Problem losing weight I gained from depression meds
eiei2019
Posts: 6 Member
Hi I’m 54 and I gained 40 pounds ten years ago from medication for depression. I still take the meds because it works for me . I want to here from people who lost the weight they gained from the medication for depression while still taking it. I just need to know it’s possible because I having trouble losing it. Thank you
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Replies
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Those medications don't make you gain weight, but it is a common side effect for them to increase hunger leading to more eating and weight gain. You lose that weight the same as weight put on any other way, by eating fewer calories than you burn. Enter your information in this app, log your food, and eat the number of calories it says each day.23
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I take meds including an antidepressant which caused me to gain weight. The weight gain was in part due to the meds and partly due to the depression. This last month I have got my act together and started losing weight. One thing I do is preplan my meals and snacks for the next day. I try to stick to this as closely as possible. I find when I take my medications at night I would always be reaching for food. Now with a snack pre planned before bed I can wave off that hunger.10
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I have lost and gained weight on SSRI's. I am currently taking Zoloft and Abilify, both of which can increase appetite and I am losing weight at the anticipated rate for my caloric deficit. Weigh and track all your foods to make sure you are eating less then you are burning and you will lose weight.
For me the depression that is poorly treated causes me to eat more. When my meds are working right I can control my appetite more easily.10 -
Thank you all for taking the time to get back to me!0
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I have to disagree with other people here--the medication can make you gain weight. I'm sick of people shouting "It's calories in vs. calories out!!!" while pretending that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING can impact the second part of that equation (even though we already know that isn't true). Unlike the the poster above, I kicked my own butt trying to lose weight for over a year--having never struggled with my weight previously--and experienced loss at a significantly lower rate than anticipated based on my caloric deficit (if at all).
I've been working with a psychiatrist and have been assured that, just because I experienced weight gain with one medication in the class, it doesn't mean that will happen with all of them. If you haven't already, I suggest talking to an actual psych rather than a GP to get that extra expertise.
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the medication does not make you gain or lose weight. but it can change your appetite which makes you gain or lose weight.
i've gained and lost on all types of antidepressants. the worst was remeron. i was ravenous all the time.8 -
aguilar_k3 wrote: »I have to disagree with other people here--the medication can make you gain weight. I'm sick of people shouting "It's calories in vs. calories out!!!" while pretending that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING can impact the second part of that equation (even though we already know that isn't true). Unlike the the poster above, I kicked my own butt trying to lose weight for over a year--having never struggled with my weight previously--and experienced loss at a significantly lower rate than anticipated based on my caloric deficit (if at all).
I've been working with a psychiatrist and have been assured that, just because I experienced weight gain with one medication in the class, it doesn't mean that will happen with all of them. If you haven't already, I suggest talking to an actual psych rather than a GP to get that extra expertise.
Regardless if medication cause your calories out to come down, it is still CI<CO it just means that your calorie allowance will need to be lower than the estimate given, something which can be determined by logging accurately and honestly for 4-6 weeks. If you're not averaging the expected weight loss you just adjust as necessary as you said yourself it may have been significantly lower calories but by lowering them, you lost weight.
I've never seen anyone pretending that nothing impacts Calories Out, in fact it's quite normal in these threads for people to point out that medications can cause fatigue which in turn leads to a lower NEAT.13 -
aguilar_k3 wrote: »I have to disagree with other people here--the medication can make you gain weight. I'm sick of people shouting "It's calories in vs. calories out!!!" while pretending that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING can impact the second part of that equation (even though we already know that isn't true). Unlike the the poster above, I kicked my own butt trying to lose weight for over a year--having never struggled with my weight previously--and experienced loss at a significantly lower rate than anticipated based on my caloric deficit (if at all).
I've been working with a psychiatrist and have been assured that, just because I experienced weight gain with one medication in the class, it doesn't mean that will happen with all of them. If you haven't already, I suggest talking to an actual psych rather than a GP to get that extra expertise.
