Ahhhh... dammit! Guess I've gotten even fatter...

[zombie no.one]

sucks man...but you know everyone in this thread is on your side   

btw, I don't think medication is the way to cure depression any more than nicotine patches and inhalers are the way to quit smoking. It may aleviate things for a while but the fundamental issue remains. I've been diagnosed with depression in the past but any pills/medicine I was prescribed didn't really do anything. there has to be a reason why everyone gets depressed and IMO it's much more beneficial to recover by working out stuff in your brain and methodically going about it that way than by relying on some kind of "magic pill" or whatever....I don't know if I explained what I meant very well there, just some thoughts anyway.

[Rev. Powell]

sucks man...but you know everyone in this thread is on your side   

btw, I don't think medication is the way to cure depression any more than nicotine patches and inhalers are the way to quit smoking. It may aleviate things for a while but the fundamental issue remains. I've been diagnosed with depression in the past but any pills/medicine I was prescribed didn't really do anything. there has to be a reason why everyone gets depressed and IMO it's much more beneficial to recover by working out stuff in your brain and methodically going about it that way than by relying on some kind of "magic pill" or whatever....I don't know if I explained what I meant very well there, just some thoughts anyway.

Sorry DCA, as someone diagnosed with moderate to severe depression that's successfully controlled by medication, I have to disagree with your statements here.  Medicine is the only thing that works for me; therapy is useless to me, positive or negative surrounding circumstances are largely irrelevant, and there is no way for me to escape it simply by using willpower or self-realization.  Major depressive disorder is a lot different than just feeling sad or even hopeless over a distressing event; in arises in people uncaused even when environmental factors are positive.  "There has to be a reason why everyone gets depressed" may be true, but the overwhelming clinical evidence suggests that the major cause is low levels of serotonin in the brain.  I know the feeling BTM is describing after his medication kicked in exactly.  It is amazing; it's like a cloud lifts, and it is difficult to explain to anyone who hasn't experienced it.  But what you experience when it happens is the feeling of having "normal" levels of serotonin in your system. 

If you didn't respond to the medication, my guess would be you don't have major depressive disorder. There are other forms of depression.  But I recognize what BTM is talking about.         

I understand that some people have a philosophical aversion to using psychotropic drugs, but I have two problems with these kinds of sentiments.  One, it ignores the fact that medication overwhelmingly has the highest success rate in controlling depression; the numbers suggest we should be encouraging more people to seek out medication, not discouraging them.  Second, it tends to stigmatize people with depression, suggesting that they're weak and need a crutch to get though life.  No one suggests a diabetic's insulin makes him weak, though, and that he should just suck it up and reuptake glucose into his red blood cells more efficiently. 

I also believe nicotine patches and inhalers are an excellent way to quit smoking.  Clinically speaking, nicotine replacement therapy is about twice as effective as going cold turkey.     

BTM, I hope you'll find a medication regimen that works, and try whatever else works, including losing weight.  New medicines are being developed all the time.  Good luck.   

[zombie no.one]

ok I understand what you're saying Rev. maybe I was being a bit too rash. each case is individual I suppose you can't really make sweeping statements like I did there.

[Rev. Powell]

ok I understand what you're saying Rev. maybe I was being a bit too rash. each case is individual I suppose you can't really make sweeping statements like I did there.

No prob, DCA.  And I wouldn't want to imply medication is the only answer.  You're right, every individual case is different and you wouldn't want to rule anything that might help in or out.

[HappyGilmore]

Tuna Fish, Chicken, Corn, Beans, Rice and Pasta CAN be your friend, regardless of what anyone  else says.  Potatoes too.

At one point in my life, I desperately needed to lose weight (I'm 5'3", and weighed just over 200 pounds, lots of gut and a big double chin.)  Over the course of the summer, I altered my diet.  Breakfast was a bowl of cereal (any kind, whatever you like.)  Lunch was usually a tuna fish sandwich and a side dish of rice, or a salad.  Dinner was alternated (one night, it'd be the rest of the tuna and some vegetables, the next it'd be some chicken and a salad, another would be peanut butter and jelly, etc.)  One day out of the week, usually Sunday, I would treat myself and allow a meal where I could go loose (order take-out, or if no take-out, I would throw in frozen fish sticks and French fries, or cook up some burgers.)

Also, you don't need a HUGE workout regime, unless you want it and have time.  For three months I just ate good food, and my only workout regimen was walking the town that I lived in once a day, 6 days a week.  Town was small, so walking it twice over in a 1 or 2 hour period was a little over a mile or 2.

