Weight loss/anti depressants
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The formula I was given to figure out individual Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE, a term you'll see on the forums frequently) is as follows. And note that you will need to figure this over a MINIMUM of 14 days - the longer your calculation period, the more accurate your equation will be. A range of less than 14 days is going to be pretty much useless. The process takes patience and diligence but is so worth it. Anyway, the formula:
Total Gross Calorie Intake + (3500 x weight lost in pounds) / days = TDEE
or if you gain in the time period then I believe the formula changes to
Total Gross Calorie Intake - (3500 x weight gained in pounds) / days = TDEE
(someone please correct that if I'm wrong, math is not my strong suit)
Since this TDEE figure is how much you would need to eat in order to maintain your weight, then from that figure you need to subtract a percentage of calories in order to lose. Anywhere from 10% to 25% is appropriate, depending on how much you have to lose.0 -
I've heard this for years, but never experienced weight gain from antidepressants in the 13 years I was on them. My doctor said to just watch what I ate. I'm now off them because it turns out I was misdiagnosed, but the main difference I've experienced is I no longer have dry mouth.0
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Never had the issue either - successfully lost 50lbs on Zoloft and now on Wellbutrin losing pretty consistently.
From what Doctor's have told me, it's not directly the meds that make you gain weight. It's a change in appetite or lifting of depression (during which people feel better and start to eat more). If you are good about logging, weighing and measuring what you eat, you should have no issues.0 -
Side effect weight gain unfortunately.0
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FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »MakePeasNotWar wrote: »Most antidepressants are not associated with weight gain or difficulty losing. Research the particular drug you are on for a full list of side effects, but even if weight gain is one, it doesn't mean you can't lose weight, it will just mean it will be a bit harder.
I would definitely suggest increasing your exercise if you can, since it has so many mood enhancement benefits, in addition to the caloric burn and general health benefits.
If you still find it is much harder to maintain or lose weight, talk you doctor about possibly switching to a different drug. As I said, most modern antidepressants do not have weight gain as a side effect.
That's incorrect. Most antidepressants are associated with weight gain and difficulty losing. Antidepressants are notorious for weight gain and are directly linked to metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. They are believed to affect metabolism. I am the perfect example of this. I gained 111 lbs within 3 years from antidepressants AND developed insulin resistance due to the drugs (all while being a competitive gymnast… training 5 days a week, 3 hours each day). Before beginning antidepressants, I was a whopping 95-97 lbs and couldn't gain a pound no matter how much I ate. Before antidepressants, I had a RMR well above 2000 calories/day and now my RMR is roughly 1411 calories/day. That just goes to show that antidepressants can cause metabolic abnormalities.
ETA: I have been on basically every SSRI, SNRI, and TCA and they all had the same effect... Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa, Cymbalta, Pristiq, Effexor, Tofranil, Klonopin (benzo), Ativan (benzo), Pamelor, Vivactil, etc.
yup.
i'm on a nice complicated cocktail of psych meds, all of which have weight gain as a side effect. one, though, can go either way - it's more common for a patient to LOSE weight than gain weight. it's called bupropion (wellbutrin). unlike SSRIs, which raise serotonin, or SNRIs which raise serotonin and norepinephrine, it is a different class of drug which raises dopamine.
the ONLY way to get real answers is to talk to your doctor. we can only provide you with basic info and suggestions. MFP has helped me greatly in the 2 months i've been doing it. even though my meds make it extremely difficult, following its principles do set you in the right direction.
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I struggle with seasonal depression in the winter. I spoke to my doctor about it as well as my concerns about weight gain with some of the medications. If I were to gain, I believe it would be counter-productive. He prescribed Wellbutrin and I have continued to lose consistently.0
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Thank you so much with all the info! Def helps me a lot! I'm on Prozac..btw.. I workout a few times a week(3)..eat within my calorie intake 1200-2000..drink lots of water..so I'm not giving up..just needed to know others opinions to make sure I was or was not the only one in this rut..0
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Oh yeah and I work 5-6 days a week constantly on my feet..factory fast pace job0
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I only gained on antidepressants when they sent my appetite off the hook. IOW, I didn't gain while eating well, I did gain directly from overeating.