It is still CICO, but the medication may affect the Cals out, by making your more lethargic, or lower metabolism (BMR) slightly, or could affect appetite to the point you eat more cals in... some meds may do both, make you lethargic, so you move less and increase appetite, but other than water retention, weight gain still comes down to CICO.7 -
tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
Regardless if medication cause your calories out to come down, it is still CI<CO it just means that your calorie allowance will need to be lower than the estimate given, something which can be determined by logging accurately and honestly for 4-6 weeks. If you're not averaging the expected weight loss you just adjust as necessary as you said yourself it may have been significantly lower calories but by lowering them, you lost weight.
I've never seen anyone pretending that nothing impacts Calories Out, in fact it's quite normal in these threads for people to point out that medications can cause fatigue which in turn leads to a lower NEAT.
My weight loss was something like 20% of the expected rate. I did think of doing what you're suggesting--adjusting my intake to account for the difference-but it would have put me at a very unhealthy calorie level in terms of nutrients. And that doesn't even account for absurd weight gain I witnessed when I fell off the wagon and ate pizza one evening or whatever.
When people insist that the problem *really* that you're just eating a lot more than you think, it does imply that the issue is always in the first part of the equation. But there's only so much you can cut before it becomes unhealthy/unreasonable! It's not a very helpful response.
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aguilar_k3 wrote: »tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
Regardless if medication cause your calories out to come down, it is still CI<CO it just means that your calorie allowance will need to be lower than the estimate given, something which can be determined by logging accurately and honestly for 4-6 weeks. If you're not averaging the expected weight loss you just adjust as necessary as you said yourself it may have been significantly lower calories but by lowering them, you lost weight.
I've never seen anyone pretending that nothing impacts Calories Out, in fact it's quite normal in these threads for people to point out that medications can cause fatigue which in turn leads to a lower NEAT.
My weight loss was something like 20% of the expected rate. I did think of doing what you're suggesting--adjusting my intake to account for the difference-but it would have put me at a very unhealthy calorie level in terms of nutrients. And that doesn't even account for absurd weight gain I witnessed when I fell off the wagon and ate pizza one evening or whatever.
When people insist that the problem *really* that you're just eating a lot more than you think, it does imply that the issue is always in the first part of the equation. But there's only so much you can cut before it becomes unhealthy/unreasonable! It's not a very helpful response.
Or it could just mean you have to take it slower rather than cutting a lot lower. It depends how much weight you have to lose, if it's vanity weight then yes it would probably wouldn't be so beneficial. However, if someone has a lot of weight to lose (which means they would have a rather higher BMR anyway and unlikely that cutting slightly lower would affect healthy nutrition), that could benefit their health long term if lost, then surely better to lose very slowly rather than just quit?2 -
aguilar_k3 wrote: »I have to disagree with other people here--the medication can make you gain weight. I'm sick of people shouting "It's calories in vs. calories out!!!" while pretending that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING can impact the second part of that equation (even though we already know that isn't true). Unlike the the poster above, I kicked my own butt trying to lose weight for over a year--having never struggled with my weight previously--and experienced loss at a significantly lower rate than anticipated based on my caloric deficit (if at all).
I've been working with a psychiatrist and have been assured that, just because I experienced weight gain with one medication in the class, it doesn't mean that will happen with all of them. If you haven't already, I suggest talking to an actual psych rather than a GP to get that extra expertise.
It is still CICO, but the medication may affect the Cals out, by making your more lethargic, or lower metabolism (BMR) slightly, or could affect appetite to the point you eat more cals in... some meds may do both, make you lethargic, so you move less and increase appetite, but other than water retention, weight gain still comes down to CICO.
