Weight Loss & Battling Depression

FroodleMum
FroodleMum Posts: 15 Member
edited December 24 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been struggling with depression for a long time now. Last summer I began taking medication to help me regulate myself; I don't like the idea of it, but i was becoming a person I didn't want my daughter to know. The funny thing is, before I began taking my meds, I was very much into working out and trying to better myself, mainly because I felt like it helped me feel like I was worth something. I felt healthier, but I was miserable.

When I began taking meds, I didn't feel as much pressure on myself and for some *stupid* reason, stopped working out. I gained back 10 lbs, but after losing 80 or so I didn't feel too bad about myself.

NOW I'm trying to get myself going and get back in shape again - been feeling really rough with my body lately, but I just can't seem to gather the motivation to get into a permanent routine again - I work out for a few nights and then I get distracted for one night and that's it for a week or two.

I'm curious to know if anyone else out there has had similar problems or issues, and if so, has any advice/ stories to relate?

Replies

  • slieber
    slieber Posts: 765 Member
    Yes. I have. I lost a lot of weight UNintentionally due to depression. When I went on ADs, I gained about 50 pounds due to lack of motivation and lack of care. When my ADs were reduced, I got back some of that motivation.

    Your initial dose is higher than what you might be on as a maintenance dose. If you can force yourself to do just one, small physical thing each day, consider that an achievement. Once you get on a maintenance dose, you may find that your motivation to work out rises.

    Even now, I kind of have to force myself to get to the gym, but ALWAYS feel better once I'm there. That's my real motivation - the end product.

    Don't despair - your motivation WILL return...
  • sheppuh
    sheppuh Posts: 39
    I started taking AD's four years ago. I kept gaining weight steadily (47 lbs) until last year when I decided to get back into working out. It's hard to get back into it. REALLY hard. But if you stick with it for at least a month then working out actually feels like a necessary part of your day. Another great thing about it is it releases endorphins (helps fight depression!) and (for me at least) really helps with making you more self confident. I really struggled with adhering to my meds - all the side effects made me go off them and take them irregularly. In the end though I think it's really important to stick with them if they help you. It was hard to adjust to all the side effects and alter my lifestyle appropriately, but honestly I'm much happier (and much, much nicer to myself) now.
    Good luck!
  • kierstin1976
    kierstin1976 Posts: 123 Member
    I was on antidepressants for many years and gained a lot of weight on them. My doctor (who I no longer see) kept telling me that it wasn't the meds so she ordered all these tests and everything was normal. After many years of the complaining about the weight gain and trying different meds she finally admitted that they will slow your metabolism down. I tried to workout but it didn't matter much. I just gave up. I got off of everything and now my weight is a little bit lower than it was pre-meds.
  • tripletmom2004
    tripletmom2004 Posts: 168 Member
    Bump
  • tripletmom2004
    tripletmom2004 Posts: 168 Member
    Bump oops didn't mean to do it twice
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    I am no doctor and no expert.
    This is NOT advice. Our situations might be different.
    I was put on anti-depressants years ago after a horrible accident and brain injury.
    Once my head cleared and I realized what they were feeding me, I got off.

    I weaned myself off these drugs SLOWLY .
    And there was a season of withdrawal where I felt intense melancholy about life - even wondering if it was all worth it.
    It passed.
    And I punched through, remaining drug free to this day.

    I never, ever would take any kind of anti-depressant medication again.
    The pharmaceutical companies have totally corrupted the medical profession, and practitioners are all way too fast to dole out medication. Today, most people are on something to help cope.
    Count me OUT!
    I partly blame those medications for my weight gain.

    NEVER AGAIN!
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,332 Member
    I have been battling depression for years. I went back on meds last December...everyone told me I would never lose weight.

    I developed diabetes....and I was told I would have trouble losing weight...strike 2.

    Well, guess what? I am losing weight. And you know what makes me feel good? Being off the junky food and exercising. I fully expect to be off all my meds within a year. And that's a win/win for me. Being thin and healthy is the BEST anti-depressant in the world!
  • jennipea382
    jennipea382 Posts: 47 Member
    Depression is one of the reasons I never lost any weight after I packed it on. Even now it's difficult. Taking antidepressants didn't help. They DID help me a lot with the severe anxiety I was dealing with a couple years ago. I think a lot of people don't realize that that type of medication does NOT make most people feel happy, motivated or energized. One of my friends described it to me when I first thought about getting on medication - it made him just "not care" about things. After I got on them, I saw what he meant. I wasn't happier, I just didn't care as much about certain things. Which I guess isn't a terrible thing because the little things didn't get to me as much.

