Starting Diet Pills at a Normal Weight
splixi
Posts: 86 Member
Hi all,
I've had body image issues for a while and yeh as a result end up with some pretty strict dieting! I go on a medication called prednisone for my lung disease a lot and it has awful weight gain/weight distribution effects at high doses and leaves me not wanting to leave the house....then having to go to extremes to get the weight off again. I have lost 8-9kg in September alone.
I saw a psychiatrist a few days ago after being referred by a GP to him- he said to me "your weight is in the normal BMI range for your height- but lets face it- you do look overweight"....which was probably the last thing I needed to hear when i'm so self-conscious.
We agreed that 56kg would be an appropriate weight for me to be at- we started a mood stabilising medication this week and next week he told me he is going to start some diet pills to kill my appetite so I can lose weight easier and feel better about myself.
Has anyone here tried the prescription weight loss medications? - what are your opinions of them and do you think i'm doing the right thing? it was the first time i'd seen the dr and i'm not sure what to think really...but i'll do anything right now to be thin and have confidence to be over the body image issues and be able to try and live my life a bit more normally...
I've had body image issues for a while and yeh as a result end up with some pretty strict dieting! I go on a medication called prednisone for my lung disease a lot and it has awful weight gain/weight distribution effects at high doses and leaves me not wanting to leave the house....then having to go to extremes to get the weight off again. I have lost 8-9kg in September alone.
I saw a psychiatrist a few days ago after being referred by a GP to him- he said to me "your weight is in the normal BMI range for your height- but lets face it- you do look overweight"....which was probably the last thing I needed to hear when i'm so self-conscious.
We agreed that 56kg would be an appropriate weight for me to be at- we started a mood stabilising medication this week and next week he told me he is going to start some diet pills to kill my appetite so I can lose weight easier and feel better about myself.
Has anyone here tried the prescription weight loss medications? - what are your opinions of them and do you think i'm doing the right thing? it was the first time i'd seen the dr and i'm not sure what to think really...but i'll do anything right now to be thin and have confidence to be over the body image issues and be able to try and live my life a bit more normally...
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Replies
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i'll do anything right now to be thin
Anything? If you're light but look heavy, then lifting weights seems the obvious solution while ditching diet pills because you'll need to eat to build a decent body. You'll end up heavier but look lighter.0 -
I am on a "few" meds myself. Besides the fact the I am pretty sure the MFP community will slam the diet pill thing, script or not, I know that certain meds and certain diet aids are not cool to be taken together. I actually may be wary of a Dr who offers this advice. Having said that, I am not a Dr, nor a weight loss expert, so my advice is purely just opinion. The usual boring advice of eat less, move more, calorie deficit, blah fricking blah, is actually the only thing that is working for me.
Prednisone is a tough med to manage your body when on it, but I get why you have to take it.
Hopefully more informed folks will weigh in. Good luck.0 -
You need a new psychiatrist. I can't think of a reasonable reason why to tell someone who is in normal BMI with a history of disordered eating and self image problems to use diet pills or even losing more weight.0
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I am on a "few" meds myself. Besides the fact the I am pretty sure the MFP community will slam the diet pill thing, script or not, I know that certain meds and certain diet aids are not cool to be taken together. I actually may be wary of a Dr who offers this advice. Having said that, I am not a Dr, nor a weight loss expert, so my advice is purely just opinion. The usual boring advice of eat less, move more, calorie deficit, blah fricking blah, is actually the only thing that is working for me.
Prednisone is a tough med to manage your body when on it, but I get why you have to take it.
Hopefully more informed folks will weigh in. Good luck.
Yeh- bloody med....but i'd be dead without it. (prednisone)- I think that he thinks diet pills will suppress the massive appetite that it gives you and the cravings- maybe stopping my vicious gain/lose extremes cycle.
Because of my lung disease my ability to exercise is very limited
-and yeh I have been very strict with my calorie intake. Never more than 1100 a day just until I get to a lower weight.
I'm determined to prove to him I can do this! 12 more kg's!
I think though that i'll talk to my GP before anything....I had a very low potassium level a few weeks ago and had to go to hospital to have infusions and I think I want to ask her about it first. I really do want to do it as he said that Topirimate is also good for mood stabilisation and maybe I won't feel as depressed about image and stuff.0 -
That's great that you'll do anything.
How about doing the right thing and making sure it is something that will help you for life?
So you have a normal weight and want to change how you look? That's often called body recomposition. It takes time and effort but you will end up having not only a different look but the ability to do more things and have more energy.
