Crying myself to sleep
 

I gained 40 pounds this year due to being on a prescription medication that causes weight gain and extreme hunger. I have stopped taking the medication until I lose the weight and then i want to go back on it(because i think it will be easier to maintain now that I know weight gain is a side effect) but it's taking so long for me to lose the weight, I have been counting calories every day for 3 months and have not lost any weight. I have stayed exactly the same.
The reason I am crying is because I feel so ugly. I'm really into fashion but I can't wear any cute clothes or go shopping. I weight 190 (187 in the morning)and am only 5 feet tall! I have never weighed that much before.
I told my doctor when I first started gaining the weight and she said to find other fun things to occupy my time besides eating. But she didnt seem to take it seriously.
I've never felt so ugly, hopeless and uncomfortable in my life.:mad:
I do walking no I am not exercising because it makes me so much more hungry. Please do not recommend exercising, Ive tried it in the past and it hasn't worked for me. I just want to feel better.

I'm sorry you are feeling this way, and I hope you feel better very soon. Diet is like 80% of a successful diet as I keep hearing, so you don't have to do a lot of exercise. Walking is great for you. How are you counting calories? I am using an app (Lose It) to track my food and it tells me how much to eat to lose 2 pounds a week. Right now I am allowed about 1300 calories, but I am 5'7. I have done this for 3 months and have lost 38 pounds (but I started at a higher weight than you). How many calories are you eating each day? There are a lot of calculators online that can tell you how many calories you should eat at your weight and height. Good luck!

oh oh oh I am so sorry this happened to you :hug: I would like to share with you what I did. I combine a low carb diet with a low calorie diet. It worked amazingly well. At first it was difficult to "get off of" the higher carb foods. But many people agree that once this is done ( might take 3 weeks) the cravings are SO much less. But I had to be meticulous with not having high carb food. Especially one drop of sugar. Because I knew the cravings would come roaring back, as would the lbs when I started again on sugar ( that included fruit) At first it was not easy. But the results are amazing. I am not suggesting a no carb diet. that would be very unhealthy. Atkins recommended no less than 18 and no more than 22 grams of carbs for the first level. I combine that with low calorie diet.

Again, I am so sorry you are in so much pain about the weight gain. But i do understand. :hug:

I'm sorry you feel so uncomfortable. It sucks. :hug:

On the exercise front, you don't actually need much exercise. In fact, I wouldn't do it at all to lose weight. If you're going to exercise, don't count the calories you burn (it's negligable anyway unless you're doing a LOT of exercise), and just do it for health reasons (there are a lot of health reasons).

But to lose weight, you don't necessarily need exercise. But you'll have to be very strict about what you choose to eat. You say you count calories. Do you weigh/measure, or do you eyeball? You may be taking in a lot more calories than you need if you're eyeballing.

If you feel hungry all the time, maybe try for low calorie, high volume foods to fill you up. Lots of fruits, veggies, lean proteins, soups and stews, salads, stir fries, etc.

I'm sorry your doctor wasn't any help. They often don't get much (if any) training in nutrition and weight management, which is a shame. You might be able to ask your doctor for specific things to help you, or she/he might be able to direct you to someone else who can help (nutritionist, dietary services, etc.).

Good luck! You can do this, you know. Just do whatever it is you need to do for you.

Since you all have been so nice to me I just wanted to post a progress pic This was from when I was at my heaviest about 195, now I am at 189

Good job! Are you going to keep taking pictures of yourself in the same outfit as your weight continues down? I wish I had done that from the start. Putting on a pair of formerly tight pants that are now loose really inspires me.

if you didn't already, go back and ask Dr. if there is any substitute medicine that doesn't have the weight gain/hunger side effects.

it might not happen, but worth a shot :) there could be another he could prescribe that would be easier on you.

Did you get clearance to drop the med? is it something you really need? just asking in case you are putting your weight loss before your medical needs.

you probably have this handled tho but just asking :)