Medications, medical conditions and weight loss

rideafasthorse17

I am currently taking remeron, seroquel and elavil. It is not impossible to lose weight.
I also suffer from psoriatic arthritis and EDS/HMS and have had 3 major surgeries in 3 years that have left me disabled. I can not exercise as I would like so weight loss has been difficult but not impossible.
I have frequent flares from my PsA as well.
I started at 170lbs and am now down to 158.
I have had to be diligent with recording everything I eat and started wearing a fit bit to track activity and sleep.I am also 40 so it's like a quadruple whammy!

The biggest side effect I notice from these med is an intense sugar craving. I have eliminated simple sugar and foods high in sugar from my diet. It was difficult for the first week or two but once I got over the initial "detox" period it became easier. If I fall off the wagon I have to get right back on because being 40, on meds associated with weight gain or weight loss prohibiting and having a disabling medical condition makes it harder if I crawl back up the scale.
It is more important than ever that I track my food and activity. Lifestyle/diet induced illness is the last thing I need to add to my list of medical problems!!!
If I am not losing, I am easy on myself and happy to maintain the weight as well. This is easier said than done I realize but I still challenge the negative, "all or nothing" thinking and keep on going.
It is not impossible folks! I do understand and appreciate that none of us are the same with meds, everyone is completely different. This is my personal experience dealing with all of the issues that come with having medical conditions that require meds.
I would not be here if it weren't for the meds I am on. I suffer from severe MDD that has been exacerbated by my disabling PsA/EDS HMS and multiple spine surgeries. :-)

tiptoethruthetulips

Thank for sharing your circumstances, you've experienced and continue to experience difficult times but your attitude is absolutely wonderful.

editorgrrl

rideafasthorse17 wrote: »

I started at 170lbs and am now down to 158.

I have had to be diligent with recording everything I eat and started wearing a fit bit to track activity and sleep.I am also 40 so it's like a quadruple whammy!

You can find friends in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users

Fitbit challenges are great motivation—and fun.

rideafasthorse17

Thank you!
I hope my story helps others on some way.
I will check out the fit bit community as well

aslenig

I really enjoyed your blog as i have struggles with weight loss and medications that may play a role. Ty

melkouas

Seeing your post has really given me hope.... A month later. I'm a 22 year old who went from 185 to 215 lbs on remeron. It sucks not being able to eat yummy food anymore. It just sucks eating 1750 calories a day and still starving/ not loosing weight. I'm curious how you're doing @rideafasthorse17 !!!

editorgrrl

melkouas wrote: »

Seeing your post has really given me hope.... A month later. I'm a 22 year old who went from 185 to 215 lbs on remeron. It sucks not being able to eat yummy food anymore. It just sucks eating 1750 calories a day and still starving/ not loosing weight.

You lose weight by eating fewer calories than you burn—period. You can still eat yummy food, but in reasonable portions.

I'm less hungry when I use MFP's protein & fiber goals as minimums, and ignore fat & carbs. It'll take trial & error to find what works for you.

I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease), and thought I gained 35 lbs. for no reason. But learning to log everything I eat & drink accurately & honestly showed me I was eating too much. Logging is simple, but it ain't easy. Logging works.

rideafasthorse17

Yes it does! I wish more people realized that fad diets and dieting period backfire in the long run.
Accountability and using MFP to log it all helps immensely. It forces you to make better choices. I love how I feel when I stick to it. It can definitely be challenging when you do not see the scale drop as fast or at all but I try to focus on how I feel overall.
Before the days of MFP and smartphones I did weight watchers.
I lost 60 pounds. It was the accountability and actually going to meeting that helped.
Plus the point system forces you to make better choices as well.
I am with ya and agree compeltely!

rideafasthorse17

melkouas wrote: »

Seeing your post has really given me hope.... A month later. I'm a 22 year old who went from 185 to 215 lbs on remeron. It sucks not being able to eat yummy food anymore. It just sucks eating 1750 calories a day and still starving/ not loosing weight. I'm curious how you're doing @rideafasthorse17 !!!

