Hello! What an amazing website this is. I've been reading for awhile and think this is such a good resource. I'm in real need of support and would like to offer support to others as well.

I have been struggling with my weight (which hit 202 lbs) a few months back. I was 167 (or so) lbs after having my 2nd child, and that weight didn't cause me much of a problem. But then I started taking Lexapro for my peri-menopausal symptoms/pmdd and my weight ballooned to 202. (I'm not longer on the medication -- which is a shame because it worked wonders!)

I believe in body acceptance, however my health is suffering. I started having PACs (premature atrial contractions), which is a benign irregular heartbeat, my feet & joints really hurt me, I have trouble bending over to put on my shoes and my children's shoes... I'm just NOT happy. I also have NO clothes to wear and have trouble finding anything nice to wear -- not that I go many places these days!

Last week I started using the iPhone app "Lose It" to help keep track of calories - -I had no idea how much I was really eating. This has already been a big help.

My real trouble is comfort eating. When under any kind of stress it seems I always turn to sweets. I actually do feel better while eating, but then depressed afterward. I feel like I've turned into a bit of a food addict. I feel a little out of control, as well as sad that food is my comfort.

Because I'm at home full-time with our 2 young children I have been out of the work force for several years and it makes it all the harder to meet people and find friends. I've joined a mother's group but have yet to make any close friends, which I think is something that would enrich my life tremendously!

I look forward to joining in on this forum - it's amazing and all your stories are incredibly inspiring. Thank you to Three Fat Chicks for offering this resource.

Welcome!

It is a bit of a shock to find out how much we're eating, isn't it? But it's an excellent way to start.
We're glad you're here. If you need help with anything ... just ask!

Adding my You have a great attitude and will fit in well here. Check out the different areas and jump right in. We have a Calorie Counters Forum plus many others.

Same thing happened to me when I was on Lexapro. I gained 25 pounds in about a month and my doctor said it was because I felt better, therefore, was eating too much. Not true. I wasn't eating any differently. It really messed with my metabolism, so I weened myself off.

Glad you are here. This is a great site.
Good luck with your weight loss efforts.

Thank you all for the welcome!!! :-)

saggzz -- I ended up trying a couple other SSRIs after the Lexapro and they all had the same effect. Most people wouldn't believe it (that the meds can make a person gain lots of weight) unless they've been through it...

Nice to "meet" you! :-)

Welcome!

Cruise around. Great support here!

I also gained a great deal of weight from a psych medication (65 lbs.) and I totally agree with sagzz....that it completely altered my metabolism. Everything that had worked for me prior to this medication (and everything that has worked for me since I went off the medication) would absolutely not work as long as I stayed on it. I literally ruled out every other possibility, even going to a doctor and having blood tests done. And I have a medical background, and used all sorts of trial and error self-testing/monitoring to come to this conclusion
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Many of these psych medications can alter our HAP index (involving the hypothalamus, adrenals and pituitary) so weight gain and altered metabolism can definitely be explained to some degree just by this.

The good news is that it takes a little work to get your metabolism rolling again....but it can be done and the weight can be lost again. It takes some work and some trial and error assessment but it can be done.

This is just my personal opinion and observation, but if you are on one of these psych meds that is causing serious weight gain and nothing you try will stop it.......you should seriously weigh (no pun intended) the benefits of the medication versus the cost of staying on it (including health costs of obesity, ie: pain in joints and back, etc.) after you have tried other meds to see if they might work better (with less side effects).

I waited far too long before I finally had to face the fact that there was just no way I was going to be able to control this side effect of the medication I was on....and that I was going to have to accept it and deal with it accordingly. I had deluded myself for several years that there had to be something that would work for me to handle the weight gain (while still on the medication)....but when I realized my metabolism had been totally altered, I had to face it realistically. And although I have lost all of the 65 lbs. since then...I wish I had faced it much sooner than I did.

I chose to stop the medication. It was easy for me to decide because it wasn't really having a positive effect on me much anyway. The cons greatly outweighed the pros in my situation. The choice has to be so much more difficult if the medication is really helping you...I can't even imagine how difficult it must be.

I think it is very unfortunate, however, that the info regarding side-effects, particularly weight gain and having to go through withdrawal when stopping....for many of these psych meds/anti-depressants.....seems to be hidden from the public. I searched the internet for weeks and all I found was people on message boards complaining of these things.....but very little when it came to medical corroboration and explanations. Makes me wonder why (pressure from the big pharmaceutical corporations?).

deena

Deena, Thank you so much for sharing your story. I am in awe of your accomplishment! I've been off all medications since early October and doing okay, however in order to manage my symptoms I need to increase exercise (get some postive chemicals flowing).

I clicked on your profile to see if you have a weight loss blog (I'm curious to know how you reached your goal and what worked for you) and noticed in your comments that you've done Atkins, is that right? I really need to try something different because the calorie counting doesn't seem to be working. So today I picked up a copy of the Atkins book and stocked up on some eggs (tomorrow I'll get some fish and a chicken to roast) and I'm going to give it a go!

Thank you again for sharing -- it's been a real help and I feel a bit of hope now!

Thank you!