Frustration. Sister taking diet pills, loosing alot!

I am about to loose my mind! and I post this cause I need support and I need people to tell me the way I´m doing it is the right way but its sooooo frustrating!

My sister´s wedding is comming and shes more overweight than me, not that much but she does look bigger, the difference is that shes super short. Anyway, she sucks at diets and hates excercising so she´s seeing this doctor that´s giving her some pills. At first when I saw she wasnt eating i was worried about her because she really ate very little! se kept on saying it was the pills. So i just let her do her thing since she wasnt listening to me. So yesterday she came home from seeing the doctor and she lost 4kilos in 2 months! and everyone notices her weight loss and its sooo easy for her and the doctor told her that by the end of this month she should weight 70 kilos, which would mean that she will loose weight really fast..

And here I am.. working my butt off.. counting calories, working out every day. The scale hasnt showed any weight loss in 3 weeks. I do feel better and I think i´ve gone 1 jean size down. But I am nooot getting the same results she is and I´m the one thats working my butt off.. so Im really frustrated.. I just want to quit this and start taking the freaking pills!

Its really really annoynig, listening to everyone say how good she looks and how shes lost soo fast, and I see her eat whatever she wants and not working out at all, like nothing. And I´m happy with what I´m doing and I´m glad i´m doing it, until I see that she doesnt need to do it to get where I want to get.
«1

Replies

  • cdahl383
    cdahl383 Posts: 726 Member
    Don't take any pills. Unless you're 100 lbs overweight or something you can just lose the weight naturally. It's way healthier for you. Look up how many cases there were of liver damage and in some cases death from people taking HydroxyCut years ago. Why on earth would you want to put that kind of junk in your body?

    Just shoot for 1-2 lbs of weight loss per week. A couple weeks ago I stagnated too, it was frustrating, but I re-evaluated my diet and exercise plan and found I was over on my calories by about 250-300 per day. I found this out by weighing out my portion sizes for my lunch at work on a digital food scale. You may want to invest in one of those if you dont have one already, they are very helpful if you suck at portion control like I do.

    The only supplement I take is natural protein powder with no artificial sweetners in it. Other than that I just try to eat healthy and exercise. Shortcuts are no good in the long run. You'll get to your goal weight but you'll still have the same habits as before, so once you quit taking the pills, you'll put on weight again. Lose it naturally, learn to change your habits, set some short term and long term goals and work towards those. I'm not a weight loss expert but that's always worked for me. My problem is keeping the weight off after I lose it haha!
  • lewandt
    lewandt Posts: 566
    What happens when she goes off the pills? She will most likely gain the weight back because she did not learn a single thing.

    Keep doing what you are doing, it will be way better in the long run.
  • helpfit101
    helpfit101 Posts: 347 Member
    You don't need to do much cardio, seriously. It's good for your health but not essential for weight loss.

    Just eat less (500calorie deficit). And of course keep busy during the day go for a walk or take your kids out or your dog or your boyfriend :P

    But seriously you don't need to suffer through cardio if you don't feel like it. Some serious cardio 2-3 times per week is healthy, but definitely not a requirement for weight loss perse.

    So stop suffering and start by simply taking the stairs instead of the elevator. And eating less of course. That's 95%.

    PS yes some pills make you burn fat faster, so there is such a thing and they're not unhealthy necessarily, but in my personal opinion they should only be used by people that have previously learned to control their body weight the old fashioned way and want to lose /gain weight for a real reason besides being healthy, such as body builders
  • pinkstp
    pinkstp Posts: 220 Member
    By doing it the way you are doing it, you're engraining portion control and exercise (hopefully!) into a new way of life for you that will last you years past any diet pill. All your sister is learning is a quick fix that may or may not last and unless she gets on board with proper nutrition and exercise, she won't have the same long-term successes that you will.

    Also, I hate the scale. It's useful intermittently to judge how well you're doing but I find body measurements and picture comparison to be much more validating for my own personal success. I would encourage you to do a combo (if you really want to judge based on a scale) and measure yourself for comparison when you feel stagnant. See if your body is making micro changes that aren't showing up on that scale (it definitely does that for me, the scale # doesn't go down but my measurements are incrementally smaller and smaller, a fabulous feeling).

    And don't give up hope :) There are plenty of people just like you, in fact on a website like this I would say the majority, who want to do this for the long-haul and are happy to offer support. Build up a support group here and maybe you can find people in your area who are committed to healthy living that you can latch onto for support as well :)
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
    What will happen to your sister when she stops taking diet pills?

