Weighty issue

Over the last 5 years I have progressively gained a LOT of weight.

Small

Bigger and bigger

I have gained WELL OVER a 100 pounds.  At last count it was 125 pounds (about 25 pounds per year)  Quite honestly?  I needed the first 25!


I went from a size 6~8 (depending on the designer) to a size 20 (Never should have gone below 8~10)


I never had the body type to be a size 0. At 5'7" it is not healthy to be 100 pounds (unless you got this unusual and very rare body type that Calista Flockhart or Shania Twain have).  According to BMI, a person that height should be a size 8~10, especially if they have natural hips, butt and boobs!  I don't think anyone over 5 feet should even think of being a size 0.


My heart rate went from about 55 bpm to 95 bpm


I used to be able to climb 6-7 flights of stairs no problem to barely making it up 2.


Over the last 5 years my stress level has progressively gone up, my health, my son's health, finances, betrayals...


I also quit smoking 2 and 1/2 years ago (yeah me!!!)


I have off and on taken the following combination of drugs (Valproic Acid, Seroquel and Paxil and Lyrica)


The Fibro and CFS have gotten much worst (Stress, what can you do?) Massively reducing my activity level.


The main two reasons I have gained weight is because I exercise less and eat more.  I still move as much as my body lets me and I make a conscious effort to eat healthier, but I admit I still exceed.  I do not however feel that I exceed to the extent of 25 pounds per year!


Why else have I gained so much weight?

1. I  hear starving yourself slows the metabolic rate.  That only accounts for maybe the first year where I was trying to beat the bulimia and eat normally
2. I hear quitting smoking also reduces the metabolic rate.  Well that counted for about 9 months or so after I quit smoking.
3. My drugs?  Maybe, let’s look at the side effects of each:

• Valproic Acid: Common side effects are dyspepsia and/or weight gain. Less common are fatigue, peripheral edema, acne, dizziness, drowsiness, hair loss, headaches, nausea, sedation and tremors.
• Seroquel: The most common side-effect of quetiapine is somnolence. Other common side-effects include: sluggishness, fatigue, dry mouth, sore throat, dizziness, abdominal pain, constipation, upset stomach, orthostatic hypotension, inflammation or swelling of the sinuses or pharynx, increased appetite, and weight gain.
• Paxil : paroxetine is associated with clinically significant weight gain
• Lyrica : Common: blurred vision, diplopia, increased appetite, euphoria, confusion, vivid dreams, changes in libido (increase or decrease), irritability, ataxia, attention changes, abnormal coordination, memory impairment, tremors, dysarthria, parasthesia, vertigo, dry mouth and constipation, vomiting and flatulence, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, peripheral edema, drunkenness, abnormal walking, weight gain.

Yup no reason to think that by taking all of these together that it might have affected my weight in any way...

No I am not saying the drugs, quitting smoking and starving myself previously are the ONLY  reasons I am fat, what I am saying is that with the activity reduction that they did not help me control my weight.  Actually when I stopped smoking I was on a very restrictive diet and walked more and STILL gained weight....  HELLO!

I hate being fat.  I hate it for a variety of reasons.  Someone told me I should eat less than 1200 calories and there is no reason I should be fat.

I don't know how to lose weight the right way anymore (well I know how, but within my abilities)

Thanks for reading!