is the day, I am going to start losing weight.
I started the morning off with bagel and eggs and orange juice. Then, by mid-morning, I felt famished, and I’d have a blueberry muffin for a snack, even though I knew it was going to kill off my declaration of freedom from obesity rather quickly.
So, even before high noon, I had already ruined my ‘diet,’ and when that happened, I gave up and would get some pizza for lunch. But I convinced myself that it would only be one slice so that I can get right back up on the wagon.
Do you think it stopped with only one slice? Yes, for about 15 minutes, but soon enough, I found my body walking back to the store and getting another slice of pizza, this time a mushroom slice with another root beer.
True, for an hour or so after pizza, cookies, ice cream, grilled cheese with a slice of tomato, and cookies, and ice cream for dessert, I was flying high from the sugar and felt great. But the crash came quickly, especially when I looked in the mirror.
1. Stop killing yourself with fast food
You are a fast-food addict, and it is not your fault. There are food scientists hard at work inventing the next great fast food, which will keep you coming back for more.
Have you struggled your whole adult life with eating habits that morphed into being husky, overweight, and finally obese? Did you grow up on frozen food and processed food?
Now you have a solid clue as to why you are overweight!
Eliminate the processed foods and you will see the magic your miraculous body can perform in front of your eyes.
2. No more diets – Eat Real Food
Have you tried being a vegetarian, a vegan, a carnivore, fruit only, macrobiotics, round and round you go, weight watchers, no fat, low fat, and high-fat diets? How many weight loss programs can you keep trying?
The answer is to give up dieting and start eating real food when you are hungry.
Real food means that you focus on quality food like vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, fruits, and some fish, poultry, and meat if you want for flavor.
You need to shake things up if you want to experience weight loss without suffering. You cannot keep eating and living the same way if you expect to see different results, as Albert Einstein once said (allegedly) in his definition of insanity.
As soon as you change your eating habits, your body will start to respond. Get out of your body’s way and let it heal.
3. Start walking
A fat and depressed person likely sits most of the day, at a desk, commuting, eating, or on the couch watching TV with a snack. Instead, it would be best if you exercised at least 30 minutes a day, and the easiest thing to do is walk.
Nothing fancy is required, get a good pair of walking shoes, and take a walk to work, the bus, around the block during lunch, or on a treadmill, if it is too cold or hot outside.
4. Begin Strength training
Once you start eating real food and walking, you are going to feel better as your weight drops, and you can fit in your clothes. Eventually, you will want to accelerate your body transformation.
One of the best ways to transform your body is through resistance training. And two of the most impactful exercises are:
- pushups, and
- deadlifts
If you master these two fundamental movements of push and pull, you have most of the muscles of your body covered. As a result, between pushups and deadlifting, getting enough rest, drinking sufficient water, and eating quality food, you will dramatically change your body.
5. Improve your Mental Health
On top of leaning out, achieving a healthy weight will help your mental health as well. You can treat depression with or without antidepressants by changing your lifestyle, the type of food that you eat, and how much exercise, even walking, that you get daily.
As opposed to obesity, you might not be able to ‘cure’ depression, but you could find it easier to manage without antidepressants. Giving up your reliance on antidepressants has multiple benefits:
- avoiding harmful side effects, such as obesity or the worst known side effect – suicidal ideation
- less toxic drugs in your system
- spend the money on better quality food, a gym membership, and strength training equipment
Hashi Mashi Body Transformation Sample Meal Plan
Drink a tall glass of water with lemon when you wake up. Shoot for half your body weight in ounces every day. You will hit the restroom often, but be happy about that, because your body needs water to metabolize fat out of your body.
Also, upping your water game is excellent for your skin, mood, and not to mention your kidneys.
Begin the day with a breakfast dish fittingly called Hashi Mashi – an omelet with onions, greens, tomato, pepper and hummus and avocado on the side, and top it off with olives.
Hashi Mashi Breakfast
Or have oatmeal, peanut butter, and grapes, blueberries or strawberries, or an Ezekiel sprouted grain muffin, almond butter, with slices of red pepper and cucumber.
Have some blueberries, an apple, or grapes for a snack with walnuts or cashews.
For lunch, you can have an avocado, tuna, tofu, chicken, peanut butter and grapes, or turkey sandwich on sprouted grain bread with lots of vegetables, like spinach, tomato, red pepper, and olives. Or a sweet potato and roasted cauliflower with a protein to keep it simple.
An easy dinner is sauteed spinach and garlic with rice and salmon.
I lost 75 pounds in 6 months using the above five fundamental lifestyle changes and meal template suggested above, and you lose the weight you want to as well. Anything that anyone else can do is possible for you.
Fat and Depressed – Final Thoughts
Do you struggle with obesity and major depressive disorder? Are you willing to make some lifestyle changes for 12 weeks to see if it can help you? If you are ready to change, this post is for you.
You might think it is a bad thing to feel so fat and depressed, but it is a blessing in disguise because your feeling of disgust led you to take action, and now you are here. So be proud of yourself, you can do this.
What’s Next?
This post gives you an overview of how to beat obesity and depression.
Next, use this comprehensive guide to Lose 20 Pounds in 3 Months Using 5 Simple Steps.
Also, read and try to implement SIG-E-CAPS: The Ultimate Guide for Screening and Managing Depression.
Last, for now, use these related strength training articles to help you manage depression:
- 37 Remarkable Deadlifting Benefits to Unleash Your Fitness Fast
- 27 Sensational Ways How Deadlifts Change Your Body
- How Deadlifts Saved My Life – The Best Exercise for Depression
- Set Up Your Deadlift Studio – Deadlift Equipment for Beginners
Related Posts:
- Obese Man Ditches 3 Common Habits to Lose 75 Pounds
- The Powerful Benefits of Push-Ups to Change your Body from Fat to Fit
- Weaning Off Zoloft is the Best Decision You Ever Made
- Fat and Depressed; How to Escape the Nightmare
- 5 Depression and Obesity Links You Need To Know
- The Holstee Manifesto – It Can Change Your Life
Footnotes:
¹ Is Depression Wrecking Your Weight? – https://www.webmd.com/depression/features/depression-and-weight-connection#1
² Can a Junk Food Diet Increase Your Risk of Depression?
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Rich is a NASM-CPT (Certified Personal Trainer), an