What do you do when meds make you gain weight?

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What do you do when meds make you gain weight? - 9/6/2009 3:16:20 PM

SweetNika

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I find myself in a rutt of sorts. About 3 mths ago I decided to change my eating habits (I dont call it dieting) and begin excersing every day. I bought myself an excersize bike and I was doing pretty good, until about 2 wks ago. My doctor weighed me and I had gained 8 lbs.

He had me keeping a log of everything I ate and drank and checked it over. He told me most likely the weight gain was because of the medication I am on. Seems that is one of the possible side affects. He told me to continue to do what I was doing but... now I feel unmotifated to continue working out. What's the point if its not going to help me loose the weight? I dont want to switch medications b/c the ones I am on are working.

Any advice or tips?

< Message edited by SweetNika -- 9/6/2009 3:19:23 PM >

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RE: What do you do when meds make you gain weight? - 9/6/2009 3:21:40 PM

subtlebutterfly

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I have no idea, but if they're making you gain weight you can resist it by doing your workouts, if you don't you might end up in an even worse shape. Also, if the meds are making you gain weight I'm guessing that it will also take it's toll on your stamina and energy, workouts also help you with that.
I'd just recommend you to be the best you can be.
Even though you may not lose weight you will feel better than if you didn't. Workouts help you mentally as well as physically, it's never pointless even though it may seem to be.

< Message edited by subtlebutterfly -- 9/6/2009 3:24:49 PM >

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RE: What do you do when meds make you gain weight? - 9/6/2009 3:25:22 PM

xXsoumisXx

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I'd advise walking at least 2 times a day, at least 30 min each time. Keep track of calories. Normally it's not my advice to count calories, but in this case, it can help to keep a food diary with calories included. Do this for at least 2 weeks and re-evaluate. While your body adjusts to medication, you need to find ways to rev up the metabolism. Add exersice and subtract cal. as needed every 2 weeks, until you find the right balance. the fewer calories you eat, the more important it is to make those that you take in good for you.
this worked for me. good luck!

< Message edited by xXsoumisXx -- 9/6/2009 3:26:15 PM >

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RE: What do you do when meds make you gain weight? - 9/6/2009 4:25:37 PM

CallaFirestormBW

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As I posted on another thread, I deal with this on a regular basis. Most of the medications I am on (and cannot go off of and stay alive) have weight-gain as a side effect, and for those who are inclined to weight gain anyway, being on a medication that virtually -guarantees- weight gain is a nightmare.

I spent -years- (and gained over 100 lbs) trying to get around this problem with no success. I spent a fortune on stuff like Lypozyme, Nutrisystem, and Jenny Craig. I had GI surgery, worked out 5 days a week with a physical therapist (because of my MS, all of my workouts have to go through my neurologist and PT), and -still- kept gaining.

It has only been a little over a -month- since I found what is, for me, the secret. A friend of mine told me how she and her husband lost over 400 lbs between them, and 'cured' their Type II diabetes using a modified version of the Paleolithic Diet, so I decided it couldn't be worse than what I was doing now, and gave it a try. So far, I am consistently losing 1/2 to 1 lb per week, though I lost 3 lbs the first week. I have to admit, though, that it was -hard-. It's required giving up every bit of processed, pre-made food, and planning my meals (for example, I'm making a Jamaican curry chicken tomorrow that I'll eat for the rest of the week -- today, I made Paleo salmon and spinach patties).

