Problem losing weight?

Question

I've got an underactive thyroid (which I takes meds for) and also take 4 types of medication for epilepsy that can cause weight gain-though one of them causes weight loss! In the last 2 weeks my appetite has been basically nil-I'm barely eating anything,if I do eat it's fruit like blueberries,grapes,apples and bananas,and I've been drinking water and V8 juice just to make sure I am getting some nutrition. (The reason for the loss of appetite is stress and depression due to personal reasons.) Last night I weighed myself,thinking at least I would have lost some weight-but I had gained weight! What's going on??? This has depressed me even more than I was before.

I've been on this medication for years-except for one that I started taking about 6 months ago. I walk everywhere-so tend to walk more than half an hour a day. More like 2-3 hours!

Answer 1

First of all, it's very difficult to diagnose anything by reading a paragraph on the internet. There are many factors that influence your weight - often, factors which go beyond the usual diet and exercise. I'm going to take some educated guesses here though for the sake of answering your question: Firstly, it's possible you are retaining fluids (water). With women especially, added stress can actually increase the amount of water retention, and water is often mistaken for fat gain. Secondly, consider that when you eat radically less than what your body is used to, it eventually starts going into a state of panic: it starts to realize that in order to maintain its usual functions, it needs to start slowing down its metabolism. So, ironically, you're eating less, but your body fights you by becoming less of an efficient calorie burning machine, which can either lead to your weight staying the same, or even some weight gain. My final point is that medications can have an impact on weight -- if you've recently started taking something, then it's entirely conceivable that it's having some type of negative impact on your weight. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned with that.

Answer 2

No, don't worry, it's okay!!!! Before you started on these drugs, what were you eating? Were you eating properly at all?

This is significant, given that you are now eating healthily. What happens when you don't eat (enough of the right foods) is that your body goes into famine mode, which means that any fat it gets at all it puts straight into storage (usually under the skin on the tummy and thighs and waist and arms ... you know what I'm talking about). Now, if you hadn't been eating properly prior to starting a new course of medication, your body is in famine mode, meaning that the fat it is now getting it is storing up. This only lasts a couple of weeks until it settles down into a normal metabolic state again, so don't worry and continue eating as you are eating, you 'll be fine.

As to the weight gain - well, are you only looking at the weight? I think that it's worth considering what that new weight might be - muscles, for example, take up a lot less space than fat, but they are much heavier. It may be also that your muscles are benefitting from this improved diet, in the same vein as the fat thing. Are your clothes feeling a little looser? If not yet, they will be - it normally takes the body 21 days to make certain changes in reaction to conditions imposed on it.

Either way, please don't be depressed over this, don't lose heart. Be patient with your body. Keep eating healthy food, and go for a brisk walk for half an hour every morning. You'll start losing flab and looking and feeling better.

Answer 3

you need to eat healthy to lose weight....if you dont eat your body thinks theres a famine so stores what fat it can..make a ham salad sandwich cut it into four and eat a peice through the day until you get your appetite back and instead of juice have cup-a-soup

Answer 4

eat 5 6 small meals a day instead of 3

Answer 5

Better to avoid diet when you re under a lot of stress

Answer 6

energize plain tasting proteins such as eggs or chicken with metabolism boosting chili pepper sauce

Answer 7

Don t take rest more than 30 seconds between exercises

Answer 8

always have vegetables on hand saute a big bag of frozen mixed vegetables in olive oil and garlic add some red pepper or turmeric for additional flavor and separate into portion sized containers for the fridge

Answer 9

crank your ipod as you walk at 3 5 mph for 23 minutes

Answer 10

people who regularly weigh themselves and keep track of their progress in a journal are more likely to lose weight