I need to stop allowing depression to affect my weight

When I'm stressed, what I do is eat and eat. And eat. I know it's bad. But I have hardly any support-- just my husband and a relative and that is it. I literally have NO friends.

I know at the end of the day, it's my responsibility. I can't really rely on a buddy or anything, but it really sucks. I also know I can't keep on this path, or else I'll be morbidly obese.

Instead of focusing on the eating and weight, maybe the best management program would be stress reduction ... paying attention to what your triggers are and either limiting them when possible or learning new ways not to allow stress to escalate to the 'I must eat to feel better' level.

Through this process, you might discover that the stress is an 'excuse' to eat in ways that are not healthy but feel good at the moment none-the-less.

Here is a good TED talk on mindful eating (there are others on Youtube):

Automate your eating by planning your meals ahead of time. That way you're less likely to make an unhealthy last-minute food choice. Eating water-rich foods such as melons, tomatoes and celery can help fill you up without adding too many calories to your day.

How can I really reduce stress when just about everything in my life is stressful?

Hi. I understand your concern and feel your pain 100%. I think you can do three things:
1. Get all the sweets out from your house and replace them with healthy snacks that are not rich in calories and won't progress you obesity further.
2. You should get some help for a shrink or somethin' cause you need to identify what is causing your stress. There is no reason treating an ''illness'' if we don't know what is causing it. And yes, we have to agree on this, that your eating is triggered by stress and that behaviour is not healthy.
3. The last think...join the gym and start working out. You will have multiple benefits of this. Your body will start producing happiness hormones which will decrease your depression. You will start losing weight which will benefit on your selfestem and last but not least, you will find support among others who go to the gym to work out. You should try it Hope this helps.

Bye,
Jenna