It can make you engage in unhealthy behaviours, which can cause weight gain

By Dr. Siddhant Bhargava

Published: Thu 21 Jul 2022, 5:59 PM

The link between stress and weight gain is striking. Stress impacts our ability to maintain a healthy body. It prevents us from losing weight due to factors, such as high levels of the stress hormone, unhealthy stress-induced behaviours, or a combination of both. Learning the connection between stress and weight loss may help you address the root causes and break the cycle of stress and weight gain.

Hormonal changes related to stress

Medical research suggests that the stress hormone cortisol may lead to weight gain. During times of increased stress, our adrenal glands release adrenaline and cortisol, and as a result, glucose is released into your bloodstream. This triggers an increase in heart rate and energy levels, which provide the body the energy it needs to prepare against a potentially harmful situation. The adrenaline high wears off when the threat subsides leading to a dip in blood sugar spike; this is when cortisol comes into action to replenish the energy supply.

We also tend to consume more sugar, which provides the body with the quick energy it thinks it needs when we are stressed. The body utilises as much as it needs and stores the rest in form of abdominal fat which one may find hard to shed. In addition to this, even if we are not eating foods high in fat and sugar while in stress, cortisol slows down our metabolism, which makes it difficult to lose weight.

Stress and unhealthy habits

Stress can also make you engage in unhealthy behaviours, which can cause weight gain. Some of those behavioural patterns are mentioned below:

a) Emotional eating: Stress seems to affect our food preferences. Numerous studies have concluded that prolonged, chronic stress can lead to hormonal changes that may increase your appetite and cause cravings for higher-calorie comfort foods like ice cream, chips, and pizza. While such foods might give us temporary relief from stress but eventually it makes healthy weight management more difficult.

b) Inactivity: Stressed people tend to be less active. The increase in stress levels decreases our exercise minutes and we may not find the strength to exercise with all the tasks on our schedule.

c) Skipping meals: Inconsistent eating patterns may contribute to weight gain. On a stressful day, our schedule may prevent us from eating a meal, which may lead to cravings and overeating later, which can cause weight gain.

d) Sleep disturbance: People who are stressed experience sleep disturbance. While some people sleep more than usual, others suffer from insomnia and restless sleep. And both situations cause weight gain. When we feel fatigued and are not well rested, hormones tell our bodies to consume processed foods over healthy foods.

Prevent and combat weight gain due to stress

Maintain a routine. Make healthy behaviour a habit and combat stress-related weight changes. Below mentioned are some of the most effective strategies that can prevent and combat weight gain due to stress:

a) Eat healthier: Eat foods that can have a noticeable impact on the way our body feels. It is recommended to stick to whole foods such as fruits and veggies. Have oranges and carrots, they contain immune-boosting antioxidants; eat leafy vegetables packed with vitamin B to regulate nerves; eat whole grains and food packed with omega-3 fatty acids. Practise mindful eating. Focus on what you are eating. It will help lower stress and promote weight loss. Next time when you eat a meal, enjoy it without any distraction.

b) Make exercise a priority: It plays a crucial role in stress reduction and weight management. Even a 20-minutes brisk walk every day can make our blood circulate more quickly, transporting the cortisol to the kidneys and flushing it out of the body.

c) Add stress-relief strategies: Adding stress relievers such as practising yoga, listening to music, going for a short walk, etc. into our daily routine can reduce the cortisol levels in the body and help us manage weight.

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Stressed out? Here's how it could impact weight loss - Khaleej Times

By: Luke Kerr-Dineen July 22, 2022

In today's Play Smart, we're looking at a new study from the American Society for Nutrition, and what golfers can learn from it.

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Welcome to Play Smart, a column to help you play smarter, better golf fromGame Improvement Editor Luke Kerr-Dineen (who you can follow on Twitter right here).

When golfers are struggling to lose weight, one of the biggest obstacles they face isnt changing what they eat. Its realizing what they eat. Thats the first step towards change, and its a difficult one for most to clear.

And a recent in-depth study from the American Society for Nutrition proves it.

