Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with weightgain

21 year old University student in a rut, bad habits creeping up to me

rhythm_queen — Sun, 12 May 2013 12:56:35 -0800

I am currently in a transition stage in my life--ending my Study Abroad semester in France, potentially moving out of a dysfunctional home after moving back in temporarily, spending a lot of time on my own traveling/at home. I'm writing because for some unbearable time, I've been feeling like my life is in a rut. I don't play my guitar or sing my own music anymore. I eat badly and without thought--often eat pasta dishes or friend eggs for a meal twice or thrice a day. I am messy as ever--My tiny room is in a disarray and I have a hard time keeping it even regularly clean. I've gained about 6 lbs since I've been here. I don't work out--I guess I lack the motivation to do so here. I listen to music all day, eat whatever I want, go out and enjoy a party whenever I feel like it, get dinner at awesome restaurants often. I just have no structure and it seriously is having an impact on my discipline and motivation levels. I do keep very active in school and am doing well in my courses. I spent a lot of quality time with new friends, I have learned new skills here and overall it is going okay. The semester is over now, so I spend a majority of my time applying for internships.

But I also spend a majority of my time on YouTube, watching all kinds of videos--interviews of my favorite celebrities, fashion videos, comedy, sitcom bits, talk show segments for hours.

I used to take much better care of my skin, hair, weight--I even made moderately successful YouTube videos on hair masks, skin masks, nutrition videos...I used to work out out pretty regularly. It's been 6 months since my last visit to the gym. I haven't done a face mask in months--I used to do them once a week minimum! My skin looks okay, but it could look better. I gained weight, so though my style is still important to me and I dress nicely for myself, I am saddened and feel limited in my clothing choices. :/

I feel tired, unmotivated to work out, kind of lonely/depressed, anxious about returning home, I am not paying attention to my looks, my room is frequently a mess, I spend too much time online, I don't eat very healthy anymore...the crux of the problem is I keep trying to define who I am in relation to this world around me, a world which I want to succeed in. Lately, I've been feeling more at odds with who I am than ever. I'm changing and evolving, yet I also feel exhausted. This can lead to a lethargic, depressed-like state of boredom and tension.

Does anyone know how I feel? How do I snap myself out of a rut in feasible ways? How do you get back to being disciplined after 5 months of practically unregulated freedom? I am doing the basic things to keep myself alive and relatively well--eating, sleeping, keeping touch with family, doing laundry and cooking often, doing decent in school, looking for a job, not spending too wildly. However, I feel in an emotional rut due to my undisciplined choices.

Can someone help me out? I feel guilty for not uphelding myself to a higher standard. How can I get back to the grind?

How to get curvy without getting dumpy?

windykites — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 08:08:06 -0800

I'm gaining weight for basically the first time. I'm happy about it- I've always wanted to be less of a stick- but I'm not happy about how the weight is sitting. Can I do anything about it? Some women have a gorgeous, curvy, voluptuous figure that I want to achieve. For example, some women have big bottoms, but their bottom is a great shape. Or they'll have a belly but still have a waist. Or they'll be heavy but have a great hip-to-waist ratio.

I'm starting to gain weight, which is fine. But I don't like how that weight is sitting on my body- I'm looking a lot more dumpy and blobby and saggy than I am curvy and appealing.

Should I work out? How? I've tried some workputs in the past but i didnt really know what i was doing or have a goal. Can I work out to get a better shape without getting too much thinner, or without having visibly defined muscles? I've always been scrawny and a bit stick-shaped, and envied prettily round women, so now that I'm staring to gain I'd like some curves for a change!

Rec. needed for NYC doctor knowledgeable about antipsychotics & metformin

Anonymous — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 10:58:23 -0800

Can anyone provide a recommendation(s) for a primary care doctor(s) in NYC or the Jersey City/Hoboken area who is knowledgeable about using Metformin to help with weight gain associated with antipsychotics use? I have gained 20-25 pounds while using Seroquel, and I have tried exercise and diet with no results. My psychiatrist told me to ask my primary care doctor about Metformin if that is something that I want to try. However, I do not have a primary care doctor. I tried going to a random doctor on my insurance, and he didn't know anything about the subject. I'd like to find someone who has read research about antipsychotics and Metformin's effect on their weight gain side effects.

Please feel free to ask me any questions or send information to seroquelquestion@fastmail.fm

Are kittens like babies or cats?

insectosaurus — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:57:38 -0800

Should kittens be chubby, like human babies, or lean, like adult cats? You'd think google would know the answer to this, but all I can find is information on the ideal weight of adult cats; I know that adult cats should be lean.

Our adorable kittens, Essie and Res, are growing up so fast! They were just over two pounds each when we adopted them at 2.5 months old, and now that they're a bit over 4 months, they're five+ pounds each (this is Essie today, this is Res a little while ago). Essie in particular has an adorable little chubby tummy. They are of course not just heavier, but much bigger / longer than they were a couple months ago.

We are currently free-feeding them kitten-specific dry food; we picked a food that seems to be a decent compromise between ingredients and price. We were planning to free feed them for a year, then move to twice a day feedings - I read that free feeding is generally okay for young kittens, but not great for adult cats. But, we can absolutely move to 2-3x a day feedings now, if that would be better (4x a day feeding seemed like a bit much, and that's what they would have needed at 2-3 months old, or so I read).

