Have you ever wondered how your mental health might be influencing your fitness journey? Or how the medications you take could potentially affect your weight? If you are asking these questions, believe me, you are not alone. These are common questions, especially for those taking antidepressants. In this article, we'll dive into the complex relationship between anxiety, depression, antidepressants, and their potential effects on fitness and weight management.
Understanding Antidepressants
Understanding antidepressants can help us not only manage expectations and potential side effects, but also navigate how they will impact certain aspects of our lives. So, what are antidepressants? Antidepressants are medications designed to treat depression and other related conditions, such as anxiety. They work by balancing chemicals in your brain that affect mood and emotions. These chemicals are neurotransmitters that pass signals between brain cells. Antidepressants can help improve mood, sleep, appetite, and concentration. However, just like our fingerprints, everyone's response to antidepressants is unique.
Antidepressants and Weight Changes
According to the Mayo Clinic, weight gain is a possible side effect of nearly all antidepressants. However, not everyone will experience this. Some people might gain weight, others might lose weight, and some might not see any changes at all. Factors such as age, sex, baseline weight, and duration of treatment can all influence how antidepressants affect your weight. While I know weight fluctuations can be upsetting, it is important to remember that, ultimately, weight is just a number. It does not determine your worth or worthiness in this world.
Antidepressants and Exercise
Healthline reports that certain antidepressants, particularly SSRIs like Zoloft (sertraline), can make exercise more difficult. They might cause weight gain and other side effects like drowsiness, which could affect your energy levels during workouts. However, this doesn't mean you should skip your workouts. While it might be a bit more difficult, it will still benefit your overall wellbeing to try and get in that exercise. When I started a new SSRI a few months ago I was extremely tired most of the time. What I did was adjust the intensity of my workouts to ensure I was still getting in some sort of beneficial exercise while not straying too far from my programming.
Managing Fitness and Weight While on Antidepressants
If you're on antidepressants and are concerned about your fitness or weight, here are a few tips to give a whirl:
Try a Balanced Approach to Nutrition: Try giving your body a wide variety of nutrient dense foods while also allowing yourself to enjoy the foods you love. Remember, it is all about having a good balance without guilt or restrictions.
Stay Active: Regular physical activity can have a positive affect on your mood and wellbeing and it doesn’t even have to be traditional exercise. Find activities that you enjoy, such as hiking, swimming, playing VR, or even a simple walk around a park.
Stay Hydrated: While hydration is important for everyone, it is especially important if you're on SSRIs. SSRIs have been known to cause dry mouth and excessive sweating, so make sure you are drinking enough water and replenishing your electrolytes.
Talk to Your Doctor: If you are concerned about weight changes or other side effects, please don’t be afraid to discuss them with your doctor. They may suggest adjusting your dosage or trying a different medication to find what works best for you.
The Bigger Picture: Mental Health and Fitness
Mental health and physical health are pretty deeply interconnected. Yes it's important to stay active and eat well, but taking care of your mental health is equally important. Exercise can certainly be a powerful tool for helping manage your mental health. It may help reduce some of your depression and anxiety symptoms, help improve your mood, and even help improve your sleep quality. And while exercise can be a good tool, it is far from the whole tool box, so remember to keep up with your doctor and/or therapist.
Conclusion
I personally know all too well the challenge that comes with being on antidepressants while navigating your fitness and weight, and I can assure you that it is not impossible. The important thing to remember is that there's no one-size-fits-all approach, and what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. Ultimately you need to find a program and a balance that works best for you and your needs. And the biggest thing to remember, there is absolutely no shame in reaching out for help.
If you're not sure where to start or just need some help figuring out what to do, please don't hesitate to reach out. At SRG Fit, we're here to help and support you.
And as always, be kind to yourself and stay awesome.
Resources
Mayo Clinic - Antidepressants and Weight Gain
Healthline - These 7 Medications and Workouts Do Not Mix
NCBI - The Effects of Antidepressants on Sleep
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