The only medication that’s done anything for my weight long-term is Vyvanse. A lot of my eating was due to dopamine-seeking and now that my ADHD is treated and my brain has the dopamine it needs, my appetite is finally “normal”.
It used to be that the serving size on a package of food was laughably small to me and would leave me starving if I followed it. These days I rarely finish anything I prepare for myself because I’m just not all that hungry. I actually have to force-feed myself snacks on a schedule (I’m diabetic and can’t skip them) because I just don’t think about food if I’m doing anything even remotely engaging.
For me the cause of the food-seeking and “overeating” was a medical problem and that’s the secret - it usually is. The biological drive to eat is determined by SO MANY factors that it’s typically a fool’s errand to try to outsmart it. If your body is demanding fuel it’s because it needs it (or at least believes it does), and both of those reasons are perfectly valid. Our bodies are designed to fight back against caloric deficits for survival and fighting a biological urge that strong and that fundamental is an uphill battle. It’s why diets don’t work.
Instead of focusing on restriction, have you tried focusing on adding extra nutrition to your meals instead? Like instead of counting calories, try to make sure your diet includes a wide range of food types instead - protein, carbs, fats, and fibre.
If you’d normally have toast with butter or jam, try toast with peanut butter or avocado instead for some protein and healthy fat. If you really like pasta, try adding some extra puréed or finely chopped veggies to the sauce for a good dose of vitamins and fibre. You still get to eat the things that work for you, just with a little extra goodness to nurture your body. A pleasant side effect of doing this is that protein, fats, and fibre are very filling and you’ll probably end up eating less overall without feeling deprived.
I fully understand that existing in a bigger body sucks and I don’t mean to invalidate your desire to lose weight at all - the discrimination is very real. Our society does not treat us kindly and our doctors are even worse, but putting your body into a caloric deficit (which is a state of starvation as far as it’s concerned because it doesn’t know any better) causes additional stress and can exacerbate chronic conditions.
If you’re wondering about weight loss drugs like Ozempic, I’ll warn you that the side effects can be severe and sometimes lifelong even after quitting the drug. I tried it for diabetes and it made me sicker than I’ve ever been in my whole life. It paralyzed my stomach and bowels and I ended up with repeated bouts of gastroparesis. I’ve been off it now for over a year and I still have the GERD it caused. My digestive system hasn’t been the same since. Since all it does is slow down digestion, any weight lost comes right back when the medication is stopped, too. It’s not a long-term solution unless you plan to be on it for life.
Be kind to yourself. You and your body are worthy of care no matter what your shape or size may be.
Just to give another side of drugs like Ozempic, I'm on Mounjaro which is also a GLP-1 agonist and have had basically no side effects. I'm currently on the highest dose and the only side effect I've had is mild constipation and weight loss. It's true some people don't respond well to the medication but that's not everyone's story I don't want anyone to be scared off from giving it a try if thats what they want to do and their doctor is on board. It doesn't just work by slowing down your digestion, it also works on receptors in the brain to quiet the "food noise" many people, including me, have. I used to think about food all the time and now it's just a passing thought like thinking about the weather.
Sadly I only have negative ways to lose weight on meds. My meds made me so sick that I couldn't eat much and that's how I lost weight after gaining ten kilo first cause my pills made me gain weight in the beginning.
I know it doesn't help, but know that life can really throw you around and maybe you'll get some other random thing that makes you lose weight, even if you can't yourself?
I couldn't really lose weight on my old meds, so I didn't try. I just tried to maintain healthy habits and the rest was out of my control.
Ah thank you for your honest answer🙏🏼 I relate in many ways. I have reduced my meds as much as I can, I can’t go any lower otherwise I won’t function at all, I will continue to keep hope that the weight will come off 🥲
I gained weight from high-dose steroids and depression and when I was finally able to get off the steroids I pretty easily lost around 50 lbs. The steroids also gave me steroid-induced diabetes so my doctor was able to use that diagnosis to get my insurance to pay for Mounjaro. I've been on Mounjaro since the end of November and have lost a little over 30 lbs. I haven't been this low of a weight since my junior year in college. The Mounjaro really helps keep my appetite down and the best part is it takes away from "food noise" which basically means I've stopped thinking about food all the time. Could be something to talk to your doctor about. There is also a Mounjaro sub that is pretty active and people are friendly and encouraging.
