People taking bipolar disorder medications who want to lose weight will have to make some dietary changes. Medication-induced weight gain is common with many psychiatric meds (and other prescription drugs as well).<p>
Making diet changes is not necessarily the same as "going on a diet" -- it can also be a matter of making changes to your daily food intake that will promote weight loss. Here is a collection of tips that will help bipolar people examine their diets and make healthy changes.
Tips from Marcia and Kimberly
- Marcia: According to Prevention magazine, dietary fiber minimizes insulin response, which means that your body stores less fat from a high-fiber meal. Let this knowledge help motivate you toward fiber-rich foods.
- Kim: According to dietitian Edith Howard Hogan, low fat isn't the only part of dieting. Calories and portion size matter as well. Low fat, high calorie or high carbohydrate foods can cause weight gain or short-circuit a diet if eaten regularly.
- Marcia and and Kim: Simply counting calories can be a very effective way to lose weight (combined with some exercise). You can use a journal to do this, but it's easier to keep track on computer. There are several good software programs with food databases that will make calorie-counting easier, but if you don't want to spend any money, try Calorie Count Plus.
- Marcia: Try tea! There are plenty of decaffeinated teas available, and if you use no sugar or sweeten it with a sugar substitute, there are no calories. Use tea in place of late night snacks -- it satisfies the hand-to-mouth urge, gives a sweet taste, and lasts a long time. See Types of Tea for lots of information and recipes.
- Kim: I do everything I can to avoid snacking after dinner. If I absolutely want something I go get something small like a cracker or whatever and eat it in the kitchen. I do not take anything with me to eat while I watch TV or work or whatever.
- Marcia: According to Prevention magazine, the monounsaturated fat in peanut butter is so good for you that you should NOT use lowfat kinds! So feel free to have two level tablespoons (three for men) per day TWICE a day, as long as you keep your overall calorie and fat intake sensible.
- Marcia's Friend Jo: Research has shown that it takes 20 minutes for your brain to get the message from your stomach to stop eating because you're full. This is why some dieting gurus recommend putting down your fork between bites; that technique can help you slow down your eating so that it takes you at least 20 minutes to eat.
- Marcia: This is an oldie but a goodie -- NEVER shop for groceries when you are hungry, and agree with yourself ahead of time that you will not buy snacks on impulse. Better still, make a healthy list and stick to it!
- Marcia and and Kim: We both came upon this one indepedently -- try brushing your teeth when you have the desire to snack. The taste of toothpaste can be satisfying all by itself!
- Marcia: Eating small meals every few hours does NOT work for everybody. You have to be disciplined about what you will eat at each meal. If you're used to eating two small meals and one large meal, and you don't reduce the size of that large meal when you add a couple more small meals -- you'll gain. (I did.)
Tips from About Weight Loss Guide Jennifer Scott
- The Mayo Clinic Diet
Jennifer says that everything is wrong with this diet -- even the name!
- Portion Control Secrets
If "Cutting Down" is your diet method of choice, this article is for you. Jennifer has excellent suggestions to help you keep yourself on track.
- Snacking Solutions
Jennifer presents these snacking problem-solvers for low-fat dieters.
- Cut 100 or More Calories -- Easy
Ten tips that will cut 100 calories each from your daily diet. These easy substitutions will be practically painless!
Community Contributions
- From Community Member Gage: Remember to chew your food until it is a liquid. We overeaters and dieters do tend to "wolf it down" whole.
- Kill a Sour Mouth Without Sugar
Our community member Jerry said he has been using sweets and soft drinks to cover the bad taste Lithobid puts in his mouth, but wanted other suggestions that were diet-friendly. Community members responded with several ideas!
- The Sarcasm Diet
And finally, a gem of a diet: If you've been wondering why all the dieting and exercising isn't doing you any good, wonder no longer -- Brigid has the answers! You probably haven't been doing just the right thing at the right moment -- and all your efforts have gone for naught. Enjoy this clever diet parody from one of our members!
