Finally a diet that works for medication-induced weight gain!

From one of our readers:

In 1998 I weighed 135 pounds, and struggled with anxiety and bipolar disorder. 2 doctors and several medications later, I am now symptom free, but found my weight often flucuating to as high as 225 - not good for a woman 5'6". The medications that have changed my life for the better, have wrecked my self image. I have tried everything - The Zone, Atkins, Weight Watchers (I gained every week at the meeting), Jenny Craig, 3 personal trainers, 2 nutritionists, and a hospital that told me that because of the medications I take there was nothing they could do for me. My last nutritionist was kind enough to tell me that I needed to eat Slim-Fast 2x a day, and a small dinner for the rest of my life, and work out 60 minutes a day at a minimum. She also indicated that I might be able to take off 15-20 pounds, but probably not all of the weight.

I don't know if my situation is familiar to anyone out there, but I wanted to post to let you know that for the first time I have NO carb cravings. That has been my biggest problem. That and the fact that I am so tired from the medications that I just find it hard to get motivated to workout.

I bought this book thinking that it wouldn't work - nothing ever has. Then I read the study online, and I figured, "what do I have to lose?" Apparently 4 pounds the first week, and 3 pounds the second week on the diet. I have also dropped my calories to 1400 a day (from about 2500), and am now working out 30 minutes a day because I finally have the energy! I was hungry the first 4 days, and now I find myself realizing that I forgot to eat.

The premise is simple: 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. Snacks are all carbs to release serotonin, which helps make you feel full so you aren't as hungry when meal time comes. Breakfast is protein & carbs (1 egg and 2 pieces of toast), lunch is protein and vegetables (chefs salad), and dinner is carbs and vegetables (baked potato or rice or pasta with a salad or raw or cooked veggies). Snack can be lowfat cereal, crackers, biscotti - tons of options. Everything is broken down into easy to reference charts with measurements. No calorie counting is really required. Honestly, it was so easy I thought I was missing something. Plenty of recipes come in the book, but you can also adapt your own.

So far I'm down 15 pounds. I just want to say that after 6 years of being VERY overweight, the Serotonin Power Diet is the only thing that has given me any hope of losing the weight once and for all.

If you are suffering from medication-induced weight gain, I recommend giving the Serotonin Power Diet a try.

Comments

[candace thornton]

i have been on this diet for 1 week and i have lost 7 pounds! i realize that my weight loss will slow down to a normal 2 lbs per week. i am happy with the jump start and i have no cravings. i have also changed my medication to one with very few side effects. that has helped too. try this diet. it works.

[patty]

hi all, my name is patty and i am from michigan. i have 3 kids, married and 30 years old. i am 5'4 and weigh about 260. losing weight is hard for me because i am on 2 meds that cause weight gain, one of those is for pain so im tired all the time. so being tired and in pain = no energy and no motivation and procrastination, oh ill start next week, im sure u understand. so i thought maybe i could find someone to do this with me, someone that can help motivate me, understand where i am, and i can help u too, sorta like team work. if u want to work together please email me at pgravette@gmail.com
thanks

[Nina Frusztajer Marquis, MD]

Dear Patty,

Welcome! You will find lots of support on our forum at http://www.serotoninpowerdiet.com/forum.

On our program you will have more energy which will be motivating in and of itself, plus the support on the forum will be great.

Keep us posted on the forum and I wish you the best,
Nina

[Antidepressants]

I believe there are so many depressed people in our society because they aren’t happy with themselves. There are so many outside pressures——including the ones we let in through the media etc., that we are bombarded with how we should act, feel , work, play and so on. Come on people—-forget the status quo!!!

[vicki]

I have been following a low carb diet and continually find myself searching for sweets by mid afternoon. Yesterday I had to have bread. I know I need more serotonin but by eating all these carbs is it going to make my blood sugar rollercoaster?

[sherry99]

I've been depressed for a year or longer and put on 50 lbs. Today was the first day of my diet and I can't believe the difference one day made. After i ate breakfast and then my first snack is when I noticed the way i felt. I wasn't depressed. Stayed that way all day. Is this to good to be true. Am i gonna feel like this tomorrow. If I can feel half this good everyday i'm sticking with this diet even if i don't lose weight.