How to lose weight while on Tasigna (nilotinib)?

Hello, @hadia. Weight loss at anytime seems to be a challenge, doesn’t it?! I’ve been there myself and it’s frustrating. Some medications can contribute to weight gain (or loss) which makes keeping a steady weight difficult.

Members in Connect aren’t here as medical professionals so we can’t diagnose diseases, interpret medical tests or offer medical advice. But we can use our experiences to relay what has worked for us or to offer support.

So, from my experience, it can be helpful if you speak with a registered dietician affiliated with your doctor’s office, clinic or hospital to help you with a weight loss associated with medications.

Crash diets seldom work long term so if you haven’t tried it, I’d suggest the Mediterranean diet with fresh fruits/veggies, lean healthy protein, healthy fats and whole grains, while avoiding sugar, desserts, excess starch, prepackaged foods, sodas/colas, that type of thing. Slowly, but steadily excess weight decreases and is sustainable.

Here are few links of discussions in the forum:
Mediterranean Diet
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/the-mediterranean-diet-anyone/
This is a list of items that popped up on a search for Mediterranean Diet where you can scroll through to see if this type of diet interests you:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/?search=Mediterranean+diet
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Another option which has been successful for several members in the forum is Intermittent Fasting Posting a few more links where you can read about what others have to say about intermittent fasting and how to get started:

What’s the deal with Intermittent Fasting?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/weight-management-1/newsfeed-post/whats-the-deal-with-intermittent-fasting/
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Intermittent Fasting:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/intermittent-fasting-1/
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Diet aside, has the Tasigna been working well to keep your CML under control?

My cml is totally under control with my bcr value at 0.0087%.
So that way I am fine infact all my values r normal.
But weight gain is an issue now.
It's making me anxious

Hi @hadia. Having the CML under control and your blood numbers normal is awesome! So I’m really sorry that the weight gain has you stressed out.
Do you know if there have been other changes in your body such as onset perimenopause, hormone or thyroid levels, mores stressed than normal? Those can impact weight gain and also make it challenging to lose. The women on my mom’s side of the family seem to have this magic switch when we hit perimenopause, snap…eat less, gain more! 🙄

That aside, do you work better solo or with a support group? I’m wondering if you have access to a program like Weight Watchers. Where you can work under the guidance of advisors and then meet with other members who are seeking the same weight loss goals? Sometimes incentive from others is a great motivator.
Have you talked to your doctor about weight loss and working with a registered dietician?

Thanks a ton for ur support sadly incentives such as support groups r not available in the place I live. I don't know if its stress related or not but I have been struggling with overeating. After i have tasigna I get super super hungry and I can't stop eating. I have been having anxiety on and off since the last few years as well.
So I am not sure how much of a problem overeating is.

Hi @hadia, I’ve been giving our conversation a little thought. Years ago I was on high doses of steroids for a long period of time. Side effect? You guessed it…craving food! Plus the medication itself can cause weight gain. It became pretty obvious that I couldn’t keep giving in to my urge to overeat.
It was almost impossible to limit myself to just eating meals at specific times. So I did continue to graze throughout the day. However my choice of snacks was what I changed and started to make a small, but steady impact and reduction in my weight.
Years later, I still eat these snacks in the afternoon. (LOL not all at once!) Popcorn (no butter), whole grain crackers or veggies with Hummus, apples and peanut butter, 2 split, pitted dates stuffed with cashews, a handful of mixed nuts, celery sticks stuff with mozzarella cheese. You get the picture. Mostly foods with a higher fiber and protein level keep us feeling full longer without adding excess sugar and starches. We may not be able to control our craving to eat, but we can control the types of foods.
I don’t know what foods you typically eat, but try to focus on adding more protein and less processed starches or packaged goods. Opt for whole grain breads or sourdough, lean meats, avoiding saturated fats. Eat fresh veggies and fruits to get a good source of fiber, along with the grains. Sometimes it even helps to keep a little journal of what you’re eating and try to set goals. But don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t meet a goal for the week. It’s ok…you can start again!

If exercising isn’t something you can see doing routinely, then at least take walks. Start with shorter walks and keep adding a few more blocks until you’re up to several miles daily. You’ll be amazed at how good you’ll feel and, you won’t be eating during that time!
Another big item is to drink plenty of water. It can also curb the appetite while flushing toxins from your body and properly hydrating your cells!
I found a couple of sites (and there are tons more online) with healthy snack ideas.
~From Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/29-healthy-snacks-for-weight-loss#TOC_TITLE_HDR_23

~From Verywellhealth: https://www.verywellhealth.com/snacks-for-weight-loss-8785552

There are also weight loss meal plans online as well as classes offered. You mentioned that there are no group weight loss programs near you. I found one from Harvard University online that has a very minor enrollment fee. But it looks like it could really have some merit. Here’s that link:
https://pll.harvard.edu/course/lose-weight-and-keep-it
These are just suggestions to help you get started. Again, I think it would be a good idea to discuss the weight gain attributed to your meds with your doctor. They may have suggestions for you as well. But in the meantime, the ideas I tossed out to you aren’t harmful. What do you think? Can you give this a try?

Yes they gave me plenty of new ideas thank you. I will try ur suggestions
Bless u