my son has gone from 140 to 200 in three years and its hard on him, he said its the meds but like tonight he cooked hamburger helper and ate the whole box…so go figure that…
I have really noticed a difference in my son’s eating habits since he has been sick. Before his first break in 2008, he was rather a finicky eater and usually chose to eat rather small portions. Since he has been sick, and depending on med compliance, he becomes very hungry, as in, I need to eat a lot and right now. We would be driving somewhere and he would announce we would have to stop immediately so he could get a foot-long sub and a soda, and he would eat it all. It would be a craving he could not ignore. I’m not sure now what he eats for snacks, but I do know that he goes out to the store almost daily for things to eat even though he can eat 3 meals/day in the cafeteria. It leads me to believe that he has cravings he can’t satisfy there. I have to assume that the meds cause these cravings because if he is not compliant he quickly loses the desire to eat and loses weight.
Onceapoet, I would say you are lucky that your body reacts so quickly to food and coffee so as to prevent you from consuming more that is good for you. I know I couldn’t give up coffee, however, and I’m sure you savor your sips…what kind of coffee do you choose for this special moment?
I do get really hungry but I don’t crave junk food anymore. I don’t know how it happened, but I sort of gave it up with the alcohol and drugs. It’s just not part of my diet anymore and so it doesn’t register to go get it. But we do live too close to a Thai food place and this family loves noodles.
When my meds got adjusted, I was feeling more up to getting out and getting moving. That motivation to get up and walk and get back into swimming really helped me get the weight off.
When I was on Abilify that tendency was enhanced in me. I always at stupid stuff (like frosting. Straight up betty crocker frosting) but I don’t know what it was about the Abilify. I guess I just at more of everything? Craved it more?
But when I got off it, I got on a diet and lost like 30lb in a year without any real problems.
I guess it’s like the chocolate bars I eat now. You just do it but don’t realize you are.
I wonder how much of craving junk food is habit and just plain easy. Why make a sandwich if you can grab chips etc.? I’m bad for chips. Lately however I have noticed that I don’t want them the same. The healthier I eat the more I crave the healthy foods. Now I look forward to my morning yogurt and instead of lunch being chips it’s almonds, peas and tangerines or things like that. The crunch of fresh snap peas is refreshing to eat. I still eat chips but if I think I’m going to eat to many I now put some in a bowl instead of eating from the bag.
This makes a lot of sense. The kid sis was notorious for throwing food away because “She’s protecting me from gluten” (her sneaky brained thinking from her fight with anorexia)
So we’ve been getting a lot more fruit and stuff that doesn’t last long and she hates to waste money so when I sort of run it through the blender, she’ll drink it. Plus to appease the sneaky brained thinking, we’ve been getting rice noodles.
The more we do this, the less I crave bread and cupcakes and cookies. I am learning how to bake stuff, but I give the stuff away now.
Happy side note, her hair has gotten long enough to need a hair cut and she’s up to 110. Bone density is something to keep an eye on, but it looks better then it did when the “holy eff” moment hit. 
That’s great news about kidsister! I’m proud of both of you for getting her to this point.
Blessings,
Anthony
Thank you for that, It’s been a fight I didn’t know would be so brutal. I had no idea anorexia could be so sneaky.
Thank you a lot for your past advice and help and knowledge, websites and target’s that you imparted.
It really gave me ideas and that did help us both get to this pont. We’re not there yet, but just like me, she’s a fighter and she’s healing.
This post made me crave a banana and the rest of the strawberries. 
Give kidsis a high five for me. Great job both of you!
what I see is boredom,then he sits and eat…he tends to do what I do everyday like if I say I am going to bed he goes too,So when this weather breaks I am going to ask him to help me lose weight by some walking…he always is willing to help me but not his self…
I don’t have that kind of control. I can finish off huge bag of chips, but I can’t just do the “save some for later thing”. Good for you!
My sister was on zyprexa. She told me that something in that medication actually makes her feel hungry all the time. Shes a health nut-I guess if you eat too much of any kind of food-you are going to gain. Probably something in the meds that triggers something in the brain that says youre hungry!
Hi. joelsgirlkathy, reading this sparked an idea in my mind. A common symptom of schizophrenia is to lose the ability to experience pleasure in life. But personally ‘eating’ is one pleasure that schizophrenia hasn’t robbed me of. Sure, the meds make us gain weight but maybe it isn’t all the meds fault. Maybe some of us schizophrenics over-compensate for lack of interest and pleasure in life by doing what is left for us, namely, eating too much. And doing illegal street drugs probably come into the formula too. These two things are an escape from misery. It’s probably a combination of the meds and ‘escape’ that make us eat more than usual. And obviously illegal drugs are a form of escape for lots of people but people with schizophrenia are more likely to have substance abuse then the ‘normal’ population. Because it was one of our very few avenues that make us feel, at least temporarily, pleasure and relief.
These are just my thoughts, and as a recovering crack addict (20+ years clean), I would NEVER promote, endorse, or glorify taking drugs.
One missed dose wont affect him. Just keep taking it thereafter.
Much Love
Karl