I cannot lose any weight

[Eekomouse]

Ok, I would really appreciate any tips as I am getting so fed up of this now.

my weights hovered around 11st 1 for a few years - bigger than I’d like but within the healthy bmi. I always intended to get down to 10st 7 - my happy weight and where I look best I think.

im on Sertraline and last year was going through some stress at work so as well as increasing my sertraline dose I was comfort eating a lot - my weight went up to 12 st 7,

I thought - ‘ok, I’m going through a lot of stress, I won’t worry about the weight as will lose it again when the stress stops and I restart my normal healthy eating\exercise. But now I have gone back to my normal (healthy) habits and nothing has changed - I’m stuck at 12 st 2 and the weight will not shift!

im using the lose it app and sticking to 1170 cals per day, I’ve got a fitness tracker and I burn more calories than I eat but I still cannot lose any weight!

does anyone have any tips? I’m going to reduce my sertraline dose but winder is there anything else I can do? Oh and I’m perimenopausal too but have been for a while and weighed less before

thank you!

is it the medication? maybe switching would help?

I don't think you're eating enough. I was a similar starting weight to you and am on citalopram. I'm down to 12st 1 now on an average of 1500-1600 calories a day. I walk 8000 steps minimum and do weights on 2-3 days and cardio on 2-3 days a week.
It's been slow but the weight is coming off and I've lost some cms as my clothes are looser. I've not cut out any food groups I'm just more conscious of what I'm eating.

What are you eating for that amount of calories?

If you’re considering reducing the dosage of your medication I would recommend you follow the advice of your doctor. I am on a lot of medications for anxiety and depression and yes it makes it a bit harder for us but with time and patience following a calorie deficit and exercise it will work. Give it time and be consistent and you will see results. I have reduced my dosages in the past but did it so gradually under the advice of my doctor as I wanted firstly to keep well and then I could concentrate on weight journey

Thanks both. I really want to stay on the sertraline if I can - it’s really made me a new person and I’m so happy on it. Hopefully I can find an alternative solution.

eating-wise, I have about 180 cals for breakfast usually soy yogurt and fruit - soup and some fruit for lunch (c 300 cals) and something like pasta and tomato sauce/veg stir fry for dinner (400 cals). I always weigh rice and pasta - have 50g as a serving of rice and 75g as a serving of pasta (dry weights) For snacks, maybe a couple of oatcakes with peanut butter. I don’t drink much usually white wine or gin and slimline tonic, total about 7 units a week

At one stage I was on a medication called zyprexa that made me want to eat all day everyday - my doctor changed it for me very very slowly and put me on a different one that didnt Have as strong side effects. It’s a bit of a balancing act to get it right so you keep well

There have been a couple of studies that show that Sertraline can increase the amount of insulin in your blood, which can cause you to become insulin resistant. From a weight perspective that makes you more likely to store excess glucose as fat which causes weight gain.

Losing weight also becomes harder, you may find that reducing carbs, upping protein and ensuring you have plenty of water helps to lose weight.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3434892/

dmsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13098-023-01149-z

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3581374/

I feel the same about citalopram, it's helped me rediscover me.

Are you vegetarian? There's no protein in your food list.

A typical day for me is:
B - Cottage cheese / wholemeal toast (200-300 cal depending in 1 or 2 slices)
L - seeded wholemeal thin bagel / pitta with a bit of humous, chicken slices and salad
Afternoon snack (not every day) - soreen mini loaf
D - meatballs and pasta, chicken curry and rice, sausage and mash

I am within my calories and not hungry on this type of food and I'm not restricting anything, as long as I track it.

Maybe try upping your calories by including more protein?

I’m not vegetarian but don’t eat much meat for environmental and health reasons. I’m trying to eat more pulses and I do eat tofu and fish. Maybe I need to eat more - I notice in the lose it app that I always eat a majority of carbs and often don’t hit my protein goal

hi - i think you need to eat more and more protein too - you can cycle, so eat more every suggest you eat more for 3 days and then eat less and then eat more every other day. trick your body abit - but at your calorie range its too low