I am doing well!
I am glad my story resonated with you.
Sorry I did not see the notifications and get back to you sooner.
So much of it is habit and the right mindset. I have had times where it feels like no matter what I do, I get no where.
A LOT of it is mindset for me. I have noticed times where I am totally into it and then there are times when it feels like a constant no win battle so why try.
It is compounded when the scale is not budging!
A big part of it for me is controlling my depression and that seems to be a bit better in the summer months.
A schedule helps me immensely.
It is so hard to keep busy at times so I write down my schedule and one or two achievable goals for each day.
I went from working 12 hour shifts and being so active on my off days to barely being able to sweep the floor!
It has taken a couple of years and I do slip backwards sometimes. Stress, pain and depression are big derailers.
I have had the hardest time learning to not be so hard on myself.
The daily schedule and goal setting help diistract me from thinking about food and everything else.
Stress reduction techniques like mindfulness meditation and structure.
There are a few great apps for mindfulness meditation. Headspace is a good one. You get 10 free session but after that there is a monthly charge. There are others as well....can't think of the names! Argh.
I wear a fit bit and track my steps but my daily goal is 5k which is low but for me it is a challenge but doable.
As far as being hungry all of the time....I have my daily calorie count at 1200 because I am 40, not able to be as active as I would like and am on Seroquel, Remeron, Prednisone and elavil.
I could probably have more and be ok....some days I do go over but I feel good and work hard to not let myself fall backwards over slip ups.
Water is a big one too.
A lot of these meds tend to dry you out. I noticed in tracking my water intake, I was not drinking enough.
I had an inpatient hospital stay this past spring and that was a big one the doctors and RNS pushed. They wanted us drinking 120L of water a day!!!
Seemed like a lot. I make sure I get at least 60L in and push for more. It helps. I add lemon or mint leaves to my water to make it more appealing.
Also making healthier choices.....more bang for my buck.
I can have a Kale, strawberries, turkey breast, a few chopped nuts and Ken's lite strawberry vinaigrette and am full. Moreso than if I were to have a sandwich.
I change it up too. I try to stick with foods that are in season as much as possible because it is cheaper and adds variety.
Another hard thing is my kids and husband!!!
My husband is never on board and wants all of the junk foods. Ice cream! Argh!
My kids though....they will eat what I make but more often than not I am making a separate meal for myself.
I can have what they are eating but it is a very small portion that leaves me hungry so it isn't worth it.
It's not easy having health issues plus being on meds that make you want to binge, I hear that!


The things that work for me are:
Schedule. Going to sleep at the same time and waking up at the same time plus having my day planned out.
Daily Goals (drinking my water or cleaning out one closet...anything that is achievable)
Wearing my fit bit and setting that goal
Eating foods that taste good and give me the most bang. Pre measuring foods. I use a scale and measuring cups.
Accountability using MFP and the Fitbit.
Really trying and reminding myself to be easy on myself.
Focusing on how much healthier and better I feel organizing my days, getting a little activity in there and sticking to a healthy diet.
Not comparing myself to others as well. Women can be so bad about this. Media doesn't help.
Using a mindfulness meditation app, yoga or any guided meditation.
Reward myself with non food rewards.

Hope that helps!!!
Hang in there and do not be so hard on yourself. Eating healthy and feeling healthier are more important than what the scale says.

melkouas

You probably won't see this, but thanks for the response. It's difficult to count calories when you still feel hungry by to end of the night. For me it's once Remeron makes me sleepy in a zombie and eat anything. Hopefully I can force myself to workout 4/5 times a week and see if that helps.

movegrooveandwatchthefood

Thank you for sharing rideafast horse, this is the first thread I have seen addressing medication issues. It's really hard to stay positive when you know if you quit taing your medication you would drop 30 pounds in no time flat but instead you have to struggle daily with a yo yo scale when you are counting your calories and exercising more than most people who are one third your size. It really resonated with me when you said not to compare yourself with others and just be happy when the scale doesn't go up. I liked your food ideas about what to eat too. Thanks again.

rideafasthorse17

Thank you! It does get so frustrating doesn't it?!
The only way to deal though is to just accept it. Easier said than done, I know! :-)

