Brief Answer: Hi Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for your query. I appreciate your efforts for medical consultation in so much distress. Important aspects of your query are: • 61 year old female • Known case of Chronic anxiety and depression • Currently on 600 mg of Gabapentin and 1200 calorie diet. • Complaints of: Lack of weight loss in 2 week with diet control. Weight loss depend on the difference between calorie intake and calorie expenditure by body. When expenditure is more than the calorie intake, then body start loosing weight. This gap should be 500 calorie per day to reduce 2-3 kg in a month. You have not reduced any weight in last 2 weeks even with diet restriction. This may occur due to following reasons: -Sedentary life style: Even diet restriction make person tired and they tend to do more rest. -Low metabolic rate: Anxiety/depression and thyroid imbalance tend to make metabolism slow. It is better to check thyroid functioning by investigations like serum T3/T4 and TSH. -Short interval: Loosing weight is a long term process. 2 weeks is short interval to measure outcome. So continue with diet restriction and result will apparent in future. Following steps will be helpful to reduce weight: • Buy one weighing machine preferably digital and measure weight every week, on a fixed day and on empty stomach in morning. Write weight in front of date in calendar or diary. • Most important thing to lose weight is to remain motivated towards your goal. Even if you do not reduce weight in initial weeks, continue your efforts. • Fix your goal in form of target weight like start with target of 10kg in 6 months. Target not more than 2 kg weight reduction in every month as it will not disturb physiological functioning of body. • Inform your family members about your plan to reduce weight as it will help to continue your motivation towards your goal. • Continue diet restriction. • Eliminate food items containing sugar and fat from your diet. Increase consumption of salad and fruits in your diet as it will mobilise your fat. Using these principle and according to your dietary habits prepare your own diet chart and stick to that plan. • Do not try to reduce weight very fast as it is harmful to health. • In exercise plan: Incorporate aerobics and brisk walk in your exercise plan at least for 30 min a day. It is better to follow exercise program daily for more benefit. I can understand that you may have difficulty in that because of chronic anxiety and depression, but try as much as you can. It will lift your mood too. I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you. In case of any doubt, I will be available for follow ups. Wish you good health. Regards, http://bit.ly/Dr-Ashish-Mittal

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