Tommy,

 

You could start with a change of diet.  You might consider reducing to amount of simple carbohydrates, such a sugars, products made of refined flour or containing simple carbohydrates.  If you eat bread or cereal, find a whole grain alternative.  The ideas is to consume carbohydrates that take time to break down and enter the bloodstream.  When you eat simple carbohydrates, sugar levels rise fast and to counteract the level in the blood the body release insulin.  The insulin pulls the sugar out of the blood by allowing it to enter muscle tissue or be converted to fat.  A more even level of blood sugar, not reaching the threshold of insulin release, is better obtained by eating complex carbs and not overeating at a meal.  Eating smaller meals more often, say 6/day, also helps to reduce blood sugar.  If you get hungry in between and are looking for a snack try raw vegetables, carrots, broccoli, cauliflour.

 

If you are looking for a diet or some guidelines to follow, try looking at the "Zone Diet". 

Counting calories at first helps to establish what a portion or meal should be and should be based on your lean body mass.  You can get an idea of what yours is by looking on the web for lean body mass calculator.  They are based on sex, height and weight and return a general result and do not take into account individual bone structure or muscle mass but is an average of the population.

 

Try diet and incorporate more physical activity.

Hi there. I understand how you all feel. I'm 16 years old. Been off and on few medicines for 2 years. I am 70 kg, standing at 1.80m. I am currently med free for 6 months. To be honest, it is more challenging living and sleeping without seroquel. However I feel that I am at least in control of my life and moods and can attribute my successes to my own diligence. To face the sleeping issue, I recommend you guys try natural means such as meditation , reading a boring book or listening to soothing nature sounds from your iPod. Let's face it . The main reason we have our moods can be linked to our sleep, or lack of it. Btw, before going on my first dose of lithium at the hospital, I weighed around 62 kg and sported a 4 pack. After 1 and 1/2 years, my weight ballooned to 75kg with seroquel( I stopped lithium after 3 months). 6 months ago, after my granddad passed away, I decided to stop my 400mg seroquel intake totally. Gradually, after exercise, living a balanced lifestyles and trying to maintain my moods, I maintained my weight around 70 to 75 kg range and am still physically fit. To challenge the weight issue, I recommend you guys try adopting a multiple prong approach. Firstly, you must love yourself enough to change for the better. 1. Eat 6 small meals a day instead of 3 big ones. This will jumpstart your metabolism. 2. Sip cold water and unsweetened tea throughout the day 3. Hit the gym and run if you can 4. Lifting weights boost lean muscle mass which helps you burn fat throughout the day. 5. Share your ambitions with your closest kin. They can motivate you continually when u begin to feel down and out 6. Live your life as you would want to live it! Be free and proud of your achievements. 7. Stay motivated and do not expect immediate results Hope this helped. Life is short. But you still gotta plan it. God bless all you. Mace