# Treating depression with bodybuilding



## SealB (Feb 18, 2014)

For the past few months it has become clear to me and many others around me that my mental state has taken a serious turn for the worse. I am clinicaly depressed and for me one of my only outlets and relief from my illness is fitness. I find my self obsessed with it, I've been doing insane amounts of cardio to get that emotional high that i so badly crave, and when i miss a run or a swim i just shut down and fall into a deep hopelessness and sadness.

Of course the worst side affect of all this is my weight loss. I am quite clearly underweight, and people around me are worried. I have to put on some weight, but the thought of it makes me feel terrible and i have no appetite most of the time. I want to be able to gain weight and feel normal again whilst retaining my fitness, which i am very proud of. A solution to this for me would be "switching" to less cardio more weight training. I know from countless articles and basic biology that i will have to eat more to gain muscle. I do look muscular already but i suspect that is because of my low % bodyweight and i have been making muscle gains just only small ones - my body proportions look very strange.

What i need is a way of gaining muscle that will not be a huge shock to my system. Gaining weight is a must but i couldn't cope with just doing so by putting on fat, it would just feel wrong to me. So how should i go about this? There are so many "Bulking" diets but I know i would not be able to stand them. Is there a way around this, or is it just wishful thinking? I imagine that if i replaced the time I use for cardio with weights i would have no problem with getting the hours in, but i do want to stay - reasonably - ripped. I am not wasting my money on supplements but i want to get good enough nutrition at the same time.

So i guess this is the opposite to the usual call for help and it goes like this,

"How can i gain muscle WITHOUT loosing/gaining (too much) weight?"

If anyone has any sound advice that would be great, or if anyone has had a similar experience and would be willing to share it, i would love to hear from them.

To summarise what i need to know:

. How much should I be training to maximise muscle gains (low reps, high sets etc)

. When is the best time to do cardio, and how much should i be doing

. How can I stay lean whilst gaining muscle (in other words what is the best way of maximising weight gain through hypotrophy and not fat gains)

. When should I eat certain food types (i.e. best time to consume protein)

. Would supplements/shakes be a good way of getting more nutrient into my diet and if so how/what much should i be taking - I would rather not.

. Useful/free sources of information (i.e books etc - i'm reading Mike Mathew's "Bigger leaner Stronger" which has so far been the best book I've found, but "skinny to muscular" is what i'm really looking for)

I appreciate i am only scratching the surface here, there are many more things to consider, but i don't really just want answers like, eat more carbs or eat some cake, I still want to keep a healthy diet. I want to put on weight, just gradually, not have to gorge then spend ages cutting. So constructive answers would be best. I would like to see muscle gain together with fat, not just fat. I'm getting in contact with a personal trainer, but you know what they can be like, so getting input from you guys would be a real help. I will post my progress and keep up to date,

Thanks, Bob


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## Robbie789 (Sep 6, 2012)

How much do you weigh?


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## SealB (Feb 18, 2014)

robdobbie said:


> How much do you weigh?


Not enough:mellow: Its not how much i weigh that's the problem its my ridiculous BF% which is about 5% All of my weight is pretty much muscle so i look pretty ripped, I just don't look particularly healthy from my waste down - I've got no backside, and the most alarming thing is how quickly i've lost weight when i have clearly been gaining muscle (in my upper body).

My BMI is 16.7 - under 18.5 is considered under weight


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## trav365plus (Feb 18, 2014)

For your depression I'd recommend the teachkngs of Abraham hicks- I used to be in a low state a few years and i tried lots of things and their teachings helped me da most. I am now usually happy, high energy and motivated to achieve my goals. I hope they help u too


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## Robbie789 (Sep 6, 2012)

SealB said:


> Not enough:mellow: Its not how much i weigh that's the problem its my ridiculous BF% which is about 5% All of my weight is pretty much muscle so i look pretty ripped, I just don't look particularly healthy from my waste down - I've got no backside, and the most alarming thing is how quickly i've lost weight when i have clearly been gaining muscle (in my upper body).
> 
> My BMI is 16.7 - under 18.5 is considered under weight


Need to know weight to tell you how many calories to eat mate


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## SealB (Feb 18, 2014)

robdobbie said:


> Need to know weight to tell you how many calories to eat mate


I weigh 50kg and i'm 173cm tall.

