Hello everyone,
I 'm opening this thread because I feel that I need support about my weight. Ever since on meds, firstly antidepressants and then antipsychotic and antianxiety ones, I am loosing and gaining weight all the time. Most of the time I am overweight, as a matter of fact obese, only with small breaks that I have an almost ordinary weight, perhaps a little more. The truth is, I am tired with diets, I bought a book about “Harcombe” diet, and it is a very easy diet to follow, like Atkins, but in the third phase which is for the rest of my life, it suggests not eating sugar and processed carbs, which I am not able to follow, I am keen on sweets. When I was a teenager I had a normal weight, and some more time after that, I tried antidepressants and had gaining weight as an effect. Now I am on Risperdone 7mg (apart from the others) and I know that this is causing me to have big appetite. When I had reduced it, in 3mg a day, I lost about 60 pounds and I almost had a normal weight, but then, I regained most of this, after increasing meds. I don’t know what to do, if I reduce again my pills I will end up getting hospitalized, but if I don’t, I 'm going to take back all the weight again and perhaps some more. Anyway, I don’t want to get you tired by seeking advice for me, I am just trying to say that to get them off from inside me, and also to get some support, as much as you can do. I know there are more severe problems than that, but I think I loose most of my life being on a diet and then getting “fat”.
Weight seems to be a problem many people here have. I am also trying to lose some weight. I am not on any special diet, but I try not to consume sugar and fatty food. Exercising is also good if you like to lose some weight. I plan to drive my bicycle every day because spring has arrived, but can not avoid those bicycle problems such as a broken tire.
Since i’ve fighting with weight and eating disorder my whole life,i really understand your struggle. For me,gaining weight has affected every dimension of my life:my motivation,social skills,working ability,self-esteem. Partly,my binge eating has to do with medicine,sometimes because anxiety or frustration.it is important to understand whether your apetite comes from real hunger or from some black emotion holes. You can also try to keep yourself busy as much as you can,because for me the worst thing was boredom as trigger to binge eating.you can try to mark a day or two in week when you allow yourself to eat what you want,but other days try to keep some normal diet.for me,most important is having empty fridge and positive emotions!
Yes, I also think people here have a weight problem, because most of mental health medicines cause weight gain, however, I don’t think people put it in a first priority, I don’t know why. This conclusion comes, from the fact that I had opened again a weight gain thread, and very few people answered. Perhaps it’s an unsolved problem? I don’t want to reduce my pills for ever, but I 'm thinking about reducing them for a little while, to loose some pounds, with the help of my doctor. I can’t quit sugar and fatty food, my body is asking for them all the time. I also can’t exercise, because of lack of motivation, but I think these are common problems around here. Perhaps I will have to weight to become healthier and more ready for loosing weight, but here comes the summer in a few months and I am worried about going swimming. I also can’t find a boyfriend, because boys reject me for my weight.
Thank you sarad, but I think I am not ready to be on a diet since I feel hungry all the time because of Risperdal! I understand that gaining weight has affected your life so much, as it is the same for me. I rarely eat because of boredom, most of the time I crave for a specific kind of food, or because I have appetite that comes from my emotions.
Calorie tracking and exercise – two best things you can do. I maintain an account at myfitnesspal.com. It’s free. It helps. Should also mention that just buy upping activity and watching food intake I lost 3.8 lbs last week. Feeling GOOD, too. Energy level coming back up.
Plz feel free to PM me if you want my MFP account to friend so you can have some online support from a fellow Sz. There’s a few of us on there.
10-96
I would change meds, risperdal is a killer on weight gain, was for me anyways. I am now on prolixin and able to lose weight. (fluphenazine generic) good luck.
Just moved this to the Diagnosed : Recovery sub-forum as @SzAdmin likes to see health and recovery related topics posted there. Getting fit is definitely a big part of recovery.
Pixel.
