Diet pills? Recommendations and Stories?

OctoberOblivion

Hi! I'm new to my weight loss journey, and I've been doing a low-carb diet, successfully losing 14 pounds or so this past month. One of my best friends has been taking Phentermine, and I'm considering it. Does anyone have stories? Thank you so much!

Alatariel75

You've lost 14lbs in a month, and you want to take prescription diet pills? Whatever for? Why risk the side effects when you're already succeeding at a wild rate?

OctoberOblivion

I thought it might help me stave off some cravings, because I'm an emotional eater, normally. Since it has worked for her, it was a consideration.

Alatariel75

Prescription pills should be a last resort. They have risks, decent sized ones. If you can do it without them, you always should. It's nothing to mess with.

OctoberOblivion

Thank you, dear! ^~^

michelevmac

U r doing awesome without them!

My SIL has tried numerous times - diet pills (prescribed and not)... "Supplements"... Always looking for a quick easy way. If I am remembering right - every time she has tried something like that - she had ended up in the hospital w something wrong (stomach issues... Thinking gall bladder, appendix, heart palpating ... I don't remember what else).

A steady - keep it off - weight loss is slow and steady! A life change u can do daily - pulls u won't take daily - don't mess w them

Keep up the good work - #supplimentfree!

Wolfena

I took Phentermine years ago. It was like magic, my appetite went away and I had massive self control.

The problem with Phentermine as you can't take it forever and when you stop you have learned nothing about your eating habits & what you need to do to stay safe in long term ( although it sounds like you are working on that) However- Many people who take phentermine gain all of the weight back right away & then some, and it becomes much more difficult to lose... I am not quite sure what it does to your body after, maybe it slows your metabolism or something.
(Imagine how awful it would be to reach your goal weight stopping taking the pills and then have the weight come back even though you are still doing everything right!)

Anyway, the way I successfully lost weight and kept it off was to improve my eating habits, eat smaller portions and I started exercising.

If there really was a magic diet pill that would help people lose weight and stay thin then everybody would be thin! Think about it.

marm1962

If you are losing weight and your doctor is a good one then he/she won't give you a script anyway. There are too many side effects involved for them to just hand it out willy nilly. It revs up your metabolism and I was supposed to be on it for 3 months, which is what my doctor said is the longest time period it should be given, she closely monitored my blood pressure and it shot up after 2 months and she said that I couldn't have it anymore. I lost 20 lbs in that 2 months, but it didn't stay gone (other unknown health issue at that time). I am still having blood pressure issues, but they are finally starting to go away (been on BP meds for the past 2 years) hoping to have it back under control as the weight goes down.

Day_knee

I have taken it when I was in my 20's. It works. It's also dangerous. I know have to have blood work done every single time I go to the dentist as the risk for heavy bleeding and heart issues is now a problem for me.

Lose weight a better way-by eating less-and learn better eating habits. Diet pills are not healthy and not safe. Don't be another one to buy into the diet pill industry and lining its pockets!

LisaKay91

I posted this on the debate forums about diet pills:


My cousin has compulsive eating habits (an entire bag of crisps, an entire block of cheese, an entire 2litre, etc) and the cousin also have mental disabilities that make it hard for them to understand food portions/control. Doctors have put them on Belviq and a few others.. they will lose 20-30lbs, get off the pills and gain it all back.
I don't personal know many people that use them or admit to it.

I have a prescription for phentermine and used it for 5 days (1/2 pill) following my first binge on day 34 of my "diet". It did knock my appetite out and I cleaned my entire house top to bottom with a toothbrush for that week. I felt like it was a reset and I'm on day 70+ and have consistently still lost 3-4lbs per week since I stopped taking them. I wouldn't say all people who use them gain the weight back. There are a few frequent commenters who take them regularly but never comment on this types of discussions where the pills are spoken of negatively.

I don't mind sharing my personal insight on them. I think they would be great for those who are looking to jumpstart a better lifestyle and who are learning portion control/how to eat/log well in the process of taking them. I remember the first 15-20 days of my 'diet' I literally thought about food all day long with intense cravings.. I would DREAM about eating 'bad' food and I had to leave the room at work a few times when they brought in their usual weekend fare of take out, cookies, candies and other good smelling goodies. I had a tremendous amount of willpower to struggle through wanting to eat everything in sight... and no 'more protein less carbs' didn't help. I wasn't physically hungry I had mental cravings that manifesting into feeling physically hungry.
Phen loses efficiency over time and doctors may add topomax to extend the effects. Topomax isn't a drug I'd be okay with taking myself but I have coworkers who use it strictly for recurring migraines. Taking phen for a few days brought me back to eating well and not feeling so ravenous/craving bad food after my binge. The other times I lost weight, binged, and gained 9lbs overnight I gave up completely and gained all my weight back plus 10. I was pretty thankful this time was different. I have eaten over my calorie goal since then (by 1000-1500) on certain days that I may go out drinking or going to a BBQ but I feel more confident in my ability to snap back without meds now that I'm 2 months and 40+ pounds deep into my new eating plan.

Definitely isn't for everyone and they're an aide, not a solution and definitely not an end all be all.