Specific questions:
- Is it okay for kittens to be a little chubby, will they naturally grow out of it, does it just mean that they're about to grow? Or does it mean we need to adjust feeding?
- If we need to move to scheduled feeding, how many times a day? 2, 3, or 4?

How to dress after weight gain?

none of these will bring disaster — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 19:09:48 -0800

How do I dress for work and fun when weight gain has made me unfamiliar with my body? Due to a lovely cocktail of a break-up, long-term depression, job hunting, medication Russian roulette, and moving from a pedestrian city (NYC) to a driving city, I have gained rather a lot of weight in the past 18 months -- as in, I went from a size 6 to a size 14. And I am not at all externally conscious with how different my size is; my mental image of myself is still of a relatively skinny chick.

I am taking every step to lose the weight after hitting rock bottom. I also just got a job that is back in my career field and I need to be 100% on the ball when it comes to how I dress, since I will occasionally find myself on-camera. (I'm a reporter.)

I am pear-shaped -- my hips have 3" on my bosom. My calves are too large for the kinds of boots I want to wear (16.5" circumference is too small). I'm also very tall for a woman -- 5'11" -- so I have the benefit that, while I am overweight, I at least look proportional.

I just don't know how to dress myself! I never have -- my uniforms when I was skinny and worked in media back in NYC were smart little sports jackets, an artistic graphic T/button-down under a sweater, skinny jeans, and knee-high boots. Occasionally I'd mix it up with a skirt, but, you know. I wore the same style every day because I was comfortable in it and it fit in with my work environment.

That is no longer the case. My office is strict business-casual; no jeans. On days when I am filming, I will need to be in a suit and I don't know what kind of suits are flattering for my body type. I also don't know how to dress myself business-casual without looking like a frump -- I'm 24, I'm too young to resign myself to frumpiness.

Please help me look like an Ace Reporter and not the assistant editor of the Oswego Pennysaver.

Why does my doctor want me to gain 15 - 20 pounds when my BMI is normal?

kitcat — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:51:41 -0800

Female, 32. 110 pounds, barely 5'3. Why does my doctor want me to gain 15 - 20 pounds when my BMI is normal? I've been at this weight with tiny fluctuations for 6 months. This is a new GP. I've actually never had one before, the closest being my psychiatrist, whom I've seen at least 3 times a year for 7 years, and who has never commented on my weight, which has gone from a long-time standard 135 pounds to a post-pregnant 175 and over a year and a half down to 110. And I saw my psychiatrist last week. Data point: unconcerned psychiatrist is stick-thin. Concerned GP is by my eye-balling, moderately 'overweight' in BMI terms.

GP does not even know that my previous normal weight was 135. She does know that I lost 65 pounds post-pregnancy, but mostly intentional and maybe 5 - 10 pounds due to stress. Anyhow, who cares that I lost that much weight when it was over the course of such a long time?

I came to her with concerns about one cyst and two lumps (groin, armpit), which I am genuinely concerned about, but are likely nothing. I am a smoker. I've had bronchitis and have a bad cough. I am very visibly under extreme stress right now, probably come off to a doctor as anxious and depressed (mostly true), am not looking so great admittedly, and yes, am somewhat gaunt in the face, but that much of a weight gain? What would be the medical rationale if my BMI is 'normal'? I was in the middle of asking her why very meekly, but then my husband arrived and I was in shock and got sidetracked. She did say that BMI at lower weights in unreliable (I have no idea how true this is).

I would like to gain about 10 pounds so that I can look healthier. So, yes, for vanity reasons. Yes, I have some weight issues. Yes, gaining weight scares me a little. Yes, I am doing some depressive/anxious under-eating. But I don't understand a medical reason to gain any weight at all, much less 15-20 pounds. What is going on?

How to avoid weight gain on Lyrica?

[insert clever name here] — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:26:10 -0800

How to avoid weight gain on Lyrica? I was just prescribed Lyrica for Chronic Pain my rheumatologist think is Fibromyalgia. In reading about the side effects, one of the things that keeps coming up is weight gain. But the relief of both pain and fatigue make it worth it to me. I want to avoid gaining extra weight though - I'm already significantly overweight due to immobility from the pain and fatigue. Has anyone any experience with Lyrica, and strategies to keep from gaining a lot of weight? If it increases my energy, I may go on a low carb diet (I have too little energy right now to figure out meal planning), but google is inconclusive if a low carb diet helps with Lyrica related weight gain.

Experience with thyroid medication for depression? (Ugh. What have I done by trying this?)

ArgyleMarionette — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 09:32:01 -0800

I'm on thyroid medication for depression -- did I just start a permanent sentence without realizing it? I just started taking thyroid hormones (liothyronine/Cytomel, 25mcg/day) for long-standing depression, started about a week or 2 ago. I still mostly feel like crap, tired, cloudy thinking, needing to rest all the time, etc (just had to stop home for a nap and call in that I'll be very late to work). My thyroid is normal according to labs, i'm taking this for depression and hoping it will help with the fatigue and massive weight gain over the past 3-4 months (~25 lbs).

