hi everyone. I've been low carbing since the beginnig of May. It was just something I started as a way to drop pounds but I wasnt serious at first. Then I might have lost a pound or 2 then said hey this could work. I never did do the full Atkins induction because I was at least 2 weeks in and ate almonds and ocassional spoon of PB but the rest was pretty much on track. So I lost a few more pounds and that made me happy. Then came the flu, the weak/tiredness and my goodness the $itchyness!!! So I drank chicken broth for the headaches which worked.
So about a week before I had started 150mg a day Wellbutrin righ before the diet. Then doc up'd it to 300mg a day. I think the pills gave me the willpower and just the feeling of I can loose weight and I want to be happy. I felt hopeful and lighthearted. So there was a lot of me being snappy mean just a B but I was staying at around 20 net carbs a day. I thought the bitchiness would pass. Here I am after negociating a military move and high school graduation through it all. I made it through with only a few small cheats. A small piece of gaduation cake and breaded chicken. So trucking along and no cheats do good but I still feel mentally down no energy no joy just blah blah blah I'm happy I'm loosing weight but I feel that my mood is what it was like before I took Welbutrin. I'm not liking it and I pick on my husband and kids. I mean pick pick pick but I cant stop. Everything irritats me, the dogs. I had being like this. So I have lost weight about 13 pounds but I stall a week or go up and down then I'll loose 2 pounds and it starts again. I just yo yo a lot. I do use MFP to track meals.
So my main concern is my mood/depression. It's not getting any better. Any suggestions. I really felt when I started Wellbutrin it was helping me but the low low carbs and bad attitude are cancelling the meds out.

I usually stay around 20-25 net carbs a day with between 50-70 gms protein and my fat usually runs 100-115.

I am thinking about adding more carbs back in. I occasionally eat blueberries in 4oz 2% fage plain greek yogurt or just berries alone. 1 square of 70 Lindt chocolate Planters healthy mix nuts 1 handful occasional low carb wrap but the rest is greens, romaine lettuce, spinache, green beans, brocoli that kind of stuff with meat. What can I do to get my seratonin elevated to help overcome this depression? I hope I can get some help.

20-25 grams of carbs is really low. It is mainly meant for induction, which is supposed to last just two weeks. Some people can handle that low of carbs indefinitely, but some of us don't do as well at that low level. I get terrible insomnia if I go below about 50g per day. So what works well for me is to eat very low carb all day, and eat most of my carbs in the evening. (I don't eat hardly any grains, just fruit and veggies). Weight loss is not as fast, but what's the point if I'm feeling miserable! Try experimenting to see what works best for your body.

I also tend towards depression. I've been doing very well in this regards for the last two and a half years. Currently I'm on an extremely low dose of Elavil (6mg), but I hope to taper off that soon. I think what has helped the most has been balancing my hormones with progesterone. You might want to look into that if that could be a possible problem. I'm sure it also helps that I eat very little sugar, no artificial sweeteners, and good nutritious food now.

I'm wondering if you do any type of exercise or sport? Also sunlight may help. I'm not sure how summers are in Connecticut but getting out of doors lifts my spirits and can help with depression. You mentioned a recent move. Does that mean you have fewer social activities? You might look into some type of group activity that you would enjoy. Also a follow up with your doctor? All of these suggestions may fall on deaf ears if you are too depressed to focus on them. But maybe taking it one idea at a time and start with something easy like sitting in the sun for twenty minutes a day will get you going? Feel better! Going off the way of eating will not help, I know that first hand!

Definitely agree with the exercise outside in the sunshine advice. Just ran into a LC friend yesterday and we both said how much better we feel that the outdoor pools are now open for our water aerobics classes. We do them year round, but a completely more uplifting experience than indoor pools. (Though I got hooked on water aerobics over thirty years ago at a Connecticut YMCA in the winter)

Anyway, to also continue with NiceKitty's advice, I immediately think of Dr Emily Deans when discussing anything with mental health and depression. She advises a Paleo diet (no processed foods, no artificial sweeteners, and great care about the quality of FATS which support your brain (e.g. Coconut and olive oil, not soybean oil mayo) She has some five year summaries of her advice on her blog: http://evolutionarypsychiatry.blogs...psychiatry.html. And Jimmy Moore just dug up original interview, where right at the start she explains why she has problems with LC as commonly practiced for brain support. http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/...al-health/25000

Thank you guys. Roobinsky, I do try to sit outside in the sunshine for a little each day and some evenings we have our family dinner outside. CT is great in the summertime. I actually noticed the other day and thought the same suggestion as you. I was riding my bike about 20 min. A day outside but have bunion surgery on both feet a couple months apart so biking and walking is slow. When we got to CT I was only 3 weeks post op and still waiting on referal to see if bones are fully healed but I did ride my bike a few times but there's lots of hills so I was putting tons of pressure on my foot so Im wIting on that. 😀
I will definitely check out those 2 liinks Jey100 you always have wealth of info.

