Weight gain

[Lynn1966]

Hi to you all, I had a heart attack 3 1/2 years ago. I am doing very well. After I had my heart attack I lost 3 stone within 3 months. In the last year I have put on over a stone. I do eat a little more than I used to as I didn’t want to loose anymore as I looked awful. Is it normal to start gaining the weight??

[Heather1957]

Keeping weight off is a lot harder than losing it IMHO.

I do find it a matter of trial and error in finding the amount of food you can eat without putting on weight, or you may be happy to put a couple of lb on one week and losing it over the next couple but only a few lb.

Obviously you need to ensure you cut out or right down on carbs and red meat etc and that would be at all times.

My problem is I am either dieting or not when really it should be a way of life which is why I tend to put the weight back on.

Good luck and I hope you find a way to control any weight loss and keep it off.

[Lynn1966 in reply to Heather1957]

Hi Heather, I wasn’t overweight to begin with. When I lost the weight it was so good at the beginning until all you could see was shoulder blades, hip bones stinking out and I looked gaunt😬😬 I was just wondering if it was natural that your weight creeps up again without over eating. Xx

[Heather1957 in reply to Lynn1966]

An interesting question as I do think some people seem to reach a natural plateau, it doesn't happen to me but some people seem to remain the same weight for years.I'll be interested to see what answers you get as we all know someone who can eat what they like and their weight doesn't change.

[Thanksnhs in reply to Heather1957]

😅😅 that person has just read your post! I am 63 and still weigh the same as I was in my teens 8st 2lbs although I looked so much better in 76 than I do now. I had heart failure caused by a faulty gene and thought that was why I never put weight on, but two years ago I got a transplant and I am still the same. I hate to admit I eat the awful Scottish diet of bacon, sausages, pies etc I hate veg. Every week I try and tell myself to eat more healthy and I buy fish which lies in the freezer and the tins remain unopened in the cupboard although I don't eat any sweet stuff at all, my cholesterol, blood pressure are fine and definitely no sign of diabetes. I might just have to get used to the "old Madge from benidorm" look 😱char

[Heather1957 in reply to Thanksnhs]

Oh how I wish!! My aunty (75) eats double the amount I do and until a couple of years ago was size 6, since she stopped all her sport and walking she is now a size 10/12 and thinks she is fat. When I say double that is no exaggeration!!

[Lynn1966]

Hi should have said that before my heart attack I was only a size 12 weighed 12.2 & I am 5ft8in & fi was 52 at the time.. i am now 56, size 8/10 my BMI is 22.7 xx

[Chappychap]

Sounds like you were a bit over enthusiastic with reforming your life style after your heart attack. Hey, better that than burying your head in the sand and hoping everything will magically turn out okay.

But as long as you've got a healthy BMI (with the common sense understanding that BMI is a good measure rather than a perfect measure), then putting a bit of weight back on shouldn't be a problem.

My only concern would be that you should gain a bit of weight from and otherwise healthy diet. In other words, discovering that you're under weight doesn't give permission to guzzle down Ben & Jerry's or highly processed, fast food rubbish!

Bon appetit!

[Lynn1966 in reply to Chappychap]

Yes 100% . I was afraid to eat anything that didn’t look healthy. That was not only the heart attack that did this it was seeing my eldest sons face when I came out of surgery. He was absolutely petrified I was going to die🥲🥲 I stopped smoking straight away and like you said I was over enthusiastic about reforming my life style as I said and still say that I don’t want to ever see that look on his face again. Thank you for your message x

[Neil2566]

Weight gain and loss is normal regardless of a heart condition or not, I wouldn’t confuse this with a heart attack from 3.5 years ago.

[Lynn1966 in reply to Neil2566]

My weight loss was definitely due to my heart attack Neil x

[Neil2566 in reply to Lynn1966]

My point is, weight loss and gain are absolutely normal heart attack or not. I had a heart attack and triple bypass 22 years ago and my weight has gone up & down over the whole 22 years, it’s not abnormal.

