Does Anyone Else Have Unintentional Weight Loss?

[bluelicorice]

I'm just wondering if anyone else has lost weight (or has trouble maintaining a healthy weight) as the result of their PTSD or anxiety. Since my diagnosis last September, I've lost over 50 pounds without trying. I've found that when I'm anxious, which is a lot of the time now, I lose my appetite and have trouble keeping food down. I also exercise to relieve stress, so I think the combination of exercise and fewer calories is making me lose. I'm not talking about anorexia nervosa; at least I hope that's not what's happening to me! I don't feel fat or anything. I'm currently in a healthy weight range, but I'm continuing to lose. Its starting to worry me; I don't want to get too thin.

 

[billie]

Do you have hyper-vigilance? Thay could inhibit negative feedback loops which gives you a massive dose of catecholamines eg. adrenaline and noradrenaline. Dunno just a guess, I would get checked out by a dr. Good luck

 

[bluelicorice]

@billie, Yes I'm extremely hyper-vigilant. My PTSD was caused (mostly) by war experiences, though I am a civilian. I never thought about adrenaline and such. Thanks so much, I will definitely go the doctor.

 

[krimson]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has experienced weight loss as a result of anxiety/ptsd. I was being tested for a couple of months to rule everything else out, I went from a size 9 to a size 3 in a few months. My appetite is greatly reduced in times of high stress and sometimes I worry it will develop into a disorder of it's own. I don't have the trouble you have keeping food down, but it is hard for me to get myself to eat if I'm not feeling hungry. My doctor suggested eating many high protein foods which I have been trying to but the protein shakes I cannot stomach. I've been diagnosed with anxiety but not ptsd yet as I'm battling myself to finally admit it happened to professionals. My anxiety makes it a nightmare to make and keep appointments as it takes all my courage just to get that much done. I feel so stuck sometimes.

 

[Forgetful]

The nurse weighed me the other day and congratulated me for losing 40 pounds. I wasn't trying to lose weight and I hadn't changed anything such as exercise or diet. I thought their scale was wrong because I don't feel as if I did lose it and surely I would have noticed that much weight coming off.

This morning I weighed myself and sure enough the scale showed a 40 pound difference from a year ago.

I can't explain it.

 

[bluelicorice]

@krimson, Sorry you are experiencing the same as me. Sucks, doesn't it? I'm very short and although my weight is still in the healthy range, because I am so petite I'm now having to shop for clothes in the teen and junior sections a lot of the time! I also hate protein shakes, but I make smoothies with avocado, yogurt, eggs, ground flax seed, etc, to increase calories. They can be pretty tasty if you add fruits or chocolate syrup. The problem is though, when I drink one I then don't feel like eating a meal, and they are supposed to be in addition to a meal, not as a substitute!

I really hope everything is straightened out for you, with your diagnosis. Good luck!

@Snafu, that sounds a lot like me! Though I think in my case I can explain it, because I do know I am eating less.

 

[arfie]

I have been underweight most of my life and can lose weight much faster than I can gain it. It is barely acknowledged as a problem, even in a doctor's office. Sure makes a difference in how I feel, though.

In my own case, cutting out exercise is a definite mistake. My system gains and holds muscle much better than it holds fat. Regular exercise keeps my appetite more consistent and channels that hyper energy that only seems to build and amplify when I am inactive. Just me.

 

[bluelicorice]

@arfie, thanks for sharing your experiences regarding exercise. I had a friend suggest I exercise less but you make some excellent points. In any event I can't imagine exercising less because to be honest its what keeps me sane a lot of the time!

 

[Forgetful]

I usually only eat 1 meal a day but that's been that way for years.

Part of the loss is due to daily bouts of nausea and I will eat a little something just so I don't get dry heaves which is worse in my opinon than actually vomiting.

Also could be that I rarely get hungry any more. When I do eat I eat less than a child's serving.

So I guess I can kind of explain it but I have done that for years. This is not something new.

 

[Ryn]

I dropped 40 pounds in less than six months after initially developing depression and anxiety, and now with PTSD my eating habits tend to flip flop even more erratically. I'm still losing weight now though I probably shouldn't be. A lot of the time I just felt too nauseated or disinterested to eat. It was actually a bit scary for a while before I knew I had PTSD because I had gotten so thin and so sick so fast, with so many unexplainable symptoms, my doctors were concerned about lymphoma and such. I've since struggled with eating disorders, which also complicate things, but that wasn't the initial cause of weight loss.

 

[yoshixvx]

TW: ED

My weight fluctuates.. I lost 45lbs in the first year after my last stress breakdown. I tend to forget to eat (I have to set alarms for this).. such is life with dissociation. Sometimes I just don't feel like eating (loss of appetite due to depression).. but I have become better at forcing myself to eat at least 1 healthy meal per day, even if I don't want to.

I've also struggled with eating disorders and am currently in recovery for EDNOS, and recovered from anorexia in my teenage years. My relationship with food has always been disordered, so it is a constant and very personal topic. Allowing yourself to have room for mistakes, and maintaining realistic goals about food while focusing on recovery, has helped me get through the days when I just want to revert completely. Old habits are hard to kick!

 

[Saule]

Yes, when I'm not depressed and just dealing with PTSD, I lose weight very easily. Lately my weight has remained stable and my BMI is about 20, but I did lose about 15 pounds very quickly at one stage. I kept losing more, but I've been making a huge effort to eat a protein filled breakfast with lots of healthy fats (poached eggs on toast with extra virgin olive oil and dukkah) and this has really helped. If I don't eat protein and healthy fats throughout the day by blood sugar levels go down really quickly, and this makes my PTSD symptoms worse. This combined with regular exercise really helps me maintain my weight and energy levels. I've had ED issues in the past, and I find this approach really helpful as I'm able to be in a weight range I'm happy with and also feel physically healthy.

I also try and carry around snacks when I go out, like sticks of vegetables and cheese, as well as mixed nuts/seeds and dried fruit. Just grazing on small amounts of this doesn't feel like you're eating that much but it's all very fibre and/or energy dense.