Can't lose weight on Risperdal?

WingardiumLeviosa91

I am sorry you need to take an antipsychotic. While on risperdal, I gained 30 kg in one year, it happened so fast that I couldn't figure it was happening, I just kept buying new clothes that would fit. Now I quit my meds and I am losing weight.

But since it is an antipsychotic, don't do what I did and continue your medication. Instead lower the calories you take by replacing large meals with salads. Don't oversnack. My mistake was eating only ordered-junk food during that period, because salads wouldn't make me full and I was hungry all the time. I hope it is not effecting you as much, and it is great you are taking caution from early on.

Maxematics

pbandz wrote: »

I've been on antidepressants before and I gained 30 pounds. I went off of them an in 6 months I lost all 30 pounds without changing anything in my exercise regime or diet. I'm relatively convinced that this has some to do with my medication, especially when my doctor warned me up front that this was a possibility.

So then why come ask people on MFP about it?

pbandz wrote: »

All I know without weighing and everything else, is that this diet is the same diet I was eating as well as the same workout regime, when I weighed 108 pounds and maintained that. All I'm saying is that it is overly difficult to lose weight.

The Risperdal can be slowing down your heart rate and decreasing your calorie burn which causes the same diet not to work which, unfortunately, means eating less calories than you previously did to lose weight.

pbandz wrote: »

I don't think for a poor college student, trying to afford a scale is really an option right now.

If it's not an option to put aside $10 for one, then it's not. Nobody said you absolutely had to, it's just that an electronic food scale is an extremely useful tool, especially for slimmer people who cannot afford to have inaccuracies.

pbandz wrote: »

Thanks for some of the answers I guess. Wasn't really looking to be told how wrong I am when none of you personally know me and can see what I am eating but whatever

Then again, don't post on a message board where none of us know you. We know weight loss and we know science. Nobody was trying to be mean to you; we were trying to help based on the information that you provided us. You can estimate your calories, yes, but there is not one person on this earth who is 100% accurate with their calorie counting. Nobody. They'd be a statistical anomaly because it's highly improbable.

You seem offended by any post that didn't agree with every one of your original statements and simply say "Poor baby. Sorry you gained some weight." People are offering possible solutions and alternatives for you to consider to see if they help you achieve your goals. If you don't want that, then don't ask. Continue doing what you're doing and you may gain more, maintain, or maybe at some point you'll lose. If you know what's best, you don't need advice from any of us.

pbandz

I posted on here to get advice from people who had taken risperdal and lost weight on it. I'm going to go ahead and assume most of people telling me to weight my food and be obsessive over what I eat are not on risperdal. I need people with first hand experience. Not a blanket "oh just cut your calories down to 1100 because that's the only way you'll lose weight". It's not helpful to have people with no first hand experience commenting on my post.

Maxematics

You asked about fellow Risperdal users and/or for advice to "remove this stubborn weight", so naturally people gave you advice about that. There is not one person here who advocated for you to become obsessive over what you eat; being accurate does not imply being obsessive. Nobody here recommended you eat 1100 calories either. You estimated you eat 1600 calories; that doesn't mean you truly eat that amount. Even if you do, if Risperdal is causing your body to not burn as many calories per day, then the only solutions are a) eat less, b) workout more so that you don't have to eat less or c) workout more and slightly cut your calories. That's not based on us telling you you're wrong, it's not based on being obsessive about food, it's based on the science of CICO. If you eat less calories than your body burns in a day you should not be gaining weight, you should be losing. If you eat the amount of calories your body burns in a day you should not be gaining weight, you should stay at a stable weight. Period. Your gain could have been water weight, but after months now it's hard to tell if that's the case. If you actually attempted to cut a small amount of calories, you'd see a change for sure and you'd know what's happening to your body.

pbandz

I've dealt with an eating disorder in the past. Weighing everything I eat which yes does seem obsessive, could onset that again. I'm asking for other ways. Because believe it or not, you can lose weight without counting calories. Counting calories isn't the only working diet.

queenliz99

pbandz wrote: »

I've dealt with an eating disorder in the past. Weighing everything I eat which yes does seem obsessive, could onset that again. I'm asking for other ways. Because believe it or not, you can lose weight without counting calories. Counting calories isn't the only working diet.

So what you eat now, just eat a little less and/or add a little more exercise. That is it.

Kimegatron

Maybe just try cutting your portions in half then? If you have to have a candy bar(for example), have half of it. If you get pizza, have 1 slice and 1 bread stick. If you have a salad, try cottage cheese instead of dressing.

_Terrapin_

I thought most uni's/colleges have scales for free. IDK seems like $10 or free I'd opt for free.

markrgeary1

pbandz wrote: »

I posted on here to get advice from people who had taken risperdal and lost weight on it. I'm going to go ahead and assume most of people telling me to weight my food and be obsessive over what I eat are not on risperdal. I need people with first hand experience. Not a blanket "oh just cut your calories down to 1100 because that's the only way you'll lose weight". It's not helpful to have people with no first hand experience commenting on my post.