[benjijen]

Maybe your body knows you lost too much too quickly? If your bones are no longer protruding then maybe you're at your correct weight now

[Lynn1966 in reply to benjijen]

That actually sounds like the logical reason. I do look better now than I did when I lost the 3 stone. Thank you so much for your reply x

[ph5019]

Hi Lynn,My heart attack was just over 2 years ago, 5 stents in the LAD, followed by heart failure ( horrible description ).

I lost over 2 stone , not a conscious effort, but something that happened over a short period.

I had fluid retention around the heart and the usual swollen ankles.

In and out of hospital and a fairly high dose ( 120mg ferusomide).

A lot of weight gain can be water retention, so I have monitored my weight constantly.

I looked gaunt, went from a 38 inch waist to 34 ( which I still am ).

I have put on about 12 pounds in weight over the past year, but have been careful that my ankles have not swollen up or I have not felt more breathless.

I walk most days and do a few weights, my muscle has returned to a certain degree, which I think in part is my weight gain.

I have an ICD fitted the second one, but that's another story. My ferusomide has been reduced to 20 - 40mg.

I think I have found my optimum weight ,but would not feel comfortable and would reduce my food intake if it increased.

Paul

[jeelpie]

hi Lynn,could it be anything to do with the menopause? I know it has had an impact on my weight and I have to work really hard to keep this under control, especially around my stomach area

[ToffeeT]

I have read a few times that Bisuporul/Beta blockers can cause it as they slow the metabolism. I can't get mine down and I eat little, breakfast just now was 2 small slices of gluten free bread, with 2 slices of grilled bacon and a few mushrooms, not at all excessive.

[Chappychap in reply to ToffeeT]

The earlier generation of beta blockers (such as metoprolol) did lower metabolism. But the more modern versions of beta blockers (and also ACE inhibitors), such as Bisoprolol and Ramipril, are much closer to being weight neutral. But even if you were on the original versions, a couple of miles of additional walking or cutting out a Hobnob biscuit each day would be enough to compensate.

Some medications make weight gain almost inevitable, but heart medications aren't really in that category. It's our personal choices that really determines our weight.

[Ourdill]

If you are as happy as your post reads, then stop worrying and enjoy your 2nd chance.. 3and a half years into it.. I still enjoy waking up everyday 2 years on, I'm only 45 but I get such massive fatigue like real quick with anything strenuous, which never happened before? I'm in for bloods this week that'll end in a med review to see if the doses are still good for me . Stop worrying.. we are all gonna die one day..so what if we have a few extra pounds? Enjoy your life Lynn..never know ..might get hit by a bus tomorrow..!?🤷🏻‍♂️😁💐

[Lynn1966 in reply to Ourdill]

I’m not worrying as such. I was asking if it’s normal just to put on weight when I don’t each much more than I did after my heart attack.. Yes like you I tire out a lot quicker than I used to. If I work four days of 8 1/2 hours shifts in a row I am like a zombie by the fourth one.. x

[Ourdill in reply to Lynn1966]

Eat avocados.. they are horrible but so good for you.. it's been proven you can lose weight eating them apparently. Maybe the covid lockdowns have helped with the weight gain a little like it has me.. I do tend to boredom eat lol. Are you eating your recommended 5 a day and walking 10000 steps a day like your doc would suggest immediately? Nor me love lol, I try stay active but I'm really don't feel fit enough to return..the docs say I should be with the daily meds but something's not right. Also a bonus putting a few pounds on is... You get to go clothes shopping again 😉😁

[cakesandbakes in reply to Lynn1966]

Like you lynn I also lost 3 stone as was not overweight in first place after heart attack and 4 stents and looked gaunt.2 years on inspite of trying to gain some iv only managed 6.Ib. my consultant told me it sometimes happens after a traumatic event and the body resets itself and may never regain it.

