How To Lose Weight On Beta Blockers: 5 Tips That Aid Weight Loss 2024

If you are on beta-blockers, you may face the challenge many people on this medication encounter: losing weight. Beta-blockers include medications like Propranolol, Metoprolol, Atenolol, and Bisoprolol. Your doctor may prescribe these for many different reasons like high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms, tremors, chest pain, heart attacks, migraines, chronic heart failure, and even anxiety. 

Beta-blockers may improve the outcomes of certain medical conditions. They can also hinder the ability to drop those extra pounds. There are several ways you can promote your healthy weight loss goals while on beta-blockers such as avoiding certain types of food, eating and drinking the right things, using fat burner supplements, lowering your stress levels, and creating a custom exercise routine for yourself. Let’s dive into the details to learn tips on losing weight on beta-blockers. 

5 Helpful Tips On How To Lose Weight On Beta Blockers

Can you lose weight on beta-blockers? Yes, with a commitment to self-care, weight loss is possible! Here are several tips and tricks to help you lose weight while on beta-blockers that will work with other medications as well. The average weight gain is 2.6 pounds^[1] on beta-blockers.

Optimize Your Water Intake

Getting enough water should be one of your main daily goals for weight loss and a healthy body. Water can be one of your best friends since it can help burn calories and reduce your appetite.^[2] Starting your day with a glass of lemon water can set you on the right track to boost your metabolism and detox. 

Dehydration from not drinking enough water puts your body into survival mode. Even slight dehydration can lower your metabolism and prevent you from adequately flushing toxins out. So avoid alcohol as you can become dehydrated and drop your blood pressure quickly by drinking your favorite brew. 

You can tell if you need to hydrate by the color of your urine. Dark yellow/brown urine indicates that you need more water. Drinking a glass of water every hour of the day can be an easy habit to form to meet your goals. Write it down or set those electronic reminders! 

Get Moving 

It’s no secret. Physical activities are necessary for optimal health. When you have health conditions that require medication, adding exercise to your schedule may seem tricky. It doesn’t have to be. 

The main goal here is to move your body enough to boost your metabolism. Increasing your heart rate with exercise will give your cells more energy enabling you to burn excess calorie intake. 

Sitting around can increase your risk for health conditions and lower your metabolism by relaxing your largest muscles. If you have a desk job, try an adjustable standing desk so you can move around and keep your blood flow going. You can easily add a few rounds of squats throughout the day, boosting your metabolism. There are even small treadmills and exercise bikes you can add under your desk to move while you work!

Eat Clean

What you eat directly impacts your ability to lose weight. Clean eating refers to eating foods as close to their natural state as possible. You can help yourself select lower-calorie foods by sticking to the outside aisles at the grocery store and avoiding the middle aisles where more processed foods are. The food label’s ingredient list will help you evaluate the quality. It’s too processed if you can’t pronounce most of the names on the list. 

Foods that are bad for us stress out our bodies. Food allergens can cause the inability to sleep and sluggishness due to the gut inflammation they can cause. Both of these problems can lead to long-term weight gain. 

Eating clean, unprocessed foods high in protein, fiber, potassium, and magnesium can give your body the fuel it needs to raise your metabolism. Some foods are nuts, oats, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Foods like cabbage, onions, garlic, salmon, cinnamon, and even dark chocolate can improve blood flow to your brain and body. 

Drinking beet juice can also aid in weight loss due to its low-calorie content and ability to help with blood flow, circulation, and stamina- all factors critical to maintaining metabolic balance on a beta-blocker. 

There are weight loss diets anywhere you turn. Picking one you can stick to will help in its ability to change your life. This weight loss diet guide lists the pros and cons of different diets and helps you choose which ones can help you lose and manage your body weight. Ensure you are eating enough since a calorie deficit can also cause low metabolism.

Lower Your Stress Levels

Stress can raise the body’s cortisol levels, preventing weight loss and even causing weight gain. Cortisol can help manage our metabolism rate, and too much of it is a bad thing. Stress can come in physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual forms. 

