Hey all...I've actually been a member of the ShapeFit site for a while, but I haven't introduced myself on the forums at all. This is going to be a long post, as I have a lot to put forth on the table, so here goes...
Quick notes from bio: 27 years old, 5'7", 139lbs, I'm a web-designer (nice, little sedentary job there...) and a vegetarian (with exceptions for eggs/dairy and some fish).
I started being completely serious about working out at the beginning of 2008, as I was getting married in October and wanted to look good, obviously. I started around 140lbs and about 27-29% body fat and by the time wedding rolled around, I was 125lbs and 23% body fat. And I was happy. As the wedding got closer, I wanted to keep up this new life of exercise, so I made myself a goal to run in a 5k as soon as I got back from the wedding.
Well, they all said the food on the honeymoon would be rich and there would be tons of it...and they were right. goal to run in the 5k after we got back was completely crushed by not only lack of exercise and eating everything in sight while away for two weeks, but also coming back with a pretty bad infection. workouts pretty much fizzled to a halt from November 2008 to February 2009.
On another, important, note: I've been diagnosed as having bi-polar II. I've been on 150mg of Wellbutrin and 25mg of Seroquel (originally for insomnia) for most of 2008. When the wedding rolled around, the stress of it all made me have a huge relapse in mental health, most of this culminating in the two weeks before and then after the wedding.
I started seeing a new doctor (old one retired) in February and he upped Seroquel to 300mg (still maintaining the 150mg Wellbutrin). The new doctor also informed me that Seroquel had the side effect of weight gain, which I did not know (I also needed bloodwork because it can raise cholesterol and possibly bring on diabetes...joy). I researched Seroquel on the internet, and basically found a LOT of people complaining about weight gain, but maybe 1% of those people discussed exercise to combat it, so I figured that I would be an ok candidate for upping the dosage and still being able to get down to the weight/body fat % I wanted.
Well...I've been on the upped dosage since March, and I have to say that I am very conflicted about thoughts on it. I've watched calories intensely, making sure that I'm eating enough to maintain base metabolic rate, I make sure that I eat good, clean foods, and get enough protein, fiber and carbs. I do interval training 3x a week on the bike or elliptical, and jog 3 miles (30 min @ 10:00min mile) 3x a week. I also do weight training, working different muscle groups on different days. All said, I've surpassed the workout routine I had before getting married: I'm running longer, stamina is through the roof, and I'm lifting more weight now than before.
But here's the thing: I've gained weight and body fat %. I was starting to get down to 130lbs when I started exercising and increasing the Seroquel, and body fat % was dipping to 25%. Now I'm hovering around 140lbs and body fat % is measuring around 27-29%. clothes are starting to not fit comfortably (especially thighs and waist).
I've since dropped to 150mg of Seroquel, after explaining to doc that I was feeling bloated and starting to gain weight. But I'm *still* gaining. However, mental health couldn't be better. I've had no relapses and no mood swings - I feel awesome, mentally. But body issues are becoming a HUGE thing in life now when they never were before. I weigh myself incessantly and a pound gained is becoming a major dent in day. At first, I was consoling myself by saying that muscle weighs more than fat, but how do I explain the body fat % or clothes becoming too tight? I'm at the point where I just want to be off of the Seroquel and find something else, but I'm half-afraid doctor will say that I haven't given it enough time or something along those lines.
After *all* this, I want to know: has anyone experienced this? Am I overreacting? Do the mental health benefits outweigh the side effects? I'm afraid to get off the Seroquel and have a relapse, but I'm afraid to stay on it and watch the scale just keep going up and up and up...
New here...an introduction plus some medical questions
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
The only way you could really get off the Seroquel, would be to potentially scale it down if possible.
If you take something with 3-4 dose a day methodology, it has been shown certainly with anti-depressants that dose that way, it can be done, by reducing 1/4 the dose, giving it a week, then doing it a week later once the mild side effects have reduced. Reducing the dose 1/4 at a time. I don't know exactly how, but I would think increasing the space between doses, as opposed to just removing say dose 4.
However this might be the only way to get you off the Drug, if it is possible, or if it's a one pill a day type, perhaps if possible, be prescribed ones with a slightly lower dose per capsule, until you're off it.
Going cold turkey would be an absolute nightmare, as the less you take, the more you would feel it.
You need something else by the sound of it. Your methods at weight loss look decent enough and worked for you.
The only other thing I would say right now is, if you're eating at a BMR level, which you shouldn't as you need more calories for exercise. BMR would only be really for people who are sedentary.
If you do have issues with your meds, you need to see the Doctor about either cutting or switching.
If you take something with 3-4 dose a day methodology, it has been shown certainly with anti-depressants that dose that way, it can be done, by reducing 1/4 the dose, giving it a week, then doing it a week later once the mild side effects have reduced. Reducing the dose 1/4 at a time. I don't know exactly how, but I would think increasing the space between doses, as opposed to just removing say dose 4.
However this might be the only way to get you off the Drug, if it is possible, or if it's a one pill a day type, perhaps if possible, be prescribed ones with a slightly lower dose per capsule, until you're off it.
Going cold turkey would be an absolute nightmare, as the less you take, the more you would feel it.
You need something else by the sound of it. Your methods at weight loss look decent enough and worked for you.
The only other thing I would say right now is, if you're eating at a BMR level, which you shouldn't as you need more calories for exercise. BMR would only be really for people who are sedentary.
