Anxiety after substantial weight loss

[bjjs14]

Hey guys I used to be alot heavier and was quite fat then i started training and lost 41kg and thought i would be happier with myself at that weight which I was at certain points but slowly after the initial weight loss when progress starts becoming harder and harder to achieve i noticed I started having anxiety all the time and basically my confidence and my self esteem had gone back to how it used to be when i was alot heavier and i had this image in my head of me being alot heavier than i really was .

Anyway I was just wanting to ask whether anyone else on this forum has experienced this after substantial weight loss or weight gain and how they treated or got rid of it?

[Ninja]

Yea mate i had this for about 2 years after i lost about 30kg in my teens

I had panic attacks and everything. I didnt get it treated but it did go away and you gain confidence and forget about it as you get stronger and fitter and dont regain the weight. Youll get there.

[crazyfacials]

In on panic attacks after losing 20kg, but I only got them when I took hydroxycut hardcore

[Diab0lic]

Hmmm never felt that. The leaner I get the more I strut around like a right c*nt

[Shatter]

I had anxiety issues when I lost weight, but I cut back the caffeine by a lot and they disappeared.

[Farksake]

I can understand that, When I first stepped into a gym I was 108kg and didn't have the strength/control to bench press the bar by itself, and talking to women was basically a no go. over the following two years, I started "training" and was runnning 40k a week, I lost 34kg, so I was basically a stick. To be honest it didn't improve my confidence or anxiety either, screwed up my knees pretty good though. At the end of the day while it does feel better and is far healthier for you to have a lower amount of bodyfat it doesn't always equate to confidence.

My advice would be to look into joining a community (as you have now by joining this site :wink: ), or a sports team or taking a job with a lot of human interaction, while it may seem scary, being part of a group really does help your confidence, especially when you have the support of your peers. The other thing you can do and is probably one of the reasons you joined this site is to start training with bodybuilding/powerlifting in mind, I find alot of people who start out bodybuilding do so because of a lack of self esteem (I'm probably gonna be crucified for that statement) they don't have the confidence to approach others so they make themselves bigger and more muscular thinking it will draw people to them. What you will find however is by taking body building/power lifting seriously you become part of a larger community both in and out of your gym and that can do wonders for both your anxiety and confidence.

As someone who knows what it's like i think it's already a big step you've taken joining this community and i think it will do wonders for your anxiety.

[severe]

In on panic attacks after losing 20kg, but I only got them when I took hydroxycut hardcore

But you mixed yours with HIV, didn't you? :shifty:

To the OP, you have time on your side. Eventually the old habits of self perceived image will fade (fingers crossed) as you grow used to the new you. Keep visiting these forums and connecting with others in similar situations.

You have made the first step towards banishing the anxiety by taking the time to seek advice.

[AlBundy]

Any other causative factors, diet, supplements, work stress etc that might account for increased anxiety or is it primarily psychological?

[bjjs14]

Thanks for the replies guys I think my thing is purely psychological it has been there the whole time no matter what supplements I take or what I eat, I have already got a good community of people I train with and I still think the gym is my biggest help, I have been thinking about joining a local touch team so I can get out there and do some team sports which is another thing that i think will help me alot, I have also gone along the powerlifting path and have gained back 15kg of what i originally lost although these gains have probably been more muscle then fat my mind just wont let me believe it.

Another question has anyone who has suffered from this also notice it affecting the amount they can lift as the confidence isn't there too realise what your capable of, I feel like that's how it is for me but at the same time I think it could be a cop out for me being weaker then i should be lol.

Anyway thanks to all that replied was kind of expecting a harden the f*ck up answer like my old man would tell me lol , but its good too know others have experienced it too.

[joey pineapples]

Get used to it, it's the price you pay for being fat in the first place. I have the same fear and it affects my bulking, I won't go past 110kg; it's a mental block I have now and when I go over 105kg, I always have a cut in mind to get back down.

Some people love to get huge, I'm not sure why, as I found it embarrassing

puffing at the top of the stairs.

If I don't constantly work out the fat creeps back, so I've settled on the fact that I have too lift for the rest of my life, not the worst punishment though

[severe]

Another question has anyone who has suffered from this also notice it affecting the amount they can lift as the confidence isn't there too realise what your capable of, I feel like that's how it is for me but at the same time I think it could be a cop out for me being weaker then i should be lol.

Though I haven't suffered like you, I have a mental thing going on where I am not big enough (after a childhood of being a weed, and all the girls went for teh buff guys).

To find out if you are stronger than you think, get a spotter. One who won't lift it for you and ten say you are strong, but someone who will make you force out one more rep, then just one more, then one more... and take the edge off it once you start failing.