    I've been off medication now for a while, and to be honest, there wasn't a big difference in my motivation levels between taking them and not. I'm still dealing with depression pretty badly, but at some point recently I must have gotten the kick in the butt I needed because now even when I'm having a terrible day, I just work out anyways and get it over with. That would be my advice. Just do it and get it done. I know it's so much easier said than done, but you CAN do it. After a while it becomes a habit and it will be something you just do every day without thinking much about it. Good luck!
  • EAlexandraB
    EAlexandraB Posts: 98 Member


    I never, ever would take any kind of anti-depressant medication again.
    The pharmaceutical companies have totally corrupted the medical profession, and practitioners are all way too fast to dole out medication. Today, most people are on something to help cope.

    I totally agree that antidepressants are generally over-prescribed, particularly in the case of normal feelings of sadness, such as grief/mourning. My mother is a physician, and we have discussed this trend on many occasions.

    However, some people - myself included - just have depression. It's not sadness or failure to cope with reality, it's an imbalance in the brain. The key distinction between true, clinical depression and sadness/emotions is *causality* - if there is a CAUSE for your "depressed" feelings, it is not true depression and can likely be managed without medication.

    Clinical depression, however, is not something people can just "snap out of," because it is a difference in the functioning of the brain. In that case, people can very much benefit from antidepressants and other kinds of treatment. For many, getting meaningful treatment for their depression can motivate a healthier, fitter lifestyle, and that can very often lead them to need less or no medication as their brain chemistry normalizes.

    Depression is a very real problem, and those who use antidepressants to manage it should not feel ashamed or embarrassed.

    Also, it's worth noting for anyone who thinks they're gaining weight due to their antidepressants - there are weight-neutral formulations. You can ask your GP or psych about getting you an AD that is known not to affect weight.
  • inlander
    inlander Posts: 339 Member
    I was on SSRI medication for several years. The primary reason I stopped taking it was because it made me completely apathetic. About school, about myself, sometimes about anything. I wasn't a robot, it just really removed any drive I had.

    I switched to a medication that doesn't do that. It was a switch from an SSRI (prescribed for depression and anxiety) to an SRNI (which really helped with my ADD, but is also used as an anti-depressant). I think I know exactly what you're going through and if you are, in fact, taking SSRI medication, you're not going to find much luck in the SSRI world when it comes to getting rid of that side effect.
  • laulyn
    laulyn Posts: 70
    I changed my AD and gained about 40 lbs. I have since switched back to the first AD I was on and i am headed back to my healthy weight. I lost motivation and had a hard time as well. It is interesting and comforting to see so many similar experiences when I have felt I was thew only one struggling with this. Thanks for starting this tread.

    I plan to get pregnant in the next couple of years and I worry about regaining weight when I stop the antidepressant due to pregnancy. I also worry about how I will handle my symptoms without the AD and the hormones. I have dealt with all of this during my pregnancy with my daughter, but that was ten years ago. If anyone has deal with this previously and has advice, please share! :)
  • jennakrysteen
    jennakrysteen Posts: 77
    I have suffered from depression since I was 10 yrs old and my mother killed herself when I was 17....I have taken medication on and off for a long time. But I don't take any now. I get up every day and tell myself today is a good day no matter what and thank Jesus for allowing me another day. I am not a bible banger lol! I really wish you the best of luck because I know how hard it is. If you ever need to talk I am always more than willing!
  • laulyn
    laulyn Posts: 70
    I have suffered from depression since I was 10 yrs old and my mother killed herself when I was 17....I have taken medication on and off for a long time. But I don't take any now. I get up every day and tell myself today is a good day no matter what and thank Jesus for allowing me another day. I am not a bible banger lol! I really wish you the best of luck because I know how hard it is. If you ever need to talk I am always more than willing!

