Depression and Weight Loss - How to Eliminate Depression from Your Weight Loss Process | Lifestyle

Depression and Weight Loss - How to Eliminate Depression from Your Weight Loss Process

by StefanVincent

For years, it has been reported that people on a diet have experienced depression for various reason and the condition hindering their progress. Depression is related to feeling sad, helpless, hopeless, and similar emotion and behaviors, and these signs can be used as indicator of its occurrence:

1. Cannot sleep well and experience unpleasant dreams.

2. Lose appetite.

3. Wake from sleep at night and have the difficulty getting back to sleep.

4. Difficulty of concentrating during the work.

5. Anxious worrying.

6. Becoming emotional or upset for no reason.

7. Easy to get angry at anything.

8. Exhaustion on waking from sleep.

9. Can't sleep well for long time.

Depression on a dieter can be occurring in two forms: the first one is being depressed because other reasons while on a diet, which can hinders the weight loss process itself; the second is being depressed because the expected result from the diet does not happen quickly enough.

Either of these problems will hinder your weight loss progress, so if you experienced these, you better solve it quickly. If the reasons are external factors such as family, job, or environment you need to look for the source and solve the problem; but sometimes you don't realize that the problem is lie within your weight loss program itself:

1. Proper antioxidant intake can prevents depression to a certain degree; read your meal plans again and make sure it is already contain adequate number of foods rich in antioxidant such as apple, cinnamon, barley cereal, chili pepper, red cabbage, parsley, and kiwi.

2. Serotonin is the brain chemical used to regulate intestinal movements, control of appetite, mood, and anger. Research showed that eating a diet rich in whole grain carbohydrates and low protein will increase serotonin by secreting insulin, so if your diet restricts carbohydrates you must rethink about it. But remember not to increasing insulin for long period since it may cause insulin resistance.

3. Selenium is an important part of a diet since lack of it will lead to irritability and depression; even the government recommends daily intake of selenium by 75mcg for men and 60mcg for women. Include foods that have a good content of selenium such as Brazil nuts, tuna, cod, roasted turkey, boiled macaroni, and whole egg.

4. A healthy portion of exercise will reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. It will also boost self esteem and improve sleep, so make sure your diet is including exercise in its program. It does not have to be any advanced exercise; mild exercise such jogging or biking is sufficient, just make sure you do it in regular basis.

If you have checked your diet and it has fulfilled all the above criteria, the problem may come from your own concept about a diet's process. Some people will get depressed really quickly just with one glance of their overweight body at the mirror, they ended spend the rest of the day being upset and restless; so before you fall to the same situation lets straight your concept about dieting first:

1. Some weight loss program may offer fast result and have tons of testimonials to prove it; but remember that our bodies build different genetically, so what works for them is not guaranteed will works for you too. If you are on a diet and lose significant amount on regular basis, that is enough, no need to aim ten pounds in ten days or other spectacular result; the final result is the most important, not your speed in losing weight.

2. There are various diet methods available right now; when you choose one to do, do not expect that you can do it easily and gain result immediately. Sometimes your body still needs time to get used with the program and you may not gain result for weeks, when this happens just stay calm, rearrange your plan, motivate yourself, aim for a goal, and start it again.

3. Sometimes you will have a day when you cannot or will not follow the diet plan due to various circumstances such as party, eating out, getting sick, or just does not feel like doing it. If that happen, just let it go and start anew on the next day; discipline is needed but do not too strict with yourself, this is also the cause of depression.

Being depressed while trying to lose weight is a common occurrence and you need to solve it fast. Check your program, make sure it is already contain the food required to suppress depression and proper exercise portion. The foods need to consist of all food group, it will be safer that way. The next thing to do is set the right concept about dieting, make sure you are not put over expectation in it; just do it consistently and expect best result in the end.

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.

Select a diet that contain all food groups from a list of weight loss program by Stefan Vincent to avoid depression while on a diet; check Diets That Work to read his guide about selecting a diet wisely and efficiently.