Health Problems I Lost After Losing Weight

I've lost 98 pounds and dropped from size 18/20 to 3/4. I never had weight problems till I lost two stillborn babies, started early menopause and took the antidepressant Paxil (linked to weight gain ). Once I started getting fat, it snowballed. With 100 extra pounds, came added health problems. Since I've trimmed down and shed weight, I shed health issues, too.  Health Problems I Lost When I Dropped 98 Pounds 

Burn Fat Eating Fat? Yes, Ma'am! A-Z List of Healthy Fatty Acid Foods

I've lost 98 pounds (no drugs or surgery...pause for cheering...). I count calories, use portion control and healthy food swaps. There's a diet myth that says all fat is bad. Sure, too much saturated, hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated and transfat (same as hydrogenated, different name) aren't good.

But some fats are essential to health and actually burn body fat. Ironic? Impossible? Nope. Good fats are fatty acids: omega-6, omega-3, GLA (gamma linolenic acids), ALA (alpha linolenic acids), MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids). These fats break down and are used for energy, says How Stuff Works. Bad fats--LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol, saturated, transfat, hydrogenated--don't break down. They just accumulate in the body as, well, fat!

A study for the University of Finland links obesity to Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes (also called insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome). The study says Type 2 diabetes is reversible with diet. I'm proof of that. After I lost 100 pounds, dropped 10 sizes and got my BMI to normal, I also lost prediabetes. Belly fat in particular is linked to insulin resistance. Uncontrolled pre-diabetes leads eventually to Type 2 diabetes. So how did I reverse prediabetes? I didn't use drugs or surgery. I swapped saturated and hydrogenated fat, starch, refined sugar and flour for high-fiber, fatty acids foods. Ironically, good fats--omega oils, MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids)--burn bad fat. Fiber and fatty acids work together to cleanse fat. Many fiber-rich foods are also high in fatty acids but low in saturated fats. Here's an AZ list of good-fat, high-fiber foods. Eat your way to thin and diabetes-free!

A is for apples, almonds, almond milk, avocados, amaranth flour (an ancient grains full of fiber and fatty acids). B is for beans (lentils) black-eyed peas,bananas, blue-green algae, blueberries, blackberries, barley and buckwheat (ancient grain). C is for cashews, cashew milk, coconut oil, coconut milk, collard greens, chia seeds and unsweetened cocoa powder (fat-burning antioxidant). D is for dark chocolate (70-percent or higher cacao). Type 2 diabetics can have some sugar, so make sure it burns fat, like dark cacao.

E is for edamame (raw soybeans). F is for milled flax seed. G is for grapefruit and graham flour. Grapefruit cleanses and melts fat away. H is for homemade hummus (grind garbanzo beans, lemon juice, tahini, garlic and za'atar and no oil). I is for ispaghula or isabgol, better known as psyllium husks (super colon cleanse). J is for juicing. Blend a fiber smoothie of berries, apples, kale, spinach and butternut squash.

K is for kale, kamut (ancient grain) and Kashi bars cereals (Chocolate Almond & Seasalt bars with chia and Go Lean Protein are best). L is for sprouted lentils, lentils, legumes and lemons (add a wedge to water bottle). M is for lmiso, Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake frozen dinner and millet (ancient grain). O is for oranges and olives (good fatty acid source). P is for pumpkin, pumpkin seeds and psyllium husks. Q is for quinoa (ancient grain, substitute for white rice or pasta).

R is for wild rice, raspberries, rhubarb and rye flour (ancient grain). S is for seeds, salmon, spinach, sunflower seeds, soybeans, tempeh, seeds, sweet potatoes, strawberries, squash (summer and winter) and spelt flour (ancient grain). T is for triticale wheat flour, Bob's Red Mill TVP (textured vegetable protein, avoid kinds made with hydrolyzed oils), tomatoes and tuna.

U is for unbleached, unrefined ancient grain flour (Bob's Red Mill makes delicious 7-grain and 14-grain flours for baking and cooking). V is for Vitae Plus Powder (Chimex). W is for water and whole grains. X means cross out white bread and commercial fiber bars (lots of carbohydrates, no good fiber). Y is for yams and yellow squash. Z is for zucchini.

Paxil Antidepressant Caused Weight Gain, High Cholesterol, Possibly Stillbirth

Eleven years ago, I began taking the antidepressant medication Paxil (Paroxetine, Fluxetine) for anxiety issues. Paxil is now known to cause many side effects. Weight gain and elevated LDL cholesterol are two problems commonly caused by Paxil. In 2001, Paxil was a newer antidepressant and less was known about it. A therapist had recommended that I consult my physician about trying the highly touted Paxil for my recurrent panic attacks.

Paxil did help me manage and process my panic attacks and anxiety issues. However I became increasingly alarmed over the horror stories linking Paxil with infant birth defects, miscarriage and stillborn babies.Before I had heard of Paxil's link to pregnancy and birth problems, I had taken Paxil during a pregnancy, under my Ob Gyn and midwife's direction. That pregnancy ended in stillbirth.

Paxil also caused weight gain. For the first 40 odd years of my life, I a) maintained a constant weight of 115-130 pounds even after giving birth four times and b) did not take anti-depressants. In 2003, I went on Paxil after the loss of a baby. Since then I've been steadily gaining weight. Yes, I'm getting older, yes I'm in menopause. But those two factors together are not enough to explain this rampant weight gain.

I explored thyroid issues. Initial tests showed that I suffered from some hypothyroid (sluggish, low functioning thyroid) and some hyperthyroid (overactive thyroid) issues. I took Levoxyl or Synthroid. Later test showed, however, that my thyroid was 'fine'. Studies show that the the Levoxyl threshold levels in general testing are way to broad to be accurate. So thyroid issues may still a problem.

Of course there is always the obvious weight gain issue. Too many calories, not enough exercise. For the first 40 plus years, I have been able to eat pretty much whatever I wanted and not gain weight. Well, I thought, that's clearly no longer the case. I went on a stringent vegetarian diet, no soda, few sweets, no eggs, very limited dairy and only yogurt, vegetables, whole grains, fiber, lots of water, the whole diet package. I have followed this regime for over four months. Not one pound did I lose. In fact, I gained weight.

So something was clearly wrong. I asked the doctor if antidepressants cause weight gain and found that indeed they do. Maybe that's a dumb question. Maybe I should have known. Or maybe my doctor should have told me about the weight gain. He's the one filling out the prescription with one hand and scolding me for not losing weight with the other. And you want to know what's really bizarre? My appetite has changed since being on the Paxil. In fact I have very little appetite. Food doesn't taste as good. I have lost my taste for chocolate, cheese, desserts, ice cream, all the things I used to enjoy, before antidepressants, and still I gain weight. But I can also easily binge and not notice it, thanks to the drugging Paxil.

When I googled "antidepressant weight gain" I found a deluge of comments from folks who have experienced the same issues. Now that is depressing! There are better antidepressants for avoiding weight gain. Wellbutrin has a better reputation than Paxil and Depakote. But I decided to skip the drugs and wean myself off from all the meds. I'm continuing the healthier eating program. If you want to follow the journey or have antidepressant horror stories of your own to share follow this blog.

2016 update to this post: Guess what? After quitting the drugs, calorie counting and working at weight loss, I've shed 100 pounds and 10 sizes!