It's exercise and you need to do some sort of resistance training to increase apparent muscle "tone" and muscle mass. By resistance training, I mean exercises that use the muscle in increasing greater levels - you can mountain bike for legs, or body weight train or do gymnastics or use the gym. Weight training is the single most efficient form of resistance training but you should chose something you like and will stick to. If it is weight training, bravo, get to it.
At the same time, you'll need to lose a litte bit of body fat by slowly dieting (easiest way not to lose the muscle you have.)
Now, here is the issue, in general it is difficult to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time because dieting reduces the available amount of material needed to build muscle. A lot of people go through loss/gain cycles called bulking and cutting to do body composition. You can google those.
But, my suggestion, since you are already at normal weight is that you start training now and try to do it at maintenance or at a small calorie deficit (your choice - a deficit will keep you from freaking out as you gain weight from initial muscle mass changes or water retention from exercise increase). Find an exercise program you like. stick to it for at least 6 weeks. Come back to the boards to discuss.
Good luck!
Edit: Oh, yeah - forget the pills - they will absolutely do nothing for body recomposition and have serious risks.0 -
You need a new psychiatrist. I can't think of a reasonable reason why to tell someone who is in normal BMI with a history of disordered eating and self image problems to use diet pills or even losing more weight.
Um, I'm going to agree with this. I don't know any doctor who would tell a person with disordered eating or body image issues that they're a normal BMI but look overweight. Find another doctor and get a second opinion. I would also go back to your GP and see what he/she thinks about taking the diet pills in combination with the Prednisone.
And I also agree lifting weights may be a better option. Ditch your scale, you're more than a number. Go how by you look and feel. After you've started lifting heavy, you'll lose inches and your body will look completely different.0 -
this is disordered thinking,
you dont need pills, sweetness.
Eat a reasonable amount of food, get enough protein, and pick up a barbell...The resistance work will allow you to look better at a higher number.
Body recomposition is exactly the way to go...and will make you strong, AND help prevent osteoporosis.
OH and you get to eat and enjoy life.
*also i did read that you cannot exercise much, but you may be able to do some weight training because it is not aerobic and you can go slowly...ask a doctor.0 -
I am on a "few" meds myself. Besides the fact the I am pretty sure the MFP community will slam the diet pill thing, script or not, I know that certain meds and certain diet aids are not cool to be taken together. I actually may be wary of a Dr who offers this advice. Having said that, I am not a Dr, nor a weight loss expert, so my advice is purely just opinion. The usual boring advice of eat less, move more, calorie deficit, blah fricking blah, is actually the only thing that is working for me.
Prednisone is a tough med to manage your body when on it, but I get why you have to take it.
Hopefully more informed folks will weigh in. Good luck.
Yeh- bloody med....but i'd be dead without it. (prednisone)- I think that he thinks diet pills will suppress the massive appetite that it gives you and the cravings- maybe stopping my vicious gain/lose extremes cycle.
Because of my lung disease my ability to exercise is very limited
-and yeh I have been very strict with my calorie intake. Never more than 1100 a day just until I get to a lower weight.
I'm determined to prove to him I can do this! 12 more kg's!
I think though that i'll talk to my GP before anything....I had a very low potassium level a few weeks ago and had to go to hospital to have infusions and I think I want to ask her about it first. I really do want to do it as he said that Topirimate is also good for mood stabilisation and maybe I won't feel as depressed about image and stuff.
By the way. Prednisone is a corticosteroid and impacts negatively muscle development and bones - it's a great medication, when needed, but you should definitely do some sort resistance train while you are on it to protect from the muscle/bone issues it can generate.
If you have recently been hospitalized for potassium levels, please please talk to your doctor before you take ANY kind of diet pills. It could kill you. No joke there. Much better to not do that and just focus on your body, fitness and doing great things.0 -
Your doctor is an *kitten*... a huge *kitten*. What kind of pysch. doctor tells his patient something like that? Yes prednisone will make you puff up but its not a good idea to use diet pills with it b/c prednisone already weakens your immune system b/c it is a steriod. Add diet pills that mess with your body chemistry and it could be a deadly combination. Diet pills shift electrolytes and mess up your metabolism. Be careful messing with your body chemistry, once it is messed up, it takes a long time to get it back to a healthy place.0
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My thoughts exactly. Find a new doctor who will help you work on the mental/psychological aspects of your body image issues.You need a new psychiatrist. I can't think of a reasonable reason why to tell someone who is in normal BMI with a history of disordered eating and self image problems to use diet pills or even losing more weight.0 -
That's great that you'll do anything.
