Losing weight when your medication wont allow you.
MommyonAmissontoHealth13
Posts: 53 Member
has anyone had issues losing weight while on antidepressants/ mood stabilizers? 
I have been on them since april lost 20lbs but keep losing and gaining. in need of some tips.
thankyou
I have been on them since april lost 20lbs but keep losing and gaining. in need of some tips.thankyou
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Replies
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Some medications can make it more difficult but they ultimately can't stop you from losing weight.0
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I'm on them and have lost 50 lbs. I have to be strict with what I eat and consistent! I also have to be way more active than the average person. It's kind of a fine balance.0
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I'm not sure the legitimacy of this, but my doctor told me when I was on both BC pills and anti-depressants and mood stabilizers that the medication can only be blamed for a loss/gain of 5lbs. Which whenever I stop my anti-depressants and start them again (not fun; do not recommend haha), I notice a drop in weight for a few days due to lack of appetite. Just make sure you're logging accurately, including weighing food with a scale, before chalking it up to meds. That mindset is self-defeating at the very least.0
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MommyonAmissontoHealth13 wrote: »has anyone had issues losing weight while on antidepressants/ mood stabilizers? I have been on them since april lost 20lbs but keep losing and gaining. in need of some tips.
thankyou
My brother takes mood stabilizers and anti psychotics. When he was in a hospital setting, he gained weight while eating hospital food and not getting much exercise. Now that he is home, eating Mom's cooking, helping her with extensive yard work, and walking several miles per day, he lost all the weight he gained and has maintained a healthy weight for a year. This is despite one of his medications having weight gain listed as a very common adverse effect.
I take Wellbutrin, an anti depressant which is a little speedy, which helps motivate me to exercise.
So my tips for you are:
1. Focus on eating foods that satisfy you
2. Use a digital food scale
2. Weigh all your solids and measure all your liquids
3. Exercise more (not eating back 100% of the calories you earn from exercise)0 -
Being super accurate with your logging is an absolute must when on medication.
The medicines may require you to do a little more activity and adjust your macro balance to ensure that you are getting the best in terms of lasting fullness too. Many people have reported that anti-depressants cause them to desire carbohydrates more.....often the quick release ones ie. cakes, biscuits etc.....just check whether this is happening you to do, upping your protein may help with this.
I do agree with others posting here that medication can have a slight impact on weight but as you have pointed out till recently you have successfully dropped 20 pounds and are now wavering so it is probably more likely to do with logging errors rather than the meds themselves.
All the best.0 -
The likelihood is that it has had an impact on your appetite and/or eating habits rather than it being a direct cause of weight gain. As everyone said above - tighten up your logging and be consistent. I've lost on anti-depressants just fine.0
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It's my understanding that some of the meds decrease your metabolism so keep that in mind. You will have to work harder than others but life isn't always fair.0
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CrazyMermaid1 wrote: »It's my understanding that some of the meds decrease your metabolism so keep that in mind. You will have to work harder than others but life isn't always fair.
It's not a super significant change, if at all. Shouldn't matter.0 -
I've been on Lexapro, an SSRI for a few years now. I'm almost completely sure if isn't responsible for my 22lbs/10kg weight gain, as that happened while I was sick for months with a fibromyalgia flare up and could not exercise without becoming sicker.
Now the flare up is passed and I'm back to exercising. I have a calorie deficit going and I'm exercising daily. I don't seem to be losing any weight, which is infuriating as prior to Lexapro, a few tiny tweaks to my diet alone would see my drop weight with no effort.
My appetite is no different to what it was pre-Lexapro, but my ability to burn fat certainly seems to be. I guess I am just going to have to build up my exercise routine until I can really push myself and see where that gets me.
I take comfort in knowing that even if the scales aren't telling me what I want to hear, the diet and exercise changes will still be making me healthier.0 -
I'm on antidepressants and antipsychotics... ugh. I really liked to blame them for my weight gain in the past. They really do make you crave carbs. You just can't give into the temptation, as hard as it is. You need to learn what your body needs vs. what you're craving but don't really need. It's hard. I found that, for whatever reason, exercise really helps curb my cravings.0
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I am on medication as well. It's true that they contribuite to weight gain. This past year I was taking a very high dosage and I gained 15 kg in just one year. BUT I wasn't using MFP (huge mistake).
Now I am back on MFP (50 days) and I have lost 4 kg.
