Trying to lose weight after medication induced weight gain

theramckinnon

Hi All,

I am in need of some input. I am 5'6 1/2 and have recently packed on an extra 10 or so pounds since I had been on and withdrawled off of antipsychotics and antidepressants. I work out regularly, eat quite healthy except on occasion and I still cannot move the ticker on the scale. This is the first time I have had so much trouble losing weight before and I dont feel that there is much else I can do. I am eating between 1200-1360 calories a day and do cardio and weight machines for about 45 min-60 min 5-6 days a week.

Has anyone else had an issue getting rid of the stubborn medication weight? Any suggestions to amp up weight loss without deprivation would be great.

FYI I have been clean from medication since November 25,2013.

Thanks so much ,

editorgrrl

With only 26 lb. to lose, your goal should be set to .5 lb. per week. The closer you are to goal, the more slowly you lose.

Log everything you eat accurately & honestly. Find reliable database entries. (There's a lot of incorrect data in there.) Weigh your food. Log your exercise, and eat back your exercise calories for two weeks. If you're still not losing, eat back half your exercise calories.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Maleficent0241

Everyone reacts differently, so take my anecdote as a grain of salt, but I wasn't able to start losing again after meds until several months free and clear of the medication (especially if the med was causing blood sugar or other hormonal issues). I had gained a LOT more than 10 lbs though. Weigh all your food, log, etc., and keep consistent. If you're still not losing after another month or so, a trip to the doctor may be in order to make sure there is nothing medical going on.

Phoenyxlove

I know exactly what you mean. I gained so much weight taking anti anxiety medication and still haven't taken it off. If only it came off from removing the meds as easily it came of when adding the meds! I heard it can take months for your system to get back to normal, but really who knows, everybody is different. Just keep with it and it will eventually come off. And in the meantime those endorphines will make you feel so much better! Don't give up!

StephTheBookworm

It sounds like you are on track and doing the right thing. I gained 100 pounds from my antidepressants over a four year period. I stopped taking them cold turkey in January 2012 and started my weight loss journey. I have since lost that "medication" weight. Keep on working at it - the weight will come off.

albayin

I dont know for sure but recently a friend of mine was going through a similar situation. She put on more than you last year. But thank to her persistence on diet and exercise, after the medication is stopped, her weight started dropping too. But I don't know how long it will take her to get back where she was...that happy place.
Good luck to you~

Erikalynne18

Hi All,

I am in need of some input. I am 5'6 1/2 and have recently packed on an extra 10 or so pounds since I had been on and withdrawled off of antipsychotics and antidepressants. I work out regularly, eat quite healthy except on occasion and I still cannot move the ticker on the scale. This is the first time I have had so much trouble losing weight before and I dont feel that there is much else I can do. I am eating between 1200-1360 calories a day and do cardio and weight machines for about 45 min-60 min 5-6 days a week.

Has anyone else had an issue getting rid of the stubborn medication weight? Any suggestions to amp up weight loss without deprivation would be great.

FYI I have been clean from medication since November 25,2013.

Thanks so much ,

Do you eat your exercise calories? May I suggest increasing your calories? I don't think 1200-1360 is enough for that much exercise. I know it sounds silly to increase your calories if you want to lose, but if you search the forums you will see this has worked for A LOT of people!! Your body may be holding onto whatever it can get it's hands on basically. Check out http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ for another calorie calculator Good luck!

theramckinnon

I don't usually eat the calories that I burn unless I absolutely need to . I will review your link , thanks

theramckinnon

I hope it starts to pay off soon , up until I had 4 detox wraps and lymphatic drainages I wasn't sweating at all when I would work out . Those medications screw with your body chemistry so much and destroy your the way you process and metabolize foods and exercising.

Thank you everyone for your words of encouragement , I sadly don't hear it enough to keep me going on this healthy path knowing that I will get there someday .

theramckinnon

It sounds like you are on track and doing the right thing. I gained 100 pounds from my antidepressants over a four year period. I stopped taking them cold turkey in January 2012 and started my weight loss journey. I have since lost that "medication" weight. Keep on working at it - the weight will come off.

Did you feel at first you had to work extra hard to keep yourself going mentally when it came to workouts and healthy eating? Was it like a plateau effect where you saw no changes at first and than over time the weight kind of fell off ?

editorgrrl

Did you feel at first you had to work extra hard to keep yourself going mentally when it came to workouts and healthy eating? Was it like a plateau effect where you saw no changes at first and than over time the weight kind of fell off ?

Weight loss isn't linear. You need to ignore the daily bunny slopes & look at the overall downward trend. For several days you may not see any progress at all. Then "woosh," you'll "magically" lose pounds overnight.

Be patient, grasshopper.

amyt0408

Hi,
I also gained weight as a result of antidepressants. Thefirst 10 lbs came on slowly over two years, and the last 10 came within 2 or 3 months after I switched medications. The last med caused me to actually crave food even when I wasn't hungry. I have never been a "bored" or emotional eater, but I simply HAD to eat!!! I began running 8 months ago as an attempt to lose weight. Instead, I gained! (and not muscle - it was inches of flab around my waist). It was so disapponting! I have never exercised or ran 5K's in my life. I was so excited to get into shape! I have since quit all antidepressants and am waiting to lose the weight. I am staying within my 1200 calories, and eat more on the days I run but don't exceed the 1200. According to myfitnesspal, I should have lost weight already. I have not lost a pound! Why??? How long does it take for your body to adjust from the horrible medication? Will I always be like this? Do I need to do a cleanse to get it out of me? It has been a month and 1/2.

Thanks!

Maleficent0241

Hi,
I also gained weight as a result of antidepressants. Thefirst 10 lbs came on slowly over two years, and the last 10 came within 2 or 3 months after I switched medications. The last med caused me to actually crave food even when I wasn't hungry. I have never been a "bored" or emotional eater, but I simply HAD to eat!!! I began running 8 months ago as an attempt to lose weight. Instead, I gained! (and not muscle - it was inches of flab around my waist). It was so disapponting! I have never exercised or ran 5K's in my life. I was so excited to get into shape! I have since quit all antidepressants and am waiting to lose the weight. I am staying within my 1200 calories, and eat more on the days I run but don't exceed the 1200. According to myfitnesspal, I should have lost weight already. I have not lost a pound! Why??? How long does it take for your body to adjust from the horrible medication? Will I always be like this? Do I need to do a cleanse to get it out of me? It has been a month and 1/2.

Thanks!

There is no cleanse to rid your body of it. You just have to wait. Depending on the med, it could be "out of your system" in a few days or a few months - it can be figured out by looking up the half life of the medication. For me, even though the drug had cleared, it still took awhile for things to settle. The first time around, I didn't lose an ounce for about 3 months after the medication had cleared my system - then all of a sudden, I started losing normally. This time, I started losing sooner, but I am not losing like a "normal" person. Not sure if I ever will, to be honest, but every individual is unique in response to medication so my point is simply for illustration.

I would start by making sure you are weighing and logging everything you put in your mouth. Make sure your calorie burns are accurate. Sadly, running a 5K really doesn't burn all that much.

Also, why are you at 1200 calories? Did you pick 2 lbs per week and MFP set you to it? One thing they don't explain very well is that no matter how big your deficit must be to get 2 lbs a week, it won't go lower than 1200 calories. So really, your projected weight loss per the program might be something like 1.4 lbs. That does NOT mean to eat less, it means that you simply cannot maintain a 2 lb per week deficit in a healthy way and should pick a smaller, less aggressive goal. If you only have 20 lbs to lose, 1/2 lb per week is realistic and 1 lb is possibly doable.