How does a bipolar person stay fit and thin?

I know I need to post this in the health and fitness section, but I wanted to check with you guys.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO STAY FIT AND THIN (relatively) AND ALSO BE BIPOLAR??? With all these meds I take, my metabolism is shot. PLUS, when my episodes are flared up, I don't give a crap about how I look or what I eat.

I just feel like giving up on trying to lose weight. I used to be a pro at it: I lost 70 lbs and was doing great. Then I had med changes, mood swings, blah blah blah.... gained most of it back. I'm feeling pretty down and hopeless about the whole thing.

Any success stories about controlling your weight on all these meds plus with episodes?

Thanks!

I don’t have any advice, but I really relate. I have gained a lot of weight because of meds and when I’m depressed diet and exercise fly out the window.

I workout. A lot. Eight times a week is not beyond me.

I had some some medication cocktails where I gained weight (sometimes a lot) and had difficulty losing. Others, not as much.

At one point, I had my medication cocktail overhauled. I was put on the big cocktail of Lithium ER (900 mg), Tegretol XR (1,400 mg), Lamictal (100 mg), Geodon (160 mg), and Klonopin (0.5 mg). On that mix, with the help of a dietitian prescribed diet and accountability to her, I lost 40 lbs in six months. That took me into my normal BMI range. I looked slim. I stayed within 10 lbs of that lowest weight for about 5 1/2 years, even with Navane added and even a small dose of Seroquel XR. Lithium and Navane were then removed and I remained the same weight. Then about a year later, Geodon was slowly removed because of severe akathisia. As Geodon was removed, my Seroquel XR had to go up because of mania. At doses of 350 mg or less of Seroquel XR, my weight stayed the same. Above 350 mg, my weight inched up slowly. At 550 to 650 mg, it went up quickly. I'm still on 550 mg Seroquel XR and struggling with my weight. Right now I'm about 22 lbs higher than my goal weight I reached about 8 1/2 years ago. That's not good, but at least I haven't regained all of the 40 lbs I lost with the dietitian.

In my case, to put things into perspective, I am only 10 lbs more than the highest weight I was before ever taking a single medication. Yes, at 32 years old, I weighed only 10 lbs less than I do now at 48 years old, having been on some moodstabilizer and antipsychotic constantly since age 34. It's possible that even without ever taking bipolar medications, I could be my current weight. Actually, I've usually always been the thinnest person in my immediate family. There are some genes in my family making us prone to be overweight.

The above is not meant to argue against the clear fact that some bipolar medications can be highly weight unfriendly, but not all are. In my case, mood has also played a part in weight gain, even before ever taking bipolar meds. At some points before meds, I was able to gain and lose 25 lbs depending on my moods. Ditto nowadays.

What has helped me get/stay thin?

* Weight neutral meds and/or
* Good energy
* Good motivation
* Determination
* Being into a good groove with physical activity and healthful or strategic eating
* Self confidence and "Can do" attitude
* Feeling that healthful cooking was fun, usually experimenting with new foods
* Being "into" things that distracted me away from eating (and drinking, back in my drinking days)

So it looks like you’re on two antipsychotics, latuda and risperdal, risperdal is a gainer...do you need both.? To answer your ? Though when I walked two miles a day I had a much more controlled weight, but after some point I quit that and found myself rapidly 25 lbs heavier.

I can relate to the struggle. I'm newly diagnosed and I've been on meds for about 6 months. I noticed my weight creeping up slowly and started taking action. That was really difficult because my meds made me lethargic and the last thing I wanted to do was work out.

I essentially just forced myself to get back to being more active. Even if it was just a little every day, I pushed myself. I found getting outside in the sun helped with my energy and that it was easier once I got started.

I also decided to cut out most of the sugar I was eating. That is helping as well. I'm craving it less and my energy is more stable. Additionally, I needed to be accountable to someone for what I was eating and whether or not I was exercising. I started posting and sharing my struggles/successes here in the Physical Check In thread on this bipolar board. The people in the thread have been supportive and it is nice to talk with others who are going through similar challenges. Join us if you're up for it.

I lost about 40 lbs 5 years ago and I just don't want to go back there. I'm willing to fight that battle along with fighting to stay mentally stable. It sucks to deal with both, but I'm accepting it as part of the process.

My doc took me off Risperdal and got me onto Geodon. I am finding that is helping with the weight struggle as well. Maybe you can switch at some point.

Thanks for being honest about what you're going through. You are not alone and we're here for you.

I've started losing weight lately by some med changes (More geodon less zyprexa), diet changes, and making sure I go for walks every day. It's not instant and it can be hard especially since geodon isnt as effective for my symptoms but I've lost 5 pounds since I got out of the hospital at the beginning of the month

I have a naturally fast metabolism but when I was on Cymbalta I gained about 60 pounds. Once I stopped it the weight dropped off. I'm on Lamictal and Abilify now.

One of the things that's helped me lose weight was cutting out dairy and sugar. And exercising a little every day, even if it's only doing the exercise bike or elliptical for 10 min. Just getting into the habit of exercising is important. Then you can slowly increase the duration over time. Drinking water instead of pop/soda or juice helps too.

With bipolar weight fluctuations are common. I have a range of sizes of clothes due to weight fluctuations.

I gained 15 pounds on Maintena shots. But, I was already 25 pounds overweight. Thus, I need to lose about 40 pounds. I'm on a diet and exercise plan now. It is not easy. I eat less and am trying to move more. I was eating at all-you-can- eat buffets before so I was lucky I only gained 15 pounds after being 25 pounds overweight. I am abstaining from eating too much and exercise by walking. I have to constantly watch my food intake no matter what. At least, I ate what I wanted and don't feel deprived.

I gave up and learned to love my fat. Plus I take a diet pill, (totally not recommended but I don't care), and its managed to keep my weight the same.

I'm happy as long as I don't gain anything else.

Part of the reason I’m weaning off psych meds

This is where I'm at. I don't have the self discipline to diet and exercise. So fat me is the new normal.

I did really well losing weight with metformin (30 lbs and about half of that was clozaril weight which is supposed to be hard to lose). But I've been grief eating lately and now have to lose weight to get back to where I was. I'm trying to exercise daily and eat better but it's up and down.

I'm a vegan on a plant base diet. Healthy food of course and not the desserts, candy, and processed foods. I take my dog on a walk every day and use a standup desk at work so I'm not sitting all day. This is what helped me lose all the weight.

Does keeping the med dose low help? Has anyone experienced a reduction in weight gain if they kept their dose of which ever weight gain med they were taking at the lowest therapeutic dose possible?

I think it’s a constant battle. When you feel like garbage you don’t want to eat healthy and exercise. I’ve been working with my therapist on making healthier choices and making myself get up even if I don’t feel like it. I’ve also been working with my naturopath on a diet plan to help me consistently eat healthier, even if all I have the energy to make is a smoothie. I gained about 40 pounds on zyprexa and I’d really like to lose it back off.

Following this. This is such a huge topic in my life. I desperately need to lose weight. The struggle is so real.

I had pizza for dinner , no regrets

Tomorrow is a new day

topamax might help. I was not able to tolerate it because it was causing depression, but it is an unusual side effect. Naltrexone and Wellbutrin are two other options. And FitBit or Apple Watch to make sure you walk at least 10K steps a day.

Metforum medication can be helpful to some people. Just caused diarrhea, so in a way I was losing weight but eventually I couldn’t take it anymore.

But it works well for a friend.