Hi there!

I've lost about 8 pounds on Lyrica (100mg 3x a day), but now facing a plateau.

I am also a recovered anorexic. I was hospitalized when I was 12 for starving myself (also depression) and have struggled on both ends of the weight spectrum ever since. I gained lots of weight taking meds for Bipolar in my late teens/early 20's, and still have not managed to get down to a "normal" weight (I am 31 now).

I guess my advice is to be patient. It took me a few months to lose 8 lbs.

I am on Lyrica and have been for a couple of years now. I had weight gain initially (close to 20 pounds). Like any type of weight loss... you need to be focused and determined. I think the Lyrica may have increased my appetite but that's no excuse. Chose your foods wisely. Food is fuel and not contentment. A year ago I cut out all processed foods, no more grains, and increased my vegetable intake as well as water. I have lost the weight and then some. I also have a strict training program and now run races to keep me motivated. You just need to find your motivation... skinny is not healthy. So, don't look at the pounds look at the type of food your consuming, your energy level, and how you feel. That's just my two cents.

I agree although I don't have to be on conventional meds for my FM. Just keep moving as much as possible and keep watching what you are eating. Try to find some way other than food to deal with stress & pain. Hugs all!

I've been on Lyrica for several years (current dose 200mg 3x's daily) and I've found that I have to be vigilant about counting not only the calories but I have to be very aware of how much carbs are sneaking into my diet. The weeks that I have higher carb intake the lower the weight loss.

British journal of Sport Medicine has an interesting article on carbs/sugars and fats in a diet affecting our metabolism:

"Exercise enthusiasts cannot work off the ill effects of an unhealthy diet, say the authors of an editorial published online April 22 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

"Let us bust the myth of physical inactivity and obesity," the authors write. "You cannot outrun a bad diet."

Physical activity levels in Western nations have remained flat during the past 3 decades, even as obesity rates have exploded. That observation is just one sign that calories, not lack of exercise, are driving the obesity crisis, argue Aseem Malhotra, MD, honorary consultant cardiologist at Frimley Park Hospital, United Kingdom, and science director for Action on Sugar, United Kingdom, and colleagues.

"However, the obesity epidemic represents only the tip of a much larger iceberg of the adverse health consequences of poor diet," the authors write. They say that the Lancet global burden of disease reports concluded that poor diet contributes to more disease than a combination of inadequate physical activity, alcohol, and smoking. As many as 40% of people with normal body weight will suffer from metabolic abnormalities typically associated with obesity, the authors write, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease.

Dr Malhotra and colleagues blame food industry marketing for promoting exercise over diet, comparing food industry public relations with discredited tactics used by the tobacco industry in the past. They say Coca Cola "pushes the message that 'all calories count'; they associate their products with sport, suggesting it is ok to consume their drinks as long as you exercise. However science tells us this is misleading and wrong."

The kind of calorie matters too, they emphasize. Calories from sugar promote fat storage and hunger; fat calories induce satiety. For every 150 calories consumed from sugar, there is an 11-fold increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes independent of weight or physical activity levels compared with consumption of 150 calories of fat or protein.

"Celebrity endorsements of sugary drinks, and the association of junk food and sport, must end," the authors write. "This manipulative marketing sabotages effective government interventions such as the introduction of sugary drink taxes or the banning of junk food advertising."

Sara N. Bleich, PhD, associate professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, told Medscape Medical News that although exercise can do a lot of good things, including help people maintain a healthy weight, it is no substitute for eating right. Dr Bleich was not associated with the editorial.


"The take home message is, it's what you eat, not how hard you try to work it off, that really matters when it comes to weight loss," she said. Dr Bleich studies interventions to help people change eating behaviors.

"It may take you seconds to consume hundreds of calories that could take you hours to burn up," Dr Bleich said.

The authors and Dr Bleich have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Br J Sports Med. Published online April 22, 2015. Extract "

Full Quote of the article. Link to British Journal of Sports Medicine including section on the importance of a ketogenic diet for sports performance. http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/20...15-094911.full

I find that it is easier for me to keep Body Fat percentage down with a low carb, higher (healthy) fat & protein diet. Less weight is easier on our joints, and less sugars in our bloodstream mean lower inflammation levels as well. I am treating my FM with supplements & diet only and it is working very well for me.