The ASN study gleaned data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which surveyed almost 10,000 Americans as they detailed their daily diet, then asked those participants to rate how healthy they thought their diet was. Researches then analyzed how healthy these peoples diets actually were, according to its nutrition guidelines, and found a big disconnect.

We found that only a small percentage of U.S. adults can accurately assess the healthfulness of their diet, writes the author Jessica Thomson, PhD, research epidemiologist with the U.S. Department of Agricultures Agricultural Research Service in the Southeast Area, in Science Daily. Additionally, most adults overrate the quality of their diet, sometimes to a substantial degree.

Specifically, the study found that roughly roughly 85 percent inaccurately assessed their diet quality, and that in total, 99 percent of participants overrated the healthfulness of their diet. It was only those who admitted their diet was unhealthy that tended to assess themselves more accurately.

Put simply, almost everyone thinks theyre eating healthier than they actually are.

After sharing the results, the study outlines ways this disconnect could be rectified in the future. Mainly, are people willfully ignorant about what their diets are? Or do they simply not know what a healthy diet looks like?

As for what golfers can take away from all of this, first, get a handle on what the ASN describes some healthy and unhealthy foods.

Examples of foods the ASN ranked as healthier includes

And some less healthy foods

Having a healthy diet overall doesnt mean completely eliminating the latter foods. It just means enjoying them in moderation. Portion control is another big component of all this. You dont need to cut out the unhealthy stuff entirely in order to upgrade your diet, but if you are going to enjoy some refined grains like pasta, keep a handle on how much of it youre actually eating. When I was working hard to lose weight, I literally started weighing that stuff out, using a scale, and found it really helped.

Luke Kerr-Dineen is the Game Improvement Editor at GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com. In his role he oversees the brands game improvement content spanning instruction, equipment, health and fitness, across all of GOLFs multimedia platforms.

An alumni of the International Junior Golf Academy and the University of South CarolinaBeaufort golf team, where he helped them to No. 1 in the national NAIA rankings, Luke moved to New York in 2012 to pursue his Masters degree in Journalism from Columbia University.His work has also appeared in USA Today, Golf Digest, Newsweek and The Daily Beast.

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How to avoid this weight loss mistake that 99 percent of people make - Golf.com

When trying to lose weight, your diet plays a big part. Making the right choices will greatly impact you, and those choices start at the supermarket. Shopping for the right foods may seem overwhelming, especially when you don't know where to start. But before you make a beeline for healthy foods, you might want to consider trying food swaps first.

Just because you are watching what you eat, doesn't mean you have to give up on everything you enjoy. Sometimes, making a simple change can benefit your weight loss efforts, and that can be just by switching brands of your favorite products. To determine healthy alternatives, we spoke with Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, author of Finally Full, Finally Slim, a nutritionist in private practice, and adjunct professor of nutrition at NYU. She's going to tell us about some easy, healthy food swaps you can make at your local Walmart. Then, take a look at The Healthiest and Cheapest Walmart Foods You Can Buy.

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90 calories, 2 g fat (0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 430 mg sodium, 0 g carbs (0 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 16 g protein

"Rather than traditional jerky which is ultra-processed and often contains added sugar and salt, try Stryve Biltong, which has 16 grams of protein, with zero grams of carbs and zero grams of sugar," says Dr. Young.

Along with weight gain, ultra-processed foods have been linked to inflammatory bowel disease and cancer, so trying to stay away from them when you're looking for healthy foods is definitely a great option!

Stryve is an air-dried meat snack crafted with 100% American, high-quality beef. The protein will help get your recommended daily intake and may help you build muscle post-workout.

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30 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 250 mg sodium, 7 g carbs (0 g fiber, 5 g sugar), 0 g protein

"Instead of your traditional BBQ sauce, try Stubb's, which contains less added sugar and no high fructose corn syrup," says Dr. Young.

Stubb's Original Barbecue sauce has only 5 grams of sugar, while others contain over 10 grams.