I posted for my wife who was on Risperdal and lost 33 pounds while on it. I don't know your financial situation but if you want to lose weight on that medication I would invest, yes invest for your health or self image, in a digital scale. One thing I noticed while logging both my wife and my food is how sensitive a lower calorie diet(1210 calorie) is to a slight difference between what you entered and the actual weight. So for anyone who is having issues my best advice is be meticulous accurate entering you food. Best wishes.

Maxematics

pbandz wrote: »

I've dealt with an eating disorder in the past. Weighing everything I eat which yes does seem obsessive, could onset that again. I'm asking for other ways. Because believe it or not, you can lose weight without counting calories. Counting calories isn't the only working diet.

If you dealt with an eating disorder in the past then it explains some of the defensive stance. I've said at least twice now that a food scale is optional and not a must. If you personally feel it will trigger you in some way, then just don't do it. People haven't suggested it to be obsessive, they've suggested it because it works and puts things into perspective. Of course someone doesn't have to calorie count to lose weight. Nobody said that was a given to do so. However, every single diet in the universe falls victim to CICO. You're not losing any weight if you eat more than you burn. End of story. Doing otherwise is never going to happen no matter which diet and/or exercise program you choose to do. Whether you like it or not, at 108 and 116 pounds, there is little wiggle room when it comes to calorie consumption if one is trying to watch their weight. Your height is also a factor in that. Shorter, thinner people simply cannot eat as much as their taller, heavier counterparts. That's life.

I do not know you, but based on what you said, I'm not sure you should be here with a past history of an eating disorder and being on medication for depression. Things people type can upset you, as made evident in this thread, and we both know that someone doesn't have to know you to know that's not good for your mental health. You came because the weight gain is something you're not happy with and people, including myself, have offered you feasible solutions. Believe me when I say that there is nobody who posts here that wants you to be upset and/or have a possible relapse. We're offering solutions because we know what we're talking about and we want to help. That's it.

kshama2001

pbandz wrote: »

I've dealt with an eating disorder in the past. Weighing everything I eat which yes does seem obsessive, could onset that again. I'm asking for other ways. Because believe it or not, you can lose weight without counting calories. Counting calories isn't the only working diet.

Sure, my brother, who takes Risperdal, didn't count a single calorie while he lost the weight he'd gained while in the hospital. He just exercised more and ate more higher volume, lower calorie foods.

However, you say you're doing that and it's not working. Hence the suggestions to use a scale. But if you think this will trigger your ED, by all means don't.

Having worked in kitchens that use scales, I don't find using one obsessive, but accurate.

Liftng4Lis

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

Medications can increase appetite, but one can still lose weight, by staying in a deficit. Averaging your calories is just guessing. Start weighing your food.

I reiterate!

DeguelloTex

If you're not losing weight, you're eating too much. Medications, medical conditions, broken legs, old, young, it doesn't matter. You lose weight, on or off meds, by eating less than you burn. If the meds lower your burn, you have to lower intake to compensate.

Whether it's unfair or not fun or something that just makes someone stomp his feet and hold his breath, it doesn't matter. Whether you're eating clean, or healthy, or whatever, it doesn't matter.

You can cut your intake or you can increase your burn or you can do a combination -- counting calories, not counting, however you want to do it -- but the only answer to losing weight is eating less than you burn. If X number of calories isn't doing it, try X-100 or try moving more. That's the bottom line and just how it is.

zoeysasha37

DeguelloTex wrote: »

If you're not losing weight, you're eating too much. Medications, medical conditions, broken legs, old, young, it doesn't matter. You lose weight, on or off meds, by eating less than you burn. If the meds lower your burn, you have to lower intake to compensate.

Whether it's unfair or not fun or something that just makes someone stomp his feet and hold his breath, it doesn't matter. Whether you're eating clean, or healthy, or whatever, it doesn't matter.

You can cut your intake or you can increase your burn or you can do a combination -- counting calories, not counting, however you want to do it -- but the only answer to losing weight is eating less than you burn. If X number of calories isn't doing it, try X-100 or try moving more. That's the bottom line and just how it is.

This

Achaila

I gained 50 pounds QUICK while on it and decided to take myself off of it because I could not take having terrible eyesight, a bottomless appetite, and leaky boobs. It wasn't worth the side effects to me. I switched meds.

jcow84

It sounds to me like people are posting that they've both gained weight and lost weight while on this drug - this leads me to believe that it boils down to 2 fundamental options:
1. Try weighing your food for a little while and see what happens or
2. Talk to your doctor and see if your medication can be switched or if he has any advice for your side effects.

If med changes / dr visits are not an option right now, then you can either take suggestions people are giving, or you can accept that you will be gaining some weight. I think people are just giving honest advice, and of course people don't know you - this is an internet forum - people are just trying to be helpful.