And lots of water.  Doesn't have to be ALL water, but what worked for me was having a glass of chocolate milk in the AM, drinking water til dinner, then having some iced tea at night, then after dinner having some more water.

[Mr. DS]

Tuna Fish, Chicken, Corn, Beans, Rice and Pasta CAN be your friend, regardless of what anyone  else says.  Potatoes too.

At one point in my life, I desperately needed to lose weight (I'm 5'3", and weighed just over 200 pounds, lots of gut and a big double chin.)  Over the course of the summer, I altered my diet.  Breakfast was a bowl of cereal (any kind, whatever you like.)  Lunch was usually a tuna fish sandwich and a side dish of rice, or a salad.  Dinner was alternated (one night, it'd be the rest of the tuna and some vegetables, the next it'd be some chicken and a salad, another would be peanut butter and jelly, etc.)  One day out of the week, usually Sunday, I would treat myself and allow a meal where I could go loose (order take-out, or if no take-out, I would throw in frozen fish sticks and French fries, or cook up some burgers.)

Also, you don't need a HUGE workout regime, unless you want it and have time.  For three months I just ate good food, and my only workout regimen was walking the town that I lived in once a day, 6 days a week.  Town was small, so walking it twice over in a 1 or 2 hour period was a little over a mile or 2.

And lots of water.  Doesn't have to be ALL water, but what worked for me was having a glass of chocolate milk in the AM, drinking water til dinner, then having some iced tea at night, then after dinner having some more water.

BTM, I'd like you to try much of what Happy has said here.  I'll add in some things too.  Eating healthy can be just as delicious as eating awful I find.

For breakfast I'd say go with one bagel.  Use only reduced fat products on the bagel.  To start try Smart Balance which honestly tastes better than butter.  Have some egg whites with it and a few slices of turkey bacon.  

For a midmorning snack, keep a good supply of peanuts or almonds around.  They are filling and are actually pretty good for you.  The fiber really gets things moving in your system.  Better out than in as they say.  Also eat a few handfulls a few hours after lunch too.

Lunch, make yourself a nice hearty tuna salad with fat free/reduced fat mayo.  Either that or mix it up with some turkey, ham or roast beef.  Make the sandwich as high as you can but remember to use good ingredients.  Pack some fruit, fresh preferred but out of the cup is ok too in moderation.  Also look into fat free potato chips as a side snack.

Dinner time, keep it to chicken preferably grilled.  Get yourself a big package of boneless chicken breasts and grill up several at a time.  Freeze the ones you don't plan on using right away.  For side dishes, potatoes are great as long as they are prepared properly.  Cut some up, lightly baste them with olive oil.  Rice is great too.  During the summer time, go to farmer's markets to find some fresh zucchiniis, corn or squash.  

Exercise as Happy said doesn't have to be a sweat it out session for 2 hours.  To start, just walking can really help.  

You owe it to yourself to be happy BTM.  Don't give up man, we're pulling for you.  And remember, like Happy said treat yourself once a week.  The food will taste twice as good.  

[BTM]

Like Rev Powell was saying, when it comes to my depression, I'm not dealing with, "Oh, my girlfriend left me, I feel bad" or "Gosh, life has been sucky of late."  No, I've been struggling with this for some time now.  Hell, I can even remember feeling extremely sad even as a little child, and having all these weird, existential thoughts like I needed to enjoy being a kid for as long as possible because I was going to have any fun when I became adult.  (Seriously, I had that thought several times as young boy, and no, I wasn't familiar with Peter Pan at the time.)

Yeah, I do think medicines can be a bit over prescribed for some, but I don't think that's the case with me, and I get a little tired of people who tell me I could solve the problem without it, just like I'm tired of certian religious people telling me that I just need to "get right with God" and I'll be fine.  (But that's another subject entirely.)

Right now, I'm on three anti-depressants, and while I'm not exactly "balanced" they do help somewhat.  I do cry myself to sleep every night like I used and thoughts of suicide and pushed back to a "Plan D" cateogory.  Still, it is a bit discouraging, considering all the various combinations of meds I've been on.  My body seems build up a resistence to the drugs I'm taken, which adds to my theory on how our bodies are pretty stupid at times, as they seem to resist every effort we make to improve them.

For instance, you eat less, trying to lose weight and your body goes, "I'm hungry!  I'm hungry!  Feed me more!"  You exercise, try to gain muscle and your body goes, "Ahh, that's hurts!  That's hurts, stop it!"

Crazy, huh?