Studies show that high fructose corn syrup can lead toweight gain, which makes it an ingredient you want to keep out of the foods you buyespecially when you're choosing foods to help you lose weight.

RELATED:The Best Authentic BBQ Spot in Every State

35 calories, 2 g fat (0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 190 mg sodium, 3 g carbs (0 g fiber, 2 g sugar), 0 g protein

Depending on the dressing, you can get a lot of unwanted (and unnecessary) ingredients.

"Instead of your regular zesty Italian dressing, try The New Primal citrus zest dressing, which contains fewer calories per serving."

This citrus zest dressing comes out to only 35 calories per two-tablespoon serving. Other dressings can be over 100 calories per serving. If not careful, those calories can add up.

RELATED:10 Healthy Salad Dressing Brands to Buy (and 10 to Avoid)

45 calories, 0.5 g fat (0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 0 mg sodium, 12 g carbs (1 g fiber, 11 g sugar), 0 g protein

Just because it contains fruit, doesn't necessarily mean it's always going to be healthy.

"While many versions of applesauce contain a lot of added sugar and unnecessary calories, Brainiac's apple sauce pouches do not," says Dr. Young. "These contain no added sugar and fewer calories than traditional applesauce."

The less added sugar, the better it is for weight loss. To add to their health benefits, Brainiac contains 120 milligrams of choline, a nutrient that plays a role in brain development and memory. It is also filled with 160 milligrams of omega-3s, DHA and EPA, which may positively impact many aspects of your cardiovascular health.

Kayla Garritano

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4 Walmart Food Swaps for Weight Loss Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Recently, 90 Day Fiancs Caroline Jess has been open about her weight loss transformation. On July 23, the reality television star shared a picture on her Instagram showing her impressive progress. Get more details about the snapshot below.

It takes much courage and determination for one to decide to lose weight and live healthily. However, Caroline has taken that bold step and wants to keep at it no matter what. To keep herself going, the reality television star shares her progress with her fans, no matter how little.

Caroline shared a picture on Saturday that showed her progress since going on a fitness journey. The side-by-side snapshot showed before and after photos of the TLC star.

The old photo showed her in a black tank top and matching bottoms. She posed facing the wall with her arms stretched out. The picture clearly showed Carolines excess fat.

However, the second and more recent photo showed Carolines weight loss transformation. In it, she wore a sky blue tank top and pink bottoms. Again, Caroline posed, facing a wall, and stretched out her hands. From the image, it was evident that the reality TV star had shed some weight.

In the posts caption, the 90 Day Fiance star said she decided to change a month ago. She admitted that the process hadnt been easy but vowed not to give up. She concluded:

I am very happy with the beginning of my life change. thanks @brunocolhadonutri.

Many of Carolines fans were pleased with her transformation and commended her for continuing her weight loss journey.

Carolines weight loss transformation did not start today. On July 5, she opened up about her fitness journey in an Instagram post. In that post, she shared two side-by-side snaps of her transformation. However, it was in the posts caption that she bore her heart out. She wrote:

I decided to change change my body, change my habits, my diet, my routine, my schedules Im taking more care of myself and Im already seeing a difference, not only in my body, but in the discipline Im having.

Caroline admitted that it wasnt easy and confessed that there were days she felt like giving up and not working out. However, she maintained that she was doing her best and working out even when she did not feel like doing so. Caroline concluded:

It wont always be perfect, but little by little I get there. I already feel much healthier and Im happier. Thanks @brunocolhadonutri.

90 Day Fiancs Caroline Jess has done well to share her weight loss journey with her fans. It is commendable that she keeps going at it despite not always feeling like doing so. Hopefully, she will achieve her weight loss goals and inspire many people with her journey.

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90 Day Fiance Jess Caroline Shows Off Her Weight Loss Progress - The Nerd Stash

To lose weight requires determination, but there are ways to make it happen faster. Here are 10 ways how to speed up weight loss.

Are you trying to lose weight? First of all, you need to know the basic knowledge that the only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than what you are consuming its called being in a caloric deficit.