Ang108

I would like to thank you for your post and hope that it will help as many people as possible.
I cannot say that I am in the same boat as you, but I am in a boat made by the same company.
I have had med dependent RA since high school , dealt with cancer at age 40 and then a few years ago I lost my thyroid to cancer. During the treatment period ( chemo and high dose radiation ) I was diagnosed with rampant full fledged systemic Lupus ( and have not been able to reach some form of remission as far as the Lupus is concerned). Three month ago I had a " silent " heart attack and a few days later a not so silent one with cardiac arrest. Lots of meds each day including high dose types of cortisone plus cortisone IV once a month.
I should add that I was not over weight until age 58 when weight started to creep up. In hindsight it was, because I refused to deal with some of my medical problems on a lifestyle level; I took my meds and was very compliant, but that is not enough.
Over almost ten years I gained 5, 6 or even seven pounds a year. Not a big deal I thought, also " I am sick, I can't lose and I deserve a treat " was my daily mantra and I continued with the self pity eating. The five pounds here in the six pounds another year added up until I was almost twice my ideal weight ( at 4 foot 11 inches that weight is not too high anyway ).
I finally was miserable enough to want to change things. I tried different things, but nothing worked. I did six month of a supervised diet where I had to eat things I never eat ( like hotdogs once a week, like pizza twice a month and I even was given a doughnut every so often).
I did not lose on 1400 and 1300 calories, but lost a tiny bit on 1200. After six month I changed my food back to what I am used to eat all my life ( minimally industrially processed food, as natural as possible, home cooked of a wide variety and ethnic origin), but stuck with 1200 calories ( and am aware that other people will need to eat the amount of cals that suits them ).
And surprise of surprises I started to lose regularly the planned .5 pounds a week. For many this seems slow. For me it is a miracle that I lost what I did.
Just like for you, it has not been easy, because even the smallest fluctuation in how I eat, or what I eat can have consequences that disable me for days, or cause that in two days I add 8 pounds of water weight, that because of the autoimmune processes in my body don't just disappear after a few days, but hang on for weeks and month.
After my heart attacks in early April I was put for a little while on 900 and then on 1000 calories. Getting all my macros out of that amount was difficult, but I almost always managed to do so. Now I am glad to be back on 1200 calories.

To those who think that not taking their meds would make weight loss so much easier, you are mistaken. Once you have taken those meds for a while, it takes much more time to get back to normal. Also, I would like to say ( and I know this is really confrontational, but I feel it needs to be said ) if someone thinks that " just not taking my meds, I would easily lose 30 or 40 pounds " then you have not been really sick yet. For many of us taking our meds is a matter of life and death and I for my part prefer being alive and over weight instead of skinny and dead.

To all of those who are frustrated and don't know what to do I would like to say just one thing: " Do something !"
Do something until you find what works for you and don't give into " I have a health problem and I can't lose weight ". Many of us who have been there can honestly say " Yes, you can lose weight !".
Maybe not as fast, maybe the discipline required is a lot more, maybe you can't eat all the things you like ( because they interfere with your meds or lifestyle ), maybe you need to eat very consciously, maybe your deficit margin to eat healthy is very tight and a whole slew of other things.
Maybe you don't want to do those. That is fine, but don't blame the meds. If you are ready, tomorrow is a good day to start. There is a lot of reliable support out there ( MFP and elsewhere ) and many of us are willing to help.....just reach out and know that you are not alone and that it can be done.
BTW: I have lost 65 pounds since April 13th , 2013 and have another 35 or so to go to get to an age appropriate ( next year probably when I turn 70) " ideal " weight. I also would like to add that I still work full time and take care of my household. All things that often I could not do, even though I was 20 or 30 years younger.

PS: It goes without saying that I am an advocate of weighing and measuring everything. It is necessary, because only by doing that do we know where we are at and have the necessary information to tweak our program.
I did not log consistently after my heart attacks, but am glad that I am back to doing so, except for a couple of days when I could not use my fingers at all. But I still weighed everything, I just could not log it.

Ang108

melkouas wrote: »

You probably won't see this, but thanks for the response. It's difficult to count calories when you still feel hungry by to end of the night. For me it's once Remeron makes me sleepy in a zombie and eat anything. Hopefully I can force myself to workout 4/5 times a week and see if that helps.

My meds also make me sleepy. When that happens I just go to bed.
Luckily I take those meds with supper, which here in Mexico is between 8-9 pm. I would hate for this to happen in countries where people eat at 5:30 or 6:00pm....lol.
I no longer can work out in a gym, but consistently walk and even that has helped.