It won't really lower bmr, but it can lower your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) through decrease of activity from fatigue. BMR is your base functions, heart rate, digestion, breathing, blood flow, etc. We are warm-blooded, homeostatic creatures, so these functions will continue going at their standard, steady pace until they can't anymore, at which point they fail. Can't really slow them down, if they start slowing down, it means they're struggling and somethings wrong, and that's what the doctors call "failure". I think what everyone's trying to say is that calories in and out can only change through conscious activity, even if that conscious activity is decreased by heavy influence of drugs.3 -
RelCanonical wrote: »aguilar_k3 wrote: »I have to disagree with other people here--the medication can make you gain weight. I'm sick of people shouting "It's calories in vs. calories out!!!" while pretending that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING can impact the second part of that equation (even though we already know that isn't true). Unlike the the poster above, I kicked my own butt trying to lose weight for over a year--having never struggled with my weight previously--and experienced loss at a significantly lower rate than anticipated based on my caloric deficit (if at all).
I've been working with a psychiatrist and have been assured that, just because I experienced weight gain with one medication in the class, it doesn't mean that will happen with all of them. If you haven't already, I suggest talking to an actual psych rather than a GP to get that extra expertise.
It is still CICO, but the medication may affect the Cals out, by making your more lethargic, or lower metabolism (BMR) slightly, or could affect appetite to the point you eat more cals in... some meds may do both, make you lethargic, so you move less and increase appetite, but other than water retention, weight gain still comes down to CICO.
It won't really lower bmr, but it can lower your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) through decrease of activity from fatigue. BMR is your base functions, heart rate, digestion, breathing, blood flow, etc. We are warm-blooded, homeostatic creatures, so these functions will continue going at their standard, steady pace until they can't anymore, at which point they fail. Can't really slow them down, if they start slowing down, it means they're struggling and somethings wrong, and that's what the doctors call "failure". I think what everyone's trying to say is that calories in and out can only change through conscious activity, even if that conscious activity is decreased by heavy influence of drugs.
True to a point but thyroid conditions lower BMR, you burn less than you would expect given your BF%, weight, height, gender, etc. Meds can do the same, not usually a large % of variance, but enough to make a difference.1 -
Yes, in theory I could try maintaining a 1200 calorie diet for life and accept that, any time I don't obsessively track every bite I eat--whether for a day or a week--I'm going to keep fattening up inexorably. Or, I could acknowledge the reality of this frankly horrible side effect and try making changes to my treatment. And of course, if staying on that particular med is absolutely essential for mental health, it's certainly better to just acknowledge this possible symptom instead of shaming them.
It's honestly difficult enough for the average person to stay at a healthy weight. Nobody needs an enormous extra handicap to make it more difficult.3 -
aguilar_k3 wrote: »tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
Regardless if medication cause your calories out to come down, it is still CI<CO it just means that your calorie allowance will need to be lower than the estimate given, something which can be determined by logging accurately and honestly for 4-6 weeks. If you're not averaging the expected weight loss you just adjust as necessary as you said yourself it may have been significantly lower calories but by lowering them, you lost weight.
I've never seen anyone pretending that nothing impacts Calories Out, in fact it's quite normal in these threads for people to point out that medications can cause fatigue which in turn leads to a lower NEAT.
My weight loss was something like 20% of the expected rate. I did think of doing what you're suggesting--adjusting my intake to account for the difference-but it would have put me at a very unhealthy calorie level in terms of nutrients. And that doesn't even account for absurd weight gain I witnessed when I fell off the wagon and ate pizza one evening or whatever.
When people insist that the problem *really* that you're just eating a lot more than you think, it does imply that the issue is always in the first part of the equation. But there's only so much you can cut before it becomes unhealthy/unreasonable! It's not a very helpful response.
Could you perhaps provide links to peer reviewed articles that back up this 20% slower expected loss (due to a slower metabolism?) that you're talking about? If that was actually the case, presumably similar side effects would have been discussed in peer reviewed article somewhere. Don't worry if you're only able to find and read articles that back this up that are behind a paywall. I'm more than willing to meet you halfway on this mind you.11 -
aguilar_k3 wrote: »tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
Regardless if medication cause your calories out to come down, it is still CI<CO it just means that your calorie allowance will need to be lower than the estimate given, something which can be determined by logging accurately and honestly for 4-6 weeks. If you're not averaging the expected weight loss you just adjust as necessary as you said yourself it may have been significantly lower calories but by lowering them, you lost weight.
