Help! I'm about to crack...

[adidas7fire]

I have noticed a dramatic change in myself but others don't seem to see or understand. One such incident is that back in August, my fiance and I broke up after a 2.5 year relationship. Then and for 3 years prior I weighed the same... about 100 lbs. This breakup took a toll on me and I have begun to realize that I have gained 10 lbs within the last couple months. But what I don't understand is I am doing everything the pretty much the same... eating the same about, exercising MORE, keeping myself active as if I were still with my ex. SO why then am I gaining weight when I should have remained the same if not less? Yes this bothers me some but I am not infatuated with my weight "problem"... I just want an understanding of what could be attributed to this. It's really depressing to know that I can't fit into my favorite pair of jeans today that I used to a few months ago. Please, if anyone has any idea on how or why this happens, let me know. Thank you.

[crookster_man]

There could be a multitude of reasons. Maybe you diet has change or your level of activity is different then you remember. Also as you get older your metabolism slows down. (roughly 5% per decade)

 

Perhaps your body is undergoing certain changes which increases your water retention = no more fat but bigger body. Also depression releases a lot of different chemicals and reduces other ones, this chemical stew will naturally have an impact on your body. Your mind and heart are reflected in your body and vice versa. The 2 aren't separate.

 

I wouldn't worry to much about it, it's only been a few months. If you want you can consult a doctor about some medication to help you through the withdrawal. When you quit something you go into withdrawal, whether it be smoking, drugs or a relationship. You miss it and your crave, usually food or other things which will result in a change in the body.

 

OF course this is just my opinion and in no way can I back this up scientifically other then what I've read and heard. I suggest you look into it, ask your doctor about it.

[adidas7fire]

yeah, i have been in a lot of stress lately but what's weird is that i was more depressed when i was with my ex than now... i couldn't sleep and my focus was on different things. but now... i can't concentrate at all on anything i need to and all this weight gain or whatnot is occurring. it's just hard to adjust to change so suddenly and then one thing after another becoming evident, you know? but thanks for your input.

[crookster_man]

I know how you feel. But look at it this way. It's hard to walk away from things even if they are bad for us and they hurt us. A heroin addict might hate the drug but need it at the same time, much like your ex. Eventually the addict builds up the strength to walk away but it is hard, very hard and the emotional roller coaster of withdrawal and pain is intense. This is similar to the roller coaster you are experiencing, so a few changes you were prepared for are bound to happen. This is uncharted territory.

[lunatic]

What type of workout routine are you doing? Are you training with weights or just doing cardio? It could be that you are building muscle. I have the same type of thing happening to me. I was losing weight like crazy and now I have hit a platue, but I bought jeans two weeks ago and they are getting loose on my and I have not dropped a pound. So you might be building muscle because you said that you are exercising more.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Hubman

[adidas7fire]

at the gym, i'm just mostly concentrating on my abs and thighs but i do just about everything at the gym... treadmill, stairs, bicept/tricep machines, the whole nine yards. i also rollerblade often so muscle building could be it. i don't know but it's like, if i can't make it to the gym sometime, i feel as though that newly toned muscle will become fat in a moment. you think i'm overreacting?

[lunatic]

Yeah you are over reacting about the muscle turning to fat in a moment. It will take a few weeks before the muscle starts to break down and turn into fat. I think you might be building muscle because you are doing alot of exercises. I would not worry about it too much unless you are having problems fitting into your clothes.

 

 

Hubman

[Princess777]

Hello,

 

I also think it is muscle mass from the exercising... if you haven't changed your eating habits. Everyone gets affected differently by a breakup and stress I guess, as I am just the opposite! When I am depressed I don't eat much at all (I'm a vegetarian so you can imagine how limited the selection of food is anyway) and I went through a time in my life when some stupid guy tore my heart to pieces and I lost about 35 pounds in just a few months. I went from a size 8-10 down to a 4, and I'm 5'8". I was having dizzy spells and I still occasionally do even though it was over a year ago. Losing the weight was the only good thing about that guy! It sounds like you are taking better care of your body than I did, so be glad for that. If you're worried about the weight, you might try cutting meat out of your diet, at least for a little while. Even staying away from red meat will help if you can't handle totally not having meat.... a lot of people don't know how I do it - I just don't desire the texture. Ever since I became a so-called vegetarian about 4 years ago (I still eat seafood but no other meat or poultry) losing weight and keeping it off is a lot easier. I recently had a physical for life insurance and was told all my statistics were very healthy, and I even get a discount as a result. As another poster mentioned, age makes a big difference too. I'm 33 and I've noticed that lots of things start slowing down already! However, with not eating meat it counter-acts that slower metabolism because a vegetarian diet gets digested much faster anyway, hence helping you stay thinner.

