Mental Heath (Meds) & Weight Loss

MPJ737 · May 2014

Hello everyone! Just wanted more a of rant/discussion :P
I've been on meds for GAD (Anxiety Disorder) Tourettes, OCD, etc, my thing is, I tend to eat more than I can burn, my meds do cause weight gain + increased appetite, so my question is, how do you conquer this? I lost about 25 lbs last year, (went from 198 lbs, to 175ish) then gained all of it back plus some, I started MFP about a month ago again, (had this profile for a year or so) but started using it seriously, anyways, I'm down about 6-7 lbs, (gained some again from loss of motivation)

How can I get through this? I tend to overeat because my meds make me hungrier, I'm not saying I can't do this, because I have before

Just need some motivation again and maybe some tips or help? Anyone else been through this? I'm going to a weight loss clinic tomorrow, (it's safe, just counting calories) but you have the group for support, etc) Anyways, just my little rant/discussion

Cheers!

Mike

kedlyo · May 2014

Have you asked your doc about changing meds?
Really, counting calories & exercising are the keys to weight loss and then maintenance. But switching your meds could help...
Of course, switching meds could be a minefield that takes 2-4 months to even see if it works for you. I'm no doc, so talk to yours.

Best of luck on your health journey!

CindyMarcuzAdams · May 2014

I agree with kedlyo, talk to your dr. I am on a ton of meds and I am in the process of research on each one now that I am serious about weight loss...this time... some cause weight loss some gain. Its quite the circle. Your dr should know the side effects of all his fave go to meds.
Hang in there. CINDY

cterp · May 2014

I am on some mental health meds too.. I have been working at it for about 2 years now and average about losing 0.3lbs a week. It's a very slow process but the best things that have helped me so far is eating a lot more veggies, cutting bread way down, eliminating margarine, eating more bananas, keeping my sodium no higher than 1500mg as much as possible, and keeping saturated fats and sugars pretty low. Another biggie is choosing a reasonably healthy snack if you have to eat at night: like a banana or apple... stay away from bread at night.

You can't entirely go by the scale to measure progress.. A lot of your progress you'll notice when you feel better and have more energy, snore less, and people start noticing you look better. I don't have a very large frame body so weighing over 200 lbs was tough on my health. Unfortunately there are a lot of overweight and obese people in my family so it is sometimes hard to resist temptation if they want to go out to a restaurant. I have recently made more of a habit to eat at home as much as possible.

I am pretty compulsive about tracking, so a little OCD may work in your favor if you can consistently track your food just about every day. I can't afford an iPhone, but I carry an old 2g iPod Itouch I got on craigslist everywhere I go... It still runs myfitnesspal plus some other useful apps that I constantly use.

Also, I get some exercise, but I can't burn off that much realistically so diet definitely trumps exercise when it comes to weight loss for me. I have become a big fan of frozen spinach since it is loaded with potassium and vitamin A and has a bit of fiber. If you take blood pressure medicine you might want to double check with your physical doctor how much potassium is compatible with your meds.

Keep in mind that as you lose more weight you might not need as much medication so you should work with your docs to see if your dosage needs to be lowered especially if it makes you too lethargic.

MagicalGiraffe · May 2014

Since February I've managed to put on about 15-18lbs. Coincidentally, I also started medication for GAD then as well. I think I was making a lot of bad food choices and binging a lot. I personally don't see my diet during that time as much different from the diet I'd had since the beginning of this academic year in September, which is why that weight gain particularly stood out to me. I can't tell if I was storing fat more easily or if I did actually have an increased appetite leading to my large weight gain but I can say it was related to the medication.

I think what's helped me is that I can recognise now that I'm not actually hungry. When I get the urge to eat I'll just ask myself if I can be bothered to get some carrot and celery sticks to eat, or if I'm just craving a tub of icecream and eating from boredom. If the answer to the former is no then I know that at that time I do not need to be eating. If I was truly hungry I'd grab the vege! Instead I'll get myself some water to drink from a bottle. This might sound odd but the physical act of putting something into my mouth, as in the nib of the bottle rather than drinking from a glass, helps me distract myself from grabbing something high-cal to eat.

