HI

[littlebit627]

Hi! I'm not a newbie to Fitday. I've used this site off and on for many years. I'd like to tell you my entire weight gain/loss history but you'd be here forever.

I was an obese child and have lost over 100 pounds twice in my life, I'm 42. I have been way too heavy and way too thin. I have sat around like a rock and I have been obsessed with the gym, spending atleast two hours each and every day there.

I have managed to keep the bulk weight off for twenty years now. These past two years I have went through serious major depression. I have finally found the right medications and right doses to be happy.

Within the past two months I have put on 22 pounds. I know it's because of the medication, wellbutrin and lexapro. And because the meds make me less stressed, it doesn't seem that urgent for me to lose the weight. YET, I know where things end up when you allow a pound here and a pound there.

So, I'm back here again, trying to take off the pounds. I would love to meet people with similar interests and weight gain due to medication. I work at a Tractor Supply, have a hobby farm and am very active in animal rescue, specifically dogs.

I'm looking for a diet buddy.

[RunbikeSki]

Hi littlebit,
Welcome back to FitDay. I have heard, and read, that many medications affect weight and metabolism, but there are lots of things you can do to get things back in balance - and I bet you already know many of them.

Glad you are back and ready to take charge. You will have lots of company here. Check the other threads and join right in. We'd love to get to know you better

[littlebit627]

Actually I really don't know how to take this weight off.

I have been on depression meds in the past but as soon as the weight came on, I quit the meds.

My depression hit rock bottom last year. I felt like I was in a hole and couldn't get out. I just stopped functioning. It took a long time to get the right meds and I did relapse twice. It was EXTREMELY difficult.

Finally I have reached the right dose of lexapro and I plan on staying on it the rest of my life because I've learned that I'm not crazy, it's an illness and just because I feel better, I can't just stop the meds.

We doubled my meds about two months ago. Since then I have gained 22 pounds. The past year and a half before that, my weight remained at a constant 115lb, even when I was so down I slept the days away.

It's hard for me to understand how doubling one med can make me gain so much weight. I'm 42 so part of it is I wonder if I've hit the age where it gets extremely difficult to take off the weight.

Any tips on how to go about it would be greatly appreciated.

[RunbikeSki]

So sorry to see that you have suffered so much with depression. But I am heartened to see that you have gotten both the depression and meds under control.

There is 1 medication alternative that your MD may be willing to try: Topomax. A shrink friend of mine told me that he frequently prescribes it for patients on anti-depressants.

As for the things you can do is start logging your food right away. Don't try to change your eating habits just yet, you want to get a baseline of what your current diet looks like. From there do some analysis using the great tools available w/FitDay. Are you simply eating too many calories? If so, cut back on portion size. Are you packing your diet with low quality carbs like chips, cookies, or white breads and crackers, then either cut them out of your diet or find healthier alternative. How is your protein? Lots of us substitute too many carbs for not enough protein.

That will get you started. Once you have an idea of what you need to change (and it will take a little time to figure this out) there are lots of great suggestion on how to modify your diet right here.

Then, try to get a little more exercize. No obsessive gym stuff, just longer walks, maybe a new sport (lots of us pick up new sports later in life, so being 42 isn't really a good excuse). But most important, find something you enjoy and hopefully a group of friends to enjoy it with. Take a dancing or yoga class, walk a dog or 2 or 3, helpout at a community garden. You say you are already pretty active, which is great! I suspect you just need to change the activities a little. Our bodies tend to get used to the same activity over and over again and stop being challenged, which leads to a halt in weight loss.

Keep up posted littlebit - we are here for you!