File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Dear /fit,

I've heard that exercise is supposed to help with depression. Well it's been two weeks since I started going to the gym and I really don't feel a whole lot better. Not only that, I've gained five pounds. I hadn't been eating a lot and exercising started making me hungry, but I stay away from fatty foods and empty carbs.

Is this normal? Will I start feeling better if I just keep it up? I'm hoping that the weight is muscle, I spend a half an hour on the elliptical, do crunches, and sometimes work with resistance bands so I am hoping that it is muscle and not just a huge fail.
>> Anonymous
You have presumably been inactive and had a poor diet for years, it would be silly to assume 2 weeks of exercise would instantly fix that. I would say, if you make a legitimate effort, you should see results around 3 months or so. It takes time for your body to adapt.
>> Anonymous
Squatz bro
>> Anonymous
Exercise will not help with true, deep depression.
>> Anonymous
fuck your weight man. Once you start, it really doesn't mean shit so one of the best things you can do is forget about what you weight and concentrate more on what you look like.

It's ok to start slow, especially if you're new. If you're only going 2-3 times a week and feel like you don't know what you're really doing, that's fine. But if you're not getting advice from someone, DO RESEARCH. Your time spent lumbering around randomly lifting shit isn't wasted, if anything it will help you get more comfortable around the weights until you can work on setting up a routine and slowly easing into good food choices.

Load up your brain on exercises/food plans you can try and go from there. Add in 1-2 new exercises everytime you go and see if you like them. Go slow, lift light, and really concentrate on making sure your form is correct. It helps to get the feeling that you know exactly what you're doing and KNOWING you're gunna be seeing results, and that takes some time, planning, and getting used to/comfortable to weights.