How about doing the right thing and making sure it is something that will help you for life?
So you have a normal weight and want to change how you look? That's often called body recomposition. It takes time and effort but you will end up having not only a different look but the ability to do more things and have more energy.
It's exercise and you need to do some sort of resistance training to increase apparent muscle "tone" and muscle mass. By resistance training, I mean exercises that use the muscle in increasing greater levels - you can mountain bike for legs, or body weight train or do gymnastics or use the gym. Weight training is the single most efficient form of resistance training but you should chose something you like and will stick to. If it is weight training, bravo, get to it.
At the same time, you'll need to lose a litte bit of body fat by slowly dieting (easiest way not to lose the muscle you have.)
Now, here is the issue, in general it is difficult to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time because dieting reduces the available amount of material needed to build muscle. A lot of people go through loss/gain cycles called bulking and cutting to do body composition. You can google those.
But, my suggestion, since you are already at normal weight is that you start training now and try to do it at maintenance or at a small calorie deficit (your choice - a deficit will keep you from freaking out as you gain weight from initial muscle mass changes or water retention from exercise increase). Find an exercise program you like. stick to it for at least 6 weeks. Come back to the boards to discuss.
Good luck!
Edit: Oh, yeah - forget the pills - they will absolutely do nothing for body recomposition and have serious risks.
OP - please listen to this advice.
Diet pills will not give you the body/look you want. Lifting will - and it will help keep you healthier while you are required to take medications.0 -
The problem here isn't the meds or the psychiatrist. It's your discomfort with "looking" overweight. It sounds like you have some pretty serious, even life threatening, medical issues to deal with right now. Health is a priority.
There is nothing wrong with looking overweight. Can you work with this to tell yourself it's OK, you are on pred, you are trying to be as healthy as you can, and screw how you look right now?
Please don't let your desire to look a certain way interfere with your long term health.0 -
I don't think there is any way i'll ever feel OK with being overweight....or "looking overweight"....he is the only dr that has ever said that to me- even after losing 8-9kg this month! I dunno its kind of like "i'll try harder"
i'm going to start trying to lift things....I can do many many situps too....my ab muscles are the only strong ones in my body- probably from using them to help me breathe so much!0 -
I don't think there is any way i'll ever feel OK with being overweight....or "looking overweight"....he is the only dr that has ever said that to me- even after losing 8-9kg this month! I dunno its kind of like "i'll try harder"
i'm going to start trying to lift things....I can do many many situps too....my ab muscles are the only strong ones in my body- probably from using them to help me breathe so much!
Well that Dr. sounds like a jerk and I agree with the others he might not be the best one for you. Strength training will help you preserve muscle mass while you lose weight on a low calorie diet, or contribute to improved body composition if you eat closer to maintenance. I hope in time you can start to deal with some of the underlying issues that seem to be going on regarding body image. This doctor may not be the best one to help you there. Best of luck. :flowerforyou:0 -
Crunches will do very little for you. You can't spot reduce so you'll lose wherever you're predisposed to lose first. Especially when your issue isn't fat at all but is a result of the bloating Pres causes.
My coworker is also in Pres and she can go from normal to looking pregnant throughout the day. Not fun for the self esteem...
I can most definitely sympathize...:(
If you're interested in lifting I highly recommend New Rules of Lifting for Women. I've just finished reading it and I will be starting the author's program next week.
Good luck!0 -
I'd get a new shrink. If I wasn't overweight and had a healthy BMI, I most definitely would not take advice from a doctor pushing diet pills on me. It's going to do more harm than good.0
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I'd focus on weighted lunges (whether you use a pair of dumbbells or a full suitcase - depends on how strong you are now). Ideally, hit the gym and pick up heavy weights. http://www.wimble.com/irl2/strength-training-for-beginners/
I acknowledge you have a lung condition so you will have to change things accordingly so that you don't suffer from any problems due to lifting with the lung condition. Perhaps take it more slowly? If you join a gym, you can get some advice from a qualified Personal Trainer. You could also ask a physiotherapist who works in a hospital in rehabilitation.0 -
It's been said a lot here, but I URGE you to get a second opinion from someone who is qualified to speak to both your emotional issues and your physical. That psychiatrist should be thrown out of practice for telling you those things! I know it's frustrating to search out a dr who has your overall best interest at heart (or a team of them, as the case may be), and I am no expert on the subject, but pay attention to those red flags waving in your face! I'm sorry you have a lot to deal with Patiently seek out those who will work toward your overall health. 0
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Hi all,
I've had body image issues for a while and yeh as a result end up with some pretty strict dieting! I go on a medication called prednisone for my lung disease a lot and it has awful weight gain/weight distribution effects at high doses and leaves me not wanting to leave the house....then having to go to extremes to get the weight off again. I have lost 8-9kg in September alone.
