Working Out

I’ve been working out on a regular basis. I either do Zumba at home or I workout at the gym with my husband. Sometimes, like yesterday, I do both. It feels good to be able to push myself through these workouts; however, it would be nice if I was able to lose some weight. It doesn’t matter how much I workout or what I eat, my weight either stays the same or I gain weight. It’s extremely frustrating. I was going to give up, but my husbad reminded me that working out is not just about losing weight. It’s also about being healthy.

I know that the Clozapine is a big factor in the weight gain. It’s also what is making it almost impossible for me to lose weight. I really want to go off of if because of that; however, I made a committment to increase my dose until I get to 400mg. I want to keep my committment, but I also need to stay healthy. It’s very possible that once I stop increasing my dose, my body will get used to the Clozapine and the side effect of weight gain could go away.

I really want to try to wait this out. I want to have hope that the weight gain will stop. I want to hope that my working out will help me lose weight. Right now, I’m just trying to stay hopeful, which is extremely difficult.

Clozapine Increase

Last night was the first night of my Clozapine dosage increase. I only went up by 25mg. I knew I was going to be doing this increase for almost two weeks; it’s about time I was finally able to start it. My psychiatrist told me to keep an eye out for fevers, dizziness, or other similar symptoms. Hopefully that won’t happen this time.

As I was looking at the side effects for Clozapine and weight gain was one of the bigger ones. Maybe that explains why I’ve gained and keep gaining weight. I keep trying to lose weight, but it’s not working. The Clozapine is working against me. I hate meds that cause weight gain, it’s not fair. Not like much of anything is fair, but sometimes it feels as if I have to choose between the ability to control my weight and the possibility of being stable.

I think that the Clozapine has been working for me. I want to give it a real try before giving up on it. I will follow through with the next two months of increase until I’m finally able to double my dose. The question is, how am I going to be able to control my weight? At least my husband is helpful and supportive. I’ve gained and lost weight many times in my life. I can do it again this time. I just don’t want to keep gaining weight right now. I’m ready to lose the weight.

Doing Things For Ourselves

Today is going a bit better. I feel okay so far. I’ve been able to get some things done. Now, I’m about to get ready to go to the gym with my husband. I’m anxious, but at least I go. It’s better than not going. I’ve decided to go to Cape Cod, so I should probably try to lose a bit of weight. Now, I have a reason, a goal to lose weight for. Of course, I would want to look as good as possible in a bathing suit. It’s not for anyone else, it’s just for myself. I’ve learned over the years that the things we do are for ourselves, not for others. Doing the best we can is to please ourselves. I’m so proud of my niece, she’s 13 years old, she has learned that at such a young age when it took me so long to figure it out. She is a figure skater, and competes. She says that she competes against herself, not against the other people there. It’s such a great attitude and way to look at things.

There are many things on want to work on for myself besides my weight. I want to become more comfortable in public places. It would be nice if I could go to the gym on my own without my husband. Right now, it’s too anxiety provoking for me to go on my own. I still have anxiety when I’m there with my husband, but it has been getting better each time. Maybe, one day I could go on my own. Maybe I could go with him but not need him to be with me every second. Those are my goals for myself for now.

My Weight Gain Is Out Of Control

I have been gaining weight over the last six months. It has become especially bad in just the last few months. I’ve gained about a total of 40 pounds. It doesn’t seem to matter what I do, I just keep gaining weight. I’m doing my best to control it, but I seem to be wildly hungry almost all of the time. There are even times that I’m full, but I still want to eat for some reason. I also tend to have difficulties sleeping. I’m hungry every time I wake up, which happens at least two times a night, sometimes as often as four times a night. I have a feeling that it is a medication issue, but I have to be very careful about my medication changes.

