Mirena, depression, weight gain, delusion

squiggledypiggledycat

Hello team

It's been hard going. I feel like I can't complain for fear of sounding ungrateful and I have nothing to complain about because my weight issues are not as bad as others but this is just eating me up inside and doesn't help the depression that I've been fighting so hard to keep at bay.

I've struggled with my health for a long time with issues relating to anaemia and heavy bleeding. Two years ago I finally got the diagnosis: massive fibroids in my uterus. Had them removed and a mirena inserted to prevent further bleeding. Problem solved. I also went on SSRI to summon the will the live again.

Back then I was not thin but I was thinner than I am now and I found it difficult to put on weight. Now I'm no longer bleeding and I am not medicated but I am almost 10kg heavier. 10kg in two years. I'm mortified. How did I get like this?

The GP was quite blunt. It's likely that I am ageing and that my diet did not adapt to my slowing metabolism. Despite exercising more than I do now and eating less I find the pants getting tighter and my frame getting heftier. Perhaps the mirena had something to do with it? Perhaps she was right and I am a complete failure with no will power and worse...Im delusional. I don't know what to think anymore.

I would never go back to the way I was and I am grateful for my good health. Im happy not to lose 300 ml of blood every month and I can wake up without the need of medication...but it's a real struggle to maintain my mental health let alone my physical health.

I've set up goals and strategies in place to shift the some of this weight but what do I do with this unsettling feeling about my reality. The doctor and psych both say I am physically healthy and that I should accept the weight gain as a minor price to pay for my health...yet at the same time I feel like a completely failure for 1) putting on weight 2) not being OK with putting on weight? Anyone else have this feeling?

Also I was OK when I was just 5kg heavier....but why can't I be OK with being 10kg heavier? What is wrong with me?! I feel insane.

TavistockToad

Sorry if I have missed something in your post, but is there a reason you can't lose the 10kg?

mstarks01

You have a choice of GPs. If she will not support a complete wellness approach then find someone who will. It's your body and you deserve health and happiness.

squiggledypiggledycat

@TavistockToad I'm trying to lose it but it won't budge. I've been trying to lose it since I realised I was 5 kg heavier but it just keeps climbing. I have tried keto, IF, HCLF and honestly I'm scared. Been on IF for the last 10 weeks and gained 3kg.

@mstarks01 he and two other GPS have made me feel like I was petty and shallow for being concerned about gaining weight. After all according to my BMI I am still 'Healthy' at 24.4. Maybe I'll return when I'm 25.0 and say 'now will you take my concerns seriously?!'

TavistockToad

squiggledypiggledycat wrote: »

@TavistockToad I'm trying to lose it but it won't budge. I've been trying to lose it since I realised I was 5 kg heavier but it just keeps climbing. I have tried keto, IF, HCLF and honestly I'm scared. Been on IF for the last 10 weeks and gained 3kg.

@mstarks01 he and two other GPS have made me feel like I was petty and shallow for being concerned about gaining weight. After all according to my BMI I am still 'Healthy' at 24.4. Maybe I'll return when I'm 25.0 and say 'now will you take my concerns seriously?!'

Have you tried just weighing and logging your food and eating in a deficit?

If you are already a healthy weight then weight loss will be slow and easily masked by water weight.

squiggledypiggledycat

@TavistockToad I am on MFP To do just that. Even if it doesn't result in weight loss at least I have data to show medical professionals that there is more to this than just me being a glutton.

88olds

Calculate a modest calorie deficit, no more than 1 lb per week. Better .5. Get a food scale, start a food diary, plan a menu and try to hit your number. There’s no trick. There is a learning curve.

Just my opinion, but you don’t seem crazy to me if that’s your issue. 10lb gain per year can be easy to do. Rule of thumb is 3500 excess calories add a pound. Just 100 extra calories per day. Not hard. A soft drink, bag of potato chips, a cookie or two. It’s not hard to gain 10lbs in a year. The good news is that 100 calorie deficit will get rid of the extra weight in about the same time.

Again, my opinion, I think the “secret” is relentless tracking. Keep your food diary no matter what. You’ll soon see where the excess weight came from. And don’t let the time issue wreck you. Keep reading this board and you’ll see a lot of folks can’t deal with how long the process takes. Lasting weight loss takes persistence. Good luck.

bllaura10

I can’t comment if Mirena is causing you to gain weight but there are a number of other iud’s available that you could possibly try? Perhaps you can talk to your doctor to see if there’s other options for your situation if you feel that it is the reason your gaining weight.

TavistockToad

squiggledypiggledycat wrote: »

@TavistockToad I am on MFP To do just that. Even if it doesn't result in weight loss at least I have data to show medical professionals that there is more to this than just me being a glutton.

Great, once you have been tracking accurately for 6 weeks you will know if it's working or not.

I'd go with a 0.5lb deficit and eat back your exercise cals (as long as they're accurate)

squiggledypiggledycat

Thank you all for your motivation and input. Im going to track deligently. I don't know if that's the point but I find the act of measuring and inputting the food so onerous I just avoid eating altogether. I've been feeling so low recently I haven't been hungry so maybe that will help with the weight loss...probably not healthy but that's the truth thanks all.

TavistockToad

squiggledypiggledycat wrote: »

Thank you all for your motivation and input. Im going to track deligently. I don't know if that's the point but I find the act of measuring and inputting the food so onerous I just avoid eating altogether. I've been feeling so low recently I haven't been hungry so maybe that will help with the weight loss...probably not healthy but that's the truth thanks all.

no that isn't the point, and most certainly not a healthy mindset to get into.

88olds

Give yourself a break. There’s a food diary ramp up and learning curve that doesn’t get much discussion. After a few weeks you will likely have most of the things you normally eat in the database. You’ll eventually get to a point where you just know a lot of the calorie numbers.

Something I found is that I don’t like logging on the computer so much. It reminds me of being at work. So for a long time I tracked on paper. Just a crude list of what I ate and numbers. Computer is great for crunching numbers, especially at first, but it’s not required. Keep at it. It gets easier.

squiggledypiggledycat

88olds wrote: »

Give yourself a break. There’s a food diary ramp up and learning curve that doesn’t get much discussion. After a few weeks you will likely have most of the things you normally eat in the database. You’ll eventually get to a point where you just know a lot of the calorie numbers.

Something I found is that I don’t like logging on the computer so much. It reminds me of being at work. So for a long time I tracked on paper. Just a crude list of what I ate and numbers. Computer is great for crunching numbers, especially at first, but it’s not required. Keep at it. It gets easier.

That's a good idea. Just writing it down with pen and paper then logging it later so I can observe rather than influence my behaviour. Genius!