I was on Abilify for a month and my God. I could not put the fork down. I'd be sitting there with the tears streaming down my face WHILE shoveling the fork into my mouth, feeling like I was totally unable to stop.
Over the course of 25 years or so, I was on various antidepressants (am not on any now), including, let me think...Prozac (Fluoxetine), Pristiq, Effexor, Viibryd, Welbutrin (that one made me nasty and aggressive as hell) and Zoloft.
On none of them did I gain without overeating. When I ate at a deficit on any and all of them, I did lose weight (except Abilify, on which I never ate at a deficit, I was like a food monster). Several made me so exhausted that I had to nap multiple times a day; that did make my weight loss efforts worse, but again, it was obviously directly related to not expending as much energy during the day (I mean...I was sleeping, not much energy expenditure there except respiration and so on) but not lowering my calories to reflect that lower expenditure.
Are you saying you're gaining from hunger on the meds? Or that you're gaining even though you're eating at a deficit?0 -
Exercise is a free anti-depressant that also helps you lose weight....
1200-2000 calories is a huge range. Have you figured out a deficit and have you been weighing and logging all of your food? Definitely start there. Talk with your doctor about your concerns. Especially if weight is effecting your depression. If he or she does not seem concerned or offer help - find a new doctor.Holmesfamily26037 wrote: »Thank you so much with all the info! Def helps me a lot! I'm on Prozac..btw.. I workout a few times a week(3)..eat within my calorie intake 1200-2000..drink lots of water..so I'm not giving up..just needed to know others opinions to make sure I was or was not the only one in this rut..0 -
My understanding is that the medical community still doesn't understand the mechanism by which ADs cause weight gain, i.e., reduced metabolism, decreased inhibition or both. (I'm not sure about anti-psychotics, which seem to cause even more weight gain in some patients.)
I gained 50lbs on ADs and I'm pretty sure it was because of reduced inhibition, by which I mean less self-regulation and increased impulsivity. It was the first time I've ever been overweight, so something strange was definitely going on.
I've also lost weight successfully on ADs by counting calories, and now that I'm tracking what I eat I don't think my metabolism is slowed by the drugs because it seems pretty normal. I am on a very low - sub-therapeutic? - dose though, so that might be why.
Certainly, ADs should be no barrier to losing weight using the MFP method for most people, I would have thought. I am not so sure about 'intuitive eating' though - I think that would be a disaster for me on ADs!
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Holmesfamily26037 wrote: »Thank you so much with all the info! Def helps me a lot! I'm on Prozac..btw.. I workout a few times a week(3)..eat within my calorie intake 1200-2000..drink lots of water..so I'm not giving up..just needed to know others opinions to make sure I was or was not the only one in this rut..
There is no logging in your diary. You don't gain weight from a medication, you gain from eating too much. If they increase your appetite, this is something you need to combat.0 -
My understanding is that the medical community still doesn't understand the mechanism by which ADs cause weight gain, i.e., reduced metabolism, decreased inhibition or both. (I'm not sure about anti-psychotics, which seem to cause even more weight gain in some patients.)
I gained 50lbs on ADs and I'm pretty sure it was because of reduced inhibition, by which I mean less self-regulation and increased impulsivity. It was the first time I've ever been overweight, so something strange was definitely going on.
I've also lost weight successfully on ADs by counting calories, and now that I'm tracking what I eat I don't think my metabolism is slowed by the drugs because it seems pretty normal. I am on a very low - sub-therapeutic? - dose though, so that might be why.
Certainly, ADs should be no barrier to losing weight using the MFP method for most people, I would have thought. I am not so sure about 'intuitive eating' though - I think that would be a disaster for me on ADs!
You are correct. That's why it's extremely annoying when people say AD's don't directly cause weight gain. There are many individuals who are living proof of it, myself included. If I never started AD's 3 years ago, I damn well would not have gained 111 lbs and would not be obese today.0 -
Yes--they do cause weight gain. They cause a chronic boost in blood glucose levels, which leads to hyperinsulinemia and weight gain as well as setting you up for Type II diabetes. The longer you stay on them, the higher the risk of Type II. I know a young woman who was severely depressed and suicidal after having been brutally gang-raped. She was put on anti-psychotics. Seroquel was one of them, and it is notorious for causing major weight gains. She gained over 100 pounds and she had never had a weight problem in her life to that point.