BTW both my parents are doctors - One being a GP and the other a psychiatrist, so i know the score when it comes to eating. What i'm really after here is ideas for how much exercise to do, and what would be overtraining. Where food is concerned what i need is to know what my diet should be like specifically for gaining the most muscle without feeling like crap.


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## Robbie789 (Sep 6, 2012)

SealB said:


> I weigh 50kg and i'm 173cm tall.
> 
> BTW both my parents are doctors - One being a GP and the other a psychiatrist, so i know the score when it comes to eating. What i'm really after here is ideas for how much exercise to do, and what would be overtraining. Where food is concerned what i need is to know what my diet should be like specifically for gaining the most muscle without feeling like crap.


If you want to stay lean then eat about 2000kcals on training days, and slightly less (~200k) on rest days

110g protein

250g carbs

60g fat

Foods like, chicken, lean meats, eggs, milk, oats, nuts, veg are all good sources of pro/carbs/fats

If you know how to train with proper from, I'd go for an Upper/Lower split, if not then do a 5x5 like Stronglifts (google it) for 12 weeks and get the basics down.

Cardio is fine if you want to keep your CV up, but remember the goal is to gain weight, so however many kcals you burn, you'll need to eat the same in food.


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## Robbie789 (Sep 6, 2012)

In fact, re-reading your post you say you don't have any lower body, going from that I would defintely suggest doing Stronglifts for 12+ weeks.


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Sounds like you are going through a difficult time and I can empathise, have experienced both PTSD and depression in my life and know just how it both distorts your perception of things/emotional responses, and how it makes some of the most simple tasks seem impossible. You have my heart felt sympathy.

I think that weight training can be a wonderful activity to focus on to help in many ways - not only is it a positive focus mentally, but also physically it has been clinically demonstrated to help restore those neurotransmitters that are out of whack and are mostly responsible for how you feel.

As you have identified though, it's not just about getting the training right, it's also about diet. People tend to go one of two ways when stressed or depressed with eating - they either comfort eat and pile the weight on, or they find their appetite destroyed and practically starve themselves. You sound like you are in the latter group, and that's what happens with me too.

Since eating properly is going to be difficult while you still feel depressed, I'd say initially not to worry too much about the quality of the food you eat - you simply need to eat whatever you can to get your energy intake up and to allow you to add weight. You won't add much fat if your diet is calorie controlled. This is the only way that worked for me, and I'm a friggin nutritionist. Trying to eat my normal healthy diet simply doesn't work because when depressed I simply do not have the motivation to do all the food prep or the shopping - I need quick, easy, palatable food that there is no excuse to not eat. As things get better I then gradually start cleaning the diet up.

So, my advice for diet is to simply identify your calorie needs for gaining a little muscle. If you are used to not eating much then work up to it gradually. At 50kg, 2000-2250kcals a day will suffice initially assuming a light - moderate activity level. Two thousand kcals or a little over is an amount that is not too difficult to consume.

For training, pick a basic routine that has you training three or four times per week. As a beginner you will build muscle on just about any kind of routine, but my suggestion would be either a full body routine x3 per week to start with or an upper/lower split routine where you perform two upper and two lower body workouts each week. There are so many options.

Obviously whether you are training at a gym or at home will affect your exercise options based on equipment available. I would google or search this site for beginner full body and upper/lower split routines to find one that fits with the facilities you have available and has a good look to it fro your point of view. I think the act of researching and choosing a routine yourself rather than to have one prescribed will help psychologically - when it works you can look back and take full ownership of your success.

