Phentermine and Dieting

StunningSugar

I was put on Phentermine last Friday because I had tried for months to lose weight with no results other than a few pounds. I talked to my doctor and she put me on Phentermine 37.5 mg once a day. The first few days were great I was able to eat and only had dry mouth as a side effect. Here it is day 5 and I've lost weight though I'm sure it's just water weight, but I have no appetite whatsoever. My stomach growls as if I'm hungry, but I don't have any desire to eat. Last night after I got home, I fixed my kids and fiance dinner but couldn't bring myself to eat any of it. I had a bite of a banana and felt full. Now this morning the same thing, I'm not hungry and I haven't even taken my Phentermine yet. Has anybody taken this before and had this issue, and if so, do I just force myself to eat or will this feeling go away? Any help would be appreciated. Please no lectures on how bad Phentermine is, I know the side effects and all that of the drug, so my doctor and I have weekly visits for check ups in case any problems arise.

SkinnyJJ52

If you're goal is to lose weight, then not eating will send your body into "starvation" mode, which means, since you're not giving it anything to eat, it goes, "whoa, there's nothing coming in for fuel, so I better conserve what I've stored away for this event." If you want to lose weight, you have to eat, and I mean eat a lot. Your body is not healthy thriving on anything less than 1200 calories a day MINIMUM. Eating breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it triggers your body TO GO. When you eat, stick to 1/4 of your plate protein (lean protein like chicken breasts, no skin, fish, turkey, eggs and egg whites, lean beef occasionally), 1/2 vegetables/fruits (and generally low glycemic index fruits like berries, apples, pears), and 1/4 carbs (brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole grains like quinoa, barley and 100 percent whole grain breads). If you are exercising, you should increase your intake to 1500 calories. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you eat, or else your body will start to break down muscle, and it's muscle that burns fat. So if you are exercising, do cardio daily at least 30 minutes and do weight lifting at least 3 times a week. Good luck.

msshiraz

I would be concerned about the not able to eat, your body needs fuel. Maybe your dosage is too high- if this continues, contact your PC, safety with weight loss tools like these are soo important.

jjmeyers2010

I can't add anything that someone else already didn't... but I wish you luck and PLEASE EAT. lol I do have a question though... I have never heard of what the doctor prescribed you, so can anyone explain to me what it is and what the "nasty side effects" could be from taking it? Sounds like its something to curb your appetite (obviously) but what are all of the pros and cons for taking it or not taking it?

StunningSugar

I was given it to help jump start my weight lose. She only wants to keep me on the pills for 2 months due to the fact that I'm not obese but significantly overweight for my height is what she called it. Based on calculators and whatnot I should be eating around 1500 calories a day but I'm confused as to my MFP is saying 1200 daily calorie goal.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

About 2 years ago I was put on phentermine for fatigue. I had the same reaction as you-- it was like I had no desire at all to eat and I had to force myself. I hated being on it-- it also made me compulsive and I couldn't stop moving even when I wanted to relax. The only way I can think to describe the feeling is that I felt like an exposed nerve ending. Everything felt scratchy and I hated being touched. Even my clothes bothered me. I was pretty miserable so I stopped taking it. Maybe you need a lower dose. Either way you need to eat enough calories. Figure out a way to get them-- maybe try smoothies.

jjmeyers-- it's an amphetamine. It causes some people to have serious heart problems. It also generally causes you to be jittery.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I was given it to help jump start my weight lose. She only wants to keep me on the pills for 2 months due to the fact that I'm not obese but significantly overweight for my height is what she called it. Based on calculators and whatnot I should be eating around 1500 calories a day but I'm confused as to my MFP is saying 1200 daily calorie goal.

If you put "lose 2 lbs per week" MFP will start you on 1200. That's the lowest setting you can get. You can manually increase it or go into your settings and lower your goal to 1 lb a week to get more calories.

mjmbjmgjm1

I tried it a couple years ago. It seemed to give me some energy, but I had no appetite at all. I was thirsty all of the time and forced myself to eat. I didn't sleep very well either. I took it for a month and loss 20lbs. I stopped taking it because I felt exhausted all the time and I hate taking pills. Plus I was basically starving myself to lose weight. All the weight I loss taking the pill came back within a couple months.

gsmithnp

It does come in lower dosages (30mg and 15mg, I believe). Maybe ask your doc to lower the dose, or try taking it every other day.

ksboyd20

I have been taking it for a month now and have dropped 14 pounds. I do not have the "force myself to eat" side effect though.
I still get hungry and I still eat, It just helps me not to overeat and constant eating.
I have no major side effects either. Some dry mouth and constipation, but that just makes me drink more water and eat more fiber.

