Meds can play a part in it Hanna, if you dont eat right because of them. If your body starves of neutrients, then it begins to deteriorate muscle.

It is so important to exercise in some way daily and do some kind of weight bearing exercises. It does make a huge difference and we dont realize how important it is until we start to experience the side effects of not doing it. xo

Honestly, I don't think that my diagnosis did that; however, my deep depressions have certainly taken a toll on my body as have my sleeping/eating habits during an episode. I was improperly diagnosed for so long and I would go days eating nothing or one meal when I was really depressed. When I was depressed I'd sleep too much but when I was manic, I wouldn't get any sleep for days. I kind of thought that was normal for someone my age. Turns out it wasn't and was part of the reason I ended up sick so often.

yeah, i'm sure my depression and eating/exercise habits have played a big role. I just moved into a new house...3 floors. OMG, it's scary how much it takes out of me just to get to my kids' rooms on the 3rd floor.

It might strengthen me up a bit though.

Hanna, I bet you'll get used to those 3 flights of stairs in no time. It will help you get into shape. :)

I do strechs and set ups in bed and I have 2lb dum bell that i use while watching tv.
I have a small gym in my home and due to physical effects of depression am good for about 1 wk out of 4 working out on tread mill and stair stepper.
Over 2 yr period my body has grown weaker and I dont have even 1/2 the sta'i'ma that I use too.
For exercise I vaccume my home every day to music. Am ashame to say I only mop kitchen floor every other wk because it depletes my physical entergy level and it takes me a full dy to recover from that task.
It sadden me to know that my 12 speed is in storage and that I use to bike long distance.
Oh ya heres another work out I do while sitting. I left up and down on my toes to work out muscles in back side of lower legs. I also will wear 4inch heels around the house to work out my legs.
weight lose is 1st from muscle loss and water - which is dangious combo.
Iv been trying for 1 1/2 yrs to lose 10 feaking lbs, To No Avail. Iv even temporary tried starvation dite which only cause to body to grab and store every bit of food in fat cells. Fat cells being last to decress in a dite.
I often half to wait for 1 of my neighbour or friends to stop by to open new bottles or jars of food for me.
No matter what always take a daily muti vit.
Theres a new juice out that surpose to have daily supply of veg and fruit in it and its suppose to taste good. Tomarrow my schedule shopping day and Ill search & try that juice.
will off to tend to my dogs.
dig out those high heels.

I try to work out when I'm manic. Last time it lasted 8wks. Now I have to start all over again.

I try to work out 45 minutes a day whether I go to the gym at my school, do yoga, go for a bike ride, use Wii Fit or even play DDR (it's REALLY tiring). I lost a bunch of weight last year, but have been unsuccessful losing another 10 pounds this year.

If you try to make it a daily routine you should be successful.

Hanna, have you been tested for thyroid balance? I know depression slows you down and saps your energy, but if you actually get out of breath and fatigued feeling from going upstairs, could be thyroid.

My depression has done that to me. I'm with buco though, I work out when i'm manic and that last for 3 months and I lost 25 pounds. I crashed out into a depression and I have gained 20 of it back. It sucks and I hope I will be getting better soon. Cause this weight wears on my self essteem

I find that sticking to an exercise plan seems hard for people that are bipolar or not. It's like taking your meds. You start taking them and feeling good and you just stop and you have a relapse. It seems to be the same with working out/exercise dieting. You get to where you start looking good feeling better and BOOM all of a sudden you start eating chocolate cake again. It sucks and I have to go to florida at the end of this month. urrrg...

We need to work out for the benefits of the endorphins. I take it one small step at a time when I need to do my work out. I have dvd's at home so I don't have the added motivation factor for not going to a gym. I give myself an out. I tell myself that if after 10 minutes of working out I want to stop then I will. I have never stopped. I feel so much better afterward.
I am a personal trainer but have motivation issues just like everyone else. My diet isn't perfect. But I truly believe in the mind, body, spirituality connection. If your body is at it's best your mind and spiritual connection will follow.

One of the worst side effects of depakote,is fatigue..taking it for almost 3 years has sapped almost all energy out of me.

I still try and keep the house clean,and rake and sweep my yard of leaves every day or so...it takes me days to recover sometimes.