I saw a psychiatrist a few days ago after being referred by a GP to him- he said to me "your weight is in the normal BMI range for your height- but lets face it- you do look overweight"....which was probably the last thing I needed to hear when i'm so self-conscious.
We agreed that 56kg would be an appropriate weight for me to be at- we started a mood stabilising medication this week and next week he told me he is going to start some diet pills to kill my appetite so I can lose weight easier and feel better about myself.
Has anyone here tried the prescription weight loss medications? - what are your opinions of them and do you think i'm doing the right thing? it was the first time i'd seen the dr and i'm not sure what to think really...but i'll do anything right now to be thin and have confidence to be over the body image issues and be able to try and live my life a bit more normally...
I take Prednisone for Lupus daily and have an injection every two weeks. After a lot of research over the last 5-6 years I have to say that Prednisone does not cause weight gain. What it however causes is increased appetite to which you can react or not. And sadly, myself included, most people react to it and eat more and gain. From my experience I would say that you were probably thinner in the past and have gained but are still within normal range for now. The same thing happened to me . I was 54 kilos, then 58, 63, then became overweight , reached 75 and five years later I was 107 kilos and had to learn/accept that my medication was only partly to blame.
I personally think that taking Prednisone ( which is seven times stronger than normal Cortisone ), a mood stabilizer which are both pretty strong medicines is enough for your system to deal with. I would not add to that a diet pill, which might give you higher BP, make you jittery, cause insomnia etc. I would probably wait until your mood stabilizer works and start what so many people here successfully do,; work with a calorie deficit.
While I usually do not encourage people to eat one way or the other ( natural v. processed food ) as long as a deficit exists, I would do so in your case. It is not so much that you eat either way, but that you avoid or cut out entirely for a while your trigger foods ( which are almost always a fat-sugar-carb combination ) to lessen the craving for them. In the absence of or with diminished cravings you can handle the effects of meds like Prednisone much better and hopefully you will lose and return to your preferred lower weight. I have lost just under 35 pounds since April doing exactly what I described.
I should mention that the distribution of the extra weight has nothing to do with the meds you take, but with your body type. I am an hour glas-pear type and all my weight is distributed around my hips and thigh. At my worst I had a 35" waist and 50" hips. This fortunately has changed a lot with just a 35 pound loss and moderate exercise and I no longer look grotesque....:o).0 -
You need a new psychiatrist. I can't think of a reasonable reason why to tell someone who is in normal BMI with a history of disordered eating and self image problems to use diet pills or even losing more weight.
Every word of this. It makes no sense from a psychological OR nutritional standpoint. Get a new psychiatrist, one that specializes in disordered eating.0 -
I saw a psychiatrist a few days ago after being referred by a GP to him- he said to me "your weight is in the normal BMI range for your height- but lets face it- you do look overweight"
Worst psychiatrist ever. I'm guessing this one was in the bottom 5% of the graduating class.0 -
I saw a psychiatrist a few days ago after being referred by a GP to him- he said to me "your weight is in the normal BMI range for your height- but lets face it- you do look overweight"
Worst psychiatrist ever. I'm guessing this one was in the bottom 5% of the graduating class.
bottom of the class or not he earns a LOT of money being private.... and didn't mind telling me that either!0 -
I saw a psychiatrist a few days ago after being referred by a GP to him- he said to me "your weight is in the normal BMI range for your height- but lets face it- you do look overweight"
Worst psychiatrist ever. I'm guessing this one was in the bottom 5% of the graduating class.
bottom of the class or not he earns a LOT of money being private.... and didn't mind telling me that either!
Find a new psychiatrist and file a complaint against him. Telling someone that knowing they have certain issues is crap. And also, you don't need pills. Take things slow but first...new psychiatrist asap.
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/information-referral-helpline
Maybe try this link and see if they can refer you to someone in your area.0 -
Hi all,
I have lost 8-9kg in September alone.
I saw a psychiatrist a few days ago after being referred by a GP to him- he said to me "your weight is in the normal BMI range for your height- but lets face it- you do look overweight"....which was probably the last thing I needed to hear when i'm so self-conscious.