I've never seen anyone pretending that nothing impacts Calories Out, in fact it's quite normal in these threads for people to point out that medications can cause fatigue which in turn leads to a lower NEAT.
My weight loss was something like 20% of the expected rate. I did think of doing what you're suggesting--adjusting my intake to account for the difference-but it would have put me at a very unhealthy calorie level in terms of nutrients. And that doesn't even account for absurd weight gain I witnessed when I fell off the wagon and ate pizza one evening or whatever.
When people insist that the problem *really* that you're just eating a lot more than you think, it does imply that the issue is always in the first part of the equation. But there's only so much you can cut before it becomes unhealthy/unreasonable! It's not a very helpful response.
Could you perhaps provide links to peer reviewed articles that back up this 20% slower expected loss (due to a slower metabolism?) that you're talking about? If that was actually the case, presumably similar side effects would have been discussed in peer reviewed article somewhere. Don't worry if you're only able to find and read articles that back this up that are behind a paywall. I'm more than willing to meet you halfway on this mind you.
It's honestly pretty irritating to have to educate people with an overly simplistic view of the body and metabolism, particularly when the effects of antidepressants are widely known. But since none of you can apparently do the work of learning about this yourselves:
https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k1951
"Antidepressant treatment may also be associated with weight gain,12 through mechanisms that are only partially understood."
https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/emiddt/2015/00000015/00000004/art00002
"Metabolic changes associated with weight gain include disturbances of glucose and lipid metabolism. Clozapine and olanzapine may, in addition to mechanisms resulting from weight gain, impair glucose metabolism by blockade of the muscarinic M3 receptor (M3R). Antidepressants associated with weight gain appear to have fewer unfavourable effects on glucose and lipid metabolism than the second-generation antipsychotics clozapine and olanzapine."
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319527.php
And here's a nice easy read: "Experts do not fully understand why antidepressants lead to weight gain in some people. One theory is that both metabolism and hunger levels may be affected."
I'm not really sure why this is so hard for people to accept. In addition to many, many experiences like mine--which I've documented as thoroughly as possible on an individual level--science backs this possibility. If you know nothing about it, possibly you should withhold comment.
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aguilar_k3 wrote: »aguilar_k3 wrote: »tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
Regardless if medication cause your calories out to come down, it is still CI<CO it just means that your calorie allowance will need to be lower than the estimate given, something which can be determined by logging accurately and honestly for 4-6 weeks. If you're not averaging the expected weight loss you just adjust as necessary as you said yourself it may have been significantly lower calories but by lowering them, you lost weight.
I've never seen anyone pretending that nothing impacts Calories Out, in fact it's quite normal in these threads for people to point out that medications can cause fatigue which in turn leads to a lower NEAT.
My weight loss was something like 20% of the expected rate. I did think of doing what you're suggesting--adjusting my intake to account for the difference-but it would have put me at a very unhealthy calorie level in terms of nutrients. And that doesn't even account for absurd weight gain I witnessed when I fell off the wagon and ate pizza one evening or whatever.
When people insist that the problem *really* that you're just eating a lot more than you think, it does imply that the issue is always in the first part of the equation. But there's only so much you can cut before it becomes unhealthy/unreasonable! It's not a very helpful response.
Could you perhaps provide links to peer reviewed articles that back up this 20% slower expected loss (due to a slower metabolism?) that you're talking about? If that was actually the case, presumably similar side effects would have been discussed in peer reviewed article somewhere. Don't worry if you're only able to find and read articles that back this up that are behind a paywall. I'm more than willing to meet you halfway on this mind you.
