New here..Help!

[Mysticjive1]

Hi. I am determined to lose some weight and get into shape again. I have been riding a stationary bike 30 min. 2x a day and a 20 min ab workout. I have also been trying really hard to watch what I eat. What I need to know is if there is anyone here who knows what else I could do? I am severly bipolar and have gained all my weight due to my medications and the fact that my energy is nill. My doctor has said that exercise will help with me from being so tired. I have quit smoking. Well I've made it 5 days anyway. Any help would be very very much appreciated.

Mysticjive1

[Sandi]

How often are you eating? I know my energy level improved alot by eating smaller meals, every 3 or so hours and keeping my calories around 1,500 per day.

[Mysticjive1]

I was usually just eating dinner because I don't get very hungry. But I have added breakfast in latley. It is hard to eat healthy around here though because everyone eats so much fatting food. I just try to take a smaller portion. I think My calorie intake is supposed to be 1,200 a day. I don't know how much i am burning off though. I don't have any of the fancy equipment. I used to be in weight watchers and can kinda follow that but like I said. I have no choice but to make lots of unhealthy meals around here because I have to live with my parents and thats the way they eat. I just try and eat smaller portions. Do you think i am doing enough exercise or should i push myself to do more?

[Trying4Thin]

Hi!

Ok; so your weight gain is in part because of meds? Well then it is going to be a little harder for you to lose the weight but not impossible.

1) Eat at least 3 meals a day and some mini snacks. Skipping breakfast sets the tone for the rest of your day. Cars cant run on empty and neither can you. When you do get hungry you will overeat or pick things that arent the healthiest for you.

2) Make your food work for you; not against you. If it isnt one of the 5 food groups; it is processed and you probably shouldnt be eating it. You may have heard the phrase..."Eating clean." This will help. So; if at all possible; do some grocery shopping of your own. I understand not feeling hungry; but you need fuel. Yogurt, rice cakes, fruit, veggies are all good for you and wont stuff you to the gills.

3) Exercise. Sounds like you are doing great with that. Keep switching it up though. When your body has "mastered" something; it will expend less calories to do it. So change the exercise or change the variables...length, intensity, weight etc.

4) Try and get your family to hop on the healthy lifestyle bandwagon. They probably will resist. Maybe you could go online and research some healthier food options and you could make them dinner. All it takes is one meal...and that is less fat you will be ingesting. If they arent willing to change; at least ask them to support you in your quest for better health. I bet they will.

5) Keep a food/exercise/emotions journal either online or a personal one. They really do keep you accountable in many ways.

If you need anything let me know.
~Carrie

[Missy]

I was on meds for depression/anxiety and was told it was pretty much impossible to lose weight while on them. I quit taking them and lost a lot of weight...85 pounds. I actually gained weight from being put on the meds (60 lbs in about 6 months time). I was on Paxil..I'm not sure if it's impossible with other meds, but I was told it would be with Paxil.

It is extremely important not to skip meals, you have to eat. 1200 cals is the bare minimum amount of nutrition your body needs for survival...if you are working out, you should be getting more than that. I used to only eat about once or twice a day and really screwed up my metabolism. The less you eat, the slower it is and the slower your weight loss. The more frequently you eat, the faster your metabolism, the faster you will burn fat. You pretty much have to force yourself to eat even when you are not hungry or you will never be able to repair the damage to your metabolism. It took awhile for me to get used to it, but now my body is actually hungry when I'm supposed to be hungry. Since I started eating every 2-3 hours apart, when it hits the 2 hour mark, I actually feel hungry. Aim to eat 5-6 meals a day, just smaller portions.

You could try adding a weights workout into your exercise. If you don't go to a gym, you can buy 5 or 10 pound weights to work with...or even the big soup cans will work well. There are many exercises you can do with them to help tone your arms.

Also, if you are not eating enough...and over-exercising, you will have a harder time losing weight as well. You need a combination of both proper nutrition and exercise for this to work well.

Those are just a few ideas....but the number one thing for successful weight loss is diet. Diet is about 70% and exercise is about 30% for success. Right now, I would work on getting your meals and water in.

[Grymm]

Well, here's my suggestion

Diet - if it's processed, I wouldn't eat it. Stick to naturals, fruit, veggies, etc. Avoid the red meat. Fish 3 times a week. Just your standard healthy diet. Avoid soda at all costs. Diet soda if you have to. Water. Drink Water.

Exercise - If you're cycling, make sure you monitor heart rate. You may spin for 30 minutes, but is your heart rate getting up where it needs to be? The web can tell you where it should be to maximize caloric burn. As for abs, you can do all the abs you want, but nothing will show until the fat is out of the fat is gone. Run, bike, swim. Lose the weight. Becareful about weight lifting. It's healthy, but it can actually put weight on you as your muscles grow. It's not a bad thing, but it does nothing for motivation when you're trying to lose weight.

I just recently quit smoking and I am also on meds that might be contributing to weight gain. Stay away from the smokes and ask your doctor about any med alternatives for your condition that don't have a weight gain side effect.

Good luck,
Grymm