Weight loss and meds that make you hungry

Here is my standard answer to that question:

My brother takes mood stabilizers and antipsychotics known to cause an increase in appetite. 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 in the hospital and has maintained a healthy weight for going on 8 years.

He doesn't count calories. He does eat lots of whole foods - fruits, veggies, legumes, whole grains, chicken, fish, etc. There's very little, if any, junk food in the house. Mom's natural way of eating is basically the Mediterranean diet.

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My partner and I are living with them now. My brother eats a LOT. In fact, he's 10 inches shorter than my partner, yet eats much more than the tall guy does. My brother can do this because he is VERY active. I didn't mention above that he is a drummer and has a set out in the barn that he beats on off and on throughout the day.

So, take up drumming, and by the time you have mastered John Bonham triplets, problem solved

A more practical suggestion: try tweaking your way of eating so that you are focusing on foods that fill you up the most for the least calories, and upping exercise.

Keepthefaith16 wrote: »

How to do control the hunger some medications can cause? The only one medication that helps my crippling anxiety is the one that makes me hungry all the time. I gained 65 lbs on this med and got off it and my anxiety almost ruined my life. So now I’m back on it and I’m just above 200 lbs at 5’3”, so not fun. Any ideas on how to deal with this? Has anyone been successful losing weight while on a medication that causes hunger?

Ps - sounds like you've already experimented with various meds so this is for others who might be reading. There are a lot of different meds that work for the same thing, so it is worth some trial and error to find the one that works the best with the least side effects.

I think I tried 5 different anti-depressants before I found Wellbutrin. That worked great for me for around 20 years. I started having anxiety last summer and in the course of my doctor and I finding something for that we've dropped Wellbutrin and now I am taking Cymbalta, and I feel like my old self again.

Disclaimer: I start going through withdrawal in as soon as 45 minutes after skipping a dose of Cymbalta so I have to be very careful about that. Should I ever need to go off it, I will be prepared for some unpleasantness. (With Wellbutrin, I often tapered off it in the summer time, with no ill effects.)

Cymbalta makes some people a little drowsy, but it makes me a little speedy, so I take it in the AM. Because of this, I've had to be much more regimented about what time I get up, and after some months of adjustment, I am actually sleeping better, which has been a life-long struggle, so hooray!

sbelletti wrote: »

Your medication doesn't cause weight gain, it stimulates your appetite. If you find ways to either burn off the extra calories or satiate your appetite, you won't gain weight.

Do you use the MFP calories and exercise tracker? Determine your calorie intake and exercise level and stick with it. You may need to add more exercise than you're used to, or you may need to try different foods to satisfy your cravings.

I eat a LOT of raw vegetables that fill me up. See how many calories are in 4 cups of lettuce, for example! Try eating smaller portions of food more often. Increase your water intake as it often satisfies hunger pains. Try more protein and fat vs carbs to help with hunger. And it's never a bad idea to add a bit more exercise.

Good luck!

This is not the only mechanism by which meds can contribute to weight gain or difficulty in losing weight. There are countless mechanisms by which drugs can influence metabolism, liver function, digestion, the way fat is deposited, and gut microbiome, all of which can have massive impacts beyond just stimulating appetite.

I for one had a BRUTAL time losing weight on beta blockers because they lowered my resting metabolism while lowering my heart rate. And I had easily lost substantial weight just two years before taking them.

That said, I obviously agree with your advice, because it's basically the same advice I gave. I just wanted to clarify that meds associated with weight gain can act on a lot more than just appetite.

I really like @sbelletti’s explaination, the meds affect appetite, the rest is up to you. I’ve been on high-dose prednisone (20-60mg) or it’s equivalent in other steroids since 2014 and have both gained and lost weight, currently 90+ pounds down from my highest weight.

What works? The same as what works for everyone… a calorie deficit. We simply have to be more cognizant of what we are eating, what might trigger cravings or unwanted eating behaviors, and work on separating behavioral or emotional eating from true hunger.

Ask your doctor if your kidneys are healthy enough for a high protein diet, as protein can stave off cravings. Plan your meals and snacks, and stick to that timed regimen. And for gosh sakes, plan foods you like, not “healthy” foods you “think” you “should” eat.

Learn how to *maintain* your weight, and make that your goal for the first 2-4 weeks, before taking a gradual deficit. Use the skill of maintenance whenever stress comes up, when med changes occur, if you’re hospitalized (yes, MFP works in the hospital and you can still log if you are still conscious), etc. Life throws you a curve ball, go into a maintenance break.

Learn the idea of “no guilt, but no excuses.” Mistakes will be made, but learn from them so you can minimize them in the long run. Be honest, and that means you have to drop the excuses, like “I’m on a med that’s making me gain weight.” It might take longer, you might have to pay more attention to detail, you might have to think more creatively in your solutions. Make the decision to make it happen, and it will.