Medication and Increased Appetite/Weight Gain

rosestring
rosestring Posts: 225 Member
edited November 13 in Food and Nutrition
So I have Major Depressive Disorder, along with other mental health issues, which I take medication for. One of these medications is Abilify, a mood stabilizer that is notorious for increased appetite and weight gain in general. To give you an idea of how strong this side effect is for me, I gained about ten pounds when I went from 10mg to 20mg of the Abilify. Since my MDD is not getting any better (actually just out of the hospital last week for a suicide attempt), going down on the medication is not an option.

I've been ravenous for a year now, with yesterday being the worst. Here is what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast:
- four whole, scrambled eggs
- two cups of yogurt
- one cup of raspberries/melon pieces
- a cup of grapes
- a cup of Special K cereal (okay, so this isn't going to fill me up, but it was still there)
- coffee, with milk and creamer

Lunch:
- one large slice of pizza
- one large hot dog (and bun)
- one cup of water

Snack:
- Peanut butter and banana sandwich on 100% whole wheat bread

And that's all I can remember. Obviously, I need to get back to tracking to get a more accurate photo, but that was just the first part of the day. Even after each meal/snack, I was very hungry 90-120 minutes after.

Is there something missing from my diet? How can I make my meals more filling, while still losing weight?



Replies

  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    If you area tracking your food, and staying within your caloric range, it's not fat weight.... it's water weight.

    Whenever I get prescribed Prednisone I blow up 10-15lbs.... and it's all water.

    Not the appetite increase is real, but TRY to control yourself.


    Incorporate more protein rich foods.... boneless skin chicken breast, steak, Tilapia.

    Add in LARGE salads.... that you make yourself. Leafy greens will fill you up quick for little calories. Experiment with add ins and light dressings. By best advice... I'm a bottomless pit everyday and my daily lunch, along with a 255g salad fills me up for hours.

    OR.... try to fast (not eat) until a later part of the day, before you go to bed and get in your calories within a short time frame, if you can handle it.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    edited February 2015
    I agree with adding more protein and more vegetables. Don't replace what you're eating with salads, but add vegetables to your meals. For example, you could chop up a couple of cups of vegetables and scramble them with your eggs in the morning, which would add very few calories but would increase the volume of your meal quite a bit. (Make sure to log them).

    I would also take about two weeks, log all your food, and make a note of how you feel after each meal to see if you can identify some patterns. Everyone does best on a slightly different macro split, so maybe you'll notice some trends (like, I'm hungrier afterward if I eat a meal with low protein, or low carbs, or whatever).
  • SilverRose89
    SilverRose89 Posts: 447 Member
    edited February 2015
    Just to say you have my sympathy there, I am also on medication which increases appetite. I have put on 4 stone since being on them (over a few years admittedly), most of which I am now trying to lose.

    What works best for me is eating most of my calories later in the day as this is when I seem to be hungriest (no matter what I eat earlier) and making sure I eat things which fill me up the best, which is different for everyone.

    Also, since I really struggle with the diet side of things I am trying to work hard with the exercise right now. Finding things which I enjoy and just that make me move more, to help counter those times when I do go over my calories which will happen.


  • DebzNuDa
    DebzNuDa Posts: 252 Member
    My heart breaks for you. One thing for sure that I could say, is with your depression, try walking for 30 minutes every day before every meal. Endorphins are HAPPY boosters! So, the good thing is mental AND physical. Then be sure to drink a full glass of water (8 ounce). After both items above sit down and have a healthy meal. I too have medicines (11 different prescriptions) and I know it is a hard but we all care.
  • bespatter
    bespatter Posts: 73 Member
    I have really bad anxiety so I went on Lexapro and I immediately gained weight. I went from 122 (maintained for three years) to 135 in seven months (unfortunately, I gained about half that right before my wedding too). I still counted my calories every day, but my cravings for sugar and carbs were unbelievable and I was always hungry. I wound up eating about 300 extra calories a day (which adds up). I went off the medication (couldn't handle the weight gain) and now four months later I'm steady at 131. I can't seem to lose anymore. I'm able to manage my anxiety better now that I completely cut out all caffeine, but now I'm stuck with unwanted weight.

    The best thing you can do is just count your calories and make them as healthy as possible and maybe work out some (like walking in the afternoon). That will at least mitigate some of the weight gain. AliceDark's suggestions above are real good too.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Abilify is very difficult. Some people on that and similar meds manage weight by keeping carbs very low.
    Also, consider adding more greens (kale, swiss chard, romaine, spinach) to your day. Also foods like broccoli, yellow squash, .. . .
    For some of us, raw or lightly steamed veggies are more filling than bread and cereal.
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    Extra liquids in my meal are how I deal with the extra hunger when it was hitting - like instead of making something with meat and veggies, I'd make a soup with it, so it filled me up more, you know?

    But that said, since you are having such a hard time with the medication, AND since the MDD is not getting better, I was wondering if you've seen the research for reasons BEHIND MDD? Psychologists and psychiatrists seem really bad at keeping up to date with this, in my experience, sadly.

    For example, did you ever have a blood test for celiac disease? Many doctors aren't aware of how varied the symptoms can be (for example, exhaustion and depression are two of the MOST common symptoms for this disease, but most doctors look for gut symptoms, which many of us don't have). I would so highly recommend it. If it's not the disease, it's just a blood test, but if it IS this disease, it changes your life. I know many celiacs who have been diagnosed and started treating it, and within a few weeks, their depression is just gone, bam. It's truly worth exploring.

    But there is also recent research that inflammation in general - from whatever causes, like allergies, autoimmune disorders, whatever - may be the main cause behind depression in general. At the very least, i know there are some diets that look at lowering foods with inflammatory substances and increasing intake of foods that have anti-inflammatory properties. Maybe worth looking at and talking with the doctor, you know?

    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/288715.php

    And...hugs. I have been there; much sympathy.
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