-No grains (wheat, corn, rice, barley, oats, etc.)
-No potatoes
-No legumes (including peanuts/peanut butter)
-No soda (not even diet)
-No sugar
-No fruit juice

+70% vegetable/fruit
+Root vegetables like taro, parsnip, carrot, yucca
+Deeply colored fruits, vegetables and berries
+20 grams protein at each meal (fish, lean meats, poultry, organ meats, eggs)
+8 oz or less of raw milk (or its equivalent) a day (=4 oz raw milk cottage cheese, 1 oz raw milk aged cheese)
+1 oz E3 Live AFA
+96 oz fresh water
+1/2 cup of tree nuts (macadamia, pecan, walnut, hazelnut, almond... but NOT peanuts which are a legume, not a nut)
+Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado for fats (2-4 tbsp + 1/2 an avocado or 4 tbsp per day)
+2000-4000 IU of Vitamin D per day
+2 grams+ Vitamin C per day (I use Emergen-C)

*Almond, coconut and hemp milk can be used where dairy milk would normally be used
*Coconut yogurt provides a good source of probiotics
*Coconut sugar provides a low GI source for sweetening, up to 6 tsp per day
*Maple syrup and local raw honey can be used up to 4 tsp per day
*Stevia can be used without limit for sweetening
*Salt, herbs, and spices can be used with impunity

It is really hard when the rest of the family gets junk food, but I have energy and feel -good- (with no acid reflux and losing weight) for the first time in 6 years, so, to me, it's worth watching everyone else eat what I can't. PLUS, at this pace, I'll be at my healthiest weight in a decade in a year (and that includes up to 10 weeks of 'plateau', while my body catches up to its new setpoint).

If you're interested, I can hook you up with a site that has some awesome recipes, and send you a couple of my favorites as well.

Dame Calla

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RE: What do you do when meds make you gain weight? - 9/6/2009 4:35:50 PM

SweetNika

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Calla,
In the year and a half that I have been on the medication I have gained almost 75 lbs but until recently I didn't relize it was the medication. It got to the point where walking was hard for any real period that is why I got the excersize bike, with it I can easily work out for an an hour if not more w/o realizing it. It's just so damn frustrating My UMs , especially my daughter are totally supportive I switched to turkey meat (instead of ground beef and pork bacon) stopped buying chips ect and they have yet to complain. When I went to the doctors though and found out I was fighting the meds it was so hard to take. Like you, these meds keep me healthy and out of the hospital and around for my UMs so going off them isn't an option and loosing weight isn't about cosmetics its about wanting to be as healthy as possible for my kids. if you could e-mail that link on the other side I would extremely greatful.

thank you so much.

< Message edited by SweetNika -- 9/6/2009 4:38:19 PM >

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RE: What do you do when meds make you gain weight? - 9/6/2009 5:08:12 PM

SweetPoosy

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Good for you Calla! Nika, I was going to recommend a Raw Vegan diet for 30 days to get you jumpstarted, and then modify it to something like the Paleo diet. First, you will feel so much better without all of the processed foods, and in my case, I was able to go off of my diabetes and hypertension medication within 2 weeks!

Another diet to look at is Dr Joel Fuhrman's diet, which is a variation on these themes.

Just don't give in to complacency...keep exercising and trying. Yes, maybe you will still gain, but perhaps at a slower rate, or you may be able to fight it to a standstill.

And for the record, I used to weigh 250 pounds (I'm 5'2") and I'm now in the 150's, so I've been there and done this, but I was able to stop taking the meds that affected my weight.

Best of luck darlin'!

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RE: What do you do when meds make you gain weight? - 9/6/2009 5:15:51 PM

peachgirl

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I agree with what's been said, don't stop exercising! just think how much you would have gained if you weren't!

it's hard to keep motivated at times like this. but, exercise has so many other benefits than just weight control. you can probably see that for yourself.

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RE: What do you do when meds make you gain weight? - 9/6/2009 7:25:29 PM

lovingpet

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Oh, and let's not forget that you just might have gained some lovely, lean muscle mass which weighs more than the fluff.

Consider using other things as a measure of your success. Are your clothes looser? Do you feel better? Are you able to perform some task that used to be difficult? Things like that. Exercise isn't all about a tiny waistline. Enjoy just doing this thing for yourself! It works out (LOL) a lot better that way!

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RE: What do you do when meds make you gain weight? - 9/6/2009 7:27:59 PM

SweetNika

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No I dont see a change one way or another as far as my clothes go, nor do I feel any physically different. Although I do notice since I stopped working out I am more tired than before.

