I keep piling weight on and I can’t figure out why

[LukeSkywalkerBoots]

Hey all

My ‘happy weight’ is around 9 stone. However, over the last few years I have gone up to 10stone 4 which on my petite frame feels very uncomfortable (particularly around the middle).

This is what I eat on an average day:

Fruit with a spoon of almond butter and honey
A nakd bar
A bowl of kale and tuna salad with seeetcorn and a bit of salad dressing, or a tuna mayo pitta bread with an apple
A little homemade gingerbread man mid afternoon
Salmon and vegetable stir fry with chilli sauce and half a microwave rice
A bit more fruit and almond butter

I have quite a disordered relationship with food and worry a lot about what I’m eating putting weight on me.

I’m on pregabalin which may have added some weight to the pile- however I have been on it a couple of years and I thought medication weight gain would be rapid rather than slow?

[caringcarer]

Several people who have taken that medication have all said it makes you gain weight. It sounds like you.migjt not want to take it. If you come off do it very slowly to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

[Lurkingforawhile]

Good luck with the GP OP!

[LukeSkywalkerBoots]

@MissMarplesHandbag and it is all around my middle too!!!!

[MissMarplesHandbag]

@LukeSkywalkerBoots good luck on Monday

[LukeSkywalkerBoots]

@MissMarplesHandbag eek! I have heard of rapid weight gain like that. I’ve booked a phone chat with my gp for Monday.

[uncomfortablydumb53]

It could well be the Pregabilin regardless of your diet... I gained 2 stone, all round my middle I changed meds because of it

[MissMarplesHandbag]

@LukeSkywalkerBoots I put on nearly 2 stone in 6 weeks on bloody pregabalin. My diet didn’t change at all in that time. I changed to another drug and eventually lost the weight after about 12 months. It’s definitely worth discussing the weight gain with your GP / specialist as it is a known side effect, and seeing if you can be prescribed an alternative.

[ThirstyGhost]

@BeQuick

the carbs are evil people

Are the equivalent 'fat is evil' people are ok?

None of it is ok, not when an OP has stated they have a history like she does. I'm a recovering addict (alcohol) and if I started a thread about it, almost no one would feel able to advise me on treatment for my addiction. I'd be advised (rightly) to go to AA, see a counsellor, etc.... But because it's food that is the "substance" here, everyone feels they are an expert. But they are giving advice to a potentially vulnerable person. I see disordered eating v. much like an addiction. You have to be so careful. At a couple of points in this thread the OP said she was finding advice "triggering".

She was hospitalised in her past. My personal view is that someone with a history of disordered eating needs to be so very careful about taking advice from anyone advocating a particular diet. People are trying to be helpful, but disordered eating requires advice from professionals, just like substance abuse or addiction does.

[minipie]

I don’t know anything about your medication, sounds like it may well be that.

If you think it’s not that, then I would suggest getting checked for hypothyroid and also PCOS. If you do have either of these then I’d suggest cutting down the sugar (nakd bar, gingerbread man, honey, you are having a lot of sugar). On the other hand if you are in this category you should be able to eat high fat foods (cheese, salami) without too much issue so perhaps these could be your treats.

[BeQuick]

the carbs are evil people

Are the equivalent 'fat is evil' people are ok?

[ThirstyGhost]

MN is the worst place to post if you have a history of disordered eating. There seem to be A LOT of people on MN with borderline EDs themselves and they flock to these threads. You also get the diet evangelists who advocate particular diets as a solution for everything and the carbs are evil people, and the ones who pick apart your diet with a microscope, etc.... Plus idiots who actually think it's ok to suggest to an OP who has stated that she was hospitalised with disordered eating than an apple can make them put on weight. How insensitive do you have to be to make that comment.

Ugh.

My only advice would be to rule out any medical issues, like thyroid through blood tests at your doctor. Talk to them about your meds and possibly switching from those if appropriate. Then consult a proper professional nutritionist and work out a healthy eating plan (not a diet) together.

Sorry if I'm ranting a bit. I lost my childhood best friend to an ED and it just riles me when I see some of the responses on threads like these.

[Apileofballyhoo]

I see lots of people have commented on what what they think is best - some obviously think low fat is more important and some think low carb is more important.