You can lose weight, it's just going to be a little harder because the appetite is increased. But if the will is strong and if you set to lose no more than a pound a week, you can do it.0 -
Some of the mood stabilizers trigger the hunger signals and make you think you are hungry. Some people I have heard manage better if they stay away from carbs, but that might vary individual by individual. Good luck.0
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I had this issue with Seroquel. I asked to be taken off it once it started messing with my cycles. I gained 10 lbs of water weight in one month and no matter what, I couldn't stop eating. Even if I ate healthy, I'd continue to gain. Once I went off it, I started losing weight and everything evened out. For me, the low dosages of Seroquel were fine. The larger doses were not.0
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After doing some reading it seems many causes of needing Rx Meds can be at least diet related in part. If we can find a way of eating that lessened our needs for Rx Meds. Google can help find the science behind how eating a different way may address the core health concerns needing to be medicated in the first place. I know my family is thankful I was able to improve my physical health and state of mind by diet and get Rx Med free. This may not work for everyone but I have found has my physical health improves so does my mental health.-6
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Do you ever give good advice?GaleHawkins wrote: »After doing some reading it seems many causes of needing Rx Meds can be at least diet related in part. If we can find a way of eating that lessened our needs for Rx Meds. Google can help find the science behind how eating a different way may address the core health concerns needing to be medicated in the first place. I know my family is thankful I was able to improve my physical health and state of mind by diet and get Rx Med free. This may not work for everyone but I have found has my physical health improves so does my mental health.
Op - it can be harder - but not impossible, you've had some great advice on this thread - please take that, do not go off your meds without chatting to your doctor first.0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »After doing some reading it seems many causes of needing Rx Meds can be at least diet related in part. If we can find a way of eating that lessened our needs for Rx Meds. Google can help find the science behind how eating a different way may address the core health concerns needing to be medicated in the first place. I know my family is thankful I was able to improve my physical health and state of mind by diet and get Rx Med free. This may not work for everyone but I have found has my physical health improves so does my mental health.
Untreated mental illness kills. No diet in the world is going to fix a mood disorder. If you're going to google, use Google Scholar to read actual scientific journals written by actual scientists.
Most of the antipsychotics are horrible when it comes to weight gain. No one has ever done good research to look at whether they're increasing appetite or decreasing metabolism or both. I gained 20 lbs on xyprexa years ago. I was much younger, but I dropped it in less than 3 months when changed meds. If you go off the meds, are you likely to slip into the kind of depression where you shove carbs in your face and don't want to get out of bed?
That makes me suspect it caused a reduced metabolism, which means you're going to have to keep cutting calories/increasing exercise until you see weight loss.0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »After doing some reading it seems many causes of needing Rx Meds can be at least diet related in part. If we can find a way of eating that lessened our needs for Rx Meds. Google can help find the science behind how eating a different way may address the core health concerns needing to be medicated in the first place. I know my family is thankful I was able to improve my physical health and state of mind by diet and get Rx Med free. This may not work for everyone but I have found has my physical health improves so does my mental health.
Untreated mental illness kills. No diet in the world is going to fix a mood disorder. If you're going to google, use Google Scholar to read actual scientific journals written by actual scientists.
Most of the antipsychotics are horrible when it comes to weight gain. No one has ever done good research to look at whether they're increasing appetite or decreasing metabolism or both. I gained 20 lbs on xyprexa years ago. I was much younger, but I dropped it in less than 3 months when changed meds. If you go off the meds, are you likely to slip into the kind of depression where you shove carbs in your face and don't want to get out of bed?
That makes me suspect it caused a reduced metabolism, which means you're going to have to keep cutting calories/increasing exercise until you see weight loss.
+1 to your first paragraph!
I still think any metabolic change would be negligible, but I sure know when my anxiety is bad, I can easily eat 3500 extra calories in a week.0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »After doing some reading it seems many causes of needing Rx Meds can be at least diet related in part. If we can find a way of eating that lessened our needs for Rx Meds. Google can help find the science behind how eating a different way may address the core health concerns needing to be medicated in the first place. I know my family is thankful I was able to improve my physical health and state of mind by diet and get Rx Med free. This may not work for everyone but I have found has my physical health improves so does my mental health.
Please don't suggest that medications are not needed for mental disorders. This can be extremely dangerous advice. That's to people like you, I remained in medicated for years. It lead to severe self medication with alcohol and a sense of shame that it was all my fault. Now that I am properly medicated, life is 1000x better.0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »After doing some reading it seems many causes of needing Rx Meds can be at least diet related in part. If we can find a way of eating that lessened our needs for Rx Meds. Google can help find the science behind how eating a different way may address the core health concerns needing to be medicated in the first place. I know my family is thankful I was able to improve my physical health and state of mind by diet and get Rx Med free. This may not work for everyone but I have found has my physical health improves so does my mental health.
