The bad news is that weight loss is next to impossible if you are on antidepressants. For most people the weight gain kicks in about three to four days after taking it. Packing on the pounds happens quickly leaving many people to feeling helpless to do anything about it because it is so overwhelming.
The higher of a dosage you are taking the more weight you will gain. Some people gain up to fifty pounds a year on these drugs. Unfortunately it may be absolutely necessary for them to take these “happy pills” to feel well. Many people are completely dependent on them in order to be emotionally balanced.
Another sad but true fact about antidepressants is that they put some people in the mood to exercise and then they become very frustrated when the pounds don’t peel off. They become very depressed. It is important to understand right now, that no matter what you have been told by a friend, antidepressants only have the side effect of weight gain and none of them provoke weight loss. Antidepressants that do boast extreme weight loss as a side effect almost always list “extreme weight gain” as a side effect well. Weight loss while taking happy pills is very rare.
If you are overweight and on medication for moods talk to your doctor immediately about what the side effects might be. The problem may not be what you eat, how often you exercise or anything else. It may be that antidepressant that you are taking. This means that for some people that if you want to be thin you may have to quit being on an antidepressant.
Antidepressants are often prescribed to motivate an individual to do things like quit smoking, cure depression or give the person the energy they need to get up off the couch and start exercising.
However this might all be for nothing. This type of medication can actually slow down your metabolism. All of the dieting and exercising will not jump start your metabolism again. This is why once someone has been on antidepressants a long time often keep the weight on after they go off them.
Antidepressants can also increase the appetite. It is very common for many people to feel more relaxed and snack more when they are on then. Some people also feel stoned and start craving snack foods. They get lazy and lack motivation to do anything. This of course is no way to peel off the pounds so be wary before making antidepressants part of your weight loss regimen.