Medication and. Weightloss

dawndionisi

I’m really have no options but to take medication for my health issues. My medication is known to make you gain weight. I can slowly see myself gaining weight and I really haven’t changed any of my lifestyle other than the medication. Any suggestions? Anyone else having the same problems?

jennifer_417

The usual mechanism by which a medication causes weight gain is by increasing appetite. Also, it's really, really easy to eat more than usual, or more than you think you are, without noticing.

Your best bet is to start tracking what you're eating, to make sure you're really eating what you think you're eating.

brookielaw

I understand, and yes, I am 100% having the same problem. I know a lot of people say that medication does not affect weight...but my oncologist will beg to differ, as one of the potential side effects of one of my medications is indeed weight gain and I definitely gained over the past year with thorough logging and a number of medications to combat the side effects of that med. 2 dear friends of mine had the same med and one of them has gained 100+ lbs (I'd guess 125+ to be honest) over the past couple of years. I didn't draw the connection until recently. Anyway, now we are trying a different route and I am feeling the increased hunger. I am doing my absolute best to combat it and logging and measuring everything and increasing exercise but it is a daily struggle. I'm in the same boat as you, no option but to take this medication, and for 5-10 years at that.

The best recommendation is honest, thorough logging with measurement of every morsel using a food scale. Don't overestimate a calorie burn, and weigh as often as you need to to keep track of trends. I'm trying that whole "mindful eating" thing too but it takes serious vigilance. I'm struggling too. It's SO frustrating and challenging. Good luck.

ManEatingLizard

I take a LOT of medication. Over the years, a lot of it has been known to cause weight gain. Sometimes it's because you're subconsciously eating more... but a lot of them can be combated with additional exercise. If you already exercise, that probably sounds crap, but if you're gaining and exercising on this medication, you need a new exercise. If you usually do cardio, try weight lifting. If you usually swim, maybe take up a sport instead. The idea being, move a new way. You'll find your best combination of activities, but it's like settings on a printer... play around until you're happy with the result. I did best on a swimming regimen instead of my beloved elliptical program. It was an adjustment, but it kept me from gaining.

Opalescent_Topaz

So, I take medications for chronic conditions that I can never stop taking. When I first gained my weight and became obese, I totally blamed the medications and assumed I'd never lose the weight.

Here's the thing: weight loss is slow (painfully so sometimes) and there isn't a quick fix. It took me like 3 years to figure that out, but here we are. I'm not obese or overweight anymore and I'm working on losing vanity weight. 6 pounds to go to goal. Woo!

The changes I made were being consistent with my logging (logging my food even when I had a "bad day" and logging everything I eat) and finding exercise I enjoyed so I would stick with it. That, for me, is yoga, walking my dog, and hiking (when I can).

I do wonder if my weight loss journey would have been easier without the medication, but I'll never know. But, I believe if I can do it, then you can do it! Good luck!