LMCAJR3715

I loved Phentermine. It takes a while for your body to realized what you are putting into it but its obviously an appetite suppressant so it will make you not hungry but you HAVE to eat. It just helps you make better choices when you are not hungry. But make yourself eat at least a salad or a protein bar. Something in your stomach is better than nothing.

christinekry

Try taking half a pill a day. I also took it for almost 6 months - and didn't really lose more than 20 lbs, but I was not dieting with it. It gives you amazing energy - but also a very dry mouth and after a few weeks, insomnia kicks in.

kenazfehu

I was going to say that too, maybe 1/2 dose would be better.

I tried it years ago but hated the side effects (which I can't really remember right now).

prpljellybean

I was tried on this and it did not work for me at all... My doctor said it could be because of my tolerance to caffeine. I was kind of disappointed as I would have liked to have a little jump start...

nanainkent

I have been on it for 30 days now. I have only lost 8 pounds but then I am using this time to create a new way of living. I plan my meals and exercise out for each day first thing in morning. If I am busy I put off eating (bad habit but I did the same thing before) so I know how it takes your appetite away. But, you need to eat. You need to use this short amount of time to learn new lifestyle and eating pattern. Making the right choices. Only by doing this will you be able to keep the weight off and continue to live with the syle you have learned. I am not in a race to lose my weight, I have about 80-100 lbs to lose so I will be doing this awhile. I needed the help while I learned a new habit. I do not have the same side effects as the others. I can take a nap on this stuff. I can sit quietly in the library and read a book for an hour or so. I wish I had all the energy the others have. But I do not have the raging hunger. My skipping meals is what got me fat, I was not someone who overate, or ate too often What I did was skip meals, wait too long and then grab the first fast food or hand held item I could find, way late at night. That and not exercising. I think I am rambling but my point is , eat and learn how to eat. You can lose alot of weight fast but it will be a waste if you cannot maintain that loss.

skygoddess86

I did better on a half a pill at first and had the same loss of appetite for a few days. Of course that is kind of the point. You build up a tolerance eventually and need a higher dose so starting smaller is good. I don't take it anymore but it definitly works, it's just rough when you go off your appetite increases a lot.

thejobiandamoosie

Sorry for the lengthy reply, but I do have a bit to share!

First off.. perfectly normal for you to have no appetite as this is an appetite suppressant. Buuuuuut eating is how you live so you will definitely want to eat. When I first started taking it I had the sensation that my stomach was numb! I know weird to say, but I literally could feel my stomach growling but could not feel the hunger pang. You might have to force yourself to eat for the first few weeks on it. After that you should develop somewhat of a tolerance to the extreme effect it has now, and you’ll likely be able to sit down and eat dinner with the rest of the fam.

I AM a firm believer that eating something protein rich within 30-60 minutes of waking up (after you take your pill) will set the tone for your day of successful caloric intake and portion control. Everyone is different though so you should find something that works for you if the protein thing doesn’t sound awesome.

If you wanted to you could use meal bars as they are small in portions and provide essential nutrients and calories. Some people also incorporate multivitamins because of the radical caloric decrease. I personally ended up making sure I ate something considerably small every couple of hours (ie some turkey jerky or string cheese) and then of course a larger sized dinner consisting of meat, cheese, vegetable, fruit, and a sugar free jell-o for my insatiable sweet tooth!

As for your body going into “starvation mode” on these.. it’s not likely! Phentermine increases metabolic rate (the amount of energy expended in a given amount of time) and blood pressure, making it so that even minimal physical activity, like doing the dishes, results in an increase of calories burned when compared to not being on Phentermine. If Phentermine allowed for this “starvation mode” to happen not a lot of people would lose weight on it.

Many have had the same weight loss success taking the 37.5 mg every other day or even every 3 days as well, and this can reduce the likelihood of you developing insomnia and early on dependency (it is addictive). It will also give you a chance to test out your self control on the day(s) you don’t take it.

I took phentermine a while back for a few months and it literally changed every aspect of my life, relationship with food, and physical activity. Best of luck to you! And keep us updated! :happy:

edennew

I have been on Phentermine for 11 days and have lost 11 pounds. I am religiously eating about 1300 cals per day, walking 3 times a week and strength training four days. I started with a half of a 37.5 pill and after a week increased to two half doses- one at 9am with food and one again at 3 with food. I have not had any side effects except for increased thirst and energy. I did have a headache for a few days at first but I attribute that to cutting out all sugar and lowering caffeine to almost nothing.

My meal plan is designed (by a bariatric physician) to optimize the muscle building from strength training. I shoot for 140 grams of protein a day and eat 6 meals of around 200 calories each. I include lots of veggies and sprouted bread for fiber and I do not eat any starches after 5 pm.

