Mecication and Weight Loss

misspaddles

Hi All.

Only just found this forum and am loving it. Can't see me getting much work done today now!

I've been using MFP since January and my weight is exactly the same as it was then. I've lost 2lbs one week, or maybe 1lb but I simply cannot seem to shift anymore. Doesn't matter if I have a blow out or have a really healthy week, my weight pretty much stays the same. I'm on Citalopram and the Pill - could these affect things? I'm at a loss and starting to feel dispondant. I don't go to the gym or do classes, but I do kayak, walk or cycle when I can.

Thanks.

DemoraFairy

I have no idea if your medication might be affecting things, but we can see if it might be any of the normal problems. Do you weigh everything you eat with a food scale? Do you eat back your exercise calories? Can you open your diary?

misspaddles

Thanks Demorafairy. I'll open my diary now. I don't weight everything, no, but I will look at the packets and try and work it out form there. Think I need to invest in some digital scales.

DemoraFairy

misspaddles wrote: »

Thanks Demorafairy. I'll open my diary now. I don't weight everything, no, but I will look at the packets and try and work it out form there. Think I need to invest in some digital scales.

Definitely weigh everything you can that isn't already prepackaged (and some people weigh things that are prepackaged as the calories on the packet can often be slightly wrong).

I also just had a look at your diary, why are you on 1000 calories a day? I can also only see a couple of days in the last week where you've logged anything.

misspaddles

I was on 1200 cals a day but decided to reduce it, however I'm going back up to 1200 cals as 1000 is not sensible. Been slack with logging recently but back on it today.

DemoraFairy

misspaddles wrote: »

I was on 1200 cals a day but decided to reduce it, however I'm going back up to 1200 cals as 1000 is not sensible. Been slack with logging recently but back on it today.

Yeah, 1000 definitely isn't sensible! Good to hear you're going back up. Measure and log everything and if you find you're still not losing weight in 5 or 6 weeks then reevaluate what you're doing. You can probably eat more than 1200 to lose weight, what're your height & weight?

misspaddles

I'm now back up to 1200. :-)
I'm 5'6 and currently weigh 11st 2lbs.

DemoraFairy

misspaddles wrote: »

I'm now back up to 1200. :-)
I'm 5'6 and currently weigh 11st 2lbs.

At that height and weight you can afford to eat more than 1200 a day, you might be better off aiming for 1400 a day.

Whichever you choose to go for, the main thing is to weigh and log everything. Good luck!

misspaddles

Fab, thank you. x

Whitezombiegirl

misspaddles wrote: »

Hi All.

I'm on Citalopram and the Pill - could these affect things? .

Thanks.

Yes. It is my understanding that medication alone can't magically add calories to our diet, ie. make us gain body fat (some meds may make us retain water though). Med usually make us gain weight by increasing our appetite.

I used to be underweight and the first time in my life I gained weight was when I started the pill at 15. (I came off it and lost the weight. It caused 'cell-growth' in me i.e. benign tumours ) It mimics pregnancy and so increases our hunger. I gained weight again after my Mum died (from ovarian cancer- caused by synthgetic hormones - yes, i'm againist them now)- and I was put on citalopram- and it increased my hunger/ made me not care about shovelling chocolate in my face.

I had previously been on paroxetine (another antidepressant) when my Mum was first diagnosed and it worked the opposite - it felt like an amphetimine affect and vastly reduced my appeite. So maybe try to find one that works for you.