I was stuck at 85kg benching for a long time, till this guy said "go heavier bro, I will catch it if it gets too much".

I was then able to see that I could do 95kg for reps (though obviously felt the difference), when I honestly thought I was only as strong as 85 for reps. That was a long time ago. Now its spotters on 110kg (main focus is helping unrack it safely).

The mind will force you to srvive by taking it easy. Get a mate to help you get out of that zone.

You will be amazed how strong you are, and can get, once you know you won't get hurt. (but make sure they can spot).

[Daz69]

I've had a quick look and there isn't much out there regarding anxiety/depression associated with substantial weight loss..

There are a few references to it effecting insulin sensitivity being part of the problem, but nothing positive..

I wonder if your diet may be lacking some of the essentials for controlling mood etc...

Try including foods rich in L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, Phenylalanine.... These are all the precursors for monoamine neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, & norepinephrine, essential for the regulation of mood and well being....

[crazyfacials]

But you mixed yours with HIV, didn't you? :shifty:

Only because I got it from you homo...wait what?

OP those panic attacks didn't affect me in the gym apart from getting me worried while doing cardio lifts were, but the shortness of breath and thinking I might die was lulzy, after 2 weeks I just lived with it, now I am Mr.Stimm , can down a large can of rebull or V and go straight to sleep...kiss my bicep Severe...kiss it damn it

[Kalidane]

Severe guessed much of what I was going to say.

Getting a spotter in there should make a very real difference which leads to something of a positive feedback loop and that's a damn good thing to get happening.

[AZIDE]

.

[Katie1309]

Hiya hun, having suffered from a chronic anxiety disorder (coupled with symptoms of bipolar 2) for over a decade, all I can say is go see a doctor as well - there may be underlying issues that are coming out as you get fitter (confidence etc) that may have been there all along - you just didn't know it yet.

There's all sorts of treatments out there it doesn't have to be debilitating, but I strongly advise see someone just to make sure it isn't a bigger problem - I'd particularly urge you to do this if you suffers from any sort of depressive episodes - it doesn't have to be severe - but you should get yourself the all clear. Normal anxiety is the body's way of telling you to fight or flight in a situation - perfectly normal from time to time but if its constant it can feel awful and there is help

[bjjs14]

Another question has anyone who has suffered from this also notice it affecting the amount they can lift as the confidence isn't there too realise what your capable of, I feel like that's how it is for me but at the same time I think it could be a cop out for me being weaker then i should be lol.

Though I haven't suffered like you, I have a mental thing going on where I am not big enough (after a childhood of being a weed, and all the girls went for teh buff guys).

To find out if you are stronger than you think, get a spotter. One who won't lift it for you and ten say you are strong, but someone who will make you force out one more rep, then just one more, then one more... and take the edge off it once you start failing.

I was stuck at 85kg benching for a long time, till this guy said "go heavier bro, I will catch it if it gets too much".

I was then able to see that I could do 95kg for reps (though obviously felt the difference), when I honestly thought I was only as strong as 85 for reps. That was a long time ago. Now its spotters on 110kg (main focus is helping unrack it safely).

The mind will force you to srvive by taking it easy. Get a mate to help you get out of that zone.

You will be amazed how strong you are, and can get, once you know you won't get hurt. (but make sure they can spot).

Thanks for the reply bro I actually do have a pretty good spotter already who was PLing at my age and is almost 40 now but strong as hell maybe im just comparing my lifts to his too much I think that's a major problem with anxiety is that you tend to overanalyse stupid little things.

":27ywjw34]i find a good strategy to deal with problems in life is to just introduce a bigger problem so you no longer really even think of or care about the original problem. works for me

Yeah bro that seems to be the easiest cure I have found.

Hiya hun, having suffered from a chronic anxiety disorder (coupled with symptoms of bipolar 2) for over a decade, all I can say is go see a doctor as well - there may be underlying issues that are coming out as you get fitter (confidence etc) that may have been there all along - you just didn't know it yet.

There's all sorts of treatments out there it doesn't have to be debilitating, but I strongly advise see someone just to make sure it isn't a bigger problem - I'd particularly urge you to do this if you suffers from any sort of depressive episodes - it doesn't have to be severe - but you should get yourself the all clear. Normal anxiety is the body's way of telling you to fight or flight in a situation - perfectly normal from time to time but if its constant it can feel awful and there is help

Thanks Katie actually been to the doctors quite a few times for it but I prefer to try and fight it myself as I've heard of people who become reliant on medication and I don't want to be one of them, Here's hoping that as i keep making progress that It will go away.