The hardest part will be sticking with the eating and the training consistently, especially at times when you feel massively bad. Pretty quickly though you should see a positive change in your body and also your emotional state, and the motivation from that will help no end.

Wishing you the best with whatever you choose to do


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## johnnya (Mar 28, 2013)

Hi mate, couldn't be assed reading the whole thing but when I train I can think about anything else and feel great afterwards....so in my medical opinion as an electrician get down the gym train your ballix off and give yourself a break

Ps seeing I didn't read the whole thread my answer may have nothing to do with the question you asked

Anyway goodluck


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## johnnya (Mar 28, 2013)

johnnya said:


> Hi mate, couldn't be assed reading the whole thing but when I train I can think about anything else and feel great afterwards....so in my medical opinion as an electrician get down the gym train your ballix off and give yourself a break
> 
> Ps seeing I didn't read the whole thread my answer may have nothing to do with the question you a
> 
> Anyway goodluck


H AND HAVE A LIKE EVERYBODY'S GOT VERY TIGHT WITH THEM ROUND HERE SINCE THE GREAT CULL OF 2013


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## 2H3ENCH4U (May 23, 2012)

If anything you have a very rare perspective for someone starting on the road to bodybuilding, where most people suffer with a lack of motivation and enthausiasm you are too enthausiastic !

One of the questions you have asked is "How often can I train", now if your goal is to gain weight and you are someone who struggles to eat you need to be very careful with training too much as this will prevent your from gaining weight, you need to turn some of then eagerness into consistancy and planning.

Rather than training 7 days a week use the 3 spare days to analyze and plan your workouts, review what you did last week, track your cals and prepare your meals.

With bodybuilding there is alot more that will help you gain weight than the training alone.


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## SealB (Feb 18, 2014)

Thanks, for your support, 2000kcal shouldn't be too hard, and i train about three times a week on strength already so i'm glad i'll be able to put on muscle weight instead of fat. Whole foods i think are going to be the best thing for me though. Thanks. I'm gunna keep a food diary to stay in control and really monitor my results as having goals is really important for me.


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## Robbie789 (Sep 6, 2012)

dtlv said:


> Sounds like you are going through a difficult time and I can empathise, have experienced both PTSD and depression in my life and know just how it both distorts your perception of things/emotional responses, and how it makes some of the most simple tasks seem impossible. You have my heart felt sympathy.
> 
> I think that weight training can be a wonderful activity to focus on to help in many ways - not only is it a positive focus mentally, but also physically it has been clinically demonstrated to help restore those neurotransmitters that are out of whack and are mostly responsible for how you feel.
> 
> ...


I really need to scroll down the whole way before deceiding whether or not to read your posts, only saw the first few lines and got half way before scrolling and seeing how much was left, but I was already committed so had to finish it :lol:

Now for the obligatory 'like'


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## 2H3ENCH4U (May 23, 2012)

. How much should I be training to maximise muscle gains (low reps, high sets etc)

4 days a week no more than an hour each session, you grow in the gym when you rest not in the gym.

. When is the best time to do cardio, and how much should i be doing

Ideally you should keep cardio to a minimum (say 5 mins warm up prior to weights and 10 mins after at a steady pace like walking) as unless you are eating to replace the calories lost you will not gain any weight.

. How can I stay lean whilst gaining muscle (in other words what is the best way of maximising weight gain through hypotrophy and not fat gains)

Eat clean sources of protein like chicken, fish, eggs and complex carbs like brown rice, wholemeal pasta.

You should also google BMR (not BMI) which will tell you based on your activity levels how many calories you need to eat on a daily basis to maintain your weight, once you have this benchmark it is a case of increasing by 500 cals and monitoring how you look / how much you weigh and adjusting if neccessary.