I made it to about 1/2 my therapy session this morning, and at the end the therapist (not an MD) said that she thought once I start on this med, I can't get off of it even though it might not work. As in my thyroid won't return to normal. Is this true? Again, I was not prescribed it to replace the hormone -- my T3/T4/TSH was all in the lab's normal ranges, and my PCP didn't prescribe the med, my psych MD did. I've tried many many meds, and am currently regularly prescribed lithium, wellbutrin, ritalin, and klonopin (although that last one I take infrequently), and the Nuvaring.

Yikes, what have I done? I know YANMD but before I call my psych MD/wait for his call back and totally freak out on the phone, I thought it might help to get some input from people who took it before, and hear how it helped/didn't help them, too. I could have swore he said I could stop if it didn't work, but now I'm just sad and freaked out.

Help me help my husband put on weight or deal with the way his body is.

kat518 — Sat, 26 May 2012 21:06:06 -0800

My husband has always been skinny. I love his body and everything about him but once in a while, he starts talking about how he wants to work out and gain weight. There are two issues here: one is a health issue and one is a relationships issue.

The health issue: My husband has always been skinny. The first time I saw him in a pair of shorts, I nearly cried because his legs are so skinny. He's a healthy guy but he's one of those people with a great metabolism. He doesn't work out, he eats whatever he wants, and he's still skinny. I love his body and everything about him but once in a while, he starts talking about how he wants to work out and gain weight.

The relationship problem: When he talks about working out and gaining weight, he talks about joining a gym. I've taken him to a gym before and he just gets bored. My workouts involve yoga and running. He runs with me occasionally but not seriously. Since it's getting hot out, I prefer to run in the mornings but he is not a morning-running person. He's gone to yoga but he doesn't like it. He says that he doesn't like it when people tell him what to do so I feel like that rules out all or most fitness classes. So I don't know what to suggest.

I feel like this is one of those things where we just kind of go around in circles once in a while. I want to be supportive of his interest in gaining weight and working out but he'll say he's interested in joining a gym, I'll say okay, he'll say, no, I mean it this time, I'll say okay, end scene. I've asked him what he wants to do, he doesn't really know. So where do we go from here?

Just tell me what to eat so I don't have to think about it.

Felicity Rilke — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:03:28 -0800

What's the best/easiest way to increase my protein intake when eating is difficult for various complicated reasons? I am starting chemotherapy in two weeks for my second ovarian cancer recurrence in less than two years. To manage the associated anxiety, I am taking Wellbutrin, Celexa and Oxazepam daily. The combo (particularly the Celexa) has killed my appetite and made me pretty food-averse. Switching to something else is not an option. I've lost about 14 pounds in the four weeks since I started Celexa but I need to slow down/halt the weight loss before I start chemo. I also need to increase my protein intake to 90-110g a day (ideally the higher end of that) while undergoing chemo.

That seems like an unobtainable goal right now and it's just going to get harder once I start treatment. Meat and eggs are mostly intolerable. I can't eat a lot of soy. I can't have whey or casein protein powder. I can only eat a small amount of legumes a day (1/2 a cup, maybe a full cup depending on the preparation).

Adding protein seems pretty daunting since I don't want or can't have most high protein things that I can think of.

Typical food for a day is a piece of toast with goat cheese and tomato, an apple, and a bowl of something for dinner (last couple of days it's been about a cup and a half of whole grain pasta with a kale+walnut pesto and roasted vegetables). I'm eating the same thing every day with occasional variation in dinner.

What are the most protein-dense foods I can add? Simpler is better. I'm interested in snacks/small things. I don't mind having to prepare something, as long as it is something I can prepare and snack on for days, so recipes are welcome. I'm not worried about gaining weight at this point, just stopping the weight loss.

Just get used to it, already!

mireille — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:44:47 -0800

Why am I struggling to feel comfortable in my body, which has changed quite a bit over recent years? It's like my brain is stuck in "thin" mode but my body is constantly announcing that there have been new changes, like little alarms all day long-- even though the weight gain happened over the course of a few years. I don't even really mind the way my body looks, but I can't seem to get used to the physical feeling of being in it. I'll preface this by saying that I'm healthy and otherwise quite happy. The problem is that I've gained some weight-- and it's weight that I'm finally okay with-- but it isn't going to be going away, and I wonder if it's possible to mentally find a way to feel more comfortable physically. I'm sure I can't be alone in this. I've looked through other questions about body image and weight gain on AskMe and many of them are related to post-pregnancy body changes, to which the answer is often "But you made a whole other person! Go easy on yourself!" But that's not what happened for me.

I was always very thin but had strong dysmorphia; I was bulimic/anorexic in high school and the first part of university. That would have gone on longer except that I had an onset of rather severe bipolar disorder at age 18 and very quickly discovered that I could self-medicate with speed, cocaine, and pills. I spent the following decade+ with a crippling drug addiction, but I was thin and for a four-year stretch when I worked as a stripper, very fit too. I was a mental and emotional wreck, and much of the little self-confidence I had was related to my physical appearance. The best way I can put it is that when a Victoria's Secret commercial came on, or I saw a cover of Maxim, I was never uncomfortable because I saw more similarities than differences. There was nothing healthy about why my body looked the way it did-- I was very, very sick for a long time-- but it was my "normal" for most of my adult life.