Another thing to consider, taking into account the fact you have GAD and OCD, is that you will probably need to take a soft approach into losing weight. I have noticed personally since starting my lifestyle change almost two weeks ago, that the crushing sensation in my chest is returning despite being on medication and I'm getting insomnia again. I think this may be due to me worrying over the scale, over what I need to eat to stay in my calorie budget, what'll happen if I go over etc. This could mean that I might be more likely to relapse into old eating habits as a way to try cope. Considering the OCD you have and that you are prone to obsessions over things, that tied with the anxiety could lead to an unhealthy relationship when approaching your own lifestyle change. I've started introducing yoga and mindfulness into my daily routine to try help with relaxation and emptying my mind which I'm hoping will give me a more healthy understanding and approach to the change I've decided to undergo. I think this might be a worthwhile activity to try dedicate some of your daily time to, if you don't already.

I think with a good support network and a positive, healthy approach you will definitely be on the right track with your goals! Keep going (:

MPJ737 · May 2014

Thanks everyone! I did talk to my doctor before, he doesn't want to change my meds atm, (I'm super sensitive to them) But I'm going to a weight loss clinic tomorrow, (it's downtown) They have support there and tons of doctors, plus it's counting calories, (and they even tell you your macro's to eat) so I'm hoping this site (they recommended it) plus the weekly visits will help

cterp · May 2014

I am on an anxiety med too.. I hated doing it but I almost totally cut out caffeine.

writergeek313 · May 2014

If the medication you're on is working and not causing a lot of difficult side effects, you probably don't want to mess with it. Changing medications can be really difficult for someone dealing with mental health issues, because you usually have to be weaned off the old one, then it may take awhile to get the right dosage of a new medication. Your doctor is probably trying to spare you from the stress of that situation.

Instead, I'd say focus on making lifestyle changes. Start small and make sure you don't put too much pressure on yourself. Get up and get moving a little more and a little more often. Be more mindful of what and how much you're eating to make sure you're really hungry and not thirsty or just bored.

Getting enough sleep makes a huge difference in my ability to cope with my anxiety. When I'm well-rested, I'm calmer and better able to think through decisions. Plus, I have the energy to exercise. Another thing that really helps me is doing food prep in advance. I make it really easy to make healthy choices by having fruit and vegetables ready to be eaten and, if it's going to be a busy week when I might not have time to cook otherwise, by cooking some meals in advance.

jlgarriss · May 2014

I've been on meds for Tourette's for most of my life and meds for depression and gad for the past five years. it was only after I started the depression and gad meds that I found myself gaining weight and having an increased appetite, although I'm not sure if it wasn't also due to stress eating. I just started mfp and am starting to see some modest results. Hang in there. You'll find a balance between lowering your caloric intake and finding foods that satisfy your appetite. It just takes trial and error and a little bit of patience. Good luck.

Watermelon_Crush · May 2014

The general guidance for those kinds of medicines tends to be all about balance.

It seems, from what I've read, that in cases of medications that can trigger weight gain, that it's not as simple as just counting calories, it's also making sure that the things you eat within those calories are healthy, wholesome foods...so trying to avoid processed foods and refined sugars, have loads of veges and lean protein. I know, sometimes that's so difficult to hold day in, day out, but it was one of the things the information sheet recommended.

The second part of that was exercise - although, the info also said that it doesn't mean you have to go running or pushing weights for hours. Even just going for a 30 min walk is a good thing to get out and do every day. They particularly encourage this because getting outside and walking for half an hour a day has also shown to help the symptoms of things like depression and manic episodes in its own right. So it's a double help in this particular case, both on beating weight gain and symptoms.

That also leads on to it being one of the suggestions for cravings....a suggestion for those who have increased cravings, even though they have eaten sufficient food to be full, is to go out for a walk instead, both to distract yourself and get your body some good oxygen intake and lift your energy naturally.

The other recommendation for increased cravings from medications is to reach for a glass of cold water or a hot drink instead. (For beating cravings, I find peppermint tea especially useful, as the taste of mint in my mouth makes me not want to eat...maybe I'm just odd though LOL).

Hope that helps!

Mental Heath (Meds) & Weight Loss

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