All of a sudden, I seem to have ballooned out and gained 10-15 lbs. and can't seem to lose it.

I realized recently that anger also seems to add weight as I don't
seem to digest food very well when angry and it just sits like a rock in
my belly...... especially when family in town!!! May have to limit time
with family even further.........
cadams

Last year when I started taking care of my mom and managing all of her affairs, I gained 30 lbs. It's stress. Things have calmed down a little and I've got a better grip on the situation and have been able to curb my eating however, I'm only able to lose 1 or 2 lbs/wk, if that. Just know that down the road, things won' t always be in such a mess. When they iron themselves out, you can stop the ice cream late at night (probably the worst thing you could eat) and take hold of the weight gain.

Thanks for your suggestions re weight gain. I will look into your suggestions and try them out. I need to do something.
For new clothes, I did find some simple, inexpensive and pretty day dresses at Target, Walmart and even Walgreens! I also like the new style of slacks at Kohls that are billowy and with large pockets. I find these super-comfortable and pretty and not so aware of the weight gain. I'm just passing this along to you all so you can shine as the beautiful devoted caregivers you are!
cadams

I'm going to guess that Bethy turned off the hugs and her email notifications for a reason. Who knows, maybe grandma flew into a rage when she saw one of our answers in the email - or maybe someone else in the house.

Bethy, I'm praying for you, and I hope you are ok. You can call call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 or go online at thehotline.org Even grandma keeping you in your bedroom qualifies as domestic abuse. There is help if you will allow people to help you.

So amazing how familiar this all sounds! Over the past few years I had lost 40 pounds and was doing so well. Then Mom and Dad moved in with us. I gained 25 pounds this first year they have been here. I know what to do and how to eat, but somewhere in there I just stopped caring about me. Food became a great comfort and it didn't matter to me what I ate. Finally stepped on the scales and am facing what has happened. Hard to find the strength or time I need for me even though I know I must.

Constant stress changes our hormones and makes it easier to gain weight even if you are hardly eating anything. Especially belly fat. Cortisol is terrible for you google it. I already have a thyroid issue and EVERY time I have had huge stress my entire life I have put on 10-20 lbs. If I get out of this madhouse and go up to help with MY parents (a lesser madhouse ) I loose 5 lbs in a week. LOL, I eat like a bird seriously . Some thing when cheating ExH left lost 30 lbs in 6 weeks...no more stress!

When my mom first got sick and I had to deal with that and moving dad in, I droppped 20 lbs in a month or so. Now that they have been here for a year I have gained it all back. Sometimes I just want to eat, it soothes my stomach, where I hold all my stress. I have got to do something too!

you too, cadams! :-)
aquatics if you have the time to get away, or good soft shoes with arch supports and a bike if walking is hurting too much!!

bookluvr, alternate strength training with the treadmill or maybe get a bike so you can mix it up, not be bored, and preserve a little muscle mass. don't let YOU get debilitated, deconditioned, and frail to the point you'll NEED a caregiver instead of being one! even those dumb little shake weights for that 6 minute routine could spice things up a bit. I have to push myself to take the time for a workout too, but when I do I feel so much better I can't imagine why I ever let myself slack off...

Stress, menopause, not exercising at all and eating ice cream every night for weeks now. I'm skinny but my stomach and upper thigh are blossoming. I keep buying bigger pants all because I don't have the incentive to cut back late night snacking and walking the treadmill in my bedroom.

Oh I forgot to mention salt, it will retain water. Drink lots of water it will flush you out and help you lose weight. Like Captain said get rid of the soft drinks. Cook with less salt and really taste the flavor of the food

i started cooking with a scant minimum of salt 7 yrs ago when i started cooking for mom . in the absence of salt the meat and veg flavors are enhanced . i hardly use it now .
the culprit in todays society , imo , is spoft drinks . the fountain drinks are swimming in corn syrup , a canned coke has 28 grams suger . put 28 grams suger in a baggie , itll scare you straight . all you old freaks still have baggie scales , dont pretend otherwise ..

I was a personal trainer for over 12 years. I stopped working out for a couple of years due to pain but I have been doing more again for the weight and anxiety. Lifting weights creates more muscle and burns more calories even while resting than fat does. Dont get me wrong I have gained too much weight myself and was disgusted with myself. Not enough of anything and too much sugar. Sugar for stress is what I did. I gave sugar up several months ago except for the occasional treat and I have lost 15 pounds and being a bit more active. You will actually lose the cravings for sugar after a while. The more sugar you eat the more you want. I also have trouble eating due to my anxiety. Not a good way to lose weight. But alcohol has lots of sugar but if it helps then give up the ice cream and keep the booze. I cannot drink because it makes me sick. If its like 1200 calories to lose weight then that can be eaten in a 24 hour period. It is a myth that eating after 8 pm puts weight on. Just sharing

My sig other and I aren't hearty eaters, and he's been grumbling about his weight gain, too... we both are carrying that extra weight in our stomachs. Neither one of us are into donuts, ice cream, or settling down with a bag of Cheetos. We both really need to walk more when the weather cools down, that should help immensely.

Gosh, when my parents were my age, they faithfully walked 2 miles every day, and did that up until their late 80's and early 90's.

I know that I was totally stressed out when I first started taking care of mthr. She had been estranged from me for about 8 years and we were trying to solve her dementia (caused by lack of oxygen) and colon cancer. We had her staying at a memory care, and it was such a chore to get out and see how she was doing or fight to get her to her dr appts, I figured I needed a reward. Oops. I've gained 25 or more in 2 years, but in March I decided I was the one who would be left behind, and I better take care of me if I want to stay here longer. So I've lost 27lbs since then, and mthr has declined just as much as she would have had I not been watching my weight. I've been using "my fitness pal" on my phone and it helps so much.

Fluid retention in hot summer months can cause sudden leap of ten pounds easily. Summer diets often consist of salty snacks and salads and hi sodium sausages and burgers. That retains fluid rapidly and your feet take the extra burden unhappily. Ditch the salt and you may ditch the weight, too.

Last summer, after mom had a stroke and was admitted to first memory care and then nh...doc looked at my hdl. LOL and said wtf?. Mom's nh is close by a wonderful dairy farm that sells ice cream,,,. Confessed to being stressed and drinking a lot of Chardonnay. He ssid, oh, Bourbon is much better.

Yep yep, same here.. it surely must have everything in the world to do with it.

I just can't take another winter and adding another 20 lbs, Must figure out something to do... I have no clothes that fit and I refuse to buy anything.

Blah

cadams, welcome to the club. Same here with being in my 60's and weight gain.... was weighed at the doctor's office last week and it was 130 lbs.... YIKES, as most of my adult life I was 20 lbs less [I come from a thin family]....

All my favorite blue jeans and shorts became history, had to try to find something new and was disappointed in what was available out there, usually come home empty handed :(

Yes, I believe it is Caregiver stress, insomnia, hot flashes for me, family concerns, and throw in that dreaded menopause. Wonder if Eve went though all this as she got older !!

I use to do yardwork and be outside whenever I could... use to burn a lot of calories. That is now history, too. I find myself parked in front of my computer or in front of the TV, just too tired to do anything. My energy level is kaput. And the chocolate truffles my Boss has on my desk isn't helping, but at times I think "who cares" and eat one or two :P