How not to gain weight on mirtazapine? (9+ amazing tips)

In this blog post, we are going to answer the question, “How not to gain weight on mirtazapine?”. Mirtazapine is an atypical antidepressant which is used to treat a number of mental health related problems. 

However, this antidepressant may cause you to gain some weight. This blog will cover some tips that can help you stay in shape. 

How not to gain weight on mirtazapine?

You can manage your weight while being on mirtazapine by the help of the following ways:

• Make sure you work out at least 4-5 times a week
• Drink plenty of water 
• Cut back on alcohol 
• Give Intermittent fasting a try 
• Read food labels before you buy them
• Try adding healthy seeds to your diet 
• Avoid overeating 
• Stay strong when emotional cravings hit you
• Don’t ever skip breakfast 
• Try to avoid eating sugar and refined carbohydrates 
• Balance your healthy gut bacteria
• Don’t let stress get the best of you
• Maintain good sleep hygiene 

Make sure you work out at least 4-5 times a week

Exercise is considered crucial when you’re trying to lose or maintain your weight. Make sure you work out the best way possible. Add cardio, strength training, yoga and stretching, all in your exercise regimen. 

Don’t stick to one kind of workout session. If you’re running for an hour one day, try doing a 10-minute high intensity interval training (HIIT) session the next. 

HIIT is known to burn equal amounts of calories as you burn while running on a treadmill for 50-minutes to an hour. Workout will really help counteract all the factors that can affect your weight while you’re on mirtazapine. 

Drink plenty of water

Don’t forget to drink lots and lots of water. Water boosts your energy levels and it’s a calorie free beverage. Avoid drinking soda or energy drinks, which usually have high sugar content. 

Sugar tends to make you lethargic. You can add fresh fruits in your water like berries, kiwi, oranges etc. You can also try adding cucumber, lemon, ginger in your detox water. 

Cut back on alcohol 

If you wish to lose weight or maintain your current weight, you need to cut down on alcohol. When we specifically talk about wine, it contains a large proportion of calories, somewhat similar to a piece of chocolate. 

This clearly indicates that drinking too much wine will make you gain weight. Not just weight gain, alcohol can negatively interact with your antidepressant and can make your journey much more difficult than it already is. 

Give Intermittent fasting a try 

Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating that involves a short term fasting period and an eating period. This way you can eat almost everything but only at the timing which is supposed to be your eating window. 

The most common Intermittent fasting methods include:

Alternate day fasting (ADF): In this method, you fast on alternate days and eat normally on non-fasting days. This method is used by many celebrities and athletes. 

The 16/8 method: In this method, you fast for 16 hours and eat only during an 8-hour window. It’s totally up to you to decide which time you want your eating window to end. 

The 20/4 method: In this method, you fast for 20 hours and eat only during a 4-hour window. 

One meal a day (OMAD): In this method, you take your meal once and fast the rest of the day. Make sure your meal has at least 800 to 1000 calories, as you’re eating just once. 

Read food labels before you buy them

Make sure you read food labels when you buy yourself snacks. Cereals also have a lot of sugar in them so always read labels before you consume any such thing. 

They are packed with sugar instead of nutrients. So the next time you see a ‘whole-grain’ cereal, make sure you read about a hell lot of sugar, hiding in it. 

Try adding healthy seeds to your diet 

Add seeds like flax seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Seeds are filled with good fats. They are a pretty good addition to a weight loss diet. 

They are filled with protein, fibre, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and  minerals like vitamin E, magnesium, folate, zinc and copper etc. Seeds are friendly when it comes to shedding a few pounds. 

Avoid overeating 

Overeating is one of the main problems that can make you consume an exceds amount of calories that start getting stored in your body as fat. This overeating can soon become a habit because the excessive food intake actually ends up stretching your stomach and enlarges its size. 

This makes you eat more and more everyday and you still feel like your belly isn’t full. The excessive fat deposition that follows overeating can lead to serious health related problems. Make sure you eat just as much as your body actually needs and avoid consuming unnecessary calories. 

Stay strong when emotional cravings hit you

One of the most commonly reported side effects of antidepressants, including mirtazapine, is increase in appetite and sugar cravings. These meds also tend to make you anxious and agitated. 

This anxiety can cause a number of changes in your body and trigger emotional cravings. That’s where you have to be strong if you wish to avoid gaining weight on mirtazapine. 

Don’t ever skip breakfast 

Breakfast is an extremely important meal of the day. Do not skip breakfast. Add protein rich foods like eggs, as proteins are the building blocks of your body. They provide the right amount of fuel you need to start your day. 

Try to avoid eating sugar and refined carbohydrates 

It’s nothing new to know that you need to cut back on sugar, if you wish to lose weight. Again, don’t quit eating your favourite desserts, but don’t make them a part of your routine. 