As well, the longer you stay on them, the higher the risk of eventually being diagnosed as having "bi-polar" disorder. The old name for bi-polar disorder is "manic-depression" and it used to be pretty rare. Now, suddenly it is being diagnosed right and left. Some psychiatrists speculate that the wide dispensing of SSRIs in particular, but all anti-depressants, in general is the reason why. SSRIs actually cause changes in the architecture of the brain--that's why it takes them so long to begin working. Too many G.P.s are handing them out like candy. They need to be monitored by qualified professionals. It is also the opinion of some professionals that the person should be gradually weaned off them sooner rather than later and they should be reserved for major clinical depressions. Mild to moderate depression can likely be handled in ways other than drugging the individual. Exercise is a great antidote to depression. Eating properly has its mood benefits too.0 -
SanteMulberry wrote: »Yes--they do cause weight gain. They cause a chronic boost in blood glucose levels, which leads to hyperinsulinemia and weight gain as well as setting you up for Type II diabetes. The longer you stay on them, the higher the risk of Type II. I know a young woman who was severely depressed and suicidal after having been brutally gang-raped. She was put on anti-psychotics. Seroquel was one of them, and it is notorious for causing major weight gains. She gained over 100 pounds and she had never had a weight problem in her life to that point.
As well, the longer you stay on them, the higher the risk of eventually being diagnosed as having "bi-polar" disorder. The old name for bi-polar disorder is "manic-depression" and it used to be pretty rare. Now, suddenly it is being diagnosed right and left. Some psychiatrists speculate that the wide dispensing of SSRIs in particular, but all anti-depressants, in general is the reason why. SSRIs actually cause changes in the architecture of the brain--that's why it takes them so long to begin working. Too many G.P.s are handing them out like candy. They need to be monitored by qualified professionals. It is also the opinion of some professionals that the person should be gradually weaned off them sooner rather than later and they should be reserved for major clinical depressions. Mild to moderate depression can likely be handled in ways other than drugging the individual. Exercise is a great antidote to depression. Eating properly has its mood benefits too.
This is the story of my life. I was no more than 97 lbs before I started antidepressants at 18 years old. Three years and a 111 lb weight gain later, I now have insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia which has resulted in chronic hypoglycemia.0 -
FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »My understanding is that the medical community still doesn't understand the mechanism by which ADs cause weight gain, i.e., reduced metabolism, decreased inhibition or both. (I'm not sure about anti-psychotics, which seem to cause even more weight gain in some patients.)
I gained 50lbs on ADs and I'm pretty sure it was because of reduced inhibition, by which I mean less self-regulation and increased impulsivity. It was the first time I've ever been overweight, so something strange was definitely going on.
I've also lost weight successfully on ADs by counting calories, and now that I'm tracking what I eat I don't think my metabolism is slowed by the drugs because it seems pretty normal. I am on a very low - sub-therapeutic? - dose though, so that might be why.
Certainly, ADs should be no barrier to losing weight using the MFP method for most people, I would have thought. I am not so sure about 'intuitive eating' though - I think that would be a disaster for me on ADs!
You are correct. That's why it's extremely annoying when people say AD's don't directly cause weight gain. There are many individuals who are living proof of it, myself included. If I never started AD's 3 years ago, I damn well would not have gained 111 lbs and would not be obese today.
Do you mean the medication caused a huge increase in appetite? I ask because too much food causes weight gain.
Or, are you saying your calorie range stayed the same but you still gained weight? If so, how can you be sure your calorie did not increase?
I have never taken depression medication before, so I am trying to gain a better understanding.
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No one really knows the answer to this because there haven't been any good trials.
Do you mean the medication caused a huge increase in appetite? I ask because too much food causes weight gain.
Or, are you saying your calorie range stayed the same but you still gained weight? If so, how can you be sure your calorie did not increase?
I have never taken depression medication before, so I am trying to gain a better understanding.
Individual patients report a range of factors: increased appetite, reduced inhibition, inactivity and a suspected slowed metabolic rate. There's a compounding variable too: mental illness. Many people go on ADs because they've suffered a trauma, loss or episode of acute mental illness. These things can make people eat for comfort and reduce activity.
It's a complicated issue.0
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