A Big Change in the Works

Before I tell you what's going on, I need to say a few things. First, PLEASE no emails or comments telling me I'm making a wrong choice, ok? My kindergarden report card didn't read "doesn't take criticism well" for nothing. Second, I am only revealing this information for full disclosure purposes and NOT for anyone to follow suit. And finally, my husband is a doctor and I would never do anything without his guidance and approval.

Ok, having said all of that, you're probably thinking I'm getting some type of surgery, but I am not! As you might know, I have been struggling with getting the scale to move for several months and I have come to the conclusion that something might be hindering my progress. Since 3 months after the birth of my last child, I have been taking Zoloft for what I believed to be post-partum depression. My husband never really agreed with that assessment.

Anyway, I've been taking it for over a year and one thing I can absolutely say is that I am easily 20 + pounds heavier than before the Zoloft and after researching this week, I have discovered that weight gain is a common side effect of the medication. While I won't say that the weight gain is from the Zoloft, I do think my ability to lose the weight is being halted by it. From what I have read, Zoloft can slow your metabolism to a crawl and make even the most ardent dieter's efforts worthless.

So, I have stopped taking the medication. Under my husband's guidance, I have tapered off from the meds and now face a possible 1-2 week bout with withdrawl symptoms. I am going to keep at the exercise, follow a 1500 calorie diet, and make sure that I get plenty of water, omega 3 and a multivitamin. I am also temporarily taking a green tea supplement to help get my metabolism going again. I'll make sure to eat meals often and am researching what I can do to help my metabolism.

Please, if you are on any anti-depressant, DO NOT STOP taking it without your doctor's guidance. Again, I am only writing about this as a part of full disclosure. I would never have stopped taking the Zoloft unless my husband was %100 with me, and he is.
So there you have it. Pray for me that I make it through the withdrawl symptoms without falling back on food. For the first time in a long time, I feel like there just might be some light at the end of this tunnel. The weight is not going to magically come off, but perhaps, just perhaps, I might start to see results from my efforts.