It's honestly pretty irritating to have to educate people with an overly simplistic view of the body and metabolism, particularly when the effects of antidepressants are widely known. But since none of you can apparently do the work of learning about this yourselves:
https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k1951
"Antidepressant treatment may also be associated with weight gain,12 through mechanisms that are only partially understood."
https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/emiddt/2015/00000015/00000004/art00002
"Metabolic changes associated with weight gain include disturbances of glucose and lipid metabolism. Clozapine and olanzapine may, in addition to mechanisms resulting from weight gain, impair glucose metabolism by blockade of the muscarinic M3 receptor (M3R). Antidepressants associated with weight gain appear to have fewer unfavourable effects on glucose and lipid metabolism than the second-generation antipsychotics clozapine and olanzapine."
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319527.php
And here's a nice easy read: "Experts do not fully understand why antidepressants lead to weight gain in some people. One theory is that both metabolism and hunger levels may be affected."
I'm not really sure why this is so hard for people to accept. In addition to many, many experiences like mine--which I've documented as thoroughly as possible on an individual level--science backs this possibility. If you know nothing about it, possibly you should withhold comment.
But it is still cals in cals out, it just affects one side of the equation cals out, and makes you want to affect the cals in side (hunger)9 -
aguilar_k3 wrote: »I have to disagree with other people here--the medication can make you gain weight. I'm sick of people shouting "It's calories in vs. calories out!!!" while pretending that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING can impact the second part of that equation (even though we already know that isn't true). Unlike the the poster above, I kicked my own butt trying to lose weight for over a year--having never struggled with my weight previously--and experienced loss at a significantly lower rate than anticipated based on my caloric deficit (if at all).
I've been working with a psychiatrist and have been assured that, just because I experienced weight gain with one medication in the class, it doesn't mean that will happen with all of them. If you haven't already, I suggest talking to an actual psych rather than a GP to get that extra expertise.
I agree and can't believe 14 people "woo'd" your post! I was on Zoloft and gained 50 lbs in 3 months while doing nothing different and as soon as I stopped taking it the pounds came right off,I don't care what anyone thinks they know about these meds saying they just rev your appetite and you eat more therefore gain more,that's absolutely not true in my case and from what I've read alot of cases,go ahead and woo away,I know what happened to me19 -
aguilar_k3 wrote: »I have to disagree with other people here--the medication can make you gain weight. I'm sick of people shouting "It's calories in vs. calories out!!!" while pretending that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING can impact the second part of that equation (even though we already know that isn't true). Unlike the the poster above, I kicked my own butt trying to lose weight for over a year--having never struggled with my weight previously--and experienced loss at a significantly lower rate than anticipated based on my caloric deficit (if at all).
I've been working with a psychiatrist and have been assured that, just because I experienced weight gain with one medication in the class, it doesn't mean that will happen with all of them. If you haven't already, I suggest talking to an actual psych rather than a GP to get that extra expertise.
I agree and can't believe 14 people "woo'd" your post! I was on Zoloft and gained 50 lbs in 3 months while doing nothing different and as soon as I stopped taking it the pounds came right off,I don't care what anyone thinks they know about these meds saying they just rev your appetite and you eat more therefore gain more,that's absolutely not true in my case and from what I've read alot of cases,go ahead and woo away,I know what happened to me
Good job, you solved world hunger. Just give everyone an SSRI.19 -
aguilar_k3 wrote: »aguilar_k3 wrote: »tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
Regardless if medication cause your calories out to come down, it is still CI<CO it just means that your calorie allowance will need to be lower than the estimate given, something which can be determined by logging accurately and honestly for 4-6 weeks. If you're not averaging the expected weight loss you just adjust as necessary as you said yourself it may have been significantly lower calories but by lowering them, you lost weight.
I've never seen anyone pretending that nothing impacts Calories Out, in fact it's quite normal in these threads for people to point out that medications can cause fatigue which in turn leads to a lower NEAT.