The thing that stood out for me is that you mentioned constipation and bloating. I wondered about enough fibre, particularly insoluble fibre.

[MustardMitt]

@LukeSkywalkerBoots

I am 5 foot 4

In that case, carry on!

[doadeer]

It sounds really healthy to me. All you can do is experiment. I'm not a snacker I just eat my main meals but I know lots of people like to snack. Maybe one day swop the gingerbread for some nuts? I find homemade soup lovely for lunch and it's low calorie but hearty.

[Lurkingforawhile]

@greenflamingo what a lovely comment! I like the phrase about the food / meals being joyful.

[LukeSkywalkerBoots]

I am 5 foot 4

[Mummyoply]

I use my fitness pal and your daily intake for the above is over 1700 that's allowing just 1 cup of fresh fruit salad for each meal and just 1 tablespoon of almond butter, 1 portion of rice etc. So if you're not weighing out your portions it could be more. I am a similar age to you and would put on weight if I ate over 1,500 calories on a regular basis.

I'm not stating this to pick holes in your diet, each to their own, I only point it out because you asked and sound like you wish to lose weight and it's easy to overestimate how much a portion is.

I'm not in a position to comment on your medication and how this affects weight and bloating. Good luck with whatever you decide to do, I'm happy to be a weight loss buddy if you need one and I'm over on the calorie counting board.

[MustardMitt]

How tall are you? If you’re 5ft 7 or taller then maybe your 9 stone ‘happy weight’ is actually the lower end of normal and you have a skewed view.

I know you mention your petite frame but that doesn’t say to me that you’re short, rather small boned.

[TooManyPlatesInMotion]

I have no answers re the medication but your diet sounds really healthy and balanced to me and you are exercising plenty... I would be delighted if I could get my diet to where yours is!

[Spottysausagedogs]

Hi @LukeSkywalkerBoots,
I'm a similar age and feeling similar at the moment, but without the drugs to contend with, which I can't comment on but I do understand it will make things more complicated for you.

For me, I think I know what my problem is though- sugar and starch/carbs. I'm eating too much of them and I know it 🤨 They can become really addictive and a lot of processed foods, convenience foods, things in packets, bottles and jars from the supermarket are laden with them but they can be difficult to spot because of all the misleading marketing and packaging.
I've had to reassess my DD's diet recently too and the biggest thing for her was to try and cut down on these sugary convenience foods and replace with vegetables and protein. Thankfully she doesn't mind at all, I'm not starving her in any way or counting calories, and its had great results for her in addition to getting her into more activities over the school hols as the school timetable is even more sedentary than usual at the moment due to covid restrictions.

I read the replies on this thread, lots of them talking about calories in and out, which is basically correct but I could see that would be a highly triggering way to do things if you have had disordered eating in the past.

I could really recommend something like slimming world as their basic aim is to get people off the processed sugars and onto home-prepared balanced meals with uncomplicated ingredients, and then later in the programme if you are approaching target weight they will start to concentrate on specific low carb high protein options. Sorry if I'm preaching to the converted here but from what you've posted re your actual eating habits, for the amount of calories you're eating you could actually feel less restricted on your portions if you minimised sugar and replaced some starchy foods.

I dont work for slimming world by the way 😄
I just found their programme very enlightening and it all made a lot more sense to me after being on their plan for a while and seeing it working. I know there is a lot of conflicting advice out there and it is difficult to see the woods for the trees so to speak.

[northbacchus]

[quote Georgeoftheinternet]@northbacchus your body needs fats, doesn’t need carbs. So up the (animal) fats, down the carbs.[/quote]
Of course your body needs carbs, I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous. What about the build up of keytones?

[QueenPaws]

@Georgeoftheinternet I have to restrict to 900-1200 cals to lose weight and am 5ft 10

[Georgeoftheinternet]

@movingonup20 1200 calories sounds insane

[movingonup20]

@LukeSkywalkerBoots

Keep eating the fruit just drop the honey on it etc but my recommendation is to increase activity because it's actually a healthy diet, just perhaps a bit too much sugar hence dropping the honey. You could also have vegetable crudités and hummus instead of one of the fruit meals

[Georgeoftheinternet]

@northbacchus your body needs fats, doesn’t need carbs. So up the (animal) fats, down the carbs.