I’m going through a period of depression. Really haven’t been eating much other than a very small meal each day (bowl of soup or pho). Strangely, the scale hasn’t changed. I’ve always had difficulty losing weight but wondering if there’s an issue with my body converting stored fat to energy? I also feel very tired and run down. Not sure if that’s the depression or lack of food. Any input will be appreciated.
Not eating sufficient quality can downshift your metabolism, basically your body adjusts energy output to match dietary input. The body ends up producing cortisol because it interprets the situation as you being under stress. Cortisol production consumes magnesium, and magnesium is also important for energy metabolism. End result is basically starving yourself into being lethargic while not losing any weight.
Root veg and rice carb sources can help combat that, particularly if you take a decent magnesium supplement as well. Note that keto diet folks will probably disagree with this, but at the end of the day what will matter is how you discover your personal body works. What I said can be confirmed with blood work, which I prefer because opinions are like assholes, everybody has one. Blood work provides facts. Consult your doctor.
Try short (less than a minute) high intensity exercise three times a day. This will direct your body to pull from your fat reserves, increase metabolism and possibly help with your depression. Google “shivercise.”