My weight loss was something like 20% of the expected rate. I did think of doing what you're suggesting--adjusting my intake to account for the difference-but it would have put me at a very unhealthy calorie level in terms of nutrients. And that doesn't even account for absurd weight gain I witnessed when I fell off the wagon and ate pizza one evening or whatever.
When people insist that the problem *really* that you're just eating a lot more than you think, it does imply that the issue is always in the first part of the equation. But there's only so much you can cut before it becomes unhealthy/unreasonable! It's not a very helpful response.
Could you perhaps provide links to peer reviewed articles that back up this 20% slower expected loss (due to a slower metabolism?) that you're talking about? If that was actually the case, presumably similar side effects would have been discussed in peer reviewed article somewhere. Don't worry if you're only able to find and read articles that back this up that are behind a paywall. I'm more than willing to meet you halfway on this mind you.
It's honestly pretty irritating to have to educate people with an overly simplistic view of the body and metabolism, particularly when the effects of antidepressants are widely known. But since none of you can apparently do the work of learning about this yourselves:
https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k1951
"Antidepressant treatment may also be associated with weight gain,12 through mechanisms that are only partially understood."
https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/emiddt/2015/00000015/00000004/art00002
"Metabolic changes associated with weight gain include disturbances of glucose and lipid metabolism. Clozapine and olanzapine may, in addition to mechanisms resulting from weight gain, impair glucose metabolism by blockade of the muscarinic M3 receptor (M3R). Antidepressants associated with weight gain appear to have fewer unfavourable effects on glucose and lipid metabolism than the second-generation antipsychotics clozapine and olanzapine."
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319527.php
And here's a nice easy read: "Experts do not fully understand why antidepressants lead to weight gain in some people. One theory is that both metabolism and hunger levels may be affected."
I'm not really sure why this is so hard for people to accept. In addition to many, many experiences like mine--which I've documented as thoroughly as possible on an individual level--science backs this possibility. If you know nothing about it, possibly you should withhold comment.
You know what happens when you assume...
But since I said I would hold up my end of the bargain
Effects of antidepressants on glucose metabolism and diabetes mellitus type 2 in adults. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23187087
"SSRIs are preferable in nondiabetic depressed patients since they improve glucose regulation in the short run and may have little untoward effects in the long run. In depressed DM2 patients, SSRIs are the only class of antidepressants with confirmed favorable effects on glycemic control."
Weight gain in depression remitted with antidepressants: pharmacological or recovery effect?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9693356
"findings suggest that weight gain in remitted depressed patients may not necessarily be a pharmacological effect of antidepressants, but may rather be an effect, at least in part, of recovery from depression."
Effects of the antidepressant duloxetine on body weight: analyses of 10 clinical studies.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17235383
"Duloxetine appears to have minimal short-term and long-term effects on weight for the majority of patients " Note that they did find that patients on the highest recommended dose experienced some weight gain, but it wasn't considered clinically significant for various reasons.
And now for your articles:
Antidepressant utilisation and incidence of weight gain during 10 years’ follow-up: population based cohort study
One of the issues with this first one is that they don't actually know how many calories people are consuming. Not even a ballpark figure. They also say this in their strengths and limitations section "We cannot exclude the possibility that depressive symptoms rather than antidepressant treatment were the reason for changes in body weight."
From Weight Gain and Metabolic Changes During Treatment with Antipsychotics and Antidepressants -
"In most cases, weight gain during psychopharmacological treatment can be explained through changes in appetite
regulation"
"Also SSRIs are reported to improve glucose regulation in the short term; and moreover, they may have few untoward effects in the long term. ...Therefore, SSRIs seem advantageous if avoiding adverse effects regarding body weight and glucose metabolism is advisable."
Note too that neither clozapine nor olanzapine are antidepressants (note, you were the one who mentioned antidepressants), rather both are antipsychotics. They may be used as adjuncts, but they aren't antidepressants so really pointing to weight gain on those two meds is a moot point with regards to your argument.