WeddedBliss1992

i got on seroquel and w/o changing my diet gained immediately. i'm now in the range of needing to lose over 40 lbs. i am working really hard and have to eat under 1200 cal/day to lose. if i eat more than that, i gain it back. it's horrible having to take meds and try to lose. my brother gave me his professional grade elliptical and i have recently started using that and it helps alot to get in that extra exercise.

klmnumbers

Just checking in to say I'm a psoriatic arthritis sufferer myself. I feel lucky that I am responding to methotrexate, but before I went on meds, the pain in my hands was absolutely debilitating. Having medical conditions makes weight loss an uphill battle for sure, but with enough patience, you can win it.

rideafasthorse17

[/quote]

Ang108 wrote: »

I would like to thank you for your post and hope that it will help as many people as possible.
I cannot say that I am in the same boat as you, but I am in a boat made by the same company.
I have had med dependent RA since high school , dealt with cancer at age 40 and then a few years ago I lost my thyroid to cancer. During the treatment period ( chemo and high dose radiation ) I was diagnosed with rampant full fledged systemic Lupus ( and have not been able to reach some form of remission as far as the Lupus is concerned). Three month ago I had a " silent " heart attack and a few days later a not so silent one with cardiac arrest. Lots of meds each day including high dose types of cortisone plus cortisone IV once a month.
I should add that I was not over weight until age 58 when weight started to creep up. In hindsight it was, because I refused to deal with some of my medical problems on a lifestyle level; I took my meds and was very compliant, but that is not enough.
Over almost ten years I gained 5, 6 or even seven pounds a year. Not a big deal I thought, also " I am sick, I can't lose and I deserve a treat " was my daily mantra and I continued with the self pity eating. The five pounds here in the six pounds another year added up until I was almost twice my ideal weight ( at 4 foot 11 inches that weight is not too high anyway ).
I finally was miserable enough to want to change things. I tried different things, but nothing worked. I did six month of a supervised diet where I had to eat things I never eat ( like hotdogs once a week, like pizza twice a month and I even was given a doughnut every so often).
I did not lose on 1400 and 1300 calories, but lost a tiny bit on 1200. After six month I changed my food back to what I am used to eat all my life ( minimally industrially processed food, as natural as possible, home cooked of a wide variety and ethnic origin), but stuck with 1200 calories ( and am aware that other people will need to eat the amount of cals that suits them ).
And surprise of surprises I started to lose regularly the planned .5 pounds a week. For many this seems slow. For me it is a miracle that I lost what I did.
Just like for you, it has not been easy, because even the smallest fluctuation in how I eat, or what I eat can have consequences that disable me for days, or cause that in two days I add 8 pounds of water weight, that because of the autoimmune processes in my body don't just disappear after a few days, but hang on for weeks and month.
After my heart attacks in early April I was put for a little while on 900 and then on 1000 calories. Getting all my macros out of that amount was difficult, but I almost always managed to do so. Now I am glad to be back on 1200 calories.

To those who think that not taking their meds would make weight loss so much easier, you are mistaken. Once you have taken those meds for a while, it takes much more time to get back to normal. Also, I would like to say ( and I know this is really confrontational, but I feel it needs to be said ) if someone thinks that " just not taking my meds, I would easily lose 30 or 40 pounds " then you have not been really sick yet. For many of us taking our meds is a matter of life and death and I for my part prefer being alive and over weight instead of skinny and dead.

To all of those who are frustrated and don't know what to do I would like to say just one thing: " Do something !"
Do something until you find what works for you and don't give into " I have a health problem and I can't lose weight ". Many of us who have been there can honestly say " Yes, you can lose weight !".
Maybe not as fast, maybe the discipline required is a lot more, maybe you can't eat all the things you like ( because they interfere with your meds or lifestyle ), maybe you need to eat very consciously, maybe your deficit margin to eat healthy is very tight and a whole slew of other things.
Maybe you don't want to do those. That is fine, but don't blame the meds. If you are ready, tomorrow is a good day to start. There is a lot of reliable support out there ( MFP and elsewhere ) and many of us are willing to help.....just reach out and know that you are not alone and that it can be done.
BTW: I have lost 65 pounds since April 13th , 2013 and have another 35 or so to go to get to an age appropriate ( next year probably when I turn 70) " ideal " weight. I also would like to add that I still work full time and take care of my household. All things that often I could not do, even though I was 20 or 30 years younger.

PS: It goes without saying that I am an advocate of weighing and measuring everything. It is necessary, because only by doing that do we know where we are at and have the necessary information to tweak our program.
I did not log consistently after my heart attacks, but am glad that I am back to doing so, except for a couple of days when I could not use my fingers at all. But I still weighed everything, I just could not log it.

