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http://bipolar.about.com/library/weekly/aa010115a.htm Weight Loss Program for Bipolars by Marcia Purse In 1994, when I hit bottom and first went on Prozac, I weighed 125 pounds. Two weeks ago I weighed 186 pounds. Today I weigh 180 pounds - thanks to the new About Bipolar Disorder Weight Loss Incentive Program! It's a fact: the medications used to treat depression and mania do cause weight gain. And that excess weight can be extremely hard to lose, because the medications are fighting our efforts. Researchers have found, for example, that weight gained from SSRI medications like Prozac can be difficult to lose even after the person is no longer taking the drug! Too many doctors seem to be taking the position that being fat is better than being depressed. But they're missing some important points: 1. Being fat IS DEPRESSING; and 2. Being fat is unhealthy! In my own case, the 60 pounds I've gained (from a combination of bipolar medications and quitting smoking) have sent my cholesterol skyrocketing. So now I have to take medication for that! I have a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol, but as long as my weight was under control, my cholesterol was, too. If I can lose the weight, I can probably get off Zocor. It will be better for my heart. It will be better for my back (which thinks I'm pregnant because of supporting so much belly weight). It will be better for my circulatory system. It will be better for my feet. And it will be immensely better for my self-esteem. If this sounds familiar, then you know what I'm talking about. Maybe you, like me, have tried to lose weight on your own, failed, and become discouraged. That's why we have decided to make this a team program - so we can support each other while we develop new eating and exercise habits and fight the dangerous weight-gain side effect of our medications. Joining the Clubs We've set up two groups: The Weight Loss Club and the Walkers Club. If you want to include walking in your weight loss program, join the Walkers Club. If walking isn't right for you, join the Weight Loss Club. You'll still need to exercise, but you can choose something other than walking. Depending on your selection of primary exercise on the Sign Up Form, we will put you on the correct roster. Here are the _link_s you need: Join the Bipolar Weight Loss Program Weight Loss Club Member List Walkers Club Member List The Program The Bipolar Weight Loss Incentive Program is a work in progress. Kim and I are still brainstorming, and we're eager to have your input, too. (If you have ideas, post them here!) But we've got a good start, and here are the details so far. * Community Support Members of the Weight Loss and Walkers Clubs will be divided into teams, each with a team leader. Leaders will be responsible for starting threads that their team members can respond to about their accomplishments for the week, and working to motivate their teams. By the way, there's no competition involved with the teams - we just felt that by breaking the members into groups with leaders, each person could get more individual attention and support from his/her team leader and other team members. * Weekly Tips Every week we will be posting _link_s to tips on goal-setting, sticking to your goals, walking and other exercise techniques, dieting ideas and more. We started, appropriately enough, with tips on keeping your New Year's Resolutions. Here are this week's tips. * Chat Support We'll be holding at least one weekly chat for the Weight Loss group (both clubs). Teams that want to chat together can arrange meetings. If you would like to volunteer to host a Bipolar Weight Loss chat session once or twice a week, please contact me. * Members' Recipes We'll publish club members' original diet-safe recipes whenever we get them. Here's where to submit recipes. Other ideas in the works include publishing individual pages with a member's name or nickname, before photo (if desired), beginning weight, goal weight, medications and other information the member wants to share. I'll also be hunting down and/or creating good record-keeping forms for members to print out and use to track progress and accomplishments. Weight loss for someone taking medications to control depression and/or mania won't be easy to accomplish. I don't expect to lose 6 pounds every two weeks from walking and watching my diet. I'm in this for the long haul. And that's why this type of program is important - one where we who know each other's unique problems better than anyone else can support each other as we go forward. So the only question is: What have you got to lose? Join us! Originally published January 13, 2001 Updated January 26, 2001
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