Advice required - Overweight and unfit

Ollie_1977
Ollie_1977 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,

I'm 42 and for the past 8 years i've been on 2 different medications for a mental health condition. Unfortunately both of the medications cause weight increase & i've probably put on about 4-5 stone over that period. I hate the way I look. I can't blame the medication completely, my diet has also been appalling. Coming off the medication does apparently help the weight to come off quite quickly but thats not an option unfortunately.

For the past 2 weeks i've been having a slimfast shake for breakfast & lunch and then a normal evening meal. But this isn't enough because the weight isn't really moving. I've been told by other people on the same medication as me that it's extremely difficult to lose the weight which you put on.

I want to start exercising to help with the weight loss but i'm not sure where to start. I don't want to spend a lot of money on equipment. I have tried in the past to start jogging, i started slowly by jogging for 1 minute and then walking for 2. I did this about 6 times, 3 times a week. But i felt sooo self conscious. It felt like everyone was looking at the fat man jogging. In the end i stopped. I also joined a gym but this also didn't last long for similar reasons, i was the most overweight & unfit person there by a mile. To be honest it was also really expensive and money was tight.

If anyone has any advice i'd be exceptionally grateful.

Cheers
Ollie

Replies

  • Jackie9003
    Jackie9003 Posts: 1,116 Member
    Having lost a similar amount as you need to lose, and with the same again to go I just started walking to work a few times a week and that really helped. I use mapmywalk so I can see my progress and it links to MFP so, if you choose to, it will record it as exercise calories.

    You don't need to go all out and start running or joining a gym you just need to be more active that you were. Once you gain a little confidence and some of the weight has come off then you might want to refine what you do and start some weight training or similar. It's not for me personally but I'm sure there will be others on here that will give good advice on that.

    Consider ditching the slimfast too and have "proper" food, personally I would rather have a bowl of cereal for breakfast and a tin of soup for lunch I'm sure it would fill me up more than a shake.
    Good luck :)
  • Hanibanani2020
    Hanibanani2020 Posts: 523 Member
    I’m sorry you’re struggling and good on you for wanting to improve what you can. I would first inform your doctor of your intentions and work with them on a program that is both sustainable and doable with your certain requirements. Once that has been organised stick to your calorie goal like glue and don’t give up too soon. Many medications can cause fluid retention which camouflage fat loss, it will drop in time though your results may be slower to see. As for the gym, it can be daunting got anyone especially those not used to it but it’s really sorry for nothing. No one is really focusing on anyone else at the gym unless they’re a trainer or someone is hogging the equipment 😂. I’m very familiar with social anxiety and even though I’m not in your individual shoes I know what it’s like to be in your own head, but the best way to get out of your head is to just do then thing, whether it’s gym or just going outside for a walk. Get some fresh air and sunshine on you and start slow but do it. Anxiety can cause catastrophising and our lives can be stalled by something that doesn’t reflect reality at all. Don’t hide away from life because of others, I guarantee they’ve got their own stuff and will not be seeing you the way you are seeing you. It’s awesome what you’re doing and I can’t wait to see some pictures in the photograph thread of things you’ve seen on your walks 😊
  • Hanibanani2020
    Hanibanani2020 Posts: 523 Member
    Excuse typos. I really need to start proofreading 😂
  • Jacq_qui
    Jacq_qui Posts: 443 Member
    Some really good advice here. I'm another fan of walking, it really increased my confidence too and helped stress levels. I've learnt in lockdown I don't need the gym or pool to shift the weight, it's mostly about diet. But I never really properly applied myself to it. There's lots of equipment-free exercise workouts on youtube if you want to do something other than walk. I'm sure if you search/post about 'home work out youtubes for beginners' you'll find lots.
  • craigfitzpatrick1987
    craigfitzpatrick1987 Posts: 1 Member
    Agree with a lot of the comments above. Another key thing is fluid intake - especially water. The best thing i did was to buy a litre water bottle and i make sure before 12pm that i have finished at least one full bottle, and then another before dinner. Water helps with digestion and it is proven that if you drink water 30mins before meals that you will not only feel slightly fuller, and thus not eat as much as you would normally do, but as it aids digestion, the food gets processed quicker which means your body will tell you its had a sufficient amount of food intake quicker.

    I had a problem with eating quickly... i love food and i tend to scoff it down at a rapid speed. i have never been able to really slow down my fast eating habit but by drinking water before meals it helps me to realize i am full quicker. Before i would eat and eat and eat and not really feel full until it was too late and i would be stuffed and bloated. The water trick doesnt let you reach that stage.

    Also, as stated above, you really dont need a gym or equipment. If your body isnt used to it then you will likely give up quickly. So try walking a nice distance, and keep doing it regularly... you will be amazed how much a small difference in your lifestyle will allow you to lose weight, but also feel so much better. To progress further, once you are comfortable with this walk, you can either walk further or maybe take on some hills to walk, or challenge yourself to walk your route in a quicker time. Choose nice walks, you dont always have to go on the same route. You can also listen to music or audible book to pass the time.

