Weight gain

[Mirrorball]

Has anyone got any weight loss tips/success stories? I have put on weight while taking olanzapine and venlafaxine since having PP in 2016. I am exercising and trying to eat healthily but I’m really struggling to lose weight. Not good for my depression at all!

[Saloire]

Following too x

[Mims2014]

I lost weight when I joined slimming world, it was harder than usual on medication but I got back to where I wanted to be. Diet is 80% of weight loss. GPS offer free slimming world for 12 weeks if bmi is 30+ or there is always offers in magazine.

Don’t be too hard if the weight comes off very very slowly, it’s much harder for us.

It’s so difficult to balance side effects of meds being so negative to being ill but the weight will come off if we are patient, think I was half a pound a week but that’s still 26 pounds in a year and I’ve now lost 3.5 stones xx

[Hidden]

Hello Mirrorball,

eating habits are affected by medication and mental health issues. We all react differently with regards to meds and obviously our template genealogically plays a big part. In addition all these influential factors via society affect our moods.

It very much depends on you and what you would like to pursue, in order to loose weight. Once you've established that a lot depends on your inner will power and strengths. Easier said than done

- I would talk to a GP, search in community and village halls often have brochures about self-help groups in all aspects, maybe check your locality on the internet with regards to specific weight loss classes

- some people are very disciplined and work with an app on the phone, meaning everything is journalised

- I personally love walking and cycling, but maybe you enjoy fitness or swimming...I find swimming extremely therapeutic and it is not so harsh on your body; just gentle movement

- only you can decide what you want to do and decide on the pace. It is such a personal option

- Yoga and meditation keeps me flexible and balanced

Wishing you the best of luck...I keep busy and sometimes forget about food, which is not very good either...3 meals a day is important for our mental health...

Look after yourself

x

[DoraDonig]

Hi Mirrorball

I want to join your club too... I gained +-4 stone while on quietapine for a year in 2015/2016 after ppp. I joined slimming world in january 2017 and lost 2 stone in 6 months (I think major part of it was being off medication as well as eating well and exercising). The main benefit for me of joining slimming World was writing down what I eat... I m a massive sweet tooth and that's where calories and sugar were creeping in for me...

Fast forward to now and I've a 6 week old daughter and I'm back on quietapine since Feb... I've already noticed my appetite increasing so I try and reign it in but it's haaaaard to stop eating so I completely feel your pain!!!

Btw- I was referred to an NHS nutritionist by my mental health team as they did notice the weight gain but I didn't particularly found it helpful, as they just told me to keep doing what I m doing (this wasnt while I was doing slimming world and I didn't think my eating habits were all that good tbh...but they disagreed)...

Best of luck to you. I'm following this post for other useful tips and hopefully we'll all get there in the end

[Saloire]

I’ve put on 3 stone since last July when I started Quetiapine. I’m only on 100mg. Also on 200 of Sertraline though, so wondering whether that might be affecting me too. I love being well, but want to stay healthy as well, as said above, it’s a balancing act xx

[Bonkersy]

I put on over 3 stones about the time I started Venlafaxine, that gain crept up with other meds, until I'd gone from size 12/14 to 20/22.

I joined Slimming World last year and have lost nearly all of the blubber, and now wearing size 14!