I'm so desperate to lose the weight I've gained (a lot due to meds.) I was cycling about 100 miles a week last year, but even then only managed to maintain the weight I was at rather than lose any. Since then, though, I've just got more and more sedentry as the depression has set in and the necessity of cycling (to work) has ceased, and my weight has gone up.

I wholeheartedly tried healthy eating for a few weeks recently, but didn't see any results from it, and so lost motivation to 'deprive' myself of things I wanted. Craved. Needed.

My weight is really getting out of control now, but I've been so down these past few weeks that I've been falling into old habits of comfort eating. I can barely face 'real' food at the moment - I'm literally dry-heaving at the sight of fruit - all I feel I can eat right now is chocolate, biscuits, and crisps. And once I start eating them I often can't stop until I start to feel sick - at which point I want to purge, trouble is, I don't know if I feel worse about the calories or the purging (as I'm really trying to stop doing that.)

I'm my own worst enemy. I literally have one miniskirt that just about fits me that I wear with leggings, a couple pairs of baggy combat pants, and jodhpurs that are at full stretch and that I look ridiculous in. None of my jeans will go anywhere near. (Not even my 'fat' jeans.) (Not even my FAT 'fat' jeans.) I've gone up more than 3 bra sizes. I've got new stretch marks. I have a double chin, you guys!

I want to exercise, and each day I tell myself I'm going to do it, but I feel so tired and lacklustre. This depression totally saps my motivation. The only thing I've managed to keep up is horseriding on average a couple times a week - and I don't think my horse is loving the extra load, y'anno?

I've always battled to keep my weight down, but I've never been this big before. I feel disgusting. It's all I think about. Which is why I'm so mad at myself for carrying on going to the store and buying more junk to eat, then eating that junk. I just. Can't. Stop!

I've told my doctors, asked them for advice... nothing. They don't care.

Diet and exercise, right?

But seriously, what do I do?

[Sabrina]

I don't know what advice to give you. I am in a similar situation but not from unhealthy snacking but rather than large portion sizes and too many carbs.

My weight is on my mind almost 24/7 and the fact that I struggle immensely to exercise doesn't help.

I wish I had something magical to say to you but it is a long, horrible struggle and I just wanted to share with you that I relate to your post and understand your feelings.

Keep posting, I'll listen!

[Inedible]

When your blood sugar is high from sugars and starches in your diet, your body responds with insulin. When your insulin level is elevated, your body responds by storing fat into fat cells. It isn't released until the insulin levels fall, but then, the fat is released and you have the opportunity to burn it. If your insulin level is too high too much of the time you may not even be able to access enough energy from your food to feel normal. It is being stored without being used so it can contribute to being tired and depressed. Anything you can do to regulate your blood sugar better and avoid insulin spikes will help. I have been told that a diabetic diet often results in weight loss even for people without diabetes. I can guess that this would be a result of controlling blood sugar levels and avoiding insulin spikes. Cinnamon extract and chromium supplements are supposed to help. Avoid anything diet, especially diet soda, because the artificial sweeteners still cause insulin spikes.

Small changes in the beginning are easier to keep up.

Probiotics would be good to look into, too. People who are overweight don't tend to have as many of the helpful microbes and too much of other, more harmful ones.

Yogic breathing can help. By that I mean learn to breathe throughout the entire volume of the lungs, making sure to get plenty of slow, deep breathing. It is easier to start by laying down on your back and putting a hand on your chest and another hand on your stomach. At first breathe using the muscles of the diaphragm by pushing your stomach in and out. The hand on your stomach should be moving but not the other hand at this point. Most of the blood flowing to your lungs goes to the bottom third of your lungs. This can help with stress and it will help to get more oxygen into your system. It will help with your metabolism and mood. Five minutes would be a good place to start.

Of course, I am not a doctor and do not intend to give medical advice. This is all just stuff I've read about. It sounds like you have already asked your doctor, and didn't get a good result. You may be better off discussing this kind of thing with a nurse. Nurses are wonderful people and they are often much better at handling conversation.

[Astridetal]

I am not too overweight, but otherwise I can relate. I snack a lot, am rather sedentary and sometiems purge to get rid of excess food. I have heard tha tpurging won't help since the calories get stored too quickly for that, but I'm not sure if that's true. I want to suggest you see a dietitian with expertise in mental health so that they can work with you and educate you about how to maintain as healthy as possible a lifestyle. Unless you are mobidly obese (BMI over 40), the key usually isn't weight loss but adopting a healthier lifestyle.