    Diet is important but so is exercise and to really see results you cant do one and not the other, hope this helps.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    My brother, who is a little older than you, takes mood stabilizers and antipsychotics known to cause an increase in appetite. When he was in a hospital setting, he gained weight while eating hospital food and not getting much exercise. Now that he is home, eating Mom's cooking, helping her with extensive yard work, and walking several miles per day, he lost all the weight he gained in the hospital and has maintained a healthy weight for over three years.

    He doesn't count calories. He does eat lots of whole foods - fruits, veggies, legumes, whole grains, etc. There's very little, if any, junk food in the house.
  • 1BlueAurora
    1BlueAurora Posts: 439 Member
    I don't know how you're logging "normal evening meal." I hope you are using MFP to calculate each item (meat, vegetables, rice or potatoes, etc.) so that you know exactly how many calories you're ingesting. You really should be able to eventually see on your scale that your weight is going down if you are logging accurately and consistently, and hitting your allotted calorie goals. And as everyone has said, walking will make a difference - not only in general physical health, but for mental health. Walking helps me to clear my head sometimes, and sometimes I just mull over the things that bother me and then I leave those worries behind. It just helps me calm the negative self-talk. I make some great plans while walking - creating a mental list of the things I'll do tomorrow and create a few things to look forward to. Pay attention to something other than yourself: the outdoor scenery, the sounds, the smells. And not everyone is judging you in public, and if they do it's not always negative. When I see someone out jogging, I internally think "Good on you!" or "gee, I should be doing that."
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    I have a close relative who is I suspect on the same or similar meds as you and initially gained a lot of weight. He got to the point where he stopped meds without informing his dr, which ended in a 2 year really dreadful period. After getting again more or less stable, he became vegan on the advise of another patient. He has since lost the extra weight and maintained the loss. I do not attribute his weight loss to just being vegan, it was mostly that this placed off limits all junk food: no more pizzas, burgers, pastries, ice-creams etc, and realistically, until this point he would eat all that in unusual amounts and frequency. While I would not advise a vegan diet, perhaps completely setting some foods off limits would help. Normally, people should not have taboo foods, but I understand through my relative's adventure and through the experience of other patients I have met through him, that some mental illnesses make it very hard to exercise control: it is hard to stop at 1-2 slices of pizza, or get a burger once a week, same as it is hard to just have one drink or just smoke a few cigarettes. Perhaps it is something you could discuss with your mental health provider, and see if you have a pattern of overeating certain very calorie dense foods, and whether a "do not eat" list would help.
    As for exercise, simply walk. There is no reason to do anything more, it is a very effective form of exercise.
  • Carp614
    Carp614 Posts: 191 Member
    I'm just a little older than you and need to lose about three stone.
    I heard recently that 85% of getting more fit/losing weight happens in the kitchen. That makes a ton of sense to me. Here is what I've done:
    • Just get used to logging calories, not because calories are important, but to get yourself used to knowing what you are eating.
    • Look for unprocessed foods instead of stuff that comes in a box. That includes diet shakes that are full of unpronounceable ingredients.
    • Take time to prepare real meals from whole foods during the day or at some point when you have time.
    • Stay off of the scale. It's way to easy to be encouraged/depressed by what it says. Focus on how you feel physically.
    • Walk. everyday. work towards 10,000 steps a day. No pricey equipment, fancy technology, or gym memberships.

    One other thing. I see this as a project that could easily take years. To me it's a lifestyle change that has to be made, because that's the only way this can work long term.

    I hope this is helpful to you.
  • Onedaywriter
    Onedaywriter Posts: 326 Member
    Hi Ollie,
    A lot of good advice here already. Just want to throw in a couple of things:
    - firstly congratulations on getting started!! That’s always the hardest part.
    - Being self conscious is natural. But try to press through. Most people are good at heart and most want to improve themselves in some way. People don’t look down on us trying to improve ourselves but I do think some look down on us not trying to.
    - I myself am very obvious in my gym because I lost about 8 stones (113 lbs or so)- keeping 7.5 of them off for nearly 18 months. Some of the really fit people have told me that they use me for inspiration because if I could keep working out, they certainly could. The way one of these folks put was that he respected my effort so much knowing how hard it must have been for me, he couldn’t slack off.
    - Keep trying to find creative ways around your personal obstacles. Maybe you can walk/jog somewhere else or at a time when less people are around or with a friend etc. Remember- any movement is good movement- even if walking/jogging in place in your living room.
    These are your obstacles and you can find a way!