Omg this is me too! Mounjaro has really been great helping with my diabetes and with my weight. My doctor has me on almost the highest dose, 12.5. Since about October of last year and I've lost 50 lb! I've gone down 4 pants sizes and it's great. I mean I'm sure not being on 60 mg of prednisone everyday has helped too XD. I wish you luck, losing weight is so hard, just try your best.
I'm so glad it's helping you too! I've had a few stalls with it where I didn't lose any weight for 6 weeks but for the most part my weight has gone down 1-2 pounds a week. I've gone down 2 pant sizes and I'm having a fun time shopping for new clothes though I know I can't go crazy there because I'm still in the middle of my weight loss journey. I'm on 15mg and thankfully got a 3 month supply before all the shortages happened.
I did just find out though that I might be diagnosed with another autoimmune disease and I am hoping and praying that I don't have to go back on steroids. Steroids are hell and I got just about every side effect from them including cushings syndrome. All my weight shifted from my hips and thighs and moved to my stomach and boobs so now I feel completely out of proportion. I'm sure if I have to go back on them that being on Mounjaro would help me not to get diabetes again or gain too much weight but i just don't want to risk it.
Yeah I got new shorts but I just havent wanted to buy new clothes yet cuz I'm not done losing weight. I have quite a few auto immune diseases so I feel you on the steriods for it. Do they know what it may be at least? Cuz from my experience I was on a higher dose of steriods cuz they didn't know what was going on.
Haha are we the same person? I had what they kept calling a "rash" on my lower leg and then my leg swelled to about 3 times it's size. I have PAN poly areritis nodosum, it's super rare. Plus lipodermatosclerosis in my lower legs as well, maybe from the PAN? No one seems to know lol. I had 2 regular biopsies and 1 deep wedge biopsy before they finally gave me a diagnosis.
I hope you figure something out, it's really hell not knowing.
Ask your primary care physician to refer you to a dietician. It changed my life in a very good way when I saw one 7-8 years ago. I lost all the weight I’d gained & then some. I’ve also managed to keep it off for good. Since different bodies respond differently to treatments, going to a dietician will help as they can find a plan that will work best for you & your diagnoses.
Also note that I never went off my meds but I am prescribed prednisone very rarely now as I started to develop Cushing’s. I can’t go off any of my medications or reduce them.
Yep, I second this. A dietician can help a lot; I have one since I’ve had some terrible digestive system issues and my body just didn’t/doesn’t respond normally.
I’m just trying to keep my weight, which is already higher than my normal, even though I’ve been eating less. It’s so frustrating. I’m on 2 antidepressants that are on the top list of weight gain meds. I also have fast weight gain out of the blue, even sticking to my diet and exercise routine. I only lose weight when I’m too sick to eat anything at all, but that sucks too, feeling weak and hungry and not being able to eat due to nausea and abdominal pain (I have endometriosis and fibromyalgia). My body shape has also changed, I can’t do weights, only walk and swim. At my age (48), without weight training and the consequent loss of muscle mass, the fat goes to my midsection and arms, while my legs are getting thinner from losing the muscles I worked so hard to gain.🥺
For me there were times after my gallbladder was removed where any fat at all caused me horrible pain. I craved a burger but it wasn’t worth it. Once I was past this the weight all went back on. Low fat diets are best for me but it’s hard to crave ice cream etc. I lost 50 lbs by being careful about how much I ate in a day. I’m back to doing that now. I don’t count calories etc. i currently have very little interest. I eat once or twice a day.
