The Serotonin Power Diet: Eat Carbs--Nature's Own Appetite Suppressant--to Stop Emotional Overeating and Halt Antidepressant-Associated Weight Gain

I took Zoloft for two years and I gained 30 pounds. I was absolutely miserable. Sure, the depression and anxiety were down a little, but I was so unhappy with my body and my inability to stop myself from bingeing on chips and cookies and crackers that the depression and self-loathing came back with a vengeance. I reached a point where I never felt full. I could spend an entire day eating and not feel any sort of fullness. Because of that, ten of those 30 pounds were gained in a month! I gained 10 pounds in one month! How does that happen?! It happened, this book explained, because I didn't have enough serotonin in my brain to tell my body that I was full and I could stop eating.It's no secret that high protein, low carb diets work. And, honestly, weight loss is faster with those sorts of diets. The downside to those diets, however, is that nagging little ball of anger that constantly threatens to bust out of my chest if I don't eat some carbohydrates right this very minute. Deprivation works for weight loss, but it makes the mood issues so much more visible. The Serotonin Power Diet let me have my carbs. The anger and irritability went away. Along with the wonderful mental effects, I lost 15 of the 30 pounds I gained while taking Zoloft. The weight fell off in just three months of following this diet and engaging in moderate exercise. I am no longer on an antidepressant, but I continue this diet to keep my mood up and help me lose the rest of the weight.The Serotonin Power Diet just makes so much sense. You should eat to not only feed your body, but to also feed your brain. This book teaches you how to do that. If you are struggling with weight gain from antidepressants or from weight gain from overeating because you never feel full, please read this book. The diet is easy to stick with and for me it quickly became a lifestyle change rather than a "diet". It doesn't require supplements and powders. It's just good, healthy food eaten at the right times to give your body and brain the fuel they need to thrive.

This is the only diet book I will ever recommend to anybody. Also, I do not normally post my book reviews here, but on Goodreads. But I want to put in a good word for The Serotonin Power Diet and the two women, both well-respected doctors, who wrote it. If you are on anti-depressant medication that makes stabilising your appetite and weight challenging, this book can help you. If you are not on medication but struggle with cravings and appetite dysregulation, this book can help you. If you are a woman, especially, I believe this book can help you.As with anything, this diet will not suit everyone. For me, it's been a total game changer. I am not a person who can maintain a happy and stable mood on a low carb or ketogenic diet (nor can I sleep well) and I am someone prone to weight gain (especially now that I am in my early fifties). As of last year, I started using a medication that added to this problem, but this diet has helped turn things around.NB: You do have to read the book, carefully and entirely; those critics saying "this is just another diet" are not understanding the diet. The weight loss part is like "any other diet" but the instructions on using carb snacks (in specific amounts, at specific times, etc.) is crucial to your success. It will keep your brain happy. If your brain is not happy, it will prompt you to eat eat eat . . . carbs, especially, because it's looking for a boost.It will be worth it to you to pay attention to the instructions and follow them precisely. You will be keen to do this, anyway, if you are in the "OMG I need help" situation that I was in prior to reading it. It is helpful, also, to go to the authors' website and sign up for their blog and forum.

I got this book on Amazon using the new free Kindle App for your PC. I love the App. Easy to download. Easy to order and no commitment to buying a Kindle. As for the book it was an easy read. The science seems solid. I found putting the diet together a little difficult. Not sure if I was paying attention enough or it was confusing. I just re-read and got back on track. I found the information on how to stick to the diet and develope new life style habits helpful. I like the different stories about different people and their unique circumstances helpful. This helped me to tailor the diet to my needs. I also found having carbs being a part of the diet helped me feel like I wasn't being deprived. The bottom line is changing your health habits is hard work. You have to eat vegetables, watch your portions, say no to temptations and you have to excersize. But I thought this booked helped make this hard work a little easier.