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RE: What do you do when meds make you gain weight? - 9/7/2009 7:38:32 PM

cagliostro

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Are the meds making you hungrier than you would normally be? Or affecting your metabolism? I can't remember the name of the drug but when I went on it I was always hungry and gained like a hundred pounds. The obvious answers are diet and exercise, but I remember what it was like to be hungry no matter what and it was maddening. Don't forget too, muscle weighs more than fat, so exercise can seem counterproductive when you're gaining muscle and not burning much fat.

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RE: What do you do when meds make you gain weight? - 9/7/2009 10:58:59 PM

FangsNfeet

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Though weight gain may be a side effect of your medication, side effects such as these typicaly taper off after the first few months. After that, you'll begin to see the weight loss again if you continue to exercise.

Being as it may, your dieting and exercise may be keeping you from gaining an excessive amount of weight. I'd rather just gain eight pounds instead of thirty or more. Exercise also builds muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. So instead of weight, go by your clothing size.

So what good is the exercise and dieting? Well, how about your health? No matter your weight or body mass, it's important to keep a strong heart, good cholesterol count, and good circulation in your body. Mobility goes along was as you get old.

< Message edited by FangsNfeet -- 9/7/2009 11:01:06 PM >

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RE: What do you do when meds make you gain weight? - 9/8/2009 7:10:56 AM

SweetNika

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Thank you everyone for your imput, I started working out again this week. This morning infact.

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RE: What do you do when meds make you gain weight? - 9/8/2009 10:24:48 AM

MstrDennynSlave

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SweetNika, also keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat does. Every pound you lose while exercising translates into a lil bit of weight gain as you build muscle. The weight you gained is I"m sure some from the medication. But also some from your exercising. You burned fat, but built muscles. The main thing to do is keep exercising. Also pay attention to how you feel. Does it feel like you had gained 8 pounds? From your post, you seemed shocked to find that out. I'd say you felt better exercising, so keep the good work.

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RE: What do you do when meds make you gain weight? - 9/8/2009 4:28:11 PM

CallaFirestormBW

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One more thing I wanted to add about the paleo diet -- stick with it for at least 3 weeks. I felt pretty good right away, but I've never been much of a 'sweets' eater -- my companion, on the other hand, who is a heavy grain/sugar/sweets person (mostly heavy pastries) felt like CRAP for a little over a week and a half -- then got sick for 10 days with a cold... it was only after she'd gotten through all of that and come out the other side that she felt -better-... and then felt GOOD. Most of the people I've talked to who are used to a USDA kinda diet == 4 food groups, food pyramid, etc. == end up feeling crappy for a few days or so and up to a couple of weeks. Regular exercise (sweating kinds) seems to help ameliorate some of this, and if you're starting out with a basically whole-foods diet anyway (which I was), it is almost painless...

Oh... and something else I thought about, just as I was writing this -- be careful about the 'substitute foods'... you know what I mean... the packaged fruit/nut bars, and the protein drinks and stuff... I've found that if I use those things in moderation (like learning to make a nut-flour based, grainless bread so I could have the occasional sandwich), I do fine-- but a couple of my friends tried to basically replace their diet, item for item, with grain-alternative substitutes, and found that things moved along a -lot- more slowly for them. I keep a couple of Dr. Weil's fruit/nut bars at my desk at work (never more than 2 a month) for true emergencies where I'm absolutely not going to get the ball and chain off my ankle to get to lunch... but in general, part of what I did when I went paleo was opt for a wide variety of nutritious foods that started out in as close to their natural form as possible, and that seems to be giving me the best possible results for me.

The folks who are advocating exercise are -also- spot-on. Our bodies were meant to move, and if we don't move them, they don't function right. Our foods don't digest properly, nutrients aren't distributed properly, and our brains just don't function quite as clearly -- so sweat a bit every day. It may trip that "squick" factor for some (I know it does for my step-daughter, who thinks sweat is disgusting), but it will help, and when you're having a hard time, every bit that helps is a little less to stress about.

Dame Calla

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