. When should I eat certain food types (i.e. best time to consume protein)

Protein should be eaten with everymeal, Carbs can also be eaten with everymeal provided you have protein with them as well. If you are an ectomorph phenotype it is very likely you are not carb sensitive so there is no real need to limit carbs like some diets may recommend.

. Would supplements/shakes be a good way of getting more nutrient into my diet and if so how/what much should i be taking - I would rather not.

It depends on how organised and comfortbale you are with finding convenient protein sources with every meal, can you make sure you have daily access to tuna, eggs, chicken, steak etc If weight gain is your goal it maybe worth buying a simple whey protein to use after training.

. Useful/free sources of information (i.e books etc - i'm reading Mike Mathew's "Bigger leaner Stronger" which has so far been the best book I've found, but "skinny to muscular" is what i'm really looking for)

This site is full of useful info, I would also sign up to myfitness pal to track your cals and keep you on track to your weight gain goal.

Personally I started at 22 years old weighing 11st and at that point spent my time smoking weed playing Xbox and decided to start training after someone asked me if I had aids mg:

After 7 years continous weight training, tweaking my diet and training here and there and constantly learning and adapting I now weigh 16st and am entering my first mens physique competition in September.


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## danefox (Oct 18, 2013)

SealB said:


> For the past few months it has become clear to me and many others around me that my mental state has taken a serious turn for the worse. I am clinicaly depressed and for me one of my only outlets and relief from my illness is fitness. I find my self obsessed with it, I've been doing insane amounts of cardio to get that emotional high that i so badly crave, and when i miss a run or a swim i just shut down and fall into a deep hopelessness and sadness.
> 
> Of course the worst side affect of all this is my weight loss. I am quite clearly underweight, and people around me are worried. I have to put on some weight, but the thought of it makes me feel terrible and i have no appetite most of the time. I want to be able to gain weight and feel normal again whilst retaining my fitness, which i am very proud of. A solution to this for me would be "switching" to less cardio more weight training. I know from countless articles and basic biology that i will have to eat more to gain muscle. I do look muscular already but i suspect that is because of my low % bodyweight and i have been making muscle gains just only small ones - my body proportions look very strange.
> 
> ...


I can appreciate you trying to get through your depression on a natural basis, but having gone through it myself. I would suggest going to see a doctor. Depression is nothing to be assamed of, and medications can help. Doesn't mean you have to be on them the rest of your life either. I went through a very bad period, having lost both my parents, and my inlaws in a matter of on 5 years. I was on medication for about three years. I did see a big inprovement within the first couple of weeks.

As for the training, i know getting your calories and protien from real food is best. But if you have no appatite, I would suggest you getting some kind of bulking shakes that have the high amount of protien and calories you will need to build muscle. Hope this helps.


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## SealB (Feb 18, 2014)

2H3ENCH4U said:


> . How much should I be training to maximise muscle gains (low reps, high sets etc)
> 
> 4 days a week no more than an hour each session, you grow in the gym when you rest not in the gym.
> 
> ...


Thanks for all the amazing advice, I think that it shouldn't be a problem for me to get he nutrients i need from whole foods, as i love fresh meat! Your story is truly inspiring and it is so helpful to know that there are people who care about giving proper advice, and hearing of your success is of great help for me. I never expected such great responses, it is a huge improvement to the horse sh*t you get from magazines, getting it from real people. You have no idea how much this means to me, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I can see things looking up already, you can guarantee that you'll be hearing more from me! it doesn't take much to help me feel so much better about myself, if not for a short while. Obviously i will be undergoing other treatments as well as bodybuilding but i will strive to make the most out of what i can do for myself. I will most probably begin to write a blog and keep everyone as informed as I can, thank you all so much.


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## Ian_Montrose (Nov 13, 2007)

You've had some good advice so far. One other thing you might want to consider is starting a log on here. it can serve as your personal diary to track your progress but will also enable people to support you and offer ongoing advice. You are very much not alone in this journey if you don't want to be.


