Being Bipolar and Trying To Diet

Hi everyone,

I just joined CC+ three days ago. But, I joined the bipolar network over 20+ years ago. Really I didn't join being bipolar, it joined me in rather a rude way. I don't get the severe mood swings that are so common with bipolar. I am more towards the manic phase during my swing periods. I feel very blessed that I am on medication that controls my manic phases very well. I have two brother who are also bipolar. One brother takes a mild antidepressant and rides out his manic periods, and the other brother takes no medication at all. He prefers to enjoy his manic phases as just being on an enjoyable "high" and rides out is depression periods and just a very severe "low". I can't do either. My depression periods send me to bed with severe debilitating depression and my highs send me into euphoric highs that I am unable to sleep for 3-5 days at a time, I would sit in the bars with men I don't even know, spend money I don't even have, and get in some very serious trouble. I need to be on medication.

So, dieting during a bipolar episode I either eat constantly or I don't eat at all. On medication, I go through a mild depression and sulk for a few days and may eat more often out of depression than out of hunger. And, in my manic phase I will eat thinking I don't have to worry about my weight, "My weight, why would I have such a silly thing to worry about!??) And, I would catch myself eating most foods that I would not be eating when on my diet. Almost like I am another person during those days. I almost scare myself.

I'm hoping there will be a few other people out there who are bipolar who have the same problems or have maybe faced the same issues as one time or another. They due seem strange, but maybe not to someone who is bipolar.

I even get up in the middle of the night and eat things I shouldn't be eating. That really makes me mad. I'm eating in the middle of the night, and gaining weight while I'm doing it.

Please let me know if you are having the same problems and if you have any ideas how you are handling them.

I'm in the exact same boat. I'm not on medication. I really don't like popping pills for anything! My mum told me I just had to learn how to control it on my own. Crap advice I'd say. 

Unless I have someone sitting next to me all day I don't think my habits are going to change anytime soon. It's so incredibly hard to put your words into actions when you are going through a manic patch, something just switches and everything I'd usually say to myself turns off. 

I'm tired of it. But I do love manic patches (compared to the depression I used to get anyways!). I think most of us creative sorts do 

I'm with you! When I'm up, I either don't eat at all (why take time to eat when there's so much ELSE to be done?) or I'll eat really fast, really extreme flavors (incredibly spicy foods, sickly sweet things, puckery sour, whatever, as long as it almost hurts to eat it) and make myself ill just for the sheer excitement of it all. Then I crash in a big way and not only is my mental health spiraling, but my tummy is upset too. Lovely. Then when I'm down, one of two things happens: I get too tired to eat and my appetite vanishes and all I want to do is sleep and forget I ever existed, or I stuff myself mindlessly to try to get a "sugar high" or a caffeine high to make myself feel better. Once again, then I'm bloated and tired from overeating and even MORE depressed because I'm ruining my health goals. Ugh. I agree, it's so hard to deal with being healthy in the body when your mind is so polarized. My advice? Try two different approaches for the two different extremes. For me, I have to literally think differently when I'm depressed or manic. It only helps (strange as it sounds) to adopt two ways of talking to myself, like I'm dealing with two different people. Maybe that would work for you, as a diet strategy? 

Hang in there. It's a hard road, but I think it can be dealt with, if not solved entirely. Good luck! 

I am bipolar and have known for about 10 years.  I have gained about 55 pounds and have had a hard time trying to loose it.

I am new to calorie counting.  I am into my 3rd week.  So far so good.