Antidepressant utilisation and incidence of weight gain during 10 years’ follow-up: population based cohort study"]How can antidepressants affect weight gain?
This is not a peer reviewed journal article (which is what's implied in "peer reviewed article"). Good try though. I did decide to throw you a bone and skim the article for cited articles. They didn't have a references section, but of the articles they linked to, only four were to peer reviewed journal articles and one of them was from the mid 80s. Of the three that were recent, one of them mentioned weight gain in passing (the's all of one sentence related to it), another noted "Despite the concomitant occurrence of the frequent use of antidepressants and the high incidence of obesity in Western societies, additional studies are required to fully test our hypothesis that the rise in obesity rates is related at least in part to increasing antidepressant use, and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying antidepressant-induced weight gain." and then later "...a number of studies have shown that SSRIs may be associated with long-term risk of weight gain. Long-term studies with very much extended periods are needed in order to understand long-term effects of SSRI on body weight.", and finally the third noted, "SSRIs use was associated with weight gain in the presence of unhealthy behaviours including Western diet, sedentarism and smoking." Note the "unhealthy behaviors" bit.
edited for formating, which is still a bit of a mess10 -
aguilar_k3 wrote: »tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
Regardless if medication cause your calories out to come down, it is still CI<CO it just means that your calorie allowance will need to be lower than the estimate given, something which can be determined by logging accurately and honestly for 4-6 weeks. If you're not averaging the expected weight loss you just adjust as necessary as you said yourself it may have been significantly lower calories but by lowering them, you lost weight.
I've never seen anyone pretending that nothing impacts Calories Out, in fact it's quite normal in these threads for people to point out that medications can cause fatigue which in turn leads to a lower NEAT.
My weight loss was something like 20% of the expected rate. I did think of doing what you're suggesting--adjusting my intake to account for the difference-but it would have put me at a very unhealthy calorie level in terms of nutrients. And that doesn't even account for absurd weight gain I witnessed when I fell off the wagon and ate pizza one evening or whatever.
When people insist that the problem *really* that you're just eating a lot more than you think, it does imply that the issue is always in the first part of the equation. But there's only so much you can cut before it becomes unhealthy/unreasonable! It's not a very helpful response.
There are so many folks here who swear they’re doing everything right but not losing weight. I was one of them. Medications don’t have calories, but they can affect our habits which in turn affect our weight. Usually they stimulate appetite and/or make us less active. And we may not realize either one. For me, I wasn’t working out as intensely or for as long, and I wasn’t my usual super-fidgety self. But I swore up and down I was doing everything “right.”
Another way medications can affect us is water retention. Which is likely the result you experienced with the overnight weight gain from your pizza. The sodium made you retain water. I often see the scale go up a few pounds after pizza or a night of Chinese food.
If you’re not using a weight trending program, like Happy Scale for iPhone or Libra for Android, it can be really eye-opening. My weight fluctuates 1-5 pounds in a day, after lots of sodium or because of hormones due to water retention. My weight trend graph looks like a ekg each month at a certain point in my cycle.
I don’t think you should cut calories, and it didn’t seem like anyone was suggesting that. I’d double check your logging and make sure you’re weighing all solid foods on a food scale (including packaged foods like slices of bread, pieces of cheese, eggs, frozen food, yogurt, etc.). And double check the entires you’re using. Even ones you know were correct once can change over time if the manufacturer changes the portion or ingredients. The other thing is to try and increase your activity. A little more walking, and if you don’t wear a fitness tracker, try taking your pulse during workouts or using the heart rate handles on cardio machines to help you gauge intensity.
Mostly, it takes patience. And this is coming from someone who is hypothyroid, which means my metabolism may actually be a tiny bit slower than normal (but I take medication to help with that). I lost over 100 pounds with the usual ups, downs, and plateaus. It took a couple of years.