I've now been clean and sober for almost five years. I've been meds-compliant for my bipolar disorder for the same period. Life is pretty good, very low-drama and quiet living and working hard. And I've also gained what for me feels like quite a bit of weight-- instead of being 104-114 muscular pounds on a 5'5" frame, I'm about 128-130 and considerably less muscular. I'm occasionally self-conscious but I've basically come to terms with wearing larger sizes than before. The way I've decided to look at it I've still got an hourglass figure, only now with more curves. I'm my husband's ideal body type! I'm healthy and probably look better! What do I have to complain about?

The problem for me is that to my body, this feels like an enormous difference and I'm physically uncomfortable. I wear clothes that fit my new shape, I just am so aware of my various body parts that it's constantly on my mind, and I'd like to spend a lot less time thinking about it and more time just living. It's like my brain still thinks I'm super-small and my body keeps sending signals that I'm suddenly less small (even though it's been years), and the two have this constant argument where I always lose. And then I have to tell my brain things that I spent a long time learning (much of it on AskMe), like that it's okay that my thighs touch, it's normal and doesn't make me a bad person so could you please tell my body to STOP POINTING IT OUT ALL DAY LONG.

Losing any of this weight (not that it's even necessary) just isn't going to happen-- a lot of it is directly caused by the psychiatric medications and changing them is off the table-- after years of streamlining I'm down to 19 pills each night and I'm not inclined to upset the balance that's been struck (the permanent damage to my metabolism may already be done, anyways). And it's taken me the last two years or so to figure out how to be okay with the fact that it's never going to go back to the way it was. Take my personal story out and you've also got the aging part that happens to everyone-- bodies never stay the same, and this is the way mine is now. I've done fairly well considering my personal lifelong warped body image (and most everyone has their own version, I know). I can work on toning but that can only help with the physical feeling part so much-- what I need is a brain re-wiring, where I physically adjust to this new normal and my brain stops announcing it like it's news. Is this even possible? Why hasn't it happened on its own yet? It's not like this all came about overnight.

The final difficulty is that therapy is not an option unless you can recommend one who deals with patients by videochat. The nearest therapist is a half-day's drive from where I live. I am originally a city girl myself and if someone had told me before I moved here that they lived this far away from anything I wouldn't have believed them, but it turns out that it is possible and you will just have to believe me. If anyone would still like to suggest a visit to the therapist then I can only conclude that you will not only accompany me on the weekly 10-hour round trip, but that you will also help pay for gas.

So.. anecdotes? Book or article recommendations? What can I do to make my brain and my body agree that everything is okay, nothing's wrong, things are actually arguably better, and make them be quiet?

Easy-to-Make Protein Shakes?

WasabiFlux — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 19:40:33 -0800

How do I make it easier to make and drink protein shakes with a limited selection? Bonus points for protein powder recommendations and shake recipes. I need to increase my protein and calorie intake. There are tons of protein shakes and powders that should make it easy, but of course my restricted diet screws it all up again. My requirements for protein/shake powders:

Low potassium and phosphorus, must be labeled. By "low," I mean somewhere below 200 mg of potassium and 150 mg (15% DV) of phosphorus for a serving that includes 25 g of protein.
No non-nutritive sweeteners. I can't stand the taste and aftertaste of artificial sweeteners, stevia, or sugar alcohols. Plain old sugar or maltodextrin are far preferable.
Mixes easily. If I can get away with stirring or shaking, I'd prefer that to having to clean a blender.

The only powders I've found that meet the first two requirements are pure, unflavored whey protein isolate. I've tried only one brand, and it didn't mix well by hand. So, I'm looking for flavored protein powders that taste good, fit into my diet, aren't artificially sweetened, and mix easily. Do you know of any?

Since that seems to be a long shot, the real focus of my question is this: assuming I have to use pure, unflavored whey protein powder, how do I mix it into a high protein, high calorie shake easily enough that I can do it every day? What should I put together to make a nice shake? Banana, milk, ice cream, and more than a couple ounces of Greek yogurt are out, but protein powder + sugar + flavor in almond milk would work.

Is there an easier way to make it without lumps than in a blender? Do the shakers with wire balls work well enough?

script for dealing with rude comments about weight?

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:59:52 -0800

I need a verbal and behavioral script to work from. I've experienced some recent weight gain. A relative will soon be visiting our home. Based on past experiences, I expect that he will comment on, judge, and offer advice about my weight. Please help me out. Regarding the past experience thing: I don't want to go into detail, but please just trust me that the likelihood that he'll say something about my weight is very high.

I saw a recent question that was similar but not quite what I'm talking about. I would appreciate a few prepackaged phrases, or script of what to say or not say, and what to do or not to do in order to get this person to drop it.

This relative will be in my home, and I will also see him at other relatives' homes where we'll both be guests. I do not want to discuss my weight or "health" or the size and shape of my body.

