Medication Weight Gain - 30 kilos to lose

[polarsuds]

Hi everyone

Over the last couple of years I have gained around 30 kilos due to psychiatric medications. I have to take the meds so now I am stuck with this massive gain and unless I do something about it now I am going to end up huge. Thanks to the help of my doctor at the metabolic clinic I have managed to lose 16 kilos but thanks to a recent med change I have started gaining again.

I saw my GP this morning and she prescribed Metformin. I have done some research and know it's not a diet pill or a quick fix but I am desperately hoping that it will stop the weight gain and make it easier for me to lose. At the moment despite exercising and eating properly I am not losing weight.

I am determined to give this a good go and work even harder to get this weight off. I feel unattractive and fat and I hate that I have to shop in the plus size section. One of the side effects of one of my meds is increased appetite so I never feel full, so Christmas coming up is scaring me a little as I can eat a massive amount of food and over indulge.

So I guess writing this down I am acknowledging that I have a problem and I need help.

Thanks for listening!

[DD Diva]

Hello and welcome Polarsuds,

I'm fairly new myself, but I'm sure there are many others here with amazing stories to help inspire and motivate you.

Let me just say one thing, YOU CAN DO IT! A little faith goes a long way. It's not an easy battle, but it is a battle that can be won!

Take it in stages, don't look at it as an overall amount, break it down into little pieces. Why not set a goal for yourself of say 1kg by 1 January 2014? It may not seem like a huge amount, but it is still a start and (especially during this time of year) a loss (of any kind) would be miraculous for most people (myself included).

I know you can do it, now you just have to tell yourself, that you know you can too!

All the best,
Diva

[polarsuds]

Thank you Diva, it seems quite overwhelming at the moment but I will do what you suggest and set mini goals - great idea!

[DD Diva]

Hey Polarsuds,

Thanks for the praise, though I must confess, it's not my (or for that matter) an original ideal. Setting mini goals is a very realistic way of achieving bigger ones.

For me, I lost 30kg since I started on 1st January this year, and though it's been a journey, it hasn't been all that difficult. In fact, I found it relatively easy simply because I didn't focus on the fact that I have soooooooooooooooo much to lose! If I had, I doubt that I would have achieved as much as I have done already.

Whatever you do, be kind to yourself, and remember that at this time of year, temptation is going to be everywhere (it's the season for indulgence). Solution: Give into it!!! Yes, that's right. Don't fight it. The more you try to abstain from some of the Christmas culinary festivities, the more upset you'll become, and in turn the bigger the blow out is likely to be.

MODERATION is key #1
Have a little, of a (select) few favourites, and then walk away satisfied in the knowledge that you haven't deprived yourself.

DAMAGE CONTROL is key #2Always remember there is nothing that can't be undone. It may take a while to undo but ANY and ALL over indulgences can be remedied the next day/week once you get back "on the wagon". The key is to recognise you've over done things, but instead of punishing yourself with "oh well, I've overdone it now, may as well keep going!" STOP and start back on the straight and narrow, and you'll find that any damage is minimised, and you will be back on track in no time.

I spent the last year, eating EVERYTHING I wanted, and I deprived myself of NOTHING. That's right, nudder, zip, I had it all but in moderation. And when I had too much, I just paid the price the next day (liquid breaky, lunch and dinner) and turned things around till I was back to where I started the day before. From there, I continued on (and thankfully weight wise) downward!

You can too!

Take heart, take stock but above all, take it easy. Be kind to your body, and it will reward you for your consideration.

Cheers,
Diva

[admin]

Great advice diva... you have hit the nail on the head...when you do start depriving yourself you get obsessed by what you have zeroed out...thanks for sharing
Sharrelle

[polarsuds]

Excellent advice thank you Diva

I feel like I am on a level playing field now that I am on the metformin, prior to that it didn't matter what I did I gained weight due to the antipsychotic meds that I take. It was so frustrating. Hopefully now I will start to lose some weight.

Weigh in day tomorrow!

[Sarah91]

Amazing and awesome advice Diva. Health is wealth so we need to be watchful in what we eat. Eat in moderation so craving for food will not haunt you. Making yourself crave or starve will only lead you to more eating, so just be careful. Moderation is the keyword, remember, alright.