This argument about which comes first – depression or obesity, has been asked frequently. People often blame their excess weight on depression or alternatively the depression on obesity or being overweight.
There is no doubt that once a person commences to eat healthy they will notice a marked improvement in their mental and emotional well being. Removing unhealthy carbohydrates in processed food and sugar in drinks will certainly be a huge benefit. The body and the mind will both improve. However this improvement will only be maintained as long as the healthy intake of food and drink continues.
Why will this not be maintained?
The way we eat is a habit and our habits are stored in our unconscious mind especially with the messages we give it. For example when we first start eating a new food, it may be a cake or chocolate, we may decide we just want to try it. However the next time we are in the shop, we think “Oh well, I’ll just get another one”. We do this a couple of times and the unconscious mind knows that we enjoyed it and hence the habit is formed. You see the unconscious mind is there to protect us mentally and emotionally. So when we put habits into our unconscious mind, it does its job and holds onto it endeavouring to keep you happy.
The comment is often made; ”Well if the unconscious is there to protect us, then how is eating the wrong food protecting us?” This is a good question. In protecting us it is keeping you happy and knowing that you get pleasure out of the food or drink you are consuming, then it will remind you again and again to eat this food or have that sugary drink.
So how can these habits be broken?
1. Imagine that you stop off at the supermarket on the way home to buy dinner and at the same time you buy a chocolate bar. This can become a habit. Each time you do this, it reinforces that habit making it stronger and stronger. So perhaps instead of stopping off at the supermarket each afternoon, plan ahead and do the shopping on the weekend and going straight home after work.
2. Eat every 3 – 4 hours. Eating 4 – 5 meals a day is the most beneficial for your body and metabolism. If you wait too long between meals your body reacts as if it is starving and stores the next meal as fat to protect itself. Blood sugar also goes down making you crave foods that bring the blood sugar up again, such as a sugar treat that contributes to fat storage.
Note: Plan ahead and have meals prepared for the day. That includes a high protein snack to eat on the way home instead of stopping at the supermarket.
3. Have a good quality protein and healthy fat with your meals and snacks. Protein is important for growth, maintenance and repair of our tissues. Protein also helps stimulate our fat burning hormone glucagon which mobilizes fat so the enzyme carriers can transport it to the muscle cells for fuel. Both protein and fat help to keep our blood sugars balanced. Good fats help keep our immune system high and are helpful for brain and nervous system function. Good fats are absorbed directly for quick energy and are therefore not stored.
4. Ensure you are drinking enough water. You need to drink at least 2 litres of water a day. If you wish to give the water more taste add some lemon or lime juice. If you enjoy green tea then this can be counted as part of your daily intake.
Note: Sometimes the messages coming from your unconscious can be misinterpreted. When we are feeling hungry, in actual fact we may be thirsty. So if you are feeling hungry, have a drink of water. If you are still hungry 15 minutes later then you need to eat.
Returning to the original question – Does obesity cause depression?
There is an exception to this especially if you have experienced trauma or negative events in your life. If people have been struggling with their weight all their lives or a major part of their lives, then it may be due as a result of these negative events. This may then lead to negative emotions including anger, sadness, fear, guilt, hurt or any number of other emotions. Having that extra weight may represent a form of protective barrier to keep them safe. Addressing these negative events may be the first step to successful weight loss. You will find information about this at Master Your Life Power.
If you found this information relative to your situation, then perhaps it is time to consider hypnosis for weight loss. During hypnosis your unconscious mind is given the message that you want to change these habits so you can become a healthy eater and lose weight. NLP or Neuro Linguistic Programming is also utiltised to remove those cravings for the unhealthy food and drink. So in the future you will not be bothered by them. You will find more information at Life Coach to Lose Weight. In fact you can even book online to access the Weight Loss Program.
NOTE: Weight Loss Hypnosis is not a diet, it is a Lifestyle Change. Utilising Hypnosis and NLP sets you up to take control of your life so you can be a healthy eater in the future and lose weight.