He's extremely healthy and fit and always has been. He's a great person - kind, intelligent, generous, etc., but he's always been sanctimonious about food, exercise, and health. If he was just an all around asshole or was actively being MEAN about things, I wouldn't have anything to do with him, and wouldn't have him in my home. But that's not the case.

I like other answers I've seen here where the format is "if you continue to X, I will Y" where Y is usually "leave" or "hang up the phone." However, in this case, I will be in the position of having to kick the person out of my home instead of leaving - I don't think this calls for that. Or does it? How would I even do that? Also, when we are at a 3rd party's home, it's not fair to that person that I'm leaving their gathering.

If I literally say nothing, I really think he'll just keep talking, or think I'm listening and absorbing his message. I don't want that. I just don't want to hear it - AT ALL.

Unfortunately, he's also the kind of person who will try to overcome every objection. Like if I simply say, "This is none of your business and I will not discuss it," he'll say, "But it IS my business because your HEALTH blah blah blah."

Help?

High fat food for cats?

angiep — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:42:18 -0800

What can we feed our cat to help him gain weight? We have two cats, about 12 years old, Molly and Pepper. After a Molly had a bout with pancreatitis, they've both been eating Prescription Diet i/d cat food. They're free feeders on the dry food, and we put out canned food morning and evening. Neither has ever overeaten, and Molly has always been a healthy weight, but Pepper's been losing weight. He was at the vet this week and had a full blood panel done and he's otherwise healthy: no diabetes, no hyperthyroidism, none of the usual suspects. The vet suggested we feed him regular Science Diet maintenance cat food to see if the higher fat content will help him gain some weight, but he doesn't like it and won't eat it.

Are there high-calorie, super-yummy, but otherwise healthy treats, we can give Pepper to supplement the Prescription Diet i/d? The feline version of avocados and brazil nuts?

Help me gain weight in a healthy/cheap manner

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 07:33:46 -0800

Please help me in my goal, which is to gain weight in a healthy way, and to do so as cheaply as possible. I am a 30ish male who is starting to exercise strenuously and I need to gain weight. I am thin because I have a high metabolism; in addition, though, I simply don’t often have a huge appetite and I tend not to make large meals for myself. I don’t like to eat out if I can help it (expensive and unhealthy). I usually eat what is around the house and snack throughout the day (work from home). I don’t eat a lot of sweets and I don’t want to start. I’m okay with eating fatty foods if that is healthy for me.

So here is where I need help: I’d like to eat more calories throughout the day with the goal of gaining weight, but I’d like to do so with two caveats in mind: I want the food I eat to be (reasonably) healthy and (definitely) cheap. This mostly rules out things like cookies, ice cream, bags of potato chips and other classic snack foods for being too unhealthy, and it also mostly rules out things like nuts, fish, organic meats, exotic fruits, and cheese for being too expensive. On top of that, I am allergic to avocados and peanuts (but not other kinds of nuts).

My question is: what are some foods or recipes that include cheap ingredients that I could eat in large amounts, with the intention of gaining weight? Bonus points for recipes that either produce large amounts of food that I can save as leftovers, or that are easy and quick to make. Thanks for any and all suggestions.

Curse you, diabetes. Stop cockblocking food!

zennish — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:58:52 -0800

Suggestions for healthy weight-gain-friendly foods/recipes? I have a friend who is verging on underweight and needs to gain some kilos, so what are your favourite tasty healthy calorically-dense foods/recipes?

Except: my friend is type-II diabetic and is controlling blood sugar levels only with diet - for a whole bunch of reasons, physicians aren't recommending medication right now - so anything heavy with empty carbohydrates wouldn't work.

My friend loves food and is willing to try anything as long as it won't spike blood sugar, so even the most random recipes would be appreciated!

(Also: I suggested protein shakes, but after looking at the local bodybuilding shop the tubs are too expensive to buy and try out once - do any of you know of diabetic-friendly protein powders/brands?)

Unhungry Bear

galadriel — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:24:50 -0800

Old dog losing weight, can't get her to eat more volume; what can I safely add to her food to help her gain weight back? Saedy Bear is losing weight again, but her tests come out as normal as can be expected. Among her various other issues, she has a jaw condition that means she doesn't like to open her mouth or chew. I give her as much canned food as I can get her to eat, but she gets tired of eating after a while, and what she will eat over the course of a day is clearly not enough now.

She's got some food allergies (primarily beef); this is about the only canned food I can get on a regular basis that won't make her sick and lose even more weight. I checked, and the senior and puppy varieties have fewer calories than the adult, dratitall, so I can't just switch to a higher-cal version of the same thing.

Is there a good oil, perhaps, or powder maybe, that I can add to her food to help her gain weight back? What's good for old dogs? If it's too hard to eat she will just walk away, so it can't make the food too soupy or too chewy or sticky. I tried giving her some peanut butter yesterday--she used to like it--but it's too much trouble now.

She's in reasonably good shape all things considered, has even been playing more since we adopted another dog a couple of weeks ago--I think maybe the additional activity is burning too many calories.

Why is there more LyzzyBee all of a sudden after years of being the same?