Just keep going, you’ll get there—with your meds.10 -
RelCanonical wrote: »aguilar_k3 wrote: »I have to disagree with other people here--the medication can make you gain weight. I'm sick of people shouting "It's calories in vs. calories out!!!" while pretending that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING can impact the second part of that equation (even though we already know that isn't true). Unlike the the poster above, I kicked my own butt trying to lose weight for over a year--having never struggled with my weight previously--and experienced loss at a significantly lower rate than anticipated based on my caloric deficit (if at all).
I've been working with a psychiatrist and have been assured that, just because I experienced weight gain with one medication in the class, it doesn't mean that will happen with all of them. If you haven't already, I suggest talking to an actual psych rather than a GP to get that extra expertise.
I agree and can't believe 14 people "woo'd" your post! I was on Zoloft and gained 50 lbs in 3 months while doing nothing different and as soon as I stopped taking it the pounds came right off,I don't care what anyone thinks they know about these meds saying they just rev your appetite and you eat more therefore gain more,that's absolutely not true in my case and from what I've read alot of cases,go ahead and woo away,I know what happened to me
Good job, you solved world hunger. Just give everyone an SSRI.
I'm sure if they were in the U.S they'd be prescribed them at some point,docs love handing them out to everyone for every ailment6 -
I don’t know what the problem is with people acknowledging that yes antidepressants cause weight gain. Yes the meds have no calories but the side affect is weight gain. Yes it increases your appetite but guys this is real. Until you have been there have some compassion. It is not all black and white. It is tougher to lose weight when you are on these weight promoting drugs but the drugs are as necessary as blood pressure meds.10
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lindamtuck2018 wrote: »I don’t know what the problem is with people acknowledging that yes antidepressants cause weight gain. Yes the meds have no calories but the side affect is weight gain. Yes it increases your appetite but guys this is real. Until you have been there have some compassion. It is not all black and white. It is tougher to lose weight when you are on these weight promoting drugs but the drugs are as necessary as blood pressure meds.
People have compassion, and nobody is saying it's not difficult, what they are saying is that it's not impossible.
For years I blamed my contraceptive pill for me not being able to lose weight, but turns out I was just eating too much, both as a result of hormonal mood swings and the increased appetite, once I started logging food with a food scale, bulking out my meals with more low calorie, high nutrient foods and finding alternative ways to deal with the mood swings than emotional eating I lost weight.8 -
I gained 45 pounds while on Zoloft. It made me very tired, I was sleeping 2 hours in the afternoon and 10 hours at night. I was also more hungry and I ate more. I lost the weight after I stopped the medication. But I do know that some SSRIs can change your metabolism - a good friend had her RMR tested before meds and was burning 1500 calories at rest, after starting the meds she had the RMR retested, and she was only burning 1200 calories.2
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lindamtuck2018 wrote: »I don’t know what the problem is with people acknowledging that yes antidepressants cause weight gain. Yes the meds have no calories but the side affect is weight gain. Yes it increases your appetite but guys this is real. Until you have been there have some compassion. It is not all black and white. It is tougher to lose weight when you are on these weight promoting drugs but the drugs are as necessary as blood pressure meds.
The bolded is the reason you gain weight on meds, which is what everyone is trying to point out. Meds don't just magically defy CICO. The reality is they changed something in the CICO equation, like increased appetite for example.7 -
I gained 45 pounds while on Zoloft. It made me very tired, I was sleeping 2 hours in the afternoon and 10 hours at night. I was also more hungry and I ate more. I lost the weight after I stopped the medication. But I do know that some SSRIs can change your metabolism - a good friend had her RMR tested before meds and was burning 1500 calories at rest, after starting the meds she had the RMR retested, and she was only burning 1200 calories.
So still cals in vs cals out, just the meds change one side of the equatiin and may make you hungrier too2 -
I gained and lost weight on SSRIs (prescribed for neuro pain), over a 2 year period. I stopped the meds about halfway through my main cut (50+ lbs) and my data showed that the meds made no real difference to my BMR. My rate of loss with and without the meds was the same.2
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