Nicekitty, I guess I will see about uping the carbs a bit too with maybe some more berries veggies and maybe more carby veggies. And yes it's that time for me too premenopausr and I spoke with my doc about that but not ready to try hormones. i was hoping the Wellbutrin would help but I'm almost thirnking the VLC and that are balancing or neutralizing each other.

For me, the lower my carbs, they better I feel mentally, emotionally and physically. I also eat pretty close to paleo. There are a few things I'm not ready to give up yet. But I avoid all grains, powdered sweeteners, added sugars and all dairy except greek yogurt.

Seems like you have had a lot of recent life changes. That can cause stress and add to depression. Even if they're good changes.

The last year and a half has brought me so many good changes, but it can be stressful still, as I can't always find a new "normal" before something else changes and it's back to semi-controlled chaos for a bit. Just thinking about the expected changes here over the next 4-6 months can be a bit overwhelming at times. (2 more surgeries. Plus we're adding more children to our already large family)

Plus, I've been on medical leave from work since March. I'll be off another 3 or 4 months. Having new physical limitations and greatly reduced social and mental stimulation has not been an easy adjustment. And I find that some days I have to work really hard to keep from spiraling into a major funk.

Some things I do to lift my spirit or adjust my attitude are:
Visit an elderly neighbor.
Foster puppies for a local rescue. (It's hard to be sad or mad with a happy wiggly puppy in your lap giving kisses)
Learn something new.
And the best attitude adjustment comes from volunteering at a local soup kitchen. I meet people who always have a smile on their face and love in their hearts. If people who go without steady meals or a roof over their heads can be happy and grateful, surely I can find it within myself to be grateful for all that I have.

As for being irritated with everyone (and everything) and picking on them........ I find that happens when I'm extra stressed or so busy doing what I "have to do" or doing for others, that I neglect to do the things I enjoy doing for myself. Or not taking enough quiet me time to decompress.

After 10 years of being a single mom who was responsible for everything.....I truly appreciate every little thing my BF does around here! So even if he does it differently than I would, or not to my standard, I still don't pick, cause honestly, if he wasn't here, I'd have to do it anyway. So letting go of perfection and accepting good enough helps reduce that stress.
Focus on the positives in people. The Love Dare is a good book for helping to change to a positive focus within relationships.

Thank you for sharing Livinright! It sounds like you have tons on your plate and I commend people that still try to stay so positive and uplifting.
You are right I had/have lots of changes coming up in my life and the combination of all of those was very overwhelming for me, military move again after only relocating a year ago leaving our family (step-children and parents), my only son graduating high school and I still have one big one left which is him leaving for the Air Force the beginning of September and will be dealing with empty nest syndrome, lol.

While I had done sort of well without being on Wellbutrin, I think it was a combo of all of these big life event changes that was pushing me over my threshold. It's like I was right on the cusp of recognizing that I knew I had depression but being able to control it on my own anymore.
But that aside, I know I have to find hobbies for myself and ways of getting on with my life. I will be going back to work (an old job from previously located here) so I will have that to keep me busy plus my hubby is great but we are both homebodies.
I do want to get healthier and get more active in my life and make better nutritional choices for myself. I know that being thinner might make me feel better about myself because lord knows that me being overweight does not but when I was thinner in my life I still dealt with the mild depression so it definitely leads me to believe in my case that it's definitely biological.

I need to try to find a food balance that helps my mood to stay positive and upbeat that will help me want to be more active, happy and healthy. I think that is why when I started back on the Wellbutrin, I felt so good that I could tackle this weight loss but over the course of the past couple of months on Atkins that something is missing from my diet that has caused me to kind of go back to that mood before the meds.

