It dawned on me that it has been awhile since I’ve written one, but I was shocked to find that I haven’t done one since October. So here for you is my latest, and extremely frustrating, fitness update:
Why a Fitness Update on a Bipolar Blog?
As much as I am grateful for the meds that have made a dramatic difference in making my life more balanced, there is one side effect I’m not thrilled about – weight gain. Weight gain can be a major struggle for those of us on bipolar meds because of its effect on the metabolism. I gained over 50 pounds and skyrocketed to over 300 pounds.
Fitness Update Overview
Not only have I not lost weight this year, I’ve gained. I was quite proud of myself when I lost 90 lbs. I couldn’t wait to tell everyone once I hit a 100 lb. weight loss and I had only 10 lbs. to go. Sadly, my 10 lbs. to go turned into 15 lbs. to go, then 20 lbs., thirty pounds, 40 lbs. ….and so on. At this point I’m 55 lbs. away from reaching that 100 lb. milestone. That means I’ve gained back 45 lbs. from the 90 lb. loss. I’ve gained back exactly half of the weight I lost. So frustrating.
There is one silver lining in all of this. Most people who lose weight end up gaining it all back, and usually at least a little more. I’ve been sitting at this weight for about a year now which means to me that I have at least been stable. I haven’t gotten it all back.
I’ve been so frustrated that I have been considering going back to the surgeon to talk about getting gastro-bypass surgery. However, I remembered one of the important steps required before getting the surgery – you have to lose at least 10% of your body weight. Now, I have no idea why this rule exists, but it’s helping to keep me from going back to the surgeon. The reason is that 10% of my current body weight is 26 lbs. If I can lose that 26 lbs. again, what would prevent me from keeping on? Why the hell would I stop at 26?
The past couple of weeks I’ve done fairly well. I’ve lost over 4 lbs. I’ve recommitted to exercising daily and eating healthier, more filling foods. Not only do I hope this trend continues, at this moment I’m confident it will continue. I expect to have shining results in upcoming updates.
The Statistics
Original Maximum Weight: 303 lbs
Goal Weight: 160 lbs
This loss/gain this week: -2.2
Total loss so far: -44.6
Current weight: 258.8
I’m so sorry for your frustration and weight gain. The good news is that you “woke up” before you gained it all back. And now you’ve recommitted yourself to reach your goal. That’s great. You can do it. Personally, I’ve hit a plateau that won’t budge and I’ve got 50 more lbs to go. It’s the meds for sure. Wishing you success with the weight loss and with your writing endeavors. I can’t wait to see your book in print.
Thank you, Journey. I can’t wait to see my book in print either. However, whenever I write I tend to do about a thousand rewrites so we both may be waiting for a very long time. LOL
Hey, Bradley, congratulations on maintaining a substantial weight loss over time. How tall are you? Is 160 a reasonable goal? As a 50 year old 5’7″ woman, 159 is the upper limit for ME, so I’m wondering if it is a rather aggressive goal for you. I do not know your height or your age. I guess it really comes down to BMI. Here is a BMI calculator by the National Institute of Health.
I’m a short guy, Kitt. I’m 5’5″ tall and 51 yrs. Most BMI charts show I should be 150 lbs. I figure I’ll shoot for 160, but plan to stop where I feel most comfortable
Yes, I’m 5’9″ and recommended for 169 lbs. Good luck. Weight gain from meds is terrible.
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This is a tough one, especially with the meds you take. It often feels like a fruitless task. I mentioned before about my 4.5stone increase since starting Quetiapine. I am still on a slow reduction from 400mg to the current 275mg. In the last 6-8 months I have lost a full one stone in weight AND without even trying. I pigged out over Christmas and thought I might be gaining rapidly. It just shows how significant the meds are 😉