I know you didn't mean anything bad by your post, but some people do legitimately have mental illness and it can be downright dangerous to go off meds. Do you know why I'm on medication? I've had TEN traumatic brain injuries and it severely altered my personality. Thus the antipsychotics. If I go off my medication, I become downright scary. I have absolutely no control over myself and I'm truly a threat to everyone around me. I'm dangerous. I can guarantee you that no matter how good my diet is, I'll never be able to go off my meds. I'm one of those people who goes off their meds regularly because I occasionally think I'm "cured," but the personality swing is very severe each time. Even if I skip one single dose, my loved ones know it by the way my personality changes.0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »After doing some reading it seems many causes of needing Rx Meds can be at least diet related in part. If we can find a way of eating that lessened our needs for Rx Meds. Google can help find the science behind how eating a different way may address the core health concerns needing to be medicated in the first place. I know my family is thankful I was able to improve my physical health and state of mind by diet and get Rx Med free. This may not work for everyone but I have found has my physical health improves so does my mental health.
Please don't suggest that medications are not needed for mental disorders. This can be extremely dangerous advice. That's to people like you, I remained in medicated for years. It lead to severe self medication with alcohol and a sense of shame that it was all my fault. Now that I am properly medicated, life is 1000x better.
Dangerous, incorrect and offensive. I agree.0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »After doing some reading it seems many causes of needing Rx Meds can be at least diet related in part. If we can find a way of eating that lessened our needs for Rx Meds. Google can help find the science behind how eating a different way may address the core health concerns needing to be medicated in the first place. I know my family is thankful I was able to improve my physical health and state of mind by diet and get Rx Med free. This may not work for everyone but I have found has my physical health improves so does my mental health.
Another person that finds this to be dangerous, incorrect and offensive.
OP please ignore any advice from any individuals suggesting you stop treatment without the proper consultation of your treating physician. Sudden changes in prescription can be particularly dangerous.
No one here should be either prescribing or suggesting a change in prescription, particularly in mental health areas, without outlining the need for a continuity of care from the person's physician.0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »After doing some reading it seems many causes of needing Rx Meds can be at least diet related in part. If we can find a way of eating that lessened our needs for Rx Meds. Google can help find the science behind how eating a different way may address the core health concerns needing to be medicated in the first place. I know my family is thankful I was able to improve my physical health and state of mind by diet and get Rx Med free. This may not work for everyone but I have found has my physical health improves so does my mental health.
That is just incredibly dangerous advice. Don't extrapolate facts from your own subjective experience.0 -
MommyonAmissontoHealth13 wrote: »has anyone had issues losing weight while on antidepressants/ mood stabilizers? I have been on them since april lost 20lbs but keep losing and gaining. in need of some tips.
thankyou
I take mood stabilizers (lithium) and neuroleptics (risperidone) and what I find is some of what these meds do to me is lower my energy levels, and i can crave food with carbs as carbs are a source of quick energy... I think exercise helps (especially when i feel like i don't want to do it, i always come out feeling better).. I think i have no choice but to track calories, because if i don't it's easy to snack on one thing or another to get a quick energy boost and before i know it i'm gaining weight.
-Rob0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »After doing some reading it seems many causes of needing Rx Meds can be at least diet related in part. If we can find a way of eating that lessened our needs for Rx Meds. Google can help find the science behind how eating a different way may address the core health concerns needing to be medicated in the first place. I know my family is thankful I was able to improve my physical health and state of mind by diet and get Rx Med free. This may not work for everyone but I have found has my physical health improves so does my mental health.
Untreated mental illness kills. No diet in the world is going to fix a mood disorder. If you're going to google, use Google Scholar to read actual scientific journals written by actual scientists.
Most of the antipsychotics are horrible when it comes to weight gain. No one has ever done good research to look at whether they're increasing appetite or decreasing metabolism or both. I gained 20 lbs on xyprexa years ago. I was much younger, but I dropped it in less than 3 months when changed meds. If you go off the meds, are you likely to slip into the kind of depression where you shove carbs in your face and don't want to get out of bed?
That makes me suspect it caused a reduced metabolism, which means you're going to have to keep cutting calories/increasing exercise until you see weight loss.