A few things that can help to lower your stress levels and high blood pressure while increasing your ability to lose weight on beta-blockers are: 

• Herbal teas like ginger, ashwagandha, and green teas 
• Getting enough rest and sleep. Not enough sleep can disrupt your hormones and metabolism, leading to weight gain. 
• Chinese medicine like acupressure and acupuncture 
• CBD products

Add Fat Burning Supplements 

Fat-burning supplements may help you achieve weight loss goals while on beta-blockers. These products contain essential ingredients to increase your resting metabolic rate and help burn body fat. Care must be taken not to combine caffeine with beta-blockers, so read your fat-burning supplement label and choose a stimulant-free option.

Why Do Some People Gain Weight On Beta Blockers?

First, let’s talk about what a beta-blocker is. This medication blocks the stress response in your body caused by hormones like adrenaline. Beta-blockers were created decades ago. Around 30 million adults in the United States are taking beta-blockers, making this drug one of the most commonly prescribed. 

Do metoprolol and other beta-blockers cause weight gain? Yes, they can. This receptor-blocking medication slows down your heart and lowers your blood pressure making your heart’s workload less than normal. 

When your heartbeat slows down, your metabolism runs low, which can cause weight gain.^[3] This can also lower the levels of good cholesterol and raise the levels of bad cholesterol in the body. 

Some other side effects^[4] of beta-blocker use are: 

• Fatigue
• Trouble Sleeping 
• Depression
• Constipation
• Dizziness
• Sexual Dysfunction 
• Dry mouth and eyes

The beta-blockers that most commonly cause weight gain are the older kind, like Inderal, Tenormin, Toprol, and Lopressor compared to calcium channel blockers and newer beta-blockers, like Coreg, a blood pressure medication that does not cause weight gain. Third-generation beta-blockers cause more weight loss^[5] than traditional beta-blockers when combined with a controlled dietary regimen and exercise program. 

If you’ve noticed that you are gaining weight and having trouble losing weight after starting beta-blockers, try not to quit cold turkey when switching or stopping the medication. Acute beta-blocker withdrawal can make your body more sensitive to adrenaline and increase how hard your heart has to work.
Withdrawal can cause chest pain and even increase your risk for heart attacks.^[6] Speak with your doctor if you’ve decided to try a different medication or natural remedy for your condition to taper off the beta-blocker therapy safely. 

Foods To Avoid While On Beta-Blockers For Losing Weight 

There are certain types of food to avoid while taking beta-blockers to lose weight. Chronic increased carbohydrate consumption can promote weight gain and insulin resistance, making it hard to burn fat. High salt intake can lead to excess water weight.  

Classic culprits of weight gain include:

• Drinks with high amounts of sugar, like fruit juices
• Alcohol
• Candy
• Fast and fried foods
• Cereals with high amounts of sugar 
• Frozen meals with high carbohydrates and salt 
• Processed foods with hydrogenated oils. 

Is It Safe To Workout On Beta Blockers?

It is not only safe to work out while on beta-blockers but also essential. There are many ways to add exercise into your day, including weight loss programs, coaches, and utilizing nutrition experts who can walk you through your journey. 

You can take long walks, take gym classes, or find Youtube exercises that will put the personal trainer right into your own living room. One way to burn the maximum amount of calories and avoid weight gain is to practice H.I.I.T. exercises,^[7] which stands for high-intensity interval training. This training can boost your metabolism for up to 36 hours. 

People with diabetes should use beta-blockers with caution since they can mask the signs of low blood sugar. Regular blood sugar checks are crucial. Those with asthma should not use beta-blockers since they may cause asthma attacks. Beta-blockers may also aggravate certain heart arrhythmias and Raynaud’s Syndrome, a problem with decreased blood flow to the fingers and extremities. 

Monitoring your resting heart rate will help you find your target heart rate^[8] to help you safely achieve maximum fitness results. Realize, however, that beta-blockers slow down your heart rate, and it may not be possible to reach your target heart rate goal. Alternatively, you can use an exertion^[9] scale based on the level of fatigue and how hard you think you are working.

Final Thoughts

While beta-blockers can cause weight gain, it is possible to maintain a healthy lifestyle and even lose weight while on the medicine. Believing in yourself and taking time for self-care will make a meaningful difference. Looking at your weight from a holistic point of view can help you target multiple areas that will encourage weight management.

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