What a jerk! Look I suffered from an eating disorder when I was 18, you dont want to go there. 10 kg in one month is a lot to lose! In the end you cant keep that if you lose so quickly, can be dangerous if you are not with a bad BMI. You can gain everything back or more and very quick. Plus it can make your depression, if you have it, even worse. I was forced to eat a lot or they said my heart would just stop. You dont deserve this. Love your body, is the only one you have
. We women suffer so much with this media and crazy ideals. As long as you are happy and healthier as you can, do your best and you will go through it!
Lately I was reading a book called Mood Cure, it says how bad diet can cause all types of bad feelings. Are you eating enough protein? Amino acids? Avoiding stuff as french fries? Healthy carbs like rice, baked potatoes, whole eat bread? Did you ever tried a nutritionist/endocrinologist? They can help you without the pills. Are you able to exercise with you lung condition?
I was very thin and I was not happy, I was even more depressed and I kept thinking I was not thin enough, so if I could, I would NEVER do that again. I know how you feel though!0 -
My son was on that for his asthma for a while and what it did seem to do is make him look 'puffy' which is perhaps due to water retention.
Look I know you don't want to hear that, but I would really just go one step at a time. Figure out how to deal with the steroid and eat healthily. Normal portions and all your fruit and veggies. Get a new doctor for the mental component. Stay away from the diet pills or at least make sure you know everything there is about a diet pill and how it interacts with the steroid.
And above all BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. Your weight does not define you. It matters very little. You are more then just a bunch of fatcells dressed in clothing. You are wonderful and have a lot to offer to people. Hold your head high and don't look yourself into your house for fear of rejection. Go meet your friends and have a laugh. It works wonders. Good luck :-)0 -
dont go on diet pills. Just exercise and eat healthy0
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Yeh- bloody med....but i'd be dead without it. (prednisone)- I think that he thinks diet pills will suppress the massive appetite that it gives you and the cravings- maybe stopping my vicious gain/lose extremes cycle.
Because of my lung disease my ability to exercise is very limited
-and yeh I have been very strict with my calorie intake. Never more than 1100 a day just until I get to a lower weight.
I'm determined to prove to him I can do this! 12 more kg's!
I think though that i'll talk to my GP before anything....I had a very low potassium level a few weeks ago and had to go to hospital to have infusions and I think I want to ask her about it first. I really do want to do it as he said that Topirimate is also good for mood stabilisation and maybe I won't feel as depressed about image and stuff.
I have so much sympathy for you.
A few years back I was on steroids for a medical condition, and coupled with the chronic fatigue I was suffering too I ballooned to 87.5kgs and exercise was so difficult. It took so much willpower to start making changes and losing weight, and you should give yourself a massive pat on the back for having taken the steps you already have. You've given yourself a body within a good weight range and you're taking every step to be healthy. A lot of people would use a condition as an excuse to not do anything about their body, and it's really admirable that you haven't. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for.
As for pills to help with weight loss, it's definitely worth talking to GP before taking anything new. The last thing you want is anything that may have an adverse effect on your health - losing an extra 0.2 of a kilo in a week isn't worth a visit to hospital or you feeling so unwell you can't manage even light exercise, and at a healthy weight as you are I think some exercise is really going to assist you in achieving the look you're after.
If that's you in your picture, you're a beautiful girl and you shouldn't have anything to feel low about in terms of how you look. I think the way your other doctor spoke to you was rather harsh, your face doesn't appear overweight. If you really want to lose weight just make sure you're doing it for you and your own health, not because you have to prove anything.
In terms of feeling full and killing appetite, fibre and water does it for me! A tablespoon of psyllium husk, a full glass of water and even a teaspoon or so of chia seeds are great for filling your stomach and preventing you from eating too much. Lean protein is also awesome for keeping you satisfied and helping you to retain your existing muscle. A little fat doesn't hurt either, chicken with a small amount of tasty cheese topping or with organic peanut butter is delicious! And of course you would know the benefits of salads and veggies and the low calorie bang for your buck, just personally I find I'm more satisfied with protein as it feels 'heavier' to me.
Best of luck with everything, hope you get some good advice from your GP and your health stays great0 -
thanks so much for all of your replies!! I don't really have much trust in this dr so I might explain the situation to my GP and ask if she thinks a different referral might be a better idea
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All I can say now is (4 months lateR)- I wish I left this doctor earlier... eating disorders destroy everything. Physically your heart is at risk, you isolate socially for fear of food and your family no longer trust what you say. You start to feel like you are just a puppet to it.0
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No ****.
Especially since going on prednisolone can give you a "moon face" due to water retention.0
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