How to Lose Weight After Being on Antidepressant Pills

The many antidepressant medications on the market are not without their negatives. The side effect list is long. Dizziness, drowsiness, nausea and headaches are the most common symptoms. The most noticeable physical change while on antidepressants, however, is weight gain. At some point, many people are able to discontinue antidepressant medication. Once you have successfully weaned off your antidepressants under the supervision of your doctor, you will most likely want to shed the excess pounds that your medication has left you with.

Instructions

• 1

  Consult your doctor. Find out first a suitable weight for your body frame, age and genetics. Once you have a goal in mind, it will assist in knowing how far you have to go. Plan accordingly how much weight you will have to lose each week in order to meet your goal. Your doctor will be able to tell you what a safe amount of weight to lose each week is. Once you have an idea of where you are going and how you will get there, it is time to begin the journey. It may be an arduous process, but the determination you had to feel well again and the resilience to see through your medication to the point of no longer needing it will come in handy once again.

• 2

  Develop a plan. Healthy eating, enough sleep, a reduced calorie diet and regular exercise make up the road back to health. Returning to a healthy weight will require changes to the diet and lifestyle you are currently performing. Antidepressants can often cause weight fluctuations. The most common reasons are appetite changes and slowed metabolism. Once you are off your medication these feelings will most likely return to normal. Without a serious change in diet, your weight will not change.

• 3

  Stick to it. You may have gained 10 to 30 pounds a month on your antidepressants. Afterward, it will be a slow transition and take at least as long, if not much longer, to get back to your start weight. It is often discouraging to exercise and eat well and not get anywhere, but do not despair. Eight hours of sleep a night and 45 minutes of exercise every other day will not only help you lose weight, but help keep you in good spirits.