    You got this!
    Please keep us posted on your progress. I can’t wait to hear you dropped that first half stone!!
  • Geneveremfp
    Geneveremfp Posts: 504 Member
    springlering62 wrote: »
    I agree with the other poster. When I see someone overweight out walking my local path, I don’t think bad stuff, I immediately think “good for you!”

    I can see they are often self conscious when I look up to smile and greet them and occasionally even say,”Yay, us!”.

    I want to grab each of them, hug and encourage them, and tell them to keep doing it, because they’ll be out the other side before they know it. But we just pass like ships in the night. I very seldom pass the same people again, which saddens me because I worry they’ve given up.

    Incidentally, in the past few weeks I’ve become addicted to true crime podcasts while walking. You learn from these things that NO one pays attention to anyone else, period, because it appears no one can ever describe someone they’ve seen. It kinda goes in one eyeball and out the other.

    So don’t overthink it. Their right brain has probably forgotten you before their left brain had any opportunity to judge.


    I do this. When I'm out for a jog /walk and I see someone new to fitness (if I even notice) I want to tell them how amazing they are and how they'll get there and they've got this. I don't know anyone who would judge.

    Some great advice. Just to add on something that my mum used to say about anything growing up that was a project "in six months you'll wish you'd started today".

    It's horrible right now because you can only imagine but in a few weeks you'll be adding to the nsv (non scale victory) thread with some exciting thing you've discovered about yourself or just feeling more like you can face it.

    You've got this
  • bmeadows380
    bmeadows380 Posts: 2,981 Member
    Hanibanani2020 wrote: »
    craigfitzpatrick1987 wrote: »

    Diet is important but so is exercise and to really see results you cant do one and not the other, hope this helps.
    You can definitely do one without the other. You can exercise and not lose weight and you can lose weight and not exercise. The two are not synonymous. Exercise is great for you and improves your health and create room for more food by using calories but weightloss happens in the kitchen. You can lose weight without exercise with diet alone. I love exercising and it brings me many benefits but it is not the cause of weightloss, but rather part of a healthy lifestyle if you so wish.

    yup; I dropped my first 100 lbs on diet alone doing absolutely no exercise at all. I've started adding in walking and a little cardio to help with the next 40 lbs and I do enjoy those extra calories it gives me, but the walking has been for health.

    Weight loss comes down to a calorie deficit - eat less than your body burns and you'll lose weight. How you create that deficit is up to you and what works best for you in a healthy and sustainable manner.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    I've taken Fluoxetine and Bupropion for depression for many years and have never been able to associate any weight changes with them. When I eat at a deficit, I lose weight like clockwork. Try doing a reasonable (1 pound a week) deficit, weighing your food exactly, for about a month and see if your weight hasn't started to move in that time. Try walking a bit -- it's great for depression!
  • MovingRumsAss
    MovingRumsAss Posts: 24 Member
    I've been on THOSE meds for years. They can cause weight gain and what is worse is the stress increases cortisol which makes losing even harder. 30 mins of walking is great for your mind and body. Just start with moving for 30 mins. Don't worry about speed or anything else. You will soon find it gets a little easier and you will naturally increase. Remember: you are doing this for you and not for anyone else.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,284 Member
    The other thing I would suggest OP is that you continue to engage with others on MFP as you go (since I presume you plan to use MFP to guide your weight loss)

    not sure if you are doing so with MFP friends - some people find that helpful

    But also by continuing to engage on the forum.
  • sazzym2020
    sazzym2020 Posts: 29 Member
    Hi Ollie,

    I worked in the mental health field for 15 years until recently and can confirm a significant weight gain is very common with certain medications and it can be harder to lose weight when on certain meds - but not impossible. It's a really difficult line to tread when you find a treatment that can keep you well, but has other effects such as this.

    First of all, well done on getting yourself well mentally and looking at how to get well physically. It's important to acknowledge that you've had a period of illness and that there is a recovery period after this, just as there would be for a physical illness. Can your doctor or nurse refer you to a nutritionist? Some mental health teams have a nutritionist who is familiar with the effects of these meds and can give specific advice about how to lose weight while taking them. If you're in the UK, there are also some fitness programmes that you can be referred to by your GP where people are in the same position (i.e. just starting a fitness programme or recovering from an illness). This might help to make you feel less noticable and be a good way to make some weight loss buddies! It varies around the country so have a word with your GP.

    A friend of mine (also called Ollie) has bipolar disorder and he does a lot of weight lifting/strength training which he says helps him to deal with the weight gain from olanzapine. Everyone is different but it may be worth a go and if you get a cheap set of dumbbells or some resistance bands it's something you could start at home at first.

    The suggestions about going for a walk are good ones and we used to run a lot of walking groups for people with mental health needs. It is good cardio and helps to clear the mind.

    I hope some of the above is useful and wish you all the very best with your fitness journey. I imagine you've already climbed one mountain getting emotionally well so have complete faith you'll find a way to do it again with your physical health. Best of luck mate.

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