I feel a huge decrease in my desire to eat, but am still able to do it 6 times a day. As others have said, i plan ahead on MFP the day before (sometimes a week in advance) and follow my plan, whether I'm really hungry or not. my doctor told me that if i had no appetite, to go back to 1/2 a pill. That would be my advice for you- reduce your dosage and see how you feel. Remember that regular eating throughout the day keeps your blood sugar level and helps your metabolism be more effective. Good luck!

edennew

I have been on Phentermine for 11 days and have lost 11 pounds. I am religiously eating about 1300 cals per day, walking 3 times a week and strength training four days. I started with a half of a 37.5 pill and after a week increased to two half doses- one at 9am with food and one again at 3 with food. I have not had any side effects except for increased thirst and energy. I did have a headache for a few days at first but I attribute that to cutting out all sugar and lowering caffeine to almost nothing.

My meal plan is designed (by a bariatric physician) to optimize the muscle building from strength training. I shoot for 140 grams of protein a day and eat 6 meals of around 200 calories each. I include lots of veggies and sprouted bread for fiber and I do not eat any starches after 5 pm.

I feel a huge decrease in my desire to eat, but am still able to do it 6 times a day. As others have said, i plan ahead on MFP the day before (sometimes a week in advance) and follow my plan, whether I'm really hungry or not. my doctor told me that if i had no appetite, to go back to 1/2 a pill. That would be my advice for you- reduce your dosage and see how you feel. Remember that regular eating throughout the day keeps your blood sugar level and helps your metabolism be more effective. Good luck!

P.S. This is a fake picture of my face on a model's body! I started at 253.6 and now weigh 241.2

toomuchbootyindapants

In the beginning of my quest for better health, my doc prescribed phen for me. I took it...and like you...no desire to eat. I would get sick toward the end of the day since I had only had about 200 cals or something. Nobody educated me on proper nutrition and how to use the pill in conjunction with a good diet and exercise. FAIL. Eventually, I started getting rage from the phen and I would lash out over the stupidest things. And then, constipation. Oh that was real fun. I only managed to stay on it for a few weeks before I just couldn't take it anymore. I didn't sleep well at night. The appetite suppressant effect started to wear off and I started eating again (which was GOOD!) but the side effects were just not worth it. However, it was useful as an energy aid since I had zero, zip, zilch motivation to do ANYTHING at my size and crappy health condition. So - your best bet is to really learn about nutrition and set up several small meals/snacks to be sure you are getting adequate intake for the day. You certainly don't want to gain back all that you've lost so far and you want to use this pill as a supplement only, for a short time, just to get you motivated to do it by yourself. Don't rely on it, it becomes addictive. There are lots of people on this site willing to help you if you are ready to help yourself - so just reach out and ask! And if this pill makes you feel icky - stop taking it. It wasn't worth it for me - and I've lost 70# on my own through good diet and exercise.

murphyraven

I too am on Phentermine for about a month now (15 mg daily). and at first had the same no desire to eat and had to force myself to. I started tracking on MFP and saw that I was getting about 800-900 calories and since then have been making a concentrated effort to get about 1200-1300, and to make them healthy.

I found protein smoothies and healthy shakes were a great way for me to get "meals" since I didn't feel like eating but drinking didn't seem to bother me much. In fact my water consumption shot through the roof!

There are lots of great smoothie and shake threads on the forums if you do a search but I will share my current favorite.

Green coconut protein smoothie

1 cup cococut milk
1/2 cup 100% paturized egg whites
1 cup fresh spinach
1 cup frozen strawberries
4 oz greek yogurt ( i use a greek honey yogurt for more sweetness)

Blend well, makes about 24 oz or so which I sip on over a period of an hour or two in the morning (I add a few ice cubes to the drink while on the go to keep it cold)

I'll warn you its not pretty and not super sweet. but its creamy and keep me going all morning. Lots of protein and good for you greens and berries.

edennew

P.S. This is a fake picture of my face on a model's body! I started at 253.6 and now weigh 241.2

we are in synch...its my 11th day...I started at 253 and I am now 241

Are you super excited for the 230's like I am???

Absolutely! Good luck to us both and welcome 30's!

gillbush123

I took phen a few years ago and lost 3 stone with it, but once I stopped taking it I gained all the weight back plus some, but I only relied on the phen.
I went back on it this week but the difference is I am only using it to help me train my self into not eating constantly. I am following mfp and sticking to my calories, I want to change my life and my attitude towards food for ever.
I don't have any side effects either, I have my breakfast, then lunch and then have a tablet as its in the afternoon that I normaly binge, but I don't have any problems eating my tea. I just don't have the desire to eat rubbish through out the day now.
I also don't have any problems sleeping. I feel confident that in a few months time I will be able to stop the phen and carry on eating healthy untill I reach my goal weight which is along way off, 126 lb off to be exact.
Good luck.