LyzzyBee — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 05:24:02 -0800

After staying the same weight, eating the same stuff (changed a year ago but stayed the same since then) and doing the same exercise, I've suddenly put on several kilos in weight. It's quite frustrating. I have been using the same scales: they have a fat measurement thing on and while I know these are not accurate and I am not x% fat, that measurement stayed the same while my weight did, and has now gone up with it. I have cut out sweets and most snacks during the day but still gaining (2 months now). a) how can I get my normal weight and size back b) how can I cope with the disappointment and angst? I lost a few stone a few years back through exercise. Always ate healthily with a few dodgy biscuits/cakes/choc - this time last year cut saturated fat out of my diet to (successfully) combat raised cholesterol levels, weight went down then stablilised as I found enough to eat.

Weight has been around 63.8-64.5 kg for 4 years. Now up to 67.4 after jumping up to 66 ish for a few weeks. Height is 5 ft 2. Eat healthily, whole-grainly, lots of veg, fish etc and this has not changed in the past year. I exercise for 4-5 hours a week, about 60/40 cardiovascular/strength and again, this has not changed in about a year.

I have now cut out sweets during the day (had quite a few at one point) and just an up to 50 cal snack when I get home from work and if not going to the gym. But getting heavier. And fatter, I feel it and see it round my apple-y waist and my jawline. Yuck.

One further data point: I have recently stopped taking the Pill (Mercilon) after years on it. I am on a low dose of a high blood pressure medicine, but that has not changed in 4 years. I'm not p.g., though.

What I don't need, but thanks: info on the fat scales thing, I know that is not an accurate measurement, but it was another constant which has now changed. Info on sat fat and cholesterol- this diet has worked for me, thank you. And acceptance of fatter self - I don't feel well or healthy and I can't see how it can be good to suddenly gain like this.

Thank you!

Ask your MetaFilter if birth control pills are right for you!

DestinationUnknown — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:50:28 -0800

This is a long boring question about birth control pills (specifically Yaz and Levlite) and weight gain. I'll attempt to be concise, and make this make sense, though it may not work because this is a long crazy-making saga.

From roughly 25-31, I was on Levlite. (Though there were two periods during that time when I was off the Pill for something like 6 mos- 1 year, then I went back on.) It made my life easier in a million ways. Then Levlite was discontinued. Around that time I moved, and started going to a new Gyno. She gave me a Rx for Yaz. OK, fine. I took the Yaz, and had none of the obvious side-effects, so I assumed I'd easily found a replacement Pill.

Around that time I started gaining weight. I didn't connect this to the Yaz, first of all because I hadn't gained weight on Levlite (I'd lost it, in fact) and also because when I'd moved my routine had been disrupted. I figured I'd gained the first 5 lbs because I had stopped my usually thorough calorie counting, and had eaten more than usual for a few weeks. But when I went back to my normal eating habits, I didn't lose the weight like I usually did after a short period of laziness. Instead, I kept gaining. I gained ~45 lbs that year. I asked my Gyn. if it could be the Yaz. She said no, that of any Pill Yaz would be the least likely to cause weight gain, and she told me to eat fewer carbs. But, she said if I wanted, I could try Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo instead. So I did, for several months. No weight loss, and there was some minor but annoying difference with that, worse cramps or something, so I went back to the Yaz. I was freaking out this whole time, of course; I have the body type where an extra 5 lbs is obvious and not in a nice curvy way. Also I'd been fat for a few years in High School, and hated it. I'd lost almost all the weight I wanted and maintained that, about 5 lbs above my ideal, for over a decade. Occasionally I'd gain ~10 lbs, but I could always correct that. So I really hated not being able to apply my usual strategies. Stupidly in retrospect, I stayed on Yaz, and stayed fat, for about another 8 months.

Finally I decided to go off the Yaz as an experiment. It took a year, but I lost about half the extra weight without changing anything else. (I was careful about what I was eating, but no more than usual, like I said, I always am.) The last 20-ish lbs have been much harder to lose; I'm still working on that.

Now to the question(s), I promise. I would love to go back on the Pill, because it made my skin clearer, my PMS negligable, my periods lighter,and my cycle predictable. It seemed, even, though I could be wrong here, that it made it easier to maintain my weight. But I don't want to go on another new Pill and risk gaining weight again or hampering my efforts to lose the rest of the extra lbs. And now my dependable Levlite is gone. I assume if I could get some other Pill with the same active ingredients (Ethinyl Estradiol/ Levonorgestrel), that will work equally well. Question #1 - is this assumption correct?

There's a generic of Levlite that AFAIK is still produced (Aviane.) But, wouldn't you know, I'm allergic to it. The other brands with Ethinyl Estradiol/ Levonorgestrel are, according to this, as follows: Alesse®-21, Alesse®-28, Enpresse™ 28, Jolessa™, Lessina™-28, Levlen®, Levora®, Lutera™, Lybrel™, Nordette®, Portia™, Preven®, Quasense™, Seasonale®, Seasonique™, Sronyx, Tri-Levlen®, Triphasil®-21, Triphasil®-28, Trivora®. Question #2 - are any MeFites in the US currently taking any of the above pills? Or have they been discontinued too? (Or in Canada, even? If it's legal I could order from there, or get my family there to send me some, or even drive up there to a pharmacy if I had to.) You'd think it would be easy enough to ask my Dr. or a pharmacist for this info, but I spent hours trying to find out during the Years of Fatness, and got nowhere. Which is why I'm asking here. My insurance does not cover Rx's, so I don't care whether it's generic or not. I do tend to be allergic to generics, but I'd try anything that might be the same, aside from Aviane which I'm definitely allergic to, that is.) If I asked for a Rx for a certain Pill I'm sure my Dr. would give it to me - she's great, she just seems to think the only options are Yaz, Ortho Tri Cyclen, some other similar low-dose Pill whose name I've forgotten now, and the Nuva Ring which I don't want to use.

