Hi! I"m new here and I"m struggling with this whole weight gain/loss thing.

A little background: I never had any weight issues until 2 years ago, I could eat whatever I wanted and I never had to think twice about it. But I have bipolar disorder and I derailed, I got really sick and had to start on a bunch of new medication, some of which cause weight gain. The biggest problem I have is that my brain never realizes that I am full. I can eat until my stomach hurts and my brain still tells me I'm hungry.

I started exercising daily hoping it would help but no luck. I'm sure it's good for my health but it hasn't helped any with the scales.

I know I need to take my medications to stay healthy but now I am struggling with self-esteem issues due to feeling fat all the time. It just doesn't feel right to me that I should have to be unhealthy physically to be well mentally.

I really need some encouragement, support, friends to help me figure out how to gain control over my appetite, and to offer daily support in this struggle.

I'm not quite sure yet where I will fit in here, I've looked around a bit but am a little overwhelmed.

Looking forward to making some new friends.

Here's to you for getting started! That is the hard thing to do. Most people spend so much time in the precontemplation stage that they never make it to the active change phase. Now you must realize that this too is hard, but we are all having the same experience. And the great thing about this is that you are not alone!!! You have found a great place for support and an even better place to rant. You are right. You should not have to suffer physically to be well mentally. So the fact that you want to help yourself be well is wonderful! Welcome to the forum, and wishing you the best. Take care.

I can relate... It seemed to me that the weight put on because of meds is the hardest to lose.

I am glad you are here.

I would say try to eat fiber filled foods. I never feel full. I mean NEVER! I started eating foods with a little more fiber and it seemed to help a bit. I'm not saying my habit of eating until I explode went away, but it made some kind of change. I can just feel it. I also sometimes eat 15 times a day. Yes 15 times, but I eat very very small amounts. It seemed to help that I was always feeding myself. I never gave my body the chance to say "eat more food now!" when I did this. I also found gum to help me as well. Having something to constantly chew tricked my mind for a while into thinking I was eating actual food. If you still feel hungry after a meal then go for the fruit or viggies. Our bodies digest fruits and veggies differently than other foods which actually promotes weight loss (at least thats what I heard, and it worked for me). Give it a try if you have not already. Anything is worth a shot in my book.

Just keep trying new things until you find what is right for you. It might get frustrating but when you figure something out, it will be worth it.

If you ever need someone to talk to, I will be around to listen and help in any way I can

Good Luck! Looking forward to hopefully supporting each other through this time! Having a friend always helps.

Thanks for the welcome.

Today is the first day in a long time that I haven't gone over my calorie allowance for the day. I am hungry...I hate feeling hungry. But it's almost bedtime, I can do this.

I'm going on vacation, headed to Vegas tomorrow for 8 days. Bad news is that I'll be eating in restaurants. Good news is that I won't be snacking between meals. Of course there's the drinking too...I think I'll be happy to simply not gain this week. Anyone manage to stick to a diet while vacationing? (and still have a good time!) Any tips?