Although doing more cardio will help you burn more calories and, eventually, lose weight, there are other ways you can lose fat faster. Max Posternak talked about how to speed up weight loss in one of his videos.

Max Posternakis the founder ofGravity Transformation, a website focused on giving tips and training guidance for people looking to improve their fitness and lose weight. HisYouTube channelhas over 4.8 million subscribers.

Check out 10 ways how to speed up weight loss below.

Carb cycling is helpful especially for beginners because is an easy way to lose fat without giving up carbs altogether. Simply divide your week into high-carb days, low-carb days, and no-carb days.

Even though your calories may be higher than maintenance levels on a high-carb day, they should balance out with low and no-carb days to create a substantial calorie deficit.

This is known as a 5:2 dieting approach, another way of intermittent fasting. On your fasting days, you would eat less than 500 calories per day. You could choose to have those days one after the other, or on separate days of the week.

This will help you decrease the total calories you eat and lower your blood sugar and increase insulin sensitivity to help burn fat even further.

If you want to try to extend your period of fasting, ingesting no calories at all, Posternak suggests not going over 36-42 hours of fasting. You could reap the benefits of this by simply having one meal one day, be it breakfast or dinner.

It might sound obvious, but it is a game-changer. Eating a salad or green veggies before each of your meals is one sure way to answer how to speed up weight loss.

You should eat them before a meal because vegetables make you feel full for a very small amount of calories.

Studies done on rats show that apple cider vinegar can increase your metabolism, help you burn fat, decrease your appetite and lower your blood sugar. Another study done with humans showed that it could help with losing belly fat, but not that much more.

So it is not just about drinking apple cider vinegar, but you need to implement a good diet and exercise routine.

Green tea has potent antioxidants and can boost your metabolism.

Posternak suggests to do after every workout:

If you cut calories, your body will try to adjust to survive, so every once in a while you might want to be more aggressive on your diet plan.

If you have a lot of fat to lose, you could cut your calories somewhere between 40% of the calories you eat at the moment. The key thing to keep in mind in order to make such deficit work is that you should listen to your body when you get really hungry and when that happens you should decrease your deficit on those days.

Read More: Worst Diet Mistakes for Losing Fat

Not getting enough sleep means you will have less energy for exercise, less impulse control when it comes to making decisions on what to eat, and it messes with important fat loss hormones such as cortisol, ghrelin and leptin.

This is one of the best tips for you to speed up weight loss, build muscle, or achieve pretty much anything you want in your life. If you constantly stop your journey, you will not achieve your goals.

Sadly, this is one of the hardest things for people to follow, because dieting for a week or a month can be achievable, but think about dieting for a full year.

Those are the arguments from Max Posternak on how to speed up weight loss. If you want to know more details about each of them, check out his video below.

Read More: How to Properly Use Cheat Meals to Lose Fat Faster (3 Science-Based Tips)

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How To Speed Up Weight Loss 10 Things You Can Do Now to Accomplish That | BOXROX - BOXROX

Based on the several clashing studies, there is no particular eating pattern which is definitely better than the other one. Both of these can work for you, if your primary focus is calorie deficit and healthy and mindful eating. Once you improve your relationship with food, you will understand how often you really need to eat and what works best for you.

Avoid eating food along with television or scrolling social media. These distractions will not let you eat mindfully and you'll lose track of how much you have eaten or at what point your hunger is satiated.

For a healthy diet, focus on eating natural foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. Eat a protein-rich diet with foods such as lean meat, eggs, nuts, seeds and legumes. Lastly, avoid junk food with added sugars, trans fats, and saturated fats.

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Weight loss: Should you eat 3 big meals a day or several small meals? - Times of India

A study demonstrated the role of the serotonin 1B receptor in appetite and showed that triptan, a commonly prescribed migraine medicine, may be repurposed for appetite suppression and obesity.