I’m working out with my husband at the gym. I’m also buying healthier foods to keep in the house. That way even if I do snack more often than I should, at least I’m eating healthier. Over the years, I have had several periods where I gained a large amount of weight. The weight gain is always difficult to handle, but every time I eventually lose the weight and get back to my normal size. I know that I will be able to lose the weight eventually, but it’s hard to live with the weight gain. Luckily, I’m blessed with a husband that doesn’t care about my size. He supports me no matter what; he is always willing to help me once I’m ready to get back in shape. Working out together is a fun activity for the two of us. It’s something we used to do together five days a week before we even started dating.

I wish I didn’t have to go up and down with my weight to such extremes. I know that it is part of the bipolar disorder and the medications that go along with it, but it’s very difficult to deal with. Depression can increase the weight gain, and the weight gain can worsen the depression. It’s a vicious cycle. I’m looking forward to the end of this brutal period. I know I can lose the weight and feel better about myself again, I just don’t know how long it will be until that happens.

Celebrating My Husband’s Birthday

Today is my husband’s birthday. We’re going to celebrate at his mom’s house with anywhere from 5 to 19 people. I wish I knew how many people to expect. However, I should be used to this by now. This is how it usually ends up going for every birthday and holiday. I’m looking forward to seeing my step-kids and my granddaughter. I have a good relationship with my step-kids; it’s always nice to see them and be a part of their lives. I get along with everyone in his family; I just sruggle with not knowing what I’m walking into. I also struggle with crowded spaces, but it will be fine. I’m grateful to get together with his family.

I plan on taking today off from working out. My husband and I have been enjoying great workouts. Yesterday we ended up just doing cardio, but it was a good workout. I’m hoping to lose some weight; I’ve gained a lot of weight during this depression that I’ve been going through. To be exact, I’ve gained 39 pounds. That’s way too much; it’s time that I turn this around. And it’s so much easier working on losing weight with my husband. I’m happy to have the support and encouragement; we are there to help each other reach our goals.

Gym Work Out

I’m so proud of myself today. My husband has been talking about going to the gym for a little while now, and he has been wanting me to go with him. Before we started dating, we used to go to the gym together 5 days a week. We were workout partners and we had a lot of fun working out together. Our workouts were what used to get me through my days at work. I always had something to look forward to. So we signed up at a gym so we could get back in shape together. Even though we have a workout room in our house, it’s different. Working out at a gym has a different atmosphere, making it easier and more encouraging to complete a workout than to do so in our own house.

I was scared to go to the gym because it’s something new, and I don’t do new things very well. I told my husband that I could do it as long as he doesn’t leave me alone. He makes me feel safe. Today, we worked out together and he didn’t leave me once. He knows exactly how to work out to get what we want because he used to be a personal trainer. We’re starting out slow, so we don’t overdo anything and then end up not going back. Our plan for now is to work out 5 days a week, like we used to do. We’re doing full body workouts. I’m so proud of myself for doing this. I think this will also help our relationship because it gives us something new to do together. He even told me, before he left for work, how much he enjoyed today.

Zone Meal Plan

In the past 6 months, I have gained 32.5 pounds. Bipolar weight gain is terrible and extremely difficult to control. The weight gain began when I was in the midst of yet another depression, before I started taking Clozapine. Then, during the first couple weeks on Clozapine, I noticed that my hunger was never-ending and as a result, my weight was increasing even more. It was one thing when it was just 10 pounds, but now it’s more than 30. I have been through many depressive episodes, and I’ve gained weight during each of them. The largest amount of weight I gained during a depressive period was 80 pounds; that was when I was taking Risperdal. I will never take that medication again. During most of my other depressive episodes, I gained somewhere between 40 and 60 pounds. I always manage to lose the weight and get back in shape; I even keep the weight off, as long as I’m not in a major depression.