Consider that neurotransmitters (dopamine and seratonin, which these medicines act on) are CREATED by your GUT BACTERIA... And what you feed them affects what gut bacteria live and die and how much of what is produced, then yes, your diet affects your mental health directly.0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »After doing some reading it seems many causes of needing Rx Meds can be at least diet related in part. If we can find a way of eating that lessened our needs for Rx Meds. Google can help find the science behind how eating a different way may address the core health concerns needing to be medicated in the first place. I know my family is thankful I was able to improve my physical health and state of mind by diet and get Rx Med free. This may not work for everyone but I have found has my physical health improves so does my mental health.
Please don't suggest that medications are not needed for mental disorders. This can be extremely dangerous advice. That's to people like you, I remained in medicated for years. It lead to severe self medication with alcohol and a sense of shame that it was all my fault. Now that I am properly medicated, life is 1000x better.
The new york times yesterday had a headline saying medications are not need or at least not needed as much. At least in the case of schizophrenia, which is related to my condition.0 -
robertwilkens wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »After doing some reading it seems many causes of needing Rx Meds can be at least diet related in part. If we can find a way of eating that lessened our needs for Rx Meds. Google can help find the science behind how eating a different way may address the core health concerns needing to be medicated in the first place. I know my family is thankful I was able to improve my physical health and state of mind by diet and get Rx Med free. This may not work for everyone but I have found has my physical health improves so does my mental health.
Please don't suggest that medications are not needed for mental disorders. This can be extremely dangerous advice. That's to people like you, I remained in medicated for years. It lead to severe self medication with alcohol and a sense of shame that it was all my fault. Now that I am properly medicated, life is 1000x better.
The new york times yesterday had a headline saying medications are not need or at least not needed as much. At least in the case of schizophrenia, which is related to my condition.
An article in the New York Times does not replace competent medical advice - in this same newspaper you will read all sorts of contradictory opinion. Use it, if you like, to discuss with health care professionals not to play health roulette.0 -
robertwilkens wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »After doing some reading it seems many causes of needing Rx Meds can be at least diet related in part. If we can find a way of eating that lessened our needs for Rx Meds. Google can help find the science behind how eating a different way may address the core health concerns needing to be medicated in the first place. I know my family is thankful I was able to improve my physical health and state of mind by diet and get Rx Med free. This may not work for everyone but I have found has my physical health improves so does my mental health.
Please don't suggest that medications are not needed for mental disorders. This can be extremely dangerous advice. That's to people like you, I remained in medicated for years. It lead to severe self medication with alcohol and a sense of shame that it was all my fault. Now that I am properly medicated, life is 1000x better.
The new york times yesterday had a headline saying medications are not need or at least not needed as much. At least in the case of schizophrenia, which is related to my condition.
Well if a newspapers says it, it must be true.
Everyone just stop taking your meds*
*This is obv sarcasm - please do not do this - talk to your doctor, they know a damn sight more that a sodding newspaper or some random person on a forum.0 -
robertwilkens wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »After doing some reading it seems many causes of needing Rx Meds can be at least diet related in part. If we can find a way of eating that lessened our needs for Rx Meds. Google can help find the science behind how eating a different way may address the core health concerns needing to be medicated in the first place. I know my family is thankful I was able to improve my physical health and state of mind by diet and get Rx Med free. This may not work for everyone but I have found has my physical health improves so does my mental health.
Untreated mental illness kills. No diet in the world is going to fix a mood disorder. If you're going to google, use Google Scholar to read actual scientific journals written by actual scientists.
Most of the antipsychotics are horrible when it comes to weight gain. No one has ever done good research to look at whether they're increasing appetite or decreasing metabolism or both. I gained 20 lbs on xyprexa years ago. I was much younger, but I dropped it in less than 3 months when changed meds. If you go off the meds, are you likely to slip into the kind of depression where you shove carbs in your face and don't want to get out of bed?
That makes me suspect it caused a reduced metabolism, which means you're going to have to keep cutting calories/increasing exercise until you see weight loss.
Consider that neurotransmitters (dopamine and seratonin, which these medicines act on) are CREATED by your GUT BACTERIA... And what you feed them affects what gut bacteria live and die and how much of what is produced, then yes, your diet affects your mental health directly.
sorry what?
Dopamine is produced in several areas of the brain, including the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area. It is a neurohormone that is released by the hypothalamus. Its action is as a hormone that is an inhibitor or prolactin release from the anterior lobe of the pituitary
It's not just produced in the gut - so that may have some effect - but seriously.
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But Tom Cruise told me vitamins and exercise were all I needed.0
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