Where is weight comming from ?

[stormbear]

I've got more weight now then when i was not taking medication , my stomach is big but i'm not sure if it's Lithium or Seroquel that has made my stomach big . I go from between 85kg - 90kg but would like 78-82kg . Should i go on Vegan lifestyle ?, will this help loose some weight with 10-20 km walking in 1 week . ?

[stormbear]

Hi , thanks for reply . Sound's like you have a nice exercise regime going , I live in the moment too . I'm going too up the intensity a little when i go to gym :) on treadmill i will set the km's higher :)

[stormbear]

Thank you , that's some great information ,i'll keep reading over what you have written, so it can stay in my memory .  

[stormbear]

Hi ,
thank you , hope thing's are well for you .

[persephonedemeter]

I was on lithium and seroquel with 2 other drugs as my "staples."  Been there with the weight gain and lack of exercise. Yes. Very possible to lower weight and lose cm. I didn't concentrate on weight loss, but more on toning, stamina and fine tuning my eating habits. I aimed for satisfaction not deprivation. A lifestyle change and maintaining good health, not a fix me up or a quick turnover.

Seroquel caused my fasting blood sugar levels and triglycerides to rise, so I knocked down sugar. I didn't give it up completely. I just limited it a lot to half teaspoon of sugar in my coffee and made sure the total teaspoons only added up to 3, and actually, I rarely went over 2. I cut down fats to only 1/3. I don't like to live on salads. I like vegetables on the side. I did stop drinking any kind of soda, even the diet stuff. I like spicy food but unfortunately, I can't tolerate hot, spicy anymore. If you can, you are lucky, because it really helps to curb appetite. I like grilled meat and barbeques. I just eat enough. Cooking at home more helped alot.

I did eventually have a vegan only day in a week, only to explore vegan food. That was an eyeopener, because the dishes were satisfying, complex, flavorful, and it made me full but not feel lethargic or heavy afterwards and kept me from being hungry or feeling deprived. You can get enough protein from plant based foods. There are quite a few that are high in protein. I ended up having a couple of days vegan, and occasionally, on my non vegan days in a restaurant or someone's house, I prefer the vegan dish.

i love walking. i didn't go for km, but time and intensity. I started easy and only 10 minutes, when I started from medically restricted activity. Long time athletic friends who make sports a living or compete told me to start slow and careful and not overdo. I was okay with 20 minutes after the 2nd day at a leisurely pace in the morning. I pretty much walk everywhere I can  now instead of taking the car or using public transport. My morning walk is intense now, up and own hills and stairs, sometimes, I will change my walk and walk backwards, and that is presently on flatland and when there is no one around for me to walk into. I just do that for about a block or 2 minutes. Sometimes, I will skip. That's when I feel silly  or light.

I did find my clothes fit better after the first week. After a month, I had to tighten and wear belts to keep my pants and skirts from falling down. It wasn't a drastic change. I didn't want fast and drastic, because I didn't want to make it consume me or be ever present in my mind. The last thing I needed was frustration or obsession. I also really  liked the clothes I had, and it was cold outside, since it was fall, early winter.

I had some days when I indulged and gained some weigt back. I am 19 kg down because zi just weighed myself this a.m. I get on a scale maybe once a week or 2, sometimes, not for a month. I already know I lost weight because I had to buy smaller clothes. i started in October.

In the past 2months i added  10 to 12 minutes only high intensity and modified exercises targeting specific sites. Not really complicated...the essential movements are basically squats, lunges, reaches, and pushups. I also like doing them modified and vertical against the wall. About 5 minutes of stretches or yoga in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening near bedtime. The HITs help alot with toning, and I only do them because I always liked doing them since I was a kid. It's warmer, so I also started running again. who knows how long that will last, but I live in the moment. Exercise  eases up water retention, since most people sweat.

[BP2PROFESSIONAL]

Lithium is a salt, salt retains water in the body

[Crystal413]

Hey there, I'm probably not too much help but I wanted to share. I take Lithium too. Weight gain 20lbs over a 5 yr period. I tried slim fast (a weight loss drink) but it on helped a few pounds. No diet pills allowed. I literally eat like a bird. Still nothing. Supposedly your body goes into starvation mode and you can actually gain weight that way. Needless to say, my way doesn't work. The problem with me is I have no appetite at all. Anon makes some good suggestions. You might have to do a little trial and error since every body's different. Good luck and try to make it fun, trying different healthy foods. Competing against weight gaining meds is a challenge but I have heard it can be done.

[Anonymouse88]

Either one could be causing weight gain.  I would actually go for low carb instead of vegan.  It's much harder to make sure you're getting the nutrients you need with a vegan diet (especially B12), and vegan =/= healthy.  Cutting out carbs will cut down on sugar and simple starches.  My mother (not on any meds) lost I'm guessing at least 30 lbs on a diet aiming for <20 g carbs/day.  And, as she said, it's hard to feel deprived when you're having bacon and eggs for breakfast.  She would do that, and have a big salad with hard boiled egg, ham, cheese, and a small amount of vinaigrette.  You should probably talk to a nutritionist if you want to get a really good diet, but for now, if you cut out bread, pasta, rice, baked goods, soda, juice, ice cream, etc. and keep fruit consumption on the low side, you should be able to lose a lot of weight.  I lost weight with her doing that by having less bread in the house in general, although it was also partly no longer eating at a college dining center.

Also, by having more protein and fat compared to carbs, your stomach will take longer to empty, leaving you full for longer.  High fiber veggies and beans are also good.  Bean salad with chickpeas, black beans, and corn with some onion and a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar can be quite nice, and very filling.

And exercise is of course good.  Get a cheap pedometer so that you can see how far you are actually walking.  Find out where you're at, and then set goals for more.  If you have easy access to a treadmill, you can set it at 4-5 mph (a fast walk) and read a book or watch a movie on a tablet/iphone/whatever while you do it.  Your body should be able to coordinate the walking automatically and you won't be bouncing around.  Makes it much easier to keep up if you're not bored out of your skull.  Keep in mind that it takes a while to see results, and that your weight may vary by a couple of pounds over the course of the day depending on whether you've eaten or gone to the bathroom.  And muscle weighs more than fat, so it's possible to undergo a body composition change without seeing much weight loss, especially if you lift a whole bunch as your workout.

You could also consider a med switch to a more weight-neutral combo.  Geodon, Latuda, and Abilify are all usually weight-neutral AAPs, and there's also lamotrigine.