I decided, while I was on vacation, that I would start a new food plan when I returned. My husband said he wants to lose weight as well. It always helps to have another person in the house eating healthy and exercising. I have decided to go back on a zone (block) food plan from CrossFit, which I was given several years ago from my personal trainer at the time. It requires a lot of measuring and weighing. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all 3 block meals, and both of my snacks are 2 blocks each. After a couple of weeks, I will lower my snacks to 1 block each. I just want to give myself time to get used to eating on a schedule again. I think that starting with 2 block snacks will give me a bigger chance for success. If anyone is curious about the CrossFit Meal Plan, just follow this link, Crossfit Meal Plan PDF. The document explains what a zone meal plan is, what blocks are, it has a block chart showing what foods are worth, and example meal plans.

The meals are plenty for me to eat and they taste good; I’m not hungry. I still want to eat, but that’s just because I always want to eat. I eat compulsively; I overeat pretty much all the time. I wonder how long I’ll be able to follow the plan without overeating. Once I eat off my meal plan, the rest of the day is doomed. My mind doesn’t work right in so many ways, and food is one of those ways. I’m particularly proud of myself for choosing to start this meal plan. I really hope I stick with it and follow through. It’s a sign that my depression could be improving. I still feel depressed and have suicidal ideations, but even the smallest improvement can make a huge difference. My husband suggested that we work out together; he used to be my workout partner years ago, and we had a lot of fun. It sounds like a great idea; I just have to figure out how to manage my anxiety. Plus, I should probably only do one thing at a time; maybe I should wait until I’ve been on the new food plan for a couple of weeks before adding in a workout at the gym.

Insecure, Insignificant, and Worthless Feelings

Going out, whether it’s for fun or to get things done, can be very difficult. I like to isolate, I prefer to be by myself. I’m also extremely hard on myself. Whenever I go out, I have to get dressed, and that is always a reminder of my weight gain. Due to my bipolar, my weight has fluctuated over the years. Right now, I’m gaining weight, which makes me feel bad about myself. Weight gain really messes with my self-confidence. When I stay home, I don’t have to worry about other people judging me; I only have to worry about my own judgments, which is hard enough.

Everyone judges themselves, especially women, but I take it too far and let my thoughts interfere with my activities. I wish it was something that I could fix. If I’m not self-conscious about my weight, then it’s something else. I’m always going to find some way to judge myself. All women struggle with confidence, but not everyone lets those fears and thoughts interfere with their lives. Actually, everyone struggles with confidence, it’s not just women.

I’m not so sure how to get past these insecurities and fears. I’m not sure if I can handle some of the activities that I’ve been asked to do. Not all of my insecurities are due to my weight. I’m also terrified to go to large public events. I have anxiety attacks when I feel trapped and when I’m surrounded by people. There’s something coming up that my husband wants me to go to, and it does sound like fun, as long as I’m going with him. My husband is like my security net, he makes me feel safe no matter where I am. However, we’re not sure if he can go to the event because of work. I tried to explain to him how difficult it would be for me to go without him or with anyone else, but I’m not sure if he understands. I know that he really just wants me to get out of the house more and do healthy things; however, there is a big difference between trying more things and pushing yourself too far.

I wonder all the time if I’ll ever have my old life back; the life where I enjoyed going out to public events and I could manage my life without too many problems. I just want to feel free again; instead, I feel trapped by my fears and insecurities. I’m not sure if I will have that freedom again, but I’m still trying. I feel as if I’m wearing masks to cover up my feelings of insecurity, insignificance, and worthlessness. I pretend to feel good about myself, even when I don’t. I may feel bad about myself, but at least I know that those thoughts are not really accurate. I know that I’m better that I believe myself to be, I just wish I could really believe in myself. Hopefully I will one day, but until then, pretending to be okay is better than nothing at all.

Managing Side Effects

Managing all of your medications is difficult to do when you take multiple medications. Individuals with bipolar disorder often have this problem. My meds have been changing quite a bit lately. In the past three weeks I added one medication and got off three. I’m off Seroquel, Cogentin, and Lunesta. I now take Lithium, Tegretol, Mirapex, Cytomel, Deplin, and Clozapine on a daily basis as my psych meds. I have Valium, Zofran, and Percocet that I can take as needed. I also have to take hormone replacement therapy because of my hysterectomy. It can be difficult to figure out which medication is causing which side effect, especially when so many things are changing at once.