If you do have issues with your meds, you need to see the Doctor about either cutting or switching.
it may be that as you've ramped up the training but kept cal's the same you may be holding onto some fat, ecpsecially in the lower body, because of the body's survival mechanism against too much energy expenditure vs energy in as a last ditch effort to maintain it's current muscle mass level
females can weight in vastly different from day to day, once a week weight in is more then enough
what is bi polar anyway? docs are great for simply putting you on drugs and seeing what happens and increasing it id it doesn't work
if you are worrying too much then you may be releasing too much cortisol (a stress hormaone that stores fat) which when present won;t allow you to burn fat...a very big underetimated fat gaining reason apart form the obvious food and exercise thing
maybe you could try this:
www.uponlinetraining.com
which i'm running which takes all the guesswork out of the equation, you simply do the workouts, eat the food and lose wt
females can weight in vastly different from day to day, once a week weight in is more then enough
what is bi polar anyway? docs are great for simply putting you on drugs and seeing what happens and increasing it id it doesn't work
if you are worrying too much then you may be releasing too much cortisol (a stress hormaone that stores fat) which when present won;t allow you to burn fat...a very big underetimated fat gaining reason apart form the obvious food and exercise thing
maybe you could try this:
www.uponlinetraining.com
which i'm running which takes all the guesswork out of the equation, you simply do the workouts, eat the food and lose wt
Bi-polar used to be termed Manic Depression, but the difference between depression is, the bouts come and go.
Depression can often be quite prolonged but with help or time and patience, it can be overcome without reoccurance.
Bi-polar people can also sometimes be prone to bouts of anger.
Actually the most common thing I've heard of is for people to get Lithium. Lithum is what the actor Richard Dreyfuss was on, and may still be. The actor Stephen Fry is Bi-polar but has never been on anything like that, because he was concerned about the addictive / stimulating qualities and didn't want to get things like side effects, or difficulty getting off meds like that if he was on them.
Depression can often be quite prolonged but with help or time and patience, it can be overcome without reoccurance.
Bi-polar people can also sometimes be prone to bouts of anger.
Actually the most common thing I've heard of is for people to get Lithium. Lithum is what the actor Richard Dreyfuss was on, and may still be. The actor Stephen Fry is Bi-polar but has never been on anything like that, because he was concerned about the addictive / stimulating qualities and didn't want to get things like side effects, or difficulty getting off meds like that if he was on them.
Thank you so much for your responses. Probably the biggest fear I have out of all of this is feeling alone in problem.
I'm going to take another look at diet again and start adding in more calories where I can. Usually I snack on an apple or yogurt, but I know I can add a hard-boiled egg in there or more veggies/fruit. I also bought whey protein powder to make in the morning in addition to breakfast, so that's extra protein and calories there.
With bi-polar, I wasn't officially diagnosed until I started seeing a psychiatrist. I always knew that there was something a little "off" in that I'd have supremely great moments immediately followed by horridly angry or depressive moments. And the mood swing would happen in the span of half an hour, tops, with absolutely nothing to set me off. I was not only scaring myself, but husband as well. Before that, I had gone to therapy sessions, but never saw medication as a viable option, probably because of father's influence (he's a former drill sergeant and tends to see medication as a form of weakness - he thinks you should 'man up' and get over your problems). However, I know there is a history of mental illness on mother's side.
I know cutting out the Seroquel will be slow - I went from 25mg to 300mg very slow (which I appreciate doctor for doing), so going off will be the same as well. But I'm definitely going to ask doctor for another alternative. If there isn't one...well, I never intended to be on medication for the rest of life, so I'm hoping that therapy sessions can teach me how to cope better when head tries to throw me for a loop. Fortunately, exercising helps so much with stress - I'm sorry I didn't find out earlier!
I'm going to take another look at diet again and start adding in more calories where I can. Usually I snack on an apple or yogurt, but I know I can add a hard-boiled egg in there or more veggies/fruit. I also bought whey protein powder to make in the morning in addition to breakfast, so that's extra protein and calories there.
With bi-polar, I wasn't officially diagnosed until I started seeing a psychiatrist. I always knew that there was something a little "off" in that I'd have supremely great moments immediately followed by horridly angry or depressive moments. And the mood swing would happen in the span of half an hour, tops, with absolutely nothing to set me off. I was not only scaring myself, but husband as well. Before that, I had gone to therapy sessions, but never saw medication as a viable option, probably because of father's influence (he's a former drill sergeant and tends to see medication as a form of weakness - he thinks you should 'man up' and get over your problems). However, I know there is a history of mental illness on mother's side.
I know cutting out the Seroquel will be slow - I went from 25mg to 300mg very slow (which I appreciate doctor for doing), so going off will be the same as well. But I'm definitely going to ask doctor for another alternative. If there isn't one...well, I never intended to be on medication for the rest of life, so I'm hoping that therapy sessions can teach me how to cope better when head tries to throw me for a loop. Fortunately, exercising helps so much with stress - I'm sorry I didn't find out earlier!
You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for at all.
Your situation is definitely not your fault, and your attempts to change things are not only admirable, but something you should be very proud of.
The hardest thing and what you should be most proud of, is admitting all that you have admitted, and allowing it to be read by others, so the next step, is being able to identify certain things you think might work, and discussing certain options with your doctor.
I wish you much luck. Your situation is certainly not easy, and certainly not something you should have to go through, but you definitely have a lot of heart and courage, to keep fighting, and wanting more than just settling for your lot.
You certainly can count on Shapefit to try and be here for you.
Good luck and no worries yeah
.
Your situation is definitely not your fault, and your attempts to change things are not only admirable, but something you should be very proud of.
The hardest thing and what you should be most proud of, is admitting all that you have admitted, and allowing it to be read by others, so the next step, is being able to identify certain things you think might work, and discussing certain options with your doctor.
I wish you much luck. Your situation is certainly not easy, and certainly not something you should have to go through, but you definitely have a lot of heart and courage, to keep fighting, and wanting more than just settling for your lot.
You certainly can count on Shapefit to try and be here for you.
Good luck and no worries yeah
.