    The secret to a healthy weight and life is what you're doing...exercising and eating better at proper portions. You are losing weight the way people are meant to. You said yourself...you feel better. You know it's working.

    Compliments from other people fade over time. You and your sister will still need to live within the bodies you have when all that weight is lost. So, would you prefer the healthy body you're creating or the pill-induced temporary one she's creating?
  • kittenful
    kittenful Posts: 318 Member
    Shortcuts are no good in the long run. You'll get to your goal weight but you'll still have the same habits as before, so once you quit taking the pills, you'll put on weight again. Lose it naturally, learn to change your habits, set some short term and long term goals and work towards those.

    ^This!

    The weight loss pills are NOT good for you. They don't teach you how to maintain your weight loss or instill healthy habits. They can cause serious health problems, too! Keep doing things your way, and remember that slow progress is still progress!
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    What happens when she goes off the pills? She will most likely gain the weight back because she did not learn a single thing.

    Keep doing what you are doing, it will be way better in the long run.

    THIS! She'll probably rebound back and weigh more, plus she'll be super unhealthy by the time she's done. Seriously - slow and steady is the only way to ensure it stays off. In the end, you'll be smaller and HEALTHY, and if she doesn't change her habits she'll be bigger and one can only hope not too ill. Keep it up!!!
  • 1PatientBear
    1PatientBear Posts: 2,089 Member
    What will happen to your sister when she stops taking diet pills?

    The secret to a healthy weight and life is what you're doing...exercising and eating better at proper portions. You are losing weight the way people are meant to. You said yourself...you feel better. You know it's working.

    Compliments from other people fade over time. You and your sister will still need to live within the bodies you have when all that weight is lost. So, would you prefer the healthy body you're creating or the pill-induced temporary one she's creating?

    Bingo
  • james6998
    james6998 Posts: 743 Member
    Those pills come at a high price on the body. What they are meant for is only temp. weightloss. The worst part is, once she starts taking them, chances are 10 to 1 that when she comes off of them, she will gain the weight back plus more.
  • anna_conkers
    anna_conkers Posts: 24 Member
    Wow that really sucks, I'd be really frustrated too if I were you :(

    Like the others have said, the way you are going about it will change your habits for life. It's very likely your sister will gain it all back when she stops taking pills - and she will have to stop. You're doing great, focus on your healthy habits and exercise benefits that she is definitely not going to learn by taking a pill! Good luck.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Well if she's hardly eating, she will lose a lot. And if her only concern is a number on the scale, more fool her.
  • So_Much_Fab
    So_Much_Fab Posts: 1,146 Member
    You keep doing what you're doing and look at how you can change things up if you're stuck. As for your sister, I will bet any amount of money that when she goes off the pills she'll gain the weight back and then some.

    You're doing it right. Yes, it takes longer, but that's just the way it goes.
  • juliadijk
    juliadijk Posts: 20 Member
    Don't look at the scale. You lost a jeans size and no weight? You probably gained some muscle which takes up less room than fat. Diet pills are a short-term solution. Because they suppress appetite, your sister is probably not eating enough to maintain muscle and her body is probably burning her muscle right now. Yes, she may appear slimmer, but she will just be the same shape, just a smaller version. You are working on a long-term solution and those are never easy or fast. Keep up the great work!
  • maryrx59
    maryrx59 Posts: 55 Member
    You are learning how to eat for the rest of your life!! What is she learning? You are giving your body what it needs...healthy foods(hopefully) and exercise. What is she giving her body? Chemicals....that can be destructive...that can raise blood pressure. In 6 months, where are you going to be if you continue on your path? You already have your clothes fitting better. Where will she be in 6 months? Off the pills, half the weight gained back, and nothing learned.

    You have been comparing yourself to your sister, so I gave you my opinion with that in mind. BUT, my REAL opinion is that you stop comparing yourself to her. You are doing MFP for YOU!!! If your family hasn't congratulated your efforts yet, your friends here on MFP will!!

    Stick with your gut instinct...it is healthier and wiser to change your lifestyle...food choices and exercise.

    Good luck friend!
    Mary
  • mem50
    mem50 Posts: 1,384 Member
    What happens when she goes off the pills? She will most likely gain the weight back because she did not learn a single thing.