A daily dose of triptan led obese mice to eat less food and lose weight, suggesting that the migraine medication may also be useful in treating obesity, according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Triptans, which are commonly prescribed as treatments for acute migraines and cluster headaches, work by targeting the serotonin 1B receptor (Htr1b). Serotonin, a chemical messenger found throughout the brain and body, is known to play a role in appetite. There are 15 different serotonin receptors that sense serotonin and signal for cells to change their behavior in response.

Researchers have previously struggled to understand the role of serotonin receptors in appetite. Additionally, previous drugs that target individual receptors, such as fen-phen and lorcaserin (Belviq), to address appetite have been withdrawn from the market because of adverse effects.

However, the serotonin 1B receptor (Htr1b) has not been well studied in the context of appetite and weight loss before this study, according to study leader Chen Liu, PhD, assistant professor of Internal Medicine and Neuroscience and an investigator in the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute.

Researchers at UT Southwestern tested 6 prescription triptans in obese mice that were fed a high-fat diet for 7 weeks. Mice who had been fed 2 of these drugs ate about the same amount over the course of a month; however, mice who had been fed the other 4 triptans ate less.

Weight loss or gain was measured at 24 days. Mice administered a daily dose of the drug frovatriptan lost 3.6% of their body weight on average, whereas mice not given triptan had gained an average of 5.1% of their body weight.

Similar results were observed when the researchers implanted devices into the mice that gave them a steady does of frovatriptan for 24 days.

"We found that these drugs, and one in particular, can lower body weight and improve glucose metabolism in less than a month, which is pretty impressive," Liu said.

The researchers then sought to determine exactly how frovatriptan impacts food intake and weight by engineering mice to lack either Htr1b or Htr2c, the serotonin receptor targeted by other drugs such as fen-phen and lorcaserin. Frovatriptan no longer decreased appetite or caused weight loss in mice without Htr1b.

There was no effect on frovatriptans ability to decrease appetite or cause weight loss in mice lacking Htr2c. Researchers concluded that the drug worked by targeting the serotonin 1B receptor.

"This finding could be important for drug development," Liu said. "We not only shed light on the potential to repurpose existing triptans but also brought attention to Htr1b as a candidate to treat obesity and regulate food intake."

The researchers also identified exactly which neurons in the brain were most important for the role of Hrt1b in mediating appetite, identifying a small group of cells in the brains hypothalamus. As for why the longer-term impacts of triptans on appetite and weight lost have not previously been reported, Liu suggests that patients would not have noticed these impacts due to triptans generally being prescribed for short-term use.

We've shown that there is real potential to repurpose these drugs, which are already known to be safe, for appetite suppression and weight loss, concluded study leader Chen Liu, PhD, assistant professor of Internal Medicine and Neuroscience and an investigator in the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute.

Reference

Researchers show effectiveness of migraine drug in weight loss. Science Daily website. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/07/220711163214.htm. Published July 11, 2022. Accessed July 13, 2022.

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Migraine Medication May be Effective for Weight Loss, Treatment of Obesity - Pharmacy Times

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) Losing weight is no easy challenge, but one Siouxland couple said they hope their story can motivate others.

Sioux City residents John and Martha Vodochodsky have lost a combined 250 pounds since July of last year, but they also said that they still have more work to do.

John weighed more than 400 pounds a couple of years ago. He said the fear of long-term health complications motivated him to start losing weight.

My health wasnt all that great, John said. I had high blood pressure. I had high cholesterol and I was right on the border of having diabetes.

He began working with Sanford Healths weight management program. His wife Martha joined him shortly afterward. She said while progress takes time, its a great feeling when the results start to show.

Just hang in there, I mean it is truly worth it, taking control of your health and eating healthier and exercising, she said.

While she and her husband have stuck to their diet plan, she said the most powerful motivator is going on this journey together.

Like most married couples know, if one isnt in it, the other has trouble maintaining it and we can be our best partners or we can be our worst enemies, she said. So, its been very helpful with him being very serious about it.

Both of them said they still have more work to do to hit their target weight, but theyre confident they will get there by next summer as long as they have their diet plan and each other.