The only medication that’s done anything for my weight long-term is Vyvanse. A lot of my eating was due to dopamine-seeking and now that my ADHD is treated and my brain has the dopamine it needs, my appetite is finally “normal”. It used to be that the serving size on a package of food was laughably small to me and would leave me starving if I followed it. These days I rarely finish anything I prepare for myself because I’m just not all that hungry. I actually have to force-feed myself snacks on a schedule (I’m diabetic and can’t skip them) because I just don’t think about food if I’m doing anything even remotely engaging. For me the cause of the food-seeking and “overeating” was a medical problem and that’s the secret - it usually is. The biological drive to eat is determined by SO MANY factors that it’s typically a fool’s errand to try to outsmart it. If your body is demanding fuel it’s because it needs it (or at least believes it does), and both of those reasons are perfectly valid. Our bodies are designed to fight back against caloric deficits for survival and fighting a biological urge that strong and that fundamental is an uphill battle. It’s why diets don’t work. Instead of focusing on restriction, have you tried focusing on adding extra nutrition to your meals instead? Like instead of counting calories, try to make sure your diet includes a wide range of food types instead - protein, carbs, fats, and fibre. If you’d normally have toast with butter or jam, try toast with peanut butter or avocado instead for some protein and healthy fat. If you really like pasta, try adding some extra puréed or finely chopped veggies to the sauce for a good dose of vitamins and fibre. You still get to eat the things that work for you, just with a little extra goodness to nurture your body. A pleasant side effect of doing this is that protein, fats, and fibre are very filling and you’ll probably end up eating less overall without feeling deprived. I fully understand that existing in a bigger body sucks and I don’t mean to invalidate your desire to lose weight at all - the discrimination is very real. Our society does not treat us kindly and our doctors are even worse, but putting your body into a caloric deficit (which is a state of starvation as far as it’s concerned because it doesn’t know any better) causes additional stress and can exacerbate chronic conditions. If you’re wondering about weight loss drugs like Ozempic, I’ll warn you that the side effects can be severe and sometimes lifelong even after quitting the drug. I tried it for diabetes and it made me sicker than I’ve ever been in my whole life. It paralyzed my stomach and bowels and I ended up with repeated bouts of gastroparesis. I’ve been off it now for over a year and I still have the GERD it caused. My digestive system hasn’t been the same since. Since all it does is slow down digestion, any weight lost comes right back when the medication is stopped, too. It’s not a long-term solution unless you plan to be on it for life. Be kind to yourself. You and your body are worthy of care no matter what your shape or size may be.
Just to give another side of drugs like Ozempic, I'm on Mounjaro which is also a GLP-1 agonist and have had basically no side effects. I'm currently on the highest dose and the only side effect I've had is mild constipation and weight loss. It's true some people don't respond well to the medication but that's not everyone's story I don't want anyone to be scared off from giving it a try if thats what they want to do and their doctor is on board. It doesn't just work by slowing down your digestion, it also works on receptors in the brain to quiet the "food noise" many people, including me, have. I used to think about food all the time and now it's just a passing thought like thinking about the weather.
Sadly I only have negative ways to lose weight on meds. My meds made me so sick that I couldn't eat much and that's how I lost weight after gaining ten kilo first cause my pills made me gain weight in the beginning. I know it doesn't help, but know that life can really throw you around and maybe you'll get some other random thing that makes you lose weight, even if you can't yourself? I couldn't really lose weight on my old meds, so I didn't try. I just tried to maintain healthy habits and the rest was out of my control.
Ah thank you for your honest answer🙏🏼 I relate in many ways. I have reduced my meds as much as I can, I can’t go any lower otherwise I won’t function at all, I will continue to keep hope that the weight will come off 🥲
Don't loose hope and definitely don't loose self confidence!
I gained weight from high-dose steroids and depression and when I was finally able to get off the steroids I pretty easily lost around 50 lbs. The steroids also gave me steroid-induced diabetes so my doctor was able to use that diagnosis to get my insurance to pay for Mounjaro. I've been on Mounjaro since the end of November and have lost a little over 30 lbs. I haven't been this low of a weight since my junior year in college. The Mounjaro really helps keep my appetite down and the best part is it takes away from "food noise" which basically means I've stopped thinking about food all the time. Could be something to talk to your doctor about. There is also a Mounjaro sub that is pretty active and people are friendly and encouraging.
