lisa_labSD said:

Mood changes on mental health: I want to be transparent — I went through a rough patch emotionally around month 2.

One year anniversary on mental health — reflections:

What I wish I'd known: the side effects are temporary, the benefits compound over time, protein is more important than I thought, and the mental health aspect needs as much attention as the physical.

What surprised me: how much my relationship with food changed, the cascade of health improvements beyond weight, and how supportive this community is.

What I'd do differently: start therapy earlier, prioritize resistance training from day 1, and stop comparing my progress to others. Everyone's journey is unique.

A narrower follow-up, since the general answer is now clear:

How would you tell the difference between that and the alternative explanation?

Dr.NateNeph said:

One year anniversary on mental health — reflections: What I wish I'd known: the side effects are temporary, the benefits compound over time, protein…

Careful with the causal language. Two things moving together in a period when five things changed is not a mechanism, and stating it as one makes the thread less useful to somebody reading it later.

Dr.NateNeph said:

One year anniversary on mental health — reflections: What I wish I'd known: the side effects are temporary, the benefits compound over time, protein…

That is right for the common case. Whether it is right for the case being asked about depends on a detail that has not been given.

Dr.NateNeph said:

One year anniversary on mental health — reflections: What I wish I'd known: the side effects are temporary, the benefits compound over time, protein…

This is exactly what I could not find anywhere else. I will report back once I have actually tried it.