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Siouxland couple hopes their weight loss journey inspires others - KCAU 9

While psychiatric medications can be essential for improving mental health and well-being, they often come with unwanted side effects. One particular side effect of many psychiatric medications is weight gain. In this post we will explore how these medications cause weight gain, and what you can do to lessen the impact of this unwanted effect of many psychiatric medications.

There are five main types of psychiatric prescription medications: antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics (also known as anti-anxiety medications, which can include medications for sleep), mood stabilizers, and stimulants. Stimulants are not likely to cause weight gain. In fact, many of them reduce appetite and can cause weight loss as a side effect. These medications will not be discussed in this post.

Antidepressants can be divided into separate classes:

All of these medications increase serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin regulates mood and affects appetite, yet this can have varying results depending on length of treatment. Short-term use reduces impulsivity and increases satiety, which can reduce food intake and cause weight loss. However, long-term use (longer than a year) can cause downregulation of serotonin receptors, which subsequently causes cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods such as bread, pasta, and sweets that ultimately may lead to weight gain. The antidepressants with the highest risk of causing weight gain are amitriptyline, citalopram, mirtazapine, nortriptyline, trimipramine, paroxetine, and phenelzine.

Antipsychotics can also be categorized into two classes: typical and atypical antipsychotics. Both classes can cause weight gain, but they differ in that atypical antipsychotics cause fewer movement disorder side effects. Like antidepressants, antipsychotics affect the chemical messengers in the brain associated with appetite control and energy metabolism, namely serotonin, dopamine, histamine, and muscarinic receptors. In addition to causing weight gain, antipsychotics can also impair glucose metabolism, increase cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and cause hypertension, all of which can lead to metabolic syndrome and worsen obesity-related diseases. The antipsychotics most likely to cause weight gain are olanzapine, risperidone, and quetiapine.

There is no clear link between traditional anti-anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines and weight gain. However, many antidepressants are also used for the treatment of anxiety, and may cause weight gain as discussed above.

Similarly, not all medications for sleep cause weight gain; one that has been associated with weight gain is diphenhydramine (the active ingredient in Benadryl that is also used in many over-the-counter sleep aids). Diphenhydramine can contribute to weight gain by causing increased hunger and tiredness, which can make a person less active. Other sleep aids such as zolpidem (Ambien) or eszopiclone (Lunesta) have not been linked to weight gain.

Trazodone, a medication used for depression as well as insomnia, reduces excess serotonin at some sites, while increasing serotonin levels at other sites, thus affecting appetite as previously discussed.

Mood stabilizers are often used to treat bipolar disease, and can increase appetite or cause changes in metabolism. Although some antidepressants and antipsychotics are also used to treat bipolar disease, mood stabilizers such as lithium, valproic acid, divalproex sodium, carbamazepine, and lamotrigine are the mood stabilizers often used for treatment of bipolar disorder, and with the exception of lamotrigine, they are all known to increase the risk of weight gain.

For people taking psychiatric medications for mental health, there are strategies to minimize weight gain. Optimizing lifestyle and daily habits is important. This includes eating a healthy diet with whole foods and limiting processed foods and added sugars; staying physically active; minimizing stress; and ensuring adequate restful sleep. Physical activity, in particular, can have a double effect of both improving mental health and minimizing weight gain that might otherwise occur. Cognitive and behavioral strategies under the guidance of a psychologist may be useful for avoiding giving in to any increased cravings for sweets and carbohydrates.

Another strategy to minimize weight gain is to work with your healthcare provider to determine if there might be an appropriate alternate medication option with a lower risk of weight gain. In addition, the anti-diabetes medication metformin has been shown to be effective in treating and preventing psychotropic-induced weight gain. Other medications prescribed for weight loss may also be appropriate to help counteract the weight gain experienced by psychotropic medications.

Be aware that almost all medications have a risk of causing side effects, and it is important to ensure that the benefits of taking any medications will outweigh the risks. Speaking to your primary care provider, psychiatrist, or obesity medicine specialist can be useful in determining which options may work best for you.

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Managing weight gain from psychiatric medications - Harvard Health