I am going to definitely explore more plans that might work for me but ones that I can live with for the long haul. It's difficult for me with my husband because he doesn't like a lot of veggies and only the sweeter carbier type fruits. He eats sweets like crazy and eats fries, double cheeseburgers or multiple burgers when we go out. It's like if it's healthy he doesnt eat it. I think the only reason he eats fruit is because it's sweet lol.
I mean it's so hard to sit down with him to meals either at home or when we go out. He is lucky because he doesn't have high blood pressure or cholesterol or anything. Also he's in the military and has to make weight but in the past his way was to do extreme diet and exercise to drop those extra 20-30 pounds for weigh in and stressing the whole family out. Then he got smarter and just starting cutting his calories for the most part and only eats on huge meal a day (still mostly bad stuff) but he just runs 2 miles a day and then gets on his bike and rides his bike 4 miles all in a long sleeve shirt and one of those sweat shirt things. He does this 7 days a week. To me that is not healthy either. He only does that so he can eat whatever he wants and make military weight. To say the least, it's mentally challenging to try to eat the way I do versus what he does. He won't change at least for now. He says he does what he does so he can eat whatever he wants.

Biology definitely plays a part. But it's those life changes and stressors that really push it I think. (even good stuff) So don't give up on LC or LC/Paleo eating just yet. I suspect if you can stick with it and let life settle down a bit, you'll be feeling good before you know it.
Plus, the longer you stick with it, the more non-food coping mechanism you'll find to stimulate the pleasure center of the brain.

And going back to work will be good for you. I hate my job, but I still miss being able to work. Go figure. lol

We're homebodies too. Me more than T. But he'll eat and prepare healthy food. Makes my life easier.
And getting use to people eating junk food around you gets easier too. I have 4 growing boys who live on junk in the house right now and besides the occasional smell that triggers a momentary craving, it's pretty easy to stay on plan.

I was so looking forward to empty nest syndrome! I was down to 1 teenager living at home. (He has 1 more year of high school, I hope!)
Then I met T, who still has 4 minor children (they live out of state, so summers and a few weekends a year here). Then we decided to become foster parents (in the certification process now). So I'll be postponing that empty nest for a bit longer now.
I'm still dreaming of a time that I'll be able to enjoy peace and quiet, no messes but my own, and the selfish ability to make choices solely on my wants without having to think of the affect on others.

I definitely will be looking forward to no messes and being able to do things without thinking about a kid but I know I'm going to miss him being around so I guess I should enjoy it.

That's so great becoming a foster parent!! My brother and I were adopted at birth. So many kids out there need loving homes.

I will definitely stay on the low carb thing and just try to find ways to figure out what works for me or doesn't. I definitely think the higher fat thing it working for me because I do feel full when I get a good high fat meal. I will stick to low GI foods as well so no white potatoes, corn, etc. and no high GI fruits either and see how that does for me.

I hope I can find a plan to follow or as a guideline because I think that helps me make clearer choices in eating.

Have you read The Diet Cure? A major premise of the book (and website) is that people often eat in order to self-medicate for brain chemical imbalances (including serotonin), and it gives detailed advice on how to correct that. People who are already taking prescription anti-depressants are also addressed.

Anyway, just a thought!

Not to complicate things even more but do consider going gluten-free, entirely. You're probably already 90% of the way there, but that last 10% is probably enough to mess with your mind. One of my clues that I had a gluten problem came after going through my journal (not the one on this site) and seeing the timing of major meltdowns... it was always after a sizable gluten cheat. The Emily Deans site that Jey linked above probably has a lot of info on that. It seems strange, and I certainly didn't WANT to believe it, but from my own personal experience and all the anecdotes from others, I believe it now. Gluten can mess with your brain.

Good luck sorting through these stressful times.

Thanks, I will check that out!

Thanks, Kristine. I will have to actually start to try to put daily notes in MFP about my moods that day as well. I did that on some days but I guess I should do that to really get a better idea. I thought about trying Gluten free but I guess I figured since I don't have any (that I know of) horrible reactions to food (thank goodness about diary) I just felt like it was kind of not necessary to restrict myself in that way.

Oh and I meant to mention that I do feel a bit better since I up'd my carbs to average about 35 net carbs per day and I feel a bit better. Mostly I just added a bit more blueberries and maybe an extra serving of nuts or so.

I don't know how much sunlight you get, but a low vitamin D can also play a role in depression. So can low energy from not getting enough carbs for your body. If you don't spend much time in the sun, consider having your Vitamin D as well as Vitamin B levels checked. Good luck!