Posts by vmp0514

Thanks for your help, I'll try out your suggestions and hope for the best.  :)

Original Post by fate-rock:

try measuring yourself instead of just weighing in.  you may be losing inches and/or gaining muscle and it might not be reflected on the scales just yet.  i would also spend a little more time with the weights than 15 minutes... and work out your abs/core everyday that you exercise.  the more muscle you build, the more calories you burn.  i wouldn't be drinking the protein shakes unless you are doing some more weight lifting... there are a lot of calories in those and it doesn't sound like you are doing a work-out that really calls for one afterwards.

 Thanks, I'll try that, though after 15 minutes my arms or legs are sore to where I can't do anymore and afraid of hurting myself.  My reps are only 70-80-90 lbs 10 times each right now on the machines so perhaps I'll gain more stamina as time goes on.

Thats what I figured, I didn't see the efficiency in weight lifting 3 days a week and only doing one body part a day.   I don't think I'd ever get anywhere.

Thanks for all the advice.  I'll step up weights a bit so that I'm doing cardio and weights 50/50 and eat a bit more, hopefully a combination of the two will allow me to see results over time.   I have about 50-60 lbs to lose, being 5'7 and 225, I should be around the 160 range, I'm just not excited about such a long haul.

Thanks for the advice both of you.  I'll give eating more a shot.  Yesterday I replaced the salad for a grilled chicken sandwhich on whole wheat for protien, I honestly thought eating salad was healthier and would help me lose weight but it doesn't seem to be the food of choice if I'm going to work out 5 days a week.  I honestly thought doing a LOT of cardio would slim me down quickly since I'm burning alot of calories, but it sounds as if that isn't the case. 

So may I ask then, is it worth it to do cardio at all if the foods you eat are bringing you to a 500-1000 calorie deficit a day?  Or do people just do cardio for health reasons and to fix a day where they've overeaten?

How is it then these people on The biggest loser lose 5-10 lbs a week?  What's the secret?

I know what you mean.  Before I took SSRIs I was on prednisone for a low platelet count issue, and the side effects were awful, so I was hesitant to do SSRIs.  Choosing the lesser of the two evils, being depressed all the time and what not versus whatever physical harm comes from taking those pills.

Motivation is another big problem, now that I'm a bit zoned out on Lexapro, I have no energy (desire yes, energy no) to workout.  Wake up at 6 for work, home at 5, and by then I'm so tired from work I don't feel like doing anything except sitting.

Thats another dilemma I have.  If I go off the meds, there's a very good chance I'll revert back to my high anxiety state which will affect my job and everything else.  I prefer to be med free personally, I never liked taking pills, I always believed in mind over matter to solve those problems but I finally realized that it's a condition, not something I can fix on my own.  On pills, I'm still anxious, but not as anti-social or paranoid.

I read something about EMDR, a treatment for those with anxiety disorders.  It's supposed to be like a counseling session that involved eye movement but its not hypnosis.  My goal is to get off these pills so I can get my body to revert back to its normal state, choosing between mental and physical health is a pain.  :)

Thanks for all the input, it's much appreciated.

V- Thanks for the input, I'll try stepping up the workouts and see if I notice any difference.  When I had my personal trainer help about a year ago, he was dumbstruck at how I wasn't losing weight.

Cait, not to worry, it's not rambling.  :)  Every bit helps.

That is ridiculous though that some medication is that expensive.   I live in Pittsburgh and while I consider to have a job that pays fairly well, I would not be able to afford that either. 

My doc just told me a few minutes ago on the phone that I need to see a specialist now, I've moved beyond his expertise.  And go figure, specialists don't have a nice easy copay but instead are under the deductable rule of my medical insurance so I have to drop 500 before any of it is covered...what a messed up society...

If any of you want to email me to talk about your experiences feel free to, I check that moreso than this forum.  (vmp0514@msn.com)

Thanks for your quick response, and sorry to hear you are having problems too. 

My doctor has changed my meds about 3-4 times, first it was Paxil, then wellbutrin, then Buspar, now Lexapro.  I am also taking ativan as needed, which is for my panic attacks.  Before I was on them, my mood swings were terrible.  I was very short fused and worried constantly about stupid things.  I'm afraid to go off the meds for fear of returning to that state, but all of my attempts to lose the weight I've gained has failed.