Affects on weight with Wellbutrin XL?

I've been taking Wellbutrin for a year and a half and it's been great for me...it has absolutely helped me deal with compulsive eating, but watch out, at the beginning I had to force myself to eat my calories, I just didn't want to eat at all and that's no healthier than overeating. I'm in bed and too tired for a proper full response but ill try to come back in the morning and share more of my experience...or message me

I'm also on Wellbutrin, and it has not had a negative effect on my weight. If anything, it's made me more motivated to exercise, and it's helped me to stop bingeing on sweets. I switched from celexa about 6 years ago, and while I don't think the Wellbutrin is quite as effective for me, the lack of major side effects makes it well worth it.

for anyone who isn't familiar with Wellbutrin, it's an anti-depressant and it's also been used for smoking cessation. Because weight loss is sometimes a side effect, some Drs will prescribe it off-label. It doesn't effect everyone the same, some people get no benefits, some benefit from its anti-depressant qualities but don't experience changes in appetite, some experiences changes the way I have...

In 2004, I was prescribed Wellbutrin to help me lose weight, I was 215ish pounds. The very first day I took it I thought to myself…OMG is this how normal people feel?!?!?!? My appetite was greatly reduced, I had more energy and motivation, but most significantly, I stopped obsessing about food. I lost about 35-40 pounds. The Wellbutrin made it easier to eat less…BUT, I never learned how to eat right. Then, success made me complacent, I became less committed to taking my medication, I got lazy…and just…went back to how I was before I started to take it…which wasn't terrible, but it wasn't even close to the best me I can be.

Fast forward to early 2012…300 pounds, sick, depressed, lost my job. I finally decided I had had enough…it was like a light-bulb went on…Wellbutrin was so good for me in the past, from both a weight loss and mental health perspective, maybe I could try that. The changes were immediate. I no longer thought about food all the time. It was much less of a challenge to make better choices, serve myself appropriate portion sizes, buy and cook fresh foods, go for walks. I started logging my food and reading about nutrition. I had to do all the work, you see…Wellbutrin didn't speed up my metabolism or stop me from digesting fats or any other kind of shortcut. It changed the way I THINK. I lost 100 pounds in a year through proper eating and exercise.

The effects of the medication, over time, do become less powerful, …but I used that most effective time to learn and practice good habits. I increased my dose for the first time very recently (lol like, today) because I was struggling with consistency and experiencing some of my old thought patterns. What will happen if the meds become completely ineffective (or harmful) if/when i hit the maximum dose? I don't know, but a few years of eating right and practicing good habits are bound to have a positive long term effect on my mind and my body.

one issue to watch out for at the beginning, as I mentioned in my previous reply, is making sure you eat enough. I could have easily kept to under 500 calories a day, but I knew better. I wasn't hungry, I wasn't thinking about food, I didn't want to eat more than a few bites of things…I had to force myself to eat but after a few days was ok sticking to 1200 a day, eventually going to 1400 (plus some exercise calories) and sticking there.

also…it's great for your libido

i hope that wasn't too long! feel free to ask me anything.