[Kev51]

Hi LynnI had a cardiac arrest 2 years ago and lost 4 1/2 stone.I found what helped me were Renpho scales they are about £30 and will give you your bmi ,visceral fat,subcontanious fat etc.They have helped me keep on track and keep me to a healthy weight

[nilmonisikdar40]

Well done for your initial weight loss. The important thing is to know your BMI for which you have to get your weight matched with your height. I think the reasonable is to keep your BMI under 23. The other thing is to know whether you are apple shaped which means putting weight around the belly or pear shaped which means putting weight around the thighs and buttock. It is better to be former than the latter.

[Andyman]

During you weight loss you kept off the bad stuff. You probably still are but over eating the good stuff. My problem at the moment. Got to reduce my volume.

[Kev51]

As far as I know they do I watched mine coming down steadily.Well worth the money an very accurate weight wise

[Glastonburylady]

Hello Lynn. I hope you’re doing well besides your concern of weight gain.

I wrote a question last year regarding my weight gain. I am now 59 years old and I was a size 10, 9stone12 5’8” lady for most of my adult life.

I was diagnosed with heart failure and irregular rhythms (never could dance) in 2020 and put on 10mg Bisoprolol, 10mg ramipril and 80mg furusemide a day as well as having a three wire crt-d device fitted.

Whilst I’m grateful for the interventions and fact I’m still alive, I’m not a fan of medications and despite not changing my eating habits besides eating less, I’m now around 13th stone.

I don’t do as much as I used to because of low energy levels and capabilities but I’m far from inactive.

I’m a vegetarian, non dairy eating, healthy eating person. I consume very little in the way of food and usually salads, seeds and suchlike.

I’ve gone from size 10 to size 18.

I’m very depressed and have huge aches and pains and a major lack of energy.

This can only be accredited to the ways in which the medications are interacting with my hormonal system by slowing down my metabolic rate far too much.

Will any medical professionals listen… ..? No.

I’m told I have to keep taking what I’m taking or experience a poor quality of life.

So I have the choice of a poor quality of life or a poor quality of life.

The only difference being I’d be slimmer with one option if I stopped these medications but the gamble would be how my body would cope.

Medications can really interfere with our finely balanced endocrine systems and whilst they help one thing, as with everything, there’s generally a trade off.

Over time, ladies in particular change with the amount of hormones we produce and this can result in minimal to massive changes in metabolic rates and how we use fuel/food.

I think this combined with medications which can also affect us differently over time is the answer to most problems and changes.

Unless we are blessed with a starting base rate of a fantastic metabolic system of course, but many of us have always suffered a sluggish rate through genetics, unpredictable hormonal systems and even sometimes lifestyle and unknown allergies.

I have tried all sorts to lose this excess to no avail. It seems it’s here to stay.

So I’m working on my mental health with it all and reluctantly accepting that this is how it is for now.

Cardiologists will say we reach a plateau with it but for me it is a progressive slow gain that even eating a 800 calorie healthy selection of foods and exercising won’t sort out.

I feel that even if I starve my body would shut down before it sheds weight.

It’s brutal but true.

I wish you well with all of this and your health, Debbie X

[Glastonburylady]

I forgot to add…. Besides the weight gain I am also pre diabetic and have high cholesterol now since taking the heart medications…. this was pretty much within a couple months of starting them and not lifestyle or weight related. The levels were actually higher when I was slimmer….. they vary a lot now but confirm my other reply about drug/body interactions X

[Khartoum7]

I went in at 15 stone and came out at 14 stone nine weeks ago! I'm still 14 stone...my daughters reckon they must have taken my heart and other bits out !! I do feel better at this weight(less heavy obviously!) and am going to try and stick here.If you feel better and it is no hardship I would try to do the same.

[45sue]

I agree with ToffeeT - have a look the patient info leaflets for your meds & see if any can cause weight gain.

[Villagelife]

Hi losing that amount of weight so quickly due to illness must have taken its toll on you, I think illness could have possibly increased your metabolism while trying to heal itself therefore partly added to weight loss. As your body recovered, your metabolism may have adjusted down therefore allowing it to put some weight back on. It sounds like your body is adjusting to a weight which is more healthy for you. I've read your next message as well so know you arent overweight. Eating extra calories by way of healthy food until you are happy with your weight would most likely be beneficial to you. Hope this makes sense its just thoughts really and I might be completely off the mark.