If you crave something sweet, go for a piece of dark chocolate. It actually has health benefits. But again, portion size matters a lot. Anything that’s good for you will end up harming you if you consume too much of it. 

Balance your healthy gut bacteria

Every human body has different types and quantities of bacteria in their gut. Some types can increase the amount of energy that a person absorbs from food, leading to weight gain. 

Following foods can help replenish your gut bacteria:

• Prebiotic rich foods:  They are found in many fruits and vegetables, especially chicory root, artichoke, onion, garlic, asparagus, leeks, banana, and avocado. Grains, such as barley and oats, are also considered good sources of probiotics.

• Fermented foods: They include sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, yoghurt, tempeh, miso etc. 

Don’t let stress get the best of you

Stress can play a great role in building up your belly fat. Studies suggest that cortisol, which is also known as ‘The stress hormone’, can be a cause of belly fat in people who have high stress levels. 

It is also known to increase appetite and sugar cravings. Make sure you manage your stress levels. Some methods of managing stress include:

• Yoga
• Tai chi
• Meditation 
• Relaxing techniques
• Walking or engaging in your favourite activities. 

Maintain good sleep hygiene 

Experts suggest that inadequate sleep is responsible for slowing down your metabolism. When your metabolism doesn’t work as efficiently as it should, the ensued energy is converted into fats.

In addition, poor sleep can increase the production of insulin and cortisol, which also accelerate the fat storing process. Centers for disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suggests following tips to make your sleep quality better than it is now. These include:

• Try to go to bed at the same time every day, working days as well as weekends. 
• Make sure your bedroom is always quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature to help you relax and make your sleep quality better.
• Do not use electronic devices or gadgets before going to bed. They reduce your sleep quality. Make sure you remove such devices from your room or switch them off.
• Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime. They will only ruin your sleep quality.
• Stay active. Exercise can help relax your muscles and make your sleep quality better.

Conclusion 

In this blog, we have learned more than 9 ways that can help you not gain weight while being on mirtazapine. It might be a little challenging at first, but your body will eventually adapt to these changes and they will slowly become a part of your normal lifestyle. 

You just need to give it time. Don’t be so hard on yourself. If it feels hard in the beginning, don’t think it’s impossible because literally, nothing is impossible. Don’t give up and stay consistent! 

FAQs: how not to gain weight on mirtazapine 

Does everybody gain weight on mirtazapine?

No, not everyone gains weight on mirtazapine. Every human body is different. Just like every human being reacts differently to different situations, similarly every human body reacts differently when they are exposed to medications. 

If the medication increases your appetite and you eat more, you’ll gain weight. For some people it decreases their appetite and they lose. It’s not the medication itself, it’s how your body reacts to it. 

If you continue to eat as you were before taking the meds, your weight might not change at all. 

Can I lose weight while taking mirtazapine?

Yes, you can lose weight while taking mirtazapine with the help of the following tips:

• Make sure you work out at least 4-5 times a week
• Drink plenty of water 
• Cut back on alcohol 
• Give Intermittent fasting a try 
• Read food labels before you buy them
• Try adding healthy seeds to your diet 
• Avoid overeating 
• Stay strong when emotional cravings hit you
• Don’t ever skip breakfast 
• Try to avoid eating sugar and refined carbohydrates 
• Balance your healthy gut bacteria
• Don’t let stress get the best of you
• Maintain good sleep hygiene 

How much weight will I gain on mirtazapine?

It totally depends on how the medication acts on you. If it is causing emotional instability that makes you overeat or crave more, then you can gain a large amount of weight. It also depends on your body’s physiology. 

Some people have a greater tendency of gaining weight, as compared to others. This effect relates to the activity of metabolism. If mirtazapine makes your metabolism slow, then you will gain weight. 

How long does it take to gain weight from mirtazapine?

The time taken by mirtazapine to make you gain weight depends on a lot of factors. In some people, only 30 mg of mirtazapine can cause weight gain of about 2-4 kgs in less than 2 weeks. Make sure you report to your healthcare provider if you experience any unexplained or rapid weight gain. 

Why is it so hard to lose weight on mirtazapine?

The treatment with mirtazapine can make losing weight a little hard, but there’s nothing you can not do by being consistent. 

References 

• Markus Laimer et al. J Clin Psychiatry. (2006) – Effect of mirtazapine treatment on body composition and metabolism https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16649829/ 
• Faruk Uguz, Mine Sahingoz, Buket Gungor, Fadime Aksoy, Rustem Askin – Weight gain and associated factors in patients using newer antidepressant drugs https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25467076/
• Antidepressant utilisation and incidence of weight gain during 10 years’ follow-up: population based cohort study (2018) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5964332/