Hello everyone,

I have been lurking these forums for months and finally decided to introduce myself. My name is Kathleen and I am ready to get back in shape. I had always been between 100-110 lbs without having to work for it. I was always picked on for being "too skinny." Even after giving birth to two children I bounced back to 107lbs. I quit smoking in 2009 and gained about 7 lbs which was great because I needed to put on some weight.

In 2010 my anxiety was bad and the Dr. prescribed Paroxentine (Paxil) 20mg. I began to gain approximately 10lbs per year while on Paxil. I have tried to taper off the Paxil unsuccessfully a few times but the last time I was off it I lost 15lbs in a month without doing anything. Paxil causes a lot of sugar cravings. It makes it tough.

I have managed to taper to 10mg and have been on 10mg for over a year now. I am going to do a slow 10% taper per month which will take over a year to finally get off the Paxil but has been a proven way for many to get off this medication successfully and with minimum side effects.

I have started calorie counting with the MFP application and have decided to use that as my route to lose weight since it doesn't restrict what I eat, yet teaches portion control. I currently weight 167.8 and would like to reach 130lbs and be physically fit.

I am also trying to workout 30 minutes a day, 5 days per week on my treadmill to help with anxiety release as well as weight loss. Eventually I would like to start taking Yoga classes.

I don't usually talk about weight or my anxiety battle with anyone so this is quite new to me. It is hard to find support and I'm hoping to find support on this forum.

Kathleen! It sounds like you have a sound and healthy plan, so go for it! And enjoy being able to talk about your weight and anxiety battle here! So many of us can relate and you'll find support here! Good luck! You can do this!

Kathleen,

I just made my first post today, so hello from a fellow lurker/newbie! I too suffer from pretty terrible anxiety. When I was 18, I started on Lexapro and let me tell you- those meds are the best and worst thing that can ever happen. Last summer, I switched to Zoloft, and while coming off the Lexapro took me down about 5 pounds pretty quickly, I didn't exactly keep that weight off. Good luck to you with your journey! I really think having this support system, and the "get this anxiety out of me" mindset will help!

Welcome!

This forum has great support and ideas. Exercise is definitely key for anxiety and it is so helpful to reduce the cortisol and inflammation in the body that can make that worse. I just started yoga myself and have found it really helpful. I bought one of Rodney Yee's beginners programs to do in the morning before getting ready for work. I like the way it starts you out on a positive note for your day.

Wish you the best!

Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement. I am now at 163lbs. Woohoo, another 3lbs down.

Sparklezstars I too struggled with being on the wrong anti-anxiety medicine for years. When I finally told my doctor that the overwhelming fatigue and lack of energy completely was too much, he said well let's try a different one, there are all sorts of options out there! I was on Lexapro and switched to Prozac. My energy situation was immediately resolved. I was kicking myself for not switching earlier! It was definitely hard to exercise or motivate myself when I could barely stay awake all day to just function! There are all sorts of reasons to take any specific anti-anxiety medicine but if you haven't tried a different one, speak up to your doc! I will also say that most people it sounds like have good luck with Lexapro and little side effects- so I wouldn't want to warn you off of it- the fatigue is just the way it worked in my particular body chemistry.

Hi kathleen, welcome!

Hello Kathleen, I am Kathaleen.
I also have anxiety problems.
You have my support.