I’ve been gaining weight for a while now; however, since I started the Clozapine, it has gotten much worse. I seem to be hungry more often. I’m definitely eating much more that I should be eating. I keep trying to stop, or even just slow down, but it doesn’t seem to work. My increased appetite didn’t start until I started Clozapine. Up until now, I didn’t think that this was a side effect; however, it makes more sense that it would be a side effect since I seem to have no control over it at all and because of the timing. This is something I should definitely mention to my psychiatrist, maybe there’s something he can do to help.

I’ve had medications cause all sorts of side effects. For example, Abilify made me go into a manic episode, I started losing my hair on Depakote, I gained 80 pounds on Risperdal, Seroquel causes dystonia, a high Lithium level causes me to shake uncontrollably, Mirapex makes me nauseous, and Lexapro made it harder for me to sleep. Those are just some of the side effects I’ve dealt with previously and still deal with. I started getting treated for bipolar disorder when I was 14 years old, which was 17 years ago. In the past 17 years, I’ve tried a lot of medications and dealt with a lot of bad side effects.

I’ve tried so many different medications that I can’t remember them all. It would probably be a good idea to make a list of all the medications I’ve taken and the side effects I experienced. Then I could just keep the list updated. The only problem is that I can’t remember every med and its corresponding side effect. I do have the notes from my previous psychiatrist that I saw for several years. I could try to go through his notes, but that could also be a very upsetting task. I’m not so sure I want to read what he wrote about me. I suppose I should at least give it a descent try. Having a list of all my past and current medications and corresponding side effects would be extremely helpful for the future.

Fatigue, Low Energy, and Weight Gain

The Clozapine that I started almost three weeks ago has been causing some problems for me. Most of the side effects went away; however, I’m still dealing with fatigue and low energy. The fatigue has greatly improved, but it is still there. During the first couple weeks of this medication, I could fall asleep in the middle of doing something. For example, I fell asleep while I was eating dinner once. Luckily, I only dropped my fork and not my bowl. But for the first couple weeks I was nervous to drive. I was afraid that I would fall asleep while driving, so I took some precautions such as bringing my dog in the car with me, calling someone on speakerphone, rolling down the window, or playing music that I can sing to. Some of these methods were thankfully effective.

I’m no longer dealing with that same intense fatigue that I had before. I’m still tired, but I don’t feel as if I have no control over whether or not I stay awake. I’m just tired; it’s been hard to get moving. I’m trying so hard to get today’s to-do list done, but I have such low energy that I’m not sure if I can get off the couch and even get dressed. I don’t even have many things to get done today, and I’m still having a hard time doing everything. I think the reason my psychiatrist had me increase my Clozapine dosage from 100 mg to 125 mg was because the fatigue and low energy side effect finally started to decrease. I’m so happy that things didn’t really change with the dosage increase. My fatigue and low energy hasn’t changed. I wish it would go away, but at least it’s getting better rather than getting worse.

One other problem I’m having recently is weight gain. I’m not sure if this is a side effect from the Clozapine or what else it could be from. The weight gain started before I got on the Clozapine, but I was gaining weight slowly at that point. Now, I seem to be gaining weight much quicker. I know one factor is because of my fatigue and low energy. I barely have the energy to get up, of course I don’t have the energy to workout like I was doing before. I really need to push myself harder. Maybe I will start with taking the dog on a walk tonight. I know for me, the more I do physically, the more energy I end up having. Sitting on the couch doing nothing makes my fatigue/energy and weight gain issues worse. Hopefully, I can create a new cycle that involves energy and weight loss.

My Side of the Pole

Bipolar – Mental Health

Tag: Weight Gain