I have gained weight while under stress, but only a few pounds. BTW: Is that Martina McBride as your Avatar or Icon?

I gain weight because I stress eat and nothing better than sugar and sweets when I am stressed. It has been a stressful year for me. I have lost 2 family members (about to be 3) and my best friend and I have gained quite a bit.

The time in my life when I had greatest, pure stress I lost a lot of weight - I looked absolutely awful. It was difficult to stomach even just one meal a day.

A person can be diagnosed as suffering from clinical depression if: (A) Five (or more) of the following symptoms have been present during the same 2-week period and represent a change from previous functioning; at least one of the symptoms is either depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure. (1) depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad or empty) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful). Note: In children and adolescents, can be irritable mood. (2) markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day (as indicated by either subjective account or observation made by others) (3) significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day. Note: In children, consider failure to make expected weight gains. (4) insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day (5) psycho motor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down) (6) fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day (7) feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt (which may be delusional) nearly every day (not merely self-reproach or guilt about being sick) (8) diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day (either by subjective account or as observed by others) (9) recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide (B) The symptoms do not meet criteria for a Mixed Episode. (C) The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. (D) The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition (e.g., hypothyroidism). (E) The symptoms are not better accounted for by Bereavement, i.e., after the loss of a loved one, the symptoms persist for longer than 2 months or are characterized by marked functional impairment, morbid preoccupation with worthlessness, suicidal ideation, psychotic symptoms, or psycho motor retardation.

I lose weight - I find I have no appetite when I'm feeling down.

When I'm depressed, I eat a less and run more(about twice as much, about 45miles/week compared to 24). I do loss weight, but no more than a few pounds. (I'm 6'1", 150lbs)

It depends on the person ... Some people will drop weight as they won't eat anything , hardly .... Others; will get depresed and eat everything in the house OR a certain bad food like ice cream etc .... and therefore GAIN weight ....