Keep up your exercising.... it's good for you!

[adidas7fire]

yeah, i try not to let stress bother me but it doesn't really affect how much i eat, but what i eat. i've honestly been eating lots of things with sugar because i have an extremely bad sweet tooth but i try to take it easy when i realize that i've had way too much.

 

i realized that i was gaining not because i was working out but because i'd try to wear my favorite jeans or shirt and i was just not fitting into them as well as i used to. but to gain muscle and to know that instead of fat is better, i guess. the only bad thing about this whole thing is that i am most likely looking into buying a whole new wardrobe. new clothes are cool and all but i lack the money that must be exerted into the process... know what i mean?

 

i'm not a meat person or a vegetarian, per se, i'm like in between. i eat lots of vegetables and fruits and the whole shibang of what is considered "healthy" but sometimes i can't help but devour fast-food and stuff put in front of me. what helped you make your decision(s)?

 

thanks again to all that are responding to my post(s). it's greatly appreciated. (if any of you care to see what i look like, check out my webpage at link removed and click on 21st century.)

[Princess777]

Asia Marie,

 

You had asked what made me change my mind about eating meat... I'll be honest and it might sound pretty corny but it's the truth. I started meditating and even though no one told me that meat was bad, etc... I made decisions like that for myself, not based upon what I heard. Anyway, as I meditated, and ask anyone who meditates, I became to know my true self more. As this happened, I figured out a LOT about my life. This came about at around 29 years of age. Most women click at 30 and figure out a lot about themselves, and I was no exception. I stopped trying to please others so much and realized a lot of that was the root of my depression. I started trying to please myself, and I took my life and health more seriously and was more thankful for what I can make of it. As my spirituality grew, I just didn't desire the texture or the idea of eating meat any more. I love animals but that is not why I don't eat meat. I still eat seafood because I like the taste and the texture. It simply is a preference and not a religion or a belief. I was raised on meat and potatoes for every meal and was forced to eat all kinds of wild game, beef, pork, and fat and gristle, etc. and I figured out finally that I didn't like it!!! I think one other thing that contributed to it was that I studied many sources of the effects of meat on the body, mainly red meat. It evidently stays in your system for a long, long time. It builds up on the walls of the intestines, and becomes hard. This can in turn lead to problems later in life. The only way to clean it out is to have one of those colon cleansing things..... gross! So I just really didn't desire it any more. Whenever I crave protein, I either eat cheese or peanut butter or beans. It's not right for everyone, but I just realized that's what I wanted for my diet. Whether or not it works for you is totally up to you. I don't look down on people who eat meat at all... they feel they need it, that's fine with me. It doesn't gross me out or anything. The only drawback is when I order food in a restaurant, people think I'm being witchy when I order a sandwhich with everything except the meat. They get all upset and confused. To me, it's like ordering a sandwhich without tomato but they just don't see it that way!

Good luck with whatever you decide for your diet. You sound health conscious so you'll be fine whatever you do I'm sure.

[adidas7fire]

Yes, i totally understand what you mean about people not understanding that you'd rather not have something that comes with the sandwhich. and you are right.. i am a bit health conscious (lol.. bit...) and with the advice from you as well as some close friends, i've realized that i'm going through a lot of changes. i'm only 21 but i figured that if i want to start living my life healthy, what better time than now when i am active and such instead of waiting when i'm like 40 and don't have all the energy i possess now, you know what i mean?

 

as far as meditating and all that... that's so not for me. i can't concentrate in class... and i know for sure that i wouldn't be able to concentrate on myself! lol! but like you, i have learned to try not to please others so much... most of the time it comes to kick me right in the butt later on so why go through all that, you know?! my meditating is pretty much writing my feelings on paper, either in a journal or poetry.

 

anyways, thanks again for responding. i'm trying little by little to do things differently but i know this stuff doesn't happen overnight. maybe i'll keep this on my list of new year's resolutions! hahaha! j/k.