I don’t know if it’s just me but since my diagnosis, I was treated inpatient with every antipsychotic/benzo/mood stabiliser/ECT under the sun. I gained about 8 kg in hospital in 8 weeks (17 pounds) and then another 6-7 kg (15 pounds) in the last 5 months since my discharge on Lithium/Valproate, having finally weaned off the APs (olanzapine/chlorpromazine). Now I’m about to start a 700 calorie a day diet for 11 weeks to lose at least 22 pounds / 10 kg of the weight gain but I feel like I no longer can eat what I want or when I want without fear of gaining weight and guilt. I think calorie counting and watching what I eat + daily exercise will need to be a part of my life for the rest of my life. Gone are the days I could be a slim college student eating burgers and McDonalds runs at 10 pm. Sometimes I just think it’s crazy that I gained so much weight in such a short period, and that I’ll have to watch everything I eat forever given that I just pack on pounds on the bipolar meds I’m stuck to for life.