Awesome response/post. It is so great to see everyone's posts. You are so spot on too in saying stopping your med will fix the problem. It is not all medication. Sure Seroquel, Remeron and even Prednisone (prednisone is THE worst for me in many ways) can turn you into a sugar craving zombie wanting to pour all things sugar straight down your throat but it doesn't have to control you. I also relate with your comment about feeling sorry for yourself. I think it is like a grieving process but not for the loss of a family member or friend but for the loss we feel in our health and life. We all may experience and fight the "diagnosis", get stuck focusing on what we CAN'T do instead of focusing on the things we still CAN do. It is so easy to go down that "hole'. It is okay to grieve for it we just have to not make it the headliner of each day.
Your sto

rideafasthorse17

Ugh! For some reason...maybe operator error I am not able to post the whole "post"
And respond to each poster. I am seeing your posts though and appreciate it! Loving this thread!
I get the late night sugar cravings.
Some of these meds make you crave sugar like a zombie eating sugar instead of brains!!!! It is possible to break that cycle. Love that in Mexico you all eat later. Haha!
There are theories saying to not eat after 7pm but I am not 100% convinced by that "rule". There have been studies showing that having a protein and whole grain/good carb before bed combats that blood sugar fluctuation.
That makes more sense to me.
I too have tried every diet out there and learned that nothing replaces good, healthy nutrition.
Besides, diets restrictions too much or having a specific set of foods rarely works in the long run.

I too have had cancer, not as severe as some of you but it sure is a wakeup call!
Heart attack....very scary!!!
When I worked in the ER it was the most frequent complaint and event.
I was a code RN too and you are VERY lucky to have caught heart disease when you did.

My family/husband is my biggest saboteur. None of the men in his family have made it to 60! All due to heart disease so this has been frustrating!
My kids for the most part will eat my healthy creations but my hubby is skinny and active so has that misinformation stuck in his head that because he is skinny and active he is healthy.
He recently had labs come back with high cholesterol (LDL and triglycerides) and elevated liver enzymes.
What we cannot see CAN kill us.
In the US Heart disease is the #1 killer. Many people think it is cancer, which is in the top several causes but heart disease trumps them all.
Heart disease can be prevented too. Fatty streaks in our blood vessels begin at an early age. (Something to think about for those with kiddos).
Anyhow, my hubby brings home ice cream, cookies and candy.
Like several posters here those sugar cravings can really increase at bedtime, even moreso so I have my own sweet treats pre made.
Ever notice how good you feel when you make a good choice and let THEM eat cake?!
You have to do some self talk and allow yourself to feel good about what you are doing for your body and mind.
Those negative thoughts racing around have to be challenged or just watch them drive by like people watching or sitting and watching cars pass.
The thoughts are the people passing. Let them come and go. Crazy sounding but it can help.
I love making coconut milk, stevia and cocoa powder "fudgescicles".
Also the diet soda poke cakes and fruit blended with coconut water made into popscicles.
Nice this time of year.
Like everyone, good days and bad days happen.
I was so glad to see others determined to not let a diagnosis or disabling conditions get us down. If we do get down, derail or come to a plateau allow it to happen and move on.
Little bits if good add up.
I love how someone said losing only .5 lbs a week was an accomplishment.
It is so true...what is that saying, "the dropping of water wears away stone" or something to that effect.
It is a bit harder when you cannot move but absolutely possible!!!
I always tell myself that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. So true!
Of something isn't working change it up!

I too take methotrexate and had some symptom relief. Oddly just my hands and toes. I started Humira and am keeping my fingers crossed.
I also go in for my yearly colonoscopy and biopsy hoping for yet another negative exam.
I will have been cancer free for 6 years!!!

Lastly, I strongly believe that keeping a schedule, planning ahead and setting small daily achievable goals is key to better mental and physical health.
Life is hard and the faster we accept that the easier it gets. :-) All easier said than done right?!

rideafasthorse17

Still not sure how this is showing up on your end but I did post a LONG reply to all somewhere and it posted before I was done...oh well. Thinking it is my smartphone!
Feel free to add me as a friend. I just changed my profile so others can see my food diary and recipes.
I also fit bit it and would love to see others and cheer them on!