Losing Weight While on Celexa

thunderthighsandlightning

Is anyone here on Celexa? I lost 70 lbs last spring semester (6 months... yikes) before I went on Celexa. I used an old MFP to achieve that, as well as exercise. Now, I'm wanting to lose more weight, and I'm doing everything that I used to do--while working out MORE. However, I'm not losing weight and I'm even gaining a tiny bit more!

I'm eating 1,500 average calories and I don't eat back my exercise calories. I'm working out 4-5 days a week, and taking 10,000+ steps each day. Anyone have a success story or a similar experience?

madeleineld

I started taking Celexa recently, so am jumping on here just to see what anyone else says. I've taken it in the past without noticing a difference each way, but this is the first time I've started taking it while trying in a focused and consistent way to lose weight.

markrgeary1

My wife lost 47 pounds last year while on it. She's 56, 5'3", and now at a "normal" BMI. She lost .5-1 pounds weekly eating 1200 calories. Walking 2 miles 4 times weekly. It can be done.

brb_2013

Honestly, get the idea that your medication can hurt your progress out of your head. Use your energy to count calories accurately and keep going. I take medication that some people will claim hurt their progress or made them gain, but it comes down to discipline in my opinion. My meds gave me headaches, which made me want to eat for comfort but I just chose not to. My BC pill helps me be super hormonal once a month and I want to eat candy and macaroni and cheese for days- but I don't because I'm the boss of my choices not my medications.

HippySkoppy

Having been on multiple meds for depression in the past I can only speak from those experiences and like @brb_2013 has said a lot of the weight changes do come down to the point of being aware of the changes that these sort of medications can make.

Those changes can often be mental in that you are hungrier or less motivated to work out as strenuously due to fatigue. That said though there can be small metabolic changes too that could be contributing to the differences you are noticing so you may need to adjust your style of eating slightly along with your CI to counteract that if you feel it is applicable. Everyone is different what effects one will not another.

Be very proud of yourself in the fact that you are already mindful of the slight changes you are noticing this gives you the power to halt any issues before they get out of hand.

All the very best.

tara_means_star

Most of the time, when someone says their medication made them gain weight, what actually happened is their medication increased their appetite and they ate more calories than they burned. Last time I checked, scientists were doing research to see if medications can lower your metabolism. I haven't seen any new research in a while but what was proposed would have been a very slight decline in calories burned. It would NOT mean that you could not lose weight even if they proved it did lower your metabolism because, again, it wasn't a dramatic difference. Chances are, if you are not losing weight, you are eating more than you think you are.

thunderthighsandlightning

I monitor literally everything I eat. Like I said, I've done this before and lost 70 pounds. I don't eat back any exercise calories, and eat 1,400-1,500 per day (I'm 5'11"). Everything that I did before to lose weight, a year ago, isn't working. I was losing weight doing this a few weeks prior before going on Celexa, as well, so I know it isn't due to what I'm eating--and I'm exercising more than I ever have before. I just don't get why I'm not losing, because going on Celexa is the only thing that's changed for me.

tara_means_star

do you weigh your food using a food scale? How long have you been working and not losing?

thunderthighsandlightning

I don't use a food scale because I'm in college and it's impractical, but I measure everything out with measuring cups at home and in the dining hall, just like I did last year when I lost weight. I've been working out since the start of January, when I was losing like 8 pounds--and then once I started Celexa, I stopped losing weight no matter what I do. I know this has to be related to starting on an SSRI, because I've lost weight successfully and maintained weight successfully until this happened.

tara_means_star

You can always talk to your doctor about it but it's unlikely, even though the timing seems to match up, that it is the SSRI unless it's making you hungrier and you are eating more. Measuring cups can be extremely off. I tried losing weight with them and got no where. People told me the same thing I'm telling you--that I was eating more than I thought and measuring cups were not accurate. I didn't believe them. I finally got so fed up with people saying it that I bought a food scale to prove them wrong...but then I started losing weight. I know you lost last year with measuring cups but obviously it's not working for you this time around. It will make sense to you to blame the SSRI but last time I checked, the research just isn't there to indicate that it would lower your metabolic rate enough to be to blame.

HippySkoppy

OP - please ditch the measuring cups as tara says there are a lot of inaccuracies that can creep in that can amount to significant differences in your CI, surely too a scale would be more practical too and less messy than cups and if you are comfortable using cups then a scale isn't a big leap but it is hugely more accurate.

Also check out other threads for members using Celexa and their experiences as well as a very informative and eye-opening video on here about the pitfalls of using cups over the accuracy of a scale.

You sound frustrated about this I can appreciate that but truly if you can approach this step by step and shore up your logging and aware of your calorie burns through exercise so the CI- CO is as close to perfect as you can get it then you can approach your treating Dr and explain your weight gain issue and how it is affecting you, then an alternative medication could be trialed perhaps.