    That is awesome! You are so strong! :smile:
  • jennakrysteen
    jennakrysteen Posts: 77
    Thank you....as are you and any of us that have suffered through and continue to suffer through it! Some people don't understand what its like. It is nice to see people on here there know and understand just how it feels!
  • eliezalot
    eliezalot Posts: 620 Member
    I gained a lot of weight due to undiagnosed, untreated depression. I'd had depression since my teenage years, but it wasn't diagnosed until after I graduated college. It sucks! It has had a HUGE negative impact on my life (my body, my grades, etc...) There is a pretty strong hx of depression in my family...actually nearly every aunt, uncle, cousin, and grandparent on both my mother's and father's side have clinical depression. Plus I'm of Scandinavian descent, and I live in a cold, dark state. Recipe for success, right?

    I've been on antidepressants for 4 years now, and it was only after starting the medication that I had any energy or ability to start working out. I'll probably be on antidepressants for most of my life and while it sucks, it is much better than the alternative! It is hard to get motivated to exercise under normal circumstances, and depression adds an extra layer to that.

    Remember:
    1. Exercise is great for depression!!!! Think of it as part of your treatment, rather than for weight loss. Take your ADs as scheduled, and exercise as scheduled!
    2. You can always get started again! Just because you have a bad day, week, month, etc... doesn't mean you've failed. Health (physical and mental!) is a constant journey.

    I'd love to have some friends on MFP dealing with these same issues...feel free to add me! I promise to try and help motivate :)
  • Blondehelmet
    Blondehelmet Posts: 32 Member
    Hey! I've been struggling with clinical depression and severe anxiety disorder for basically all of my twenties(I'm 28 now). I take up to five or six tablets of various medication per day. I weighed about 50kgs (110lbs) when I started my medication and was very active. I've gained 25kgs (55lbs) over the 9 years and was told consistantly that my medication had nothing to do with my weight gain. Every year or so I would go off the medication and lose weight without trying, sometimes up to 9kgs (almost 20lbs) in less than a month. Being off my medication isn't really an option for me, those periods didn't last for more than a few months before it became unbearable to live with my issues. So I searched around and finally found a psychiatrist who admitted to me that my medication was a contributing factor in my weight gain. She said a lot of these drugs cause weight gain because they make you crave carbohydrates, which are the easiest form of food for the body to convert into serotonin, a chemical that helps balance out your emotions etc. they can also have an effect on your metabolism, as well as slowing you down a little if you have anxiety. But I found if you do something a little bit every day, even if it's just a walk and watch your calories you can lose weight while on medication, it just happens A LOT slower than it should for most people. But the point is that it happens. I find that if I start my day with a quick 10 minute walk around the block, for some reason this makes me more active during the day. Hope this helps! Bec
  • ali_b83
    ali_b83 Posts: 324 Member
    I started new meds a couple of months ago. At first, they made me have a ridiculous appetite and cravings like mad. Once I stared eating better and eliminated the sweets, my appetite leveled out.
  • camiah
    camiah Posts: 146
    I've had issues with depression most of my life. I've been on and off just about every AD there is, and it wasn't until recently that I found a drug cocktail that worked for me. I now have more energy, more motivation, and an overall decent mood, even when life isn't going the best. I'm not filled with self-loathing, hopelessness, and apathy. ADs worked for me, but it took a long time and a lot of experimentation before I found what worked best. I now actually have the motivation to work out and eat better and break my binge eating habit. I feel more confident in my ability to lose weight, and less focused on being perfect, a major derailer for efforts to lose weight in the past. When I was depressed, all I saw was how I was failing, and when all you see is how much of a failure you are, well, it doesn't necessarily do good things for your weight. I've had to break the habit of binge eating, that is why I came back to MFP, for the accountability. I'm determined that this time will be different from other attempts at weight loss, because I'm in a much better and much more realistic head space.
  • RiverDancer68
    RiverDancer68 Posts: 221 Member
    I am on AD's also for clinical depression and an anxiety disorder. I first started on Prozac and actually lost weight...to the point that I looked ill. It completely took away my appetite (I dropped 30lbs in a matter of months). Then, it stopped working and I plunged into an even worse depression. I am now on Wellbutrin and a small dose of Klonopin. It seems to work, but I hate being on them at all. I want to wean off of them slowly, and have found that yoga is one of the best things to not only help my body, but my mind and mood too! I am taking Vitamin D3, making sure my B vitamin and Iron levels are healthy and am trying to quit caffeine (triggers my anxiety). Eating clean helps immensely, but I am not always faithful (as in today's diary). (((hugs))) I know how bad it can be, but also how good it can be when you get it all worked out!:flowerforyou:
  • SWink06
    SWink06 Posts: 73 Member
    I just posted about this tonight. I take an AD and also an extra medicine to help boost the AD. That med makes it very hard for me to lose weight. I am STARVING all the time. In my case, depression is a physical problem with the chemicals in the brain. It runs in my family big-time.
  • lovinmyselfagain
    lovinmyselfagain Posts: 307 Member


