On Fri, 7 Oct 2005, yuluwirri wrote:
;x-no-archive: yes
;
;On Thu, 6 Oct 2005 20:53:00 -0700, "Owen"
;<[email hidden]> wrote:
;
;>I think it's possible to lose weight, but I'm not sure about getting back to
;>"normal" weight. I take amitriptyline and have been able to lose, but that
;>last 10 pounds or so is really tough. I need to watch calories pretty
;>closely. I have a physical condition which limits my ability to exercise.
;
;Me too. I can only do say, 15 minutes of moderate walking per day at
;the most. And sometimes even this is not possible. I am really
;relieved to hear that it is possible to lose weight though, and if I
;got down to the last 10 pounds I would be well pleased.
Just as a sidenote, the last 10 (or sometimes 20) lbs are hard for many
people, drug complications or not, so the fact that Owen has made it there
puts him solidly in the ranks of "normal" dieters despite the added
chemical challenges.
;
;>The information I've read on tricyclics indicates that for some, the weight
;>issue is due to increased appetite, which can be accounted for, but in some
;>cases there seems to be an actual effect on metabolizing some foods, which
;>is a bit harder to deal with.
;
;Yes. This is the case with me. I do not have much of an appetite at
;the moment. I need to force myself to eat 2 meals a day. When I start
;Atkins, I know I will need to try for 3 or perhaps 5 small meals.
;Maybe the 5 small meals would be better to try to kick start the
;metabolism again.
You don't say what your physical limitations are (no reason why you
should, I'm just explaining why I'm making a suggestion that may or may
not be helpful), but if it's possible to do some bursts of exercise that
really get your heart rate going for a minute or so, that may help to
upregulate your metabolism. Even if running isn't an option, you may be
able to do something on an exercise bike or perhaps in the pool if you
have access to one. If you can do some weight training (doesn't have
to be flinging iron around if that's not your thing, body weight can
provide a real workout without any added resistance) that can keep your
metabolism firing.
Also, if your exercise limitations are the result of your depression,
rather than physical limitations, you might find that there are ways to
trick yourself into doing more than you originally think you can. I
exercise most days these days, but, except on days when I work w/ a
trainer, I have to prod myself every step of the way. First I have make
myself put on workout clothes and shout over all the whiny voices giving
reasons why I don't have to workout *today*. Then, I spend the first 15
minutes of any cardio workout fighting inertia - my knees hurt, I'm still
sore from my last workout, I didn't sleep well last night - faugh!
I have two strategies that help to get past that. The first is that I make
a rule for myself that I have to keep going for at least 20 minutes
(that's usually the breakthrough point for me, ymmv). Even if I have to
leave the treadmill (or equivalent) on .5 mile an hour, I'm damn' well
going to make it through that long. The second is that once I'm a little
warmed up, I increase the intensity enough to get the blood moving. I use
the playlist on my mp3 player so that I get going when a faster, more
upbeat song comes on, but you could use anything that motivates you to
really kick it up for a minute or two. After I do that, I usually find
that I'm not as tired and sore as I thought I was. By the time I'm at the
end of the 20 minutes, I feel like I can probably go for a half hour and
then . . . before you know it I've put in an hour at a respectable pace.
The funny thing is that I'm actually fairly fit - I can easily do ~6mph
for an hour (that's an average, I find steady state really boring), which
isn't going to win me any races, but it burns a few calories. But, I've
still got to fight through that first 15 minutes or so.
;
;>So I think it is possible to manage weight on tricyclics, keeping in mind
;>the (hopefully minor) obstacles they can present.
;
;Thank you so much Owen. I really appreciate you taking the time to
;reply to me. When we have a little hope, sometimes that is all we
;need. I start Monday.
;
Good luck to you. The first 2 weeks are the hardest, but if you persist I
think you'll find that a low carb WOE has benefits you didn't even expect.
Martha
;
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