Phrick

Well it sounds like you've already decided it's the SSRI's fault so I don't know what you want us to tell you... I have taken the gamut of psychiatric meds, ate my way to a 100-lb gain, woke up and lost 115, and am maintaining that loss in spite of the meds (which have along the way included a number of SSRIs, even Celexa and Lexapro at different times). It can definitely be done. If you're eating an estimated 1400-1500 calories a day (and it is an estimate because measure cups/spoons is miserably poor for accuracy) and not losing - you're eating too much. Either more than you think, or maybe, and this is unlikely, the Celexa has borked your metabolism - but it always, always comes down to Calories In < Calories Out. Accept that your CICO equation is different now than it was a year ago, and adjust accordingly. Or don't, and continue to be frustrated. Bluntly, it really is that simple.

wrenak

Doc put me on that mid-December for my anxiety. All it did was make me tired while my body got used to it. I continue to eat 1200-1500 calories a day, I still work out 4-5 days a week, and I am still losing (41yo, 5'1/2"). I also started a low-dose BC pill to be used continuously to control a uterine issue 5 days ago and so far I've lost more in this week than I have in the past couple combined. Just a whoosh, it will normalize, and I doubt any of my meds are making this harder or easier.

I'm going to echo what the others have said about weighing vs measuring. It's so easy to overeat without realizing it. Do you know how much weight in rice I can pack into a cup? Far more than is a serving, that's for sure. LOL Some things you'll end up getting more than you thought you would when you measure by weight vs volume, but mostly it'll be the former so you'll end up packing in more calories than you've got listed. It takes little time and saves on dishes since I can add everything to the same dish. Just zero the scale before adding the next thing and you're good to go!

futuremilf2015

I disagree with the people saying it is not your medication. I went through the same dilemma. I have never been overweight or even close to being overweight growing up. I was 5ft8 135lbs and gained 45lbs on celexa while working out 6 days a week and counting calories. It seemed like the harder i worked the more weight i gained. Celexa has been studied and it does slow down your metabolism. You can lose weight but you basically have to get extremely strict and reduce your calories even more.
I believe the medication is a contributor. when i research wellbutrin there are so many claims of weight loss; however celexa has so many claims of weight gain or inability to lose weight. I actually spoke to a nutritionist and psychologist that both agree celexa is known to cause weight gain because of its effects on your metabolism and hormones. Not saying weight loss is impossible, but you are pretty much going to have to starve yourself (eat less than 1200 calories a day and exercise which according to nutritionist put you in starvation mode) to lose any weight.
I couldn't take the weight gain and having to work out everyday for 1.5 hours without losing an ounce. I was only eating 1300 calories per day. I switched to wellbutrin. I can give updates later. I have only been on it for 2 weeks.

emmycantbemeeko

futuremilf2015 wrote: »

I disagree with the people saying it is not your medication. I went through the same dilemma. I have never been overweight or even close to being overweight growing up. I was 5ft8 135lbs and gained 45lbs on celexa while working out 6 days a week and counting calories. It seemed like the harder i worked the more weight i gained. Celexa has been studied and it does slow down your metabolism. You can lose weight but you basically have to get extremely strict and reduce your calories even more.
I believe the medication is a contributor. when i research wellbutrin there are so many claims of weight loss; however celexa has so many claims of weight gain or inability to lose weight. I actually spoke to a nutritionist and psychologist that both agree celexa is known to cause weight gain because of its effects on your metabolism and hormones. Not saying weight loss is impossible, but you are pretty much going to have to starve yourself (eat less than 1200 calories a day and exercise which according to nutritionist put you in starvation mode) to lose any weight.
I couldn't take the weight gain and having to work out everyday for 1.5 hours without losing an ounce. I was only eating 1300 calories per day. I switched to wellbutrin. I can give updates later. I have only been on it for 2 weeks.

I'd side-eye a nutritionist who waved the specter of "starvation mode" so hard.

kshama2001

thunderthighsandlightning wrote: »

Is anyone here on Celexa? I lost 70 lbs last spring semester (6 months... yikes) before I went on Celexa. I used an old MFP to achieve that, as well as exercise. Now, I'm wanting to lose more weight, and I'm doing everything that I used to do--while working out MORE. However, I'm not losing weight and I'm even gaining a tiny bit more!

I'm eating 1,500 average calories and I don't eat back my exercise calories. I'm working out 4-5 days a week, and taking 10,000+ steps each day. Anyone have a success story or a similar experience?

Congrats on losing 70 pounds last spring! How many pounds do you have left to lose? The first four months, I lost weight easily, and since then it's been more difficult.

Did you have your activity tracker last year? Were you doing the same amount of steps?

lorib642

I take lexapro, which is similar. I have my mind set to not get discouraged if it takes a little longer. Some meds increase your appetite, others slow your metabolism, and one i take can lead to metabolic syndrome. Also, if you are having depression symptom, that can affect your appetite.

If you find you are eating more, craving certain foods, you may want to try increasing protein. It doesn't help everyone, but it makes me feel full longer.

Have you had any recent bloodwork including thyroid?

I have my target set at 1 calorie/week. I have lost that. I have also lost less in a week. I will get there eventually.

Congrats on the 70 lb loss. You can do this

If you want to add me you can

thunderthighsandlightning

I've lost 10 lbs since writing this post, and all that's changed is I stopped working out SO hard and my medication stabilized. I talked with my doctor and she thinks that my body had to get used to the medication in addition to my increased (like... probably too much) exercise program. Things are back to the way they used to be in terms of weight loss, so I really think it was my body getting used to the medication, especially since I had other side effects (bruising, etc).