Lexapro is a highly rated SSRI antidepressant that is marketed for weight loss. There are several reasons to think Lexapro may be beneficial for weight loss, including:
Low calorie intake during treatment helps achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Contents:
Mechanisms of weight gain
Lexapro is a central nervous system (brain) drug. This means that it can change the way your body processes calories and uses energy.
This includes how easily you receive food and how much you eat overall. Many drugs like Lexapro have side effects that are related to appetite and weight gain.
This includes symptoms such as nausea, loss of interest in food, over eating, and over weight status. People with eating disorders may also gain weight when they are not receiving treatment.
Diagnosing an eating disorder can be difficult, which is why it is important to speak to a professional about this. GP’s can often be understaffed to accurately diagnose eating disorders in people without access to diagnostic equipment.
Causes of weight gain
Lexapro can cause weight gain for many. Though not expected, some people may gain a little extra weight with this medication. Thankfully, this happens occasionally and rarely causes trouble, but it is important to know if it does.
Lexapro can make you feel heavy at times. This is due to its powerful effect on your brain. When taking the medication, you may feel like you are being held down by a heavy blanket or that your head is large and round as it was when you were a child.
This is normal and nothing to be concerned about. Though this can sometimes be bad if it happens for long periods of time, in general it passes quickly. People who feel like they are being held down or that their head is large may want to talk to their doctor about having another dose of Lexapro.
Another cause of weight gain with Lexapro is when people do not take it as prescribed. Some people do not take their medication as prescribed and then theygain weight.
Lexapro and depression
Depression is a common condition, and sometimes even good for you drug-use-related. However, it can be hard to know when to use it and who should and should not use it.
The best time to use antidepressants like Lexapro is when you are feeling down but not necessarily depressed. This is when the most of your symptoms are positive, but you still feel better!
Many people who are in the middle or late stages of life who would benefit from depression treatments do not get the correct diagnosis and treatment. This is where drugs like Lexapro can help.
A small percentage of people will have side effects with depression medications like Lexapro which may cause weight gain.
What to do about weight gain
If you notice that you are eating more than before, taking Lexapro may not be the main reason for your weight gain. Luckily, this can be addressed easily.
There are several ways to help control weight gain and improve your health overall. One of the best ways is to exercise regularly. Plus, you can try making some minor changes to your diet such as reducing or eliminating high calorie foods and beverages, and eating more fruits and vegetables.
Another way to prevent weight gain is to eat a healthy diet that is lower in calories than your daily budget permits. You can start by aiming for an average of 2,500 calories per day, or less than 2000 calories on a weekly basis.
Exercise more
Lexapro can make you feel tired and less active may be the best way to prevent weight gain on Lexapro. If you feel more sedated or like your appetite is increased, then you should reduce the dosage of Lexapro.
To prevent weight gain on Lexapro,esity is your goal. Because this medicine can make you feel tired and less active, it is important to exercise more than usual to keep a feeling of energy.
Keep up with your meals and exercise regularly to keep your body functioning properly. Focus on physical activity rather than amount of activity when taking Lexapro. More than 100 hours of activity per week is recommended when taking this medication daily.
Eat healthier foods
Lexapro can make you eat more than usual because it can cause weight gain. You may be more inclined to eat more because of Lexapro but know that this is not good for you.
Your body will have to work hard to gain enough weight to take the Levodronate treatment you are taking. You should always be careful about how much food you eat while taking Lexapro.
You may enjoy certain foods less and/or enjoy them in different ways while taking Lexapro. This can be a positive and healthy change in your eating habits.
Know what foods you enjoy the least while taking Lexapro and make sure you are paying attention to how your body responds to food when you are on it.
Take breaks from exercise
It’s essential to exercise your body during treatment for Lexapro. Breaking up a workout or taking a daily walk is best, but even short breaks from exercise can help increase your metabolism and decrease stress.
Breaking up a workout or taking a daily walk is best, but even short breaks from exercise can help increase your metabolism and decrease stress. Because of the sedation and weight gain possible with Lexapro, it’s important to be careful about what you do. You should avoid doing anything that might exert yourself physically or that would require you to be on your feet for long periods of time.
You may also need to avoid strenuous exercises that require much energy such as running or yoga. Avoiding exercises that require great strength and endurance is best if you are going on walks or exercising at home is not possible.
Manage your environment
Keeping your environment healthy can help prevent or manage symptoms of depression. You know that health and illness effects you can’t forsee, which is one of the reasons it is important to be aware of your health conditions.
There are many ways to monitor your health and wellness, from using vitamins and supplements to tracking calories stored in foods to monitoring sleep cycles. A full-fledged wellness program can include tracking symptom management, so that you know what you are doing is working.
In fact, a recent study had a few surprising findings.
It found that people who used mind-body therapy for depression were actually more likely to lose weight than people who used traditional weight loss methods. This surprised the researchers at first, but it makes sense since fat may be considered “shackled” stuff that works against getting rid of it.