5:2 and antidepressants

This topic contains 4 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by KatyM 9 years, 10 months ago.

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musicgirlrachel

12:56 pm
9 Jun 14
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Hi,

I’m new here and I’m in my 3rd week of the 5:2 diet. I started the diet after a recommendation from a friend who had lost a lot of weight and looks fantastic! However, in the last 3 weeks I’ve lost absolutely nothing.

I’ve been sticking to 500 calories on my 2 fast days (Tuesdays and Thursdays normally) and not overdoing it on other days – not calorie counting, but just eating normally. I’m sure you will agree that this is very frustrating (and having a bad day at work today is making me want to give up altogether!)

My question is, could the fact that I’m on antidepressants (Sertraline) be hindering my progress? I’ve read elsewhere that Sertraline in particular can slow your metabolism, so I was just wondering if anyone else had had a similar experience?

Thanks

Rachel

Amy C.

1:37 pm
9 Jun 14
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I hate to say this, but it is probably your non fast days. You need some real metrics to determine if indeed you are “not overdoing it”.

I recommend counting your calories for a few days. Many people find they eat more than is needed. Another thing, what was normal for you 10 years ago, is not what you need now. Your caloric needed go down as you get older.

Your total calories should be at or below your TDEE.

simcoeluv

4:55 pm
9 Jun 14
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Hi Music:

I assume you have looked at the side effects of Serraline – http://www.drugs.com/sfx/sertraline-side-effects.html

It appears weight loss, not gain, is one of them, although for some people increased appetite is a result.

I agree with Amy. Figure out your TDEE so you have a baseline – http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/tdee-for-the-curious-or-why-dont-i-lose-weight-faster/ – and then count calories to see if you are in the ballpark.

Good Luck!

franfit

5:33 pm
9 Jun 14
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musicgirlrachel, although there are some people who seem to gain weight on any SSRI antidepressant, weight gain is actually pretty uncommon with sertraline, it’s one of the better ones in that regard.

You might be running up against a common problem, that is that what we now think of as ‘normal eating’, the eating we see going on around us every day, is not in any way normal, but, rather, the cause of a lot of weight gain. A lot of us find that we have to re-educate ourselves about what ‘normal eating’ is. One way to do this is to keep a food diary for a week, then look up the calorie counts and analyze the situation, see if there are any surprises. I would suggest this as the first step.

It’s important to remember that the number the TDEE calculator gives us is an average, and everyone is an individual, some will need fewer calories than it says in order to maintain their weight.

If you can’t stand the thought of keeping a food diary or counting calories, an alternative is to try Alternate Day Fasting, that is fasting at 500 calories every other day and no calorie counting on the non-fasting days.

KatyM

6:15 am
11 Jun 14
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Hi Rachel. I was really interested to see your post. I’ve started 5 2 this week and also take sertraline so will let you know how I get on. Sertraline has definitely made me put on weight but only after taking it for more than 6 months (which is apparently fairly common). I have never been over weight before but since last July have put on 20lb and gained 6″ around my waist!!!!! In this time I have eaten and done exercise as usual.
From what I have read it can affect your metabolism and make it harder to lose weight. As the others say it may be that we need to be more careful on non fast days. For the first couple of weeks I plan to eat normally on non fast days without counting calories. Fingers crossed I will lose something.
Good luck & hang in there!
Katy