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## Robbie789 (Sep 6, 2012)

I agree with what the big <ock above said, a journal is a good idea, section is here - http://www.uk-muscle.co.uk/member-journals-pictures/


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## 2H3ENCH4U (May 23, 2012)

SealB said:


> Thanks for all the amazing advice, I think that it shouldn't be a problem for me to get he nutrients i need from whole foods, as i love fresh meat! Your story is truly inspiring and it is so helpful to know that there are people who care about giving proper advice, and hearing of your success is of great help for me. I never expected such great responses, it is a huge improvement to the horse sh*t you get from magazines, getting it from real people. You have no idea how much this means to me, THANK YOU SO MUCH!
> 
> I can see things looking up already, you can guarantee that you'll be hearing more from me! it doesn't take much to help me feel so much better about myself, if not for a short while. Obviously i will be undergoing other treatments as well as bodybuilding but i will strive to make the most out of what i can do for myself. I will most probably begin to write a blog and keep everyone as informed as I can, thank you all so much.


Your welcome and glad I could help.

You seem genuine, humble and willing to learn, something I wish a few of the other newer members would take note off.

Honestly wish you the best of luck and the forum is always here for people like you should you need anything else.


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## Howey1 (Nov 17, 2013)

Best of luck to you. I understand how low you feel and can get. I lost 1st in weight after splitting with my ex. Gym kept me sane, even though im still not fully recovered mentally.

Training releases something positive in your head. Train hard and hang in there buddy!


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## theuppercuts (Jan 27, 2014)

SealB said:


> For the past few months it has become clear to me and many others around me that my mental state has taken a serious turn for the worse. I am clinicaly depressed and for me one of my only outlets and relief from my illness is fitness. I find my self obsessed with it, I've been doing insane amounts of cardio to get that emotional high that i so badly crave, and when i miss a run or a swim i just shut down and fall into a deep hopelessness and sadness.
> 
> Of course the worst side affect of all this is my weight loss. I am quite clearly underweight, and people around me are worried. I have to put on some weight, but the thought of it makes me feel terrible and i have no appetite most of the time. I want to be able to gain weight and feel normal again whilst retaining my fitness, which i am very proud of. A solution to this for me would be "switching" to less cardio more weight training. I know from countless articles and basic biology that i will have to eat more to gain muscle. I do look muscular already but i suspect that is because of my low % bodyweight and i have been making muscle gains just only small ones - my body proportions look very strange.
> 
> ...


Hey Bob.

First thing I'd like to say is that you are not alone mate. Many people, including myself, have experienced mental health issues. I find that exercise, mainly weight training, helps me manage my anxiety, as I don't want to take medication for it.

It is important when looking at this road of bodybuilding (or even just adding some size) what you want to achieve, in small increments. Set small goals, such as eating an extra banana a day, or doing one extra weight rep. Little things like this will make it all easier.

And probably the most important thing you need to know is that it is not an easy road. It is long, hard and takes a lot effort. I used to be a really skinny guy, and now I have worked myself to an average mans physic haha *size wise* and it's grow from there.

Also depending on your interests, I find watching documentaries on bodybuilding a great motivation. Go and watch the classic "Pumping Iron" for some inspiration. And don't forget. Even the big dogs started somewhere.

Some tips I could share that I have learnt along the way

*consistency, get yourself in a routine! It's hard the first few weeks, heck, even months, but then it all becomes second nature.

*A mass gain protein, this kind of topic can be debatable, but they worked for me. They give you those extra calories needed in your diet if you can't stomach "eating more carbs or cake". You can be the best judge of how many of these you need a day but I'd definitely adding at least one of these shakes will be super beneficial to your cause.

*Music! I don't know how much you are into music, but this is my saviour here. Try avoid sad soppy tunes, listen to what makes you feel good! No matter the genre, no matter the mood.

Good luck with your journey. You have my support hombre

UC


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