[Lynn1966 in reply to Villagelife]

You have made total sense, which is very much appreciated 😁. I wasn’t worried about weight going back on. I just couldn’t understand why it was going on when I wasn’t eating massive amount of food. Yes when I first had my heart attack I was absolutely scared to eat much food as I was scared of having another heart attack 🥲🥲 I didn’t like it when the weight came off as it aged me by 10years🤣😂 now I feel I fit into my skin. Thank you so much for understanding what I meant x

[Villagelife in reply to Lynn1966]

I'm so glad it made sense to you and pleased my response has helped you😊. I have always been interested in nutrition & metabolism etc so I'm always researching it. Take care.

[Lynn1966]

Thank you to each and everyone for your helpful replies. Wishing you all the best 😁😁xx

[LesleyJ59]

I also lost weight initially, as I lost my appetite, but it soon went back to what it was. I'd been overweight bordering on obese ever since I had my children. I'm 63 now, and last February I decided to give losing weight another go, as during all the lockdowns I wasn't getting out as much and my weight started to climb again. To cut a long story short, it took me just over a year to lose three stone, and I'm a healthy BMI for the first time in thirty years or so.

I'd used weight Watchers in the past, but always stalled around a stone from target before giving up and gaining it again. This time I initially used the Noom app that's advertised online and on the TV, and it was very good for examining how and why I ate, and the psychology behind it. It was pricey and a the tone was very American, but it got the weight moving in the right direction. I switched to a UK based app called Nutracheck that was more maneagable price wise, and that kept me going. I'm still careful with what I eat, but I'm very happy to be a good weight at last.

Heart wise, I still get palpitations on and off and am still on the same level of medication (I had a mild HA five years ago) and overall feeling good.

So, have a look at all the plans that are out there, different approaches suit different folk. Find out what works for you and you'll feel a lot better for it.

[Fish4Info]

I'm just catching up with posts during my holidays. 16 years ago, without prior warning, I needed a CABG×4. I was already on a diet. I followed all the advice, and got my weight down. My BMI went from 31-32 to about 25 in a few months. Sad to say over the years it crept back up to as high as 32-33. It doesn't take much of an imbalance in dietary requirements for weight to rise. I think a bag of crisps too much per day (125-150 kcals (Calories)) will add a stone (14 lb, 6.4 kg, or 2 BMI units for my 1.7m height). Ever since I've got down to BMI = 25, I've struggled to keep weight off. If I drank fewer Cappuccinos and cut the 1-2 units and walked the daily 4 miles I used to do with my late dog, I suspect I would lose the necessary weight over 3 years. To go faster, which I'm trying to do, is taking some effort. BMI = 33->31 in 6 months. I've just had a holiday relapse and gained a few pounds ... so I can't really give up watching what I eat. While the meds and genetics might contribute to my appetite, it is still what I put in my mouth that makes for weight gain.

Some people are very lucky and don't put on weight (lucky, like life long smokers who live to great age without cancer or other diseases) ... but that's likely to be genetic factors.

Gene Eating by Giles Yeo is a good book (but I found it a bit of a hard read) about the factors that drive us to overeat. He's a Cambridge academic so it is based on evidence-based science, I.e. Western medicine ... so it is not a book promoting the latest fads.

I think I read that the OP (Original poster) had a BMI of 22.7. This is a long way from any worry zone (it is healthy) - but I'd be careful about relaxing any guard. It's easy to do. And the older we are, the harder it is to gain control

Best wishes,

David

[Lynn1966 in reply to Fish4Info]

Thank you for your reply. I’m getting back on track again now. Back to my walking as I have lapsed lately . I forgot how much I enjoyed my walks😁 back to thinking more about what I eat especially portion size.. I feel a lot better after a week already.