True when I wrote this back in 2012/13, true again this last time.
Stage 4: Depression
Not clinical depression, but an overt sadness became the dominant mood most of my days. This would evolve from the anger stage. The same issues I was angry about, now became the catalyst for sadness. Unfortunately, for carb-addicted people like myself, this stage ends up adding a significant amount of weight re-gain rapidly. I said this in Obesity Undone, and I will it say it here again, when depressed, food is the friend that is never too busy, the lover that never has a headache, and food always makes us feel the same way again and again. When we are sad or depressed, we desire comfort, and food, for better or worse; usually worse, has a way to transport us to times in our lives when we were children. Where, in my case, the smell of spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove brings back the security of being home with my mother or grandmother. The aroma transfers to the taste, and then the fullness of the belly has a way to magically make all the stressors, and the anxieties, and all the sadness just disappear --- even if it is only momentarily. Thus, with larger problems --- we become more hungry, not physically, but emotionally hungry for that comforted feeling. Therefore, we indulge over and over and over. As the numbers on the scale increase, as we switch to wearing larger sized clothing, the momentary comfort is replaced with even more sadness as we are realizing how out of control we are becoming. Thus, depression is not only an effect; it is also a cause.
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