(Wearing moderator hat)
The truth is I know what to do, eating all kinds of food and tracking calories, as well as doing some exercise, but as I mentioned before, I am not ready for it. Perhaps I need support? Noone knows where weight gain is due to. Physical factors, mental ones or both? I was reading a book until 2 days ago, and it said that it mostly is due to physical factors and it referred three “illnesses” that cause overeating. But it suggested a diet with cutting off sugar and other carbs permantly. I can’t quit sugar as I mentioned in the start. I will pm you, and also, I didn’t know this thread was for the recovery section.
Thanks for your advice, but we don’t have prolixin in my country, I am thinking about changing medicines, but Risperdal seems to help me a bit on my delusions. (I don’t have hallucinations). Perhaps if I start to feel better by doing therapy, I will be able to reduce Risperdal a bit, but this is a loss of time.
Sorry, that’s become a running joke here. Every time I ask @SzAdmin for a Health and Diet forum, the suggests we post in the Recovery forum, which very few ever do. 
10-96
I’ve gained 79 pounds since starting antipsychotics four years ago. My partner wants me to lose weight so she put me on a diet.
I can understand those cravings for specific foods, maybe try Geodon or Latuda to help with the weight aspect. I started going to the gym and am on a high protein no sugar or gluten diet. When you’re craving sweets there are ways to be creative with fruit to get that fix. Ultimately you have to decide what you want more. If losing weight is important you have to make sacrifices but that’s not to say you can’t treat yourself every once in a while. When I had nutrition counseling the nurse told me as long as you’re on track 80% of the time you’ll be fine. To get motivation to exercise tell yourself you’ll do it for ten minutes. Sometimes once you start to exercise it can motivate you to keep going and to eat right. So far this past week of going to the gym and mostly eating what’s on my diet plan I lost 12 lbs. You can do it! 
It is important, but I am not in the mood for making sacrifices, I need some more support. I have been loosing and gaining weight since I was an adult. I am allergic to Geodon and we don’t have Latuda in my country, but this is my main problem. Medicines. Before medicines I was thin, weighed about 100-120 pounds.
I am frustrated with my weight as well.
It is so difficult to lose, when you are on Risperdal, but I have not given up.
I need the meds so I am just trying my best to eat less and walk for at least 10 minutes if not more everyday.
Hang in there @redrose you should do fine, if you manage what you eat a bit - eating lower carb and eating less is key.
Good luck with everything
I 'm sorry for that, was in that situation several years ago. At that time, I could be on a diet, but I couldn’t loose any weight because my metabolism went slow. Now, that it doesn’t go slow, I have a strong appetite in which I can’t resist.
Thank you wave, wish the best to you too!
You say you can’t quit sugar start that is because it’s a chemical addiction like as strong as cracked cocaine… I have been addicted to sugar stuffing chocolate bars when I was 13 all the way up to 13 stone eight in the last few months stuffing three or four or five puddings a day and not having an off switch light when I smoked 60 A day… On Boxing Day I quit all sugars no maple syrup no- high fructose corn syrup no honey no dried fruit very restricted fruit until I got over the worst of the cravings I wanted to cry at one. Point but then something happened and I made it through the worst craving is over after 10 days believe me
I’m now 17 lbs down in 77 days and I will never go back to sugar I am very addicted to sugar I have been all my life. At the same time check everything don’t have things with any sugar or dextrose added
redrose, I gained a lot of weight on risperdall, too. A med change, excercise and becoming a vegan worked for me. As far as lacking motivation, “You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.” Something has to give.
That’s cool that you are vegan chordy
I was vegan for a few months before giving up sugar
the vegan diet didn’t suit because I was bingeing on many many good sweet treats beautiful lovely tasting things and I ate them non-stop
I have discovered to vegan protein powder and prefer to have that a lot of the time, using it to reduce meat intake… I restrict all dairy apart from cheese I have soya yoghurt and soymilk but still eat cheese… That’s quite common for cheese to be the last thing to go…