    However, some people - myself included - just have depression. It's not sadness or failure to cope with reality, it's an imbalance in the brain. The key distinction between true, clinical depression and sadness/emotions is *causality* - if there is a CAUSE for your "depressed" feelings, it is not true depression and can likely be managed without medication.

    Clinical depression, however, is not something people can just "snap out of," because it is a difference in the functioning of the brain. In that case, people can very much benefit from antidepressants and other kinds of treatment. For many, getting meaningful treatment for their depression can motivate a healthier, fitter lifestyle, and that can very often lead them to need less or no medication as their brain chemistry normalizes.

    Depression is a very real problem, and those who use antidepressants to manage it should not feel ashamed or embarrassed.

    Also, it's worth noting for anyone who thinks they're gaining weight due to their antidepressants - there are weight-neutral formulations. You can ask your GP or psych about getting you an AD that is known not to affect weight.



    Thanks for writing this! Nothing more maddening than someone asking "why are you depressed?"!
  • FroodleMum
    FroodleMum Posts: 15 Member
    Wow - thank you so much everyone. The response has been overwhelming! I had no idea there were so many people in the same boat. It helps immensely just to know that I am really not alone.

    This is my third go at taking meds to help me deal with my depression. I also have some severe anxiety problems as well, but I kind of lump them in with everything else (one causes the other for me).

    The first time I took them, I lost an incredible amount of weight and felt wonderful, and experienced very few side effects. I hate the idea of being medicated - I don't like having to rely on synthetic hormones more than I have to; I have had to take synthroid since age 10 as is. So when I felt better, I figured I do alright on my own and stopped taking them.

    I did alright for about 4 months, then the spiral began again. I was also working a very intense and physically demanding job and my weight dropped to it's lowest ever - 140lbs. I felt wonderful with my body but miserable to my mental self.

    I went to my family doctor and he prescribed me some new AD, and I was on them for merely a week before I discovered (odds against all odds) that I was pregnant. No more meds, also no more smoking. Boom. DOne. Now combine emotional eating with pregnant cravings and the comfort of food when quitting smoking and I ballooned up to 230 by the 9th month. I ate healthy things and did preggo yoga, but was still rather big.

    I continued to gain weight for a year after my daughter was born. I finally got a grip on myself and began working very hard to turn myself around, but I was still so unhappy. My brain just doesn't give me what I need. I'd like to think that someday I will go drug free, but not any time soon. I can't be that person around my daughter...she needs a positive mum in her life. A healthy happy mum.

    I eat very clean - no processed or prepackaged food in this house - only ingredients. I try to avoid breads and pastas when I can, but my hubby is a BAKER, of all things. >.< lol I have a wicked caffine/sugar addiction that I am ashamed of, and so far have been unable to kick...

    I want to try to do a water fast/detox/cleanse, but can never seem to get myself past the first hour!

    Again, thank you so much everyone, I wish I could reply more often, but I don't get to the computer very often. Thanks to you all for sharing your stories with me. Thanks you.
  • thinnnnnnner
    thinnnnnnner Posts: 89
    I was a complete zombie for the 3 years that I was on antidepressants, I didn't exercise at all but I also didn't have a whole lot of an appetite due to the pills so I luckily didn't gain any weight. Once I got off them though, I used exercise as my antidepressant. I know that's not going to work for everyone, and meds have their place, but there is really nothing better than endorphins! All natural, safe and effective!

    Good luck with everything, and even though it's difficult right now know that you will get through this!
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