And a sort of bonus Question # 3, for anyone else who has gained weight on a Pill and then gone off that Pill - what was your weight loss like? How long did it take? I'm afraid I might be fucked up permanently somehow and will never get back to the weight I was at before, though logically I don't see how that could be. (Pre-epmtively, in case anyone thinks I'm being unrealistic, I should say I was not thin before this weight gain. Just normal, a bit pudgy in places, but I was comfortable. I feel very uncomfortable with these extra ~20 lbs, it's obviously not the right weight for me. Also pre-emptively, I know I'll have to work harder at 34 than I did in my late 20s, I'm not expecting to be able to eat a ton of food and still lose weight. I've always had the metabolism of a drowsy snail, normal thyroid test results notwithstanding, so I'm used to hard work and sacrifice and I'm totally OK with that. I just want to know about the Pill side-effect fallout.)

If anyone read all that, thanks for reading all that!

500 kcal nutrient cube BID

Maximian — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 07:43:13 -0800

I'm a vegetarian, I'm starting to work out with weights, and I'm looking for specific ways to add 1,000 calories per day to my diet. I'm very confused about how to accomplish this healthily. Halp! I can't radically alter my daily meal habits, as I cook most of the meals for our household and it's working out great for everyone. Thus, I need some in-betweeners that pack a caloric punch. My appetite is generally weak, so the denser and smaller, the better. By "vegetarian" I guess I mean ovo-lacto-cheeso-gelatino-vegetarian. I'd really like specific recipes and calorie counts, rather than general combinations of ingredients. For this endeavor, I would value speed of prep and economy over taste, appearance, or gourmet.

(Yes, I will use a calorie tracker; yes, I have talked with my doctor; yes, I am in good health other than being chronically and significantly underweight; no, I have no food allergies or sensitivities. I'm in my late 20s if that helps somehow.)

Exercise makes you fat.

timory — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:56:19 -0800

I started exercising and eating less, and I'm gaining weight. I highly doubt I'm building muscle. Is this going to stop eventually? For the sake of relative brevity, please trust me when I say that I'm super informed about nutrition. I minimize white flour, sugar, and processed foods, I count calories (and I know what a good calorie range is for me), and generally don't have trouble losing (small amounts of) weight.

After gaining 10 pounds last summer (toll for passing the bar exam, I guess), I really want to get rid of it. And then some, ideally. Normally I can just count calories (about 1500-1800 does the trick), but it just hasn't been working this time around. I think that part of it has to do with how much I was walking while I was in law school, and how little I'm doing that now that I take public transport more.

Buuuut, I finally found an exercise I can't get enough of - Just Dance for the Wii. Don't make fun of me too much, it's super fun. Anyway. I've been busting ass with this thing for two weeks without increasing my food intake (if anything I'm eating less and making sure to get lots of protein and fiber), and I feel awesome. More energy, body hurts in a good way, feeling happier, all that stuff.... except I've gained about 5 more pounds.

Only 2 weeks + zero weight lifting (only dancing around like an idiot!) makes it seem super unlikely that I've gained 5 pounds of muscle. I started measuring my waist and hips, and I am no bigger in that sense, but that's not saying too much. A dress size for me is upwards of 20 pounds, so it takes a whole lot for me to look bigger.

If this is useful at all, I'm female, 5'7 and about 205 pounds. I know that makes me morbidly obese on the BMI scale, but I'm odd... I look about 160 and wear a size 14, and my body fat is just under 30%... not good but nothing scary.

What the heck?! I'm going to keep at it for all the other benefits, but why on earth am I gaining weight if I have a calorie deficit? I'm playing this game with all my might about an hour a day, which at my weight ends up being about 300-400 calories at a clip, estimating conservatively. On top of about a mile of walking per day and a restricted calorie diet, I really should be losing weight. In fact, I WAS losing weight (albeit very slowly) before I started exercising! I'm not eating more, so I thought that the pounds would fall off.

Time to toss the scale?

I don't know how to feed myself anymore. Please help.

oogenesis — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:45:39 -0800

I don't know how to feed myself anymore. Please help. I'm lactose-intolerant, anemic, and suffer from acid reflux disease (3 years and running). I've lost about 20 pounds in the last five years due to the reflux and a bout of depression. I'm also too insanely busy to cook, thanks to long workdays and hours spent on public transit, since I don't drive. Help me plan highly-caloric meals around my schedule, so I don't need to spend so much time eating. I know my question sounds uber-dramatic, but for the past five years I've been trying to regain some weight after a really bad depressive episode. I'm 28, 5'8"and currently 125lb. I walk everywhere and take public transit. I also work in a kitchen, so that piles more physical activity on top of everything else. Being less physical isn't much of an option, as I have no other way of getting around, and I quickly get depressed, tired, and sore if I'm not active.

