Prozac preventing weight loss?

JessBean1985
JessBean1985 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Getting Started
Ok guys. I started at my gym about 2 years ago. Upon learning I was on Prozac for my anxiety, my trainer told me I will not lose weight. He says the most he's seen with people on Prozac is 3 lbs in a year. This has derailed my motivation. I appreciate him telling me but now can't get enough willpower to go through with the healthy eating. I feel like, "Why bother?" I absolutely cannot stop my meds. Any tips or info are greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    it isn't true. you may have to adjust your calorie goal or you may have brain hunger-as opposed to stomach hunger.
    i've lost weight on most antidepressants and gained and it has only to do with me and the accuracy of my calorie counting
  • mirianyusm
    mirianyusm Posts: 89 Member
    Definitely not true. Fire your trainer.
  • mortuseon_
    mortuseon_ Posts: 257 Member
    edited August 2018
    You definitely can lose weight on Prozac, but my experience is that it can increase appetite. You can play around with your macros, eat higher volume, mess with meal timings, and use caffeine (edit: IF this is safe for your anxiety!) to try and defeat additional cravings. The adjustment period also might be worse for appetite but then you may stabilise. Some people never experience these symptoms, so if you're not gaining weight or experiencing higher appetite, don't even worry about it. Hope that helps!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    :lol: @ trainers in gyms.

    They know very little about much of anything - especially meds. Did you ask to see his medical degree?

    Lots of people have lots of opinions.

    My opinion based on nothing other than reading these forums for eleven years and having lost weight while on medications that *ohnoes* keep people from losing weight?...it's all baloney. Weight loss is about eating less and moving more. Bonus is that exercise helps a lot with anxiety and depression, too. Win/win.

    Log food, take a walk. Stay in calories. Profit.

  • JessBean1985
    JessBean1985 Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks you all so much. It really got in my head. I'm going to stay focused!
  • 100_PROOF_
    100_PROOF_ Posts: 1,168 Member
    Not true at all. This trainer has no business giving medical or pharmacology advice.
  • Millicent3015
    Millicent3015 Posts: 374 Member
    The only antidepressant that made me actively overeat was Mirtazapine at a 15mg dose. It stopped the satiety connection my brain sent out so I was always hungry. Once I switched to 30mg my eating went back to normal. *But* I was eating high fat/sugar/carb foods. If I'd been obsessively eating lettuce leaves all day I might've put on less or no weight.

    Prozac didn't change my eating at all. I would've stayed on it but it stopped working for me after four months, whereas my friend swore by it because it continued working for her for years. She was very slim, and always stayed the same weight.

    People's bodies tolerate antidepressants differently, so some people might get weight gain or loss, loss of appetite or increased appetite. It might make weight loss a bit difficult initially, but it can be achieved with a bit of toggling of your diet.

    If you're still worried I would research Prozac either on a proper medical website, or I'd find a mental health forum for mh patients/service users and ask them about their experiences of weight issues while taking Prozac.

    Your trainer isn't the person to give advice, as he's only worked with a finite number of clients who are taking Prozac, and each one of those people probably had other issues or comorbidities that may have played a part in their difficulties in losing weight. Plus he shouldn't have said anything in the first place because unless he has a medical degree with a specialism in psychiatry, or a pharmacology certificate, he knows nothing. If at all possible, find a mental health friendly trainer who won't discourage you with thoughtless words.
  • Redordeadhead
    Redordeadhead Posts: 1,188 Member
    Definitely not true. Don't listen to him!
  • Archcurl
    Archcurl Posts: 239 Member
    Uhm hi, fellow Prozac user here and I did lose over 3 pounds in a year. So no.
  • emjay196363
    emjay196363 Posts: 37 Member
    Been on it for 15 years. As long as I eat fewer calories than I burn, I lose weight. (P.S., why is he so anxious to discourage you?)
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