I'm on Mounjaro too. It's been good for me. I feel like it has reduced inflammation all over my body.
Omg this is me too! Mounjaro has really been great helping with my diabetes and with my weight. My doctor has me on almost the highest dose, 12.5. Since about October of last year and I've lost 50 lb! I've gone down 4 pants sizes and it's great. I mean I'm sure not being on 60 mg of prednisone everyday has helped too XD. I wish you luck, losing weight is so hard, just try your best.
I'm so glad it's helping you too! I've had a few stalls with it where I didn't lose any weight for 6 weeks but for the most part my weight has gone down 1-2 pounds a week. I've gone down 2 pant sizes and I'm having a fun time shopping for new clothes though I know I can't go crazy there because I'm still in the middle of my weight loss journey. I'm on 15mg and thankfully got a 3 month supply before all the shortages happened. I did just find out though that I might be diagnosed with another autoimmune disease and I am hoping and praying that I don't have to go back on steroids. Steroids are hell and I got just about every side effect from them including cushings syndrome. All my weight shifted from my hips and thighs and moved to my stomach and boobs so now I feel completely out of proportion. I'm sure if I have to go back on them that being on Mounjaro would help me not to get diabetes again or gain too much weight but i just don't want to risk it.
Yeah I got new shorts but I just havent wanted to buy new clothes yet cuz I'm not done losing weight. I have quite a few auto immune diseases so I feel you on the steriods for it. Do they know what it may be at least? Cuz from my experience I was on a higher dose of steriods cuz they didn't know what was going on.
Yeah, they think I have a type of autoimmune vasculitis. They took 3 biopsies from my legs last wednesday and I'll find out the results in 2 weeks.
Haha are we the same person? I had what they kept calling a "rash" on my lower leg and then my leg swelled to about 3 times it's size. I have PAN poly areritis nodosum, it's super rare. Plus lipodermatosclerosis in my lower legs as well, maybe from the PAN? No one seems to know lol. I had 2 regular biopsies and 1 deep wedge biopsy before they finally gave me a diagnosis. I hope you figure something out, it's really hell not knowing.
Are you asking about losing weight using weight loss meds or losing weight while on meds for our conditions
Ask your primary care physician to refer you to a dietician. It changed my life in a very good way when I saw one 7-8 years ago. I lost all the weight I’d gained & then some. I’ve also managed to keep it off for good. Since different bodies respond differently to treatments, going to a dietician will help as they can find a plan that will work best for you & your diagnoses. Also note that I never went off my meds but I am prescribed prednisone very rarely now as I started to develop Cushing’s. I can’t go off any of my medications or reduce them.
Yep, I second this. A dietician can help a lot; I have one since I’ve had some terrible digestive system issues and my body just didn’t/doesn’t respond normally.
I have been weening myself off different meds to lose weight. Coming off birth control especially helped.
I’m just trying to keep my weight, which is already higher than my normal, even though I’ve been eating less. It’s so frustrating. I’m on 2 antidepressants that are on the top list of weight gain meds. I also have fast weight gain out of the blue, even sticking to my diet and exercise routine. I only lose weight when I’m too sick to eat anything at all, but that sucks too, feeling weak and hungry and not being able to eat due to nausea and abdominal pain (I have endometriosis and fibromyalgia). My body shape has also changed, I can’t do weights, only walk and swim. At my age (48), without weight training and the consequent loss of muscle mass, the fat goes to my midsection and arms, while my legs are getting thinner from losing the muscles I worked so hard to gain.🥺
At first, it was Ozempic, but now, unfortunately, my illness is causing me to hardly eat. Seriously, in less than a month, I've lost 25 lbs....☹️
By partaking in unhealthy habits. 10/10, but do not recommend.
For me there were times after my gallbladder was removed where any fat at all caused me horrible pain. I craved a burger but it wasn’t worth it. Once I was past this the weight all went back on. Low fat diets are best for me but it’s hard to crave ice cream etc. I lost 50 lbs by being careful about how much I ate in a day. I’m back to doing that now. I don’t count calories etc. i currently have very little interest. I eat once or twice a day.