Recently I looked up how many calories I should be taking in every day to gain weight and take into account my activity level: ~3500 calories. I don't have TIME to eat that much every day; it's a real struggle just to get 2000 in. When I was younger and heavier (23, 145lb) I didn't need to eat so freaking much, and now I have no idea how to plan meals around my current metabolism (I just burn straight through most of what I eat) and time constraints. Frustrated with constantly having to feed the singularity in my stomach, I usually just end up not eating.

Can you help me come up with ideas for some high-energy (800 calorie+) healthy meals that will work with a cook's late-night/early morning schedule?

Can anxiety cause weight loss despite adequate nutrition?

DeltaForce — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 12:02:27 -0800

Can anxiety cause weight loss despite adequate nutrition? Two years ago, I changed my diet, and began eating very healthily. Lots of fresh vegetables, salmon, etc. Definitely lower on the carbs. I lost about 7 pounds (went down to 110, I had always been about 115-117). I then added back whole grains, more starchy veggies, and went on a "diet" (not for weight loss) that had a big emphasis on balancing hormones, so I would always combine fats, protein and carbs. I was eating three solid meals a day with several snacks, and my weight went back up to about where it had always been. But I felt great...until I began experiencing severe anxiety. I had an episode that left me unable to eat or do anything for almost an entire week and I dropped down to 110 pounds in a few days.

Since then, I have tried to no avail to gain weight. This past summer I went down to 100 pounds despite eating a lot of healthy food. I went to the doctor and had some tests done. The results said that my thyroid and everything else is okay. I have no intestinal distress so malnutrition as of the result of an allergy such as celiac disease does not seem likely.

Like I said, I definitely eat enough and people always ask me how I stay so thin. I am 20 years old and have never had this problem before. The only thing is that I am still very anxious on a daily basis.

My question is, is it possible that my anxiety is using up all of the calories I consume? How can I fix this? Doctors have been unhelpful. I am tired of feeling like a breeze could blow me away and of looking so gaunt. Some relevant info is that I am 20, female, and I have very little muscle. Will building muscle round out my figure, and perhaps allow more fat to be gained as well?

Thank you.

I need an exercise routine to gain weight and muscle with limited equipment

Matrod — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 05:41:14 -0800

As a part of a life-changing experience, I´m trying to get together a series of exercises and routines to make myself fit and strong. Right now, I have the following "ingredients" to make it happen: 1. Resistance band kit from GoFit (Ultimage ProGym) 2. A pair of 14 kg dumbbells 3. A foldable bike 4. A round balance board 5. A quiet neighborhood to walk on. 6. 3 hours per week My goal is to exercise at least for one hour on monday, wednesday and friday. I had an accident 4 years ago and my left knee was injured (bone avulsion, no ligament was broken). Right now it´s ok but when I go jogging, let´s say, for two or three consecutive days (around 30 minutes) it starts to hurt, so I don´t want anything that strains it a lot. I´m a healthy latin-american guy, 1.82 Mts high, 73 Kgs.

I´ve been following the ProGym Training Program suggestions for a while (10 repetitions of each of 8 exercises: V raise, Standing Row, Lateral Raise, 1 Arm Rotational Kneeling, Standing Adduction, Standing Hip Extension, Standing Hip Abduction, Standing Hip Flexion), but the whole set takes more or less 15-20 minutes to complete, including warm-up and calisthenics. When I cannot perform these exercises, I use the dumbbells to do something similar, adding weight every now and then. The bike is used seldom, but I´d like to use it more, as well as the balance board to strengthen my ankles and legs in general. If recommended, I can also add some push-ups, walking or similar exercises additionally to my equipment usage.

So, I would like to have a defined routine to exercise using the tools that I already have and a plan to increase weight / resistance to allow muscle building and more stamina, while avoiding getting bored. My objective is to reach at least 80 kg, more on muscle than fat of course! How long will this take if I exercise, as I said before, 3 hours per week?

Last but not least, any diet suggestions would be welcome as well. At this time I have not access to a gym or instructor.

Any ideas / suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

How does Seroquel cause weight gain and/or diabetes?

MuChao — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:54:46 -0800

Does Seroquel *really* cause diabetes and if so, how? After having been on Seroquel [for bipolar type 2] for 6 months, and only gaining a few [much needed] pounds very slowly*, I had the usual blood tests and everything, including blood sugar, came back normal.

I've been warned, by doctors and other patients, that Seroquel not only causes weight gain, but also diabetes. Having not noticed either of these side-effects myself, it makes me wonder.

The only related side-effect I've noticed is weird cravings for junk food which I'd never really craved (being a light and mostly-healthy eater) before. New cravings include french fries and honey-buns, but mostly I don't give into them, choosing to eat healthier alternatives (healthier carbs, or fruits for the sweet-tooth).

So this makes me beg the question: does Seroquel directly cause diabetes/weight gain, or is it the response to the new food cravings?

*Years of depression left me pretty badly under-weight