Most antidepressants are associated with weight gain, but anecdotal evidence suggests that Zoloft, a popular Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved antidepressant medication, may cause weight loss in some patients. Fletcher, J., 'Fat Burning Heart Rate: Everything You Need to Know.' Medical News Today, August 2019.What is Zoloft | Does Zoloft cause Weight Loss | Treatment Options | Side Effects.Marcin, A., 'How Many Calories Do You Burn While You're Asleep?' Healthline, September 2018.Have you experienced rapid weight loss from anxiety? What tools helped in your healing and recovery? Please share your story in the comments below.

Healing isn't linear, and setbacks are part of the process. Above all else, I must be gentle with myself on the road to recovery. I still occasionally have anxiety before eating. It took about three weeks to regularly eat three solid meals a day and about two months to get back to my healthy weight. Yes, I'm talking about pizza, milkshakes, and cheeseburgers.

I ate foods that were high in fat, and I didn't care whether they were healthy or not.

If a food I normally wouldn't eat sounded appetizing, I ate it.

When I became too anxious before eating, I used whatever coping skills I could to calm the anxiety enough so I could eat.

A protein bar, a smoothie, or nutrition shake now counted as a meal.

Eating three meals a day required a redefinition of what I considered to be a meal.

I couldn't get through the anxiety on coping skills alone.

I was put on an antidepressant that treats panic disorder along with an anti-anxiety medication for sleep.

For me, breaking the cycle was all about baby steps: I am neither a doctor nor a nutritionist, just a person who got to the other side of rapid weight loss from anxiety. My psychiatrist demanded I eat three meals a day, but how? My mental illnesses were much worse when I skipped meals. The other horrible side effect of not eating was my mental health. How I Stopped Losing Weight Rapidly While Still Anxious

At the height of my anxiety, I lost 10 pounds in a week.

Elevated heart rate 2 - My heart was beating as if I was working out even when I was sitting still.Įven when I was able to eat, I couldn't get enough fuel in my body to keep up with how fast I was burning calories.

Severe insomnia - I was barely sleeping, so I was burning more calories from being awake.

Digestive problems - When I managed to choke food down, it went right through me.

Loss of appetite - Foods I previously found irresistible weren't even remotely desirable.I felt like no matter what I did to try to solve the problem I couldn't stop losing weight. How My Anxiety Caused Rapid Weight LossĪnxiety is cyclical in nature, as was rapid weight loss from anxiety for me. Read on to learn how I was able to stop the cycle of rapid weight loss and return to a healthy weight. It was completely overwhelming and scary, but I got through it. My anxiety worsened with every meal I missed, and every pound I lost. I recently experienced rapid weight loss from anxiety, and it felt like a vicious cycle that would never end.

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