weight issues AGAIN

[oliviagodfreyxx]

hi guys, i forgot the password for my account and have only just managed to get in again and i’ve missed everyone!! i hope you have all been keeping as well as possible.

today i had a pill check and the nurse told me that i’m very much overweight. i’m a size 12/14 and i’m 5’5 which prior to the appointment i thought was pretty normal. she weighed me and checked my BMI etc (obviously you can’t get an accurate weight with clothes on, things in pockets, shoes etc) so for her to say i’m fat (in a polite way) was kind of disheartening seeing as i go to the gym and swim quite regularly and have changed my diet around for the better. and obviously like you guys i suffer with arthritis so it’s not always easy to get up and about and moving everyday.

she said i’ve put that much weight on since last year that i need to come off my pill however this time last year i was going through the worst relapse of my life and wasn’t eating so of course i weighed a lot less. i have no idea how much i weigh now as going on the scales triggers me and my body image a lot but i 100% know i am not obese. i fit in the same clothes as last year and i have never been called fat in my life until now. i am a curvy woman, i have big hips and stretch marks but this has been the norm ever since starting my antidepressants and i feel like im in that vicious circle of deciding whether to stop my antidepressants to lose weight (and risk my mental health going haywire) OR continuing my medication and getting bigger (making my depression worse lol). because i can only put my weight gain down to the antidepressants as i started them around a year ago also.

i so badly want to be medication free (there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking meds and i wouldn’t be here without them) however i just daydream about how much thinner i’d be if i wasn’t on anything and it makes me upset. i envy people that can function and cope day to day without taking tablets. i miss my life where i didn’t have to rely on antidepressants and when my body was a lot smaller.

i know this isn’t specifically arthritis related but i knew you guys would understand and hopefully have some advice or tips on weight control etc. i just wanted to vent as i’ve been sobbing all morning and now my fatigue has sky rocketed. i’m basically feeling sorry for myself lol.

i hope everyone is as pain free as possible and thankyou in advance x

[Frances_UK]

I sympathise. I wouldn't pay much attention to BMI and go with how you feel. If you are exercising and eating well that will do you more good. You should not have to risk your mental health just to please someone else's idea of what a good weight is. x

[oliviagodfreyxx in reply to Frances_UK]

thankyou for responding i appreciate it you’re 100% right x

[Hidden]

I have these same problem. Told I’m over weight / obese. I eat healthy and watch my portion sizes but I can’t shift it . I wouldn’t mind the medics who are telling me this are often bigger than I.

[Sheila_G]

I think you may have misinterpreted what she said. It was probably the fact that you had gained weight since previous weigh-in that she was concerned. There is no way you are overweight if a size 12/14 at 5'5"

[oliviagodfreyxx in reply to Sheila_G]

maybe but i have been the same weight for a while now, i fit in the same clothes etc (prior to my relapse also) so i find it a little strange

[sylvi]

Ignore the nurse who told you that. You know your body better than anyone else how your body feels.xxx

[Gilliancheche]

Just read an article in the I newspaper "NHS guidance advises weight loss for arthritis". May be this has something to do with your experience. Having said that many of us would probably benefit from losing a few pounds, but decent advice on how to achieve this when mobility can be an issue would be welcome as opposed to just saying "you are overweight". Don't be discouraged, try a few little steps or ask for help. ♥️

[marie66]

I’m a bit curvy too and my GP says BMI takes no account of larger breasts and just considers it added fat. Don’t get disheartened. Go by how you feel. If you want to loose a few pounds try to do so but be dictated by your own body and how you feel! ((hugs)) M x

[Plumcrumble]

Hi, there was a thing on TV saying the weighing on scales and bmi was not a very good way to give someone's accurate weight , they were saying a tape measure was better. But you are definitely not overweight, please don't get upset, your fine, best wishes Sarah

[kittypebbles]

I'm on antidepressants that can cause weight gain too so have to be careful. I'm 5ft 5in too and 14-16 in clothes so probably a bit heavier than you but they have always been happy with my weight. I don't know why the nurse thinks being a size 12-14 at your height is a problem unless she was concerned that as you had put weight on from the previous times it might continue to increase. It sounds as though you are doing everything possible to be healthy so I wouldn't worry too much or consider stopping the antidepressants that you need for your mental health. Take care. XX

[Gnarli]

You sound perfectly normal to me if that helps at all. It seems to me that you can't win. Eating well and excercising regularly is what we are recommended to do.

[Hidden]

Stress and upset will make you tired. Just rest up. You seem to be active so I would ignore the nurse if I were you. Everyone has put on weight over Covid so don’t sweat it. Thinking about this will literally make you poorly…

There is a new NHS initiative on ‘weight’ atm especially for ‘people with arthritis’. It ignores the reality of RA and ‘means’ osteo. I think this nurse is ignorant of the difference. Please try not to take it to heart.

As for anti-depressants. I used to be very ‘anti-meds’ but now see them as an aid. MH is a chronic condition. We are allowed to have a bit of a crutch ❤️ Take care.