    Keep doing what you are doing, it will be way better in the long run.

    in total agreement with this.

    pills are the "easy" way out...but is she learning anything? most likely not. been there, done that and gained it all back plus some. not this time around.

    doing it the right way takes time and effort but results are so much more satisfying because you know that YOU did it and not some stupid pill.

    keep up the good work!
  • nelinelineli
    nelinelineli Posts: 330 Member
    When I was in highschool I tried any pill and fad diet known to me. They all worked. I remember I lost 14 lbs in 3 weeks once with no effort from my part and I wasn't even overweight by bmi. I always bounced back up and put on some more. Then when I was 20 I did it the right way: diet and excercise. Lost 40 pounds and kept most off for a decade and counting. Now I'm working on adding another 10 lost to those 40 (30 of which I never gained back). The difference is that I've learned how food should taste like, gained a sense of what makes me feel good and healthy - and I never lost that ever since.

    What is most important in the long run is learning to live healthy, not the number of pounds lost in a month. Plus, I'll bet you anything half of her weight lost is water, while your excercise makes you retain some and hiding your loss.

    Edit with some more thoughts:

    This process has also taught me how to lose weight easily and fast. Whenever I have a bit extra, getting rid of it is really not a big deal. Dieting becomes EASY - not emotional, not stressful.

    I actually hope the best for your sister, maybe she'll be one of the rare cases (I personally don't know any) that would learn to eat properly after losing weight. But one way or the other, if she wants to stay thin, she'll have to do the hard work anyway.
  • siouxsie3278
    siouxsie3278 Posts: 17 Member
    You are doing the right thing! Your weight loss will last and you won't have any of those possible side effects. Unfortunately, she will likely gain the weight back once the pills are gone. They are simply treating the symptoms and not the real issue. One thing I learned when my sister and I were loosing weight together is that people commented on her weight loss more than mine. Maybe it was because she was always overweight and it seemed like she always would be. Maybe it was just my perception. Unfortunately, either way, I felt defeated. I understand. Use it as fuel for your fire. Don't let anyone else make "cheating" look good. You will only be cheating yourself the satisfaction of knowing you conqured the"fat monster." Good luck!
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,752 Member
    I am about to loose my mind! and I post this cause I need support and I need people to tell me the way I´m doing it is the right way but its sooooo frustrating!

    My sister´s wedding is comming and shes more overweight than me, not that much but she does look bigger, the difference is that shes super short. Anyway, she sucks at diets and hates excercising so she´s seeing this doctor that´s giving her some pills. At first when I saw she wasnt eating i was worried about her because she really ate very little! se kept on saying it was the pills. So i just let her do her thing since she wasnt listening to me. So yesterday she came home from seeing the doctor and she lost 4kilos in 2 months! and everyone notices her weight loss and its sooo easy for her and the doctor told her that by the end of this month she should weight 70 kilos, which would mean that she will loose weight really fast..

    My mother used to go to doctors and lose a lot of weight really fast, she never changed her habits, when she couldn't afford the pills anymore she put on twice what she had lost and she still has that weight and is now in such poor health she can't exercise and thinks dieting is too hard. She is over 200 lbs still and always will be unless she gets some horrid wasting disease.

    My mother in law always did moderate exercise, watched what she ate, and when she died at 83 with still within 10 lbs of what she weighed on her wedding day. She was always so fit looking and very elegant. Her sister, who took every diet pill her drs. would give her lived to the ripe old age of 42.

    Of those three women who would be the best role model?

    If your are not seeing results, try troubleshooting what you are doing using this post:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

    Pills are temporary and they can hurt you, even if they come from a doctor. Just do it, you can, just takes a while longer.
  • tjsoccermom
    tjsoccermom Posts: 500 Member
    I can see why it would feel frustrating but believe me, in the long run you will be better off. You are learning to change your habits and make changes that will last a lifetime which will allow you to keep the weight off. She's not learning to do that, the pills are doing all the work for her, so once she no longer takes them, she will just go back to where she was before and most likely gain it back and then some. I have coworkers that have gone on some specially prescribed diet pills several times. They have lost weight while on them, can only take them for so long and gain the weight back plus, every time. It's doing them no good at all and just making the doctor and pharmaceutical company money. In face, bets are that they will have a harder time losing weight at all with the yo-yoing that they are doing. So, keep your head up, realize that this is a lifestyle change and it will take time but you'll get there and this is about more than the number on a scale.
  • sunfirelynn
    sunfirelynn Posts: 186 Member
    What will happen to your sister when she stops taking diet pills?

    The secret to a healthy weight and life is what you're doing...exercising and eating better at proper portions. You are losing weight the way people are meant to. You said yourself...you feel better. You know it's working.

    Compliments from other people fade over time. You and your sister will still need to live within the bodies you have when all that weight is lost. So, would you prefer the healthy body you're creating or the pill-induced temporary one she's creating?

    Bingo

    ^^^This^^^ Keep doing what you are doing !