Did you know that people who are overweight are proven to have a greater risk of suffering from depression or low mood?
This is why you can take a positive step to overcome depression or low mood by losing weight. Or at the very least, you can reduce your symptoms and find it easier to live better and feel happier each day.
And the best part is – You can start turning it around today!
What is depression or low mood?
When a person struggles mentally the extent of their suffering can range from mild, where a low mood can last during one day or just for several days – All the way through to debilitating depression which can badly affect all areas of a person’s life.
You might experience low mood if you feel sad, down, or blue, and feel a general lack of motivation. This is a common experience that most people go through from time to time, although being overweight makes it likely to happen more regularly.
Factors such as stress, difficult life events, medical conditions, or medication side effects can also contribute to low mood.
Depression is a much more severe and persistent condition than low mood. You may experience persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and lack of interest or pleasure in activities that you normally enjoy.
You could also have physical symptoms such as fatigue, changes in appetite or sleep patterns, and difficulty concentrating or making decisions.
If you feel a low mood for an extended period of time or it’s interfering with your daily life, then you may have depression and the best option is to get professional help. Some treatments include various forms of counselling, talking therapies, and medication. Often, your doctor can be a good place to start.
Improving your lifestyle so that you develop a healthier body and mind can be a great help in overcoming depression or low mood, or at least improving them. If you are overweight, then losing weight can play an important part in this.
Why you suffer mentally if you are overweight
The more weight a person gains where they may become overweight, and then obese, the more they tend to suffer mentally.
Imagine that at a healthy weight your body and mind can function near to their best (especially if you include exercise and a healthy diet). Then as you gain more weight, you move further and further away from your healthy weight, which means you get worse and worse physical and mental health.
The more excess fat that your body gains and doesn’t need, the more it negatively affects you and your life.
Here are some ways how being overweight can affect you mentally:
- Struggling with energy and so you can feel fed up and unmotivated
- Having more illnesses and more time feeling unwell
- Having to spend more time at the doctors and more time off work
- Feeling self-conscious about your body – You may reduce your contact with other people, including not wanting to socialise as much
- Not liking how your clothes fit, or having to buy bigger size clothes
- Not being able to do what you want, only what your weight will allow
How can losing weight help you move forwards
By losing weight and reaching a healthy weight, you can reverse many of the mental struggles that you’ve been experiencing due to being overweight.
For example, how much better would you feel mentally if you:
- Have more energy every day and feel more alive and motivated
- Feel good most days and rarely became unwell – So you are able to get on with your life without regular interruptions
- Like how your body looks and so you don’t worry about what anyone else thinks
- Are more comfortable around other people, so you spend better quality time with your family and friends
- Enjoy feeling good in your clothes and can buy whatever clothes you like
- Can do what you want in your life without being limited by your weight
Can you see that losing weight can only help you to overcome depression or low mood? Losing weight may not solve all your problems or make everything wonderful, because your life is made up of many parts, BUT it will be a big help to you and your life.
In less than 2 months you can achieve a lot with your weight loss and experience many life enhancing benefits!
Getting on the right path
The most important thing to remember is that wherever you are in your life right now, you are on a path. You are on a journey. It may not be the path or journey that you currently want, but you are still there.
What this means is that you can change your path into any direction you choose. You can change the journey you are taking. You have the power, ability, and freedom to do this!
Here are two ways to help you get started:
1. Accept where you are now
You have reached the point where you are now. What’s happened in the past is gone. Whatever has led to you struggling with your weight is in the past.
From here on, you can be on the way up. From TODAY you can move forwards and start getting on the right path.
The path may not be easy and things aren’t going to change overnight. But over time you can make excellent progress by losing weight and feeling much better mentally.
You have the option here to accept where you are now and start moving forwards. Or the alternative is to keep yourself down and stuck where you are. You get to choose which path you take!
2. Take it one step at a time
The hardest part of any journey is taking the first step. The second step is easier. The third step is easier still.
As the steps add up, you move along your path and gain more and more rewards, like losing weight and feeling better mentally and feeling happier.
The first step could be getting professional help if you are struggling mentally. Another step could be to get into regular exercise and develop your exercise. Another step could be to make improvements to your diet and develop a healthier diet. Within these steps are also smaller steps that you can take to keep moving forwards.
Don’t worry about getting everything in place at the start. Just get started and take one step at a time. You can get there 😊
For more help to lose weight and experience the mental and physical benefits that await you, check out the BoostMyLife Online Program. You will learn helpful ways of thinking and receive practical advice relating to losing weight, exercise and diet.
James Porter
BoostMyLife Founder
P.S. Get your FREE copy of The Top Ten Mistakes You Must Avoid When Losing Weight
