Taking Phentermine, eating 1200 calories, not losing weight
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I am working with a trainer, he has me on a 1500-1700 calorie diet. If you're exercising your body needs fuel. under 1200 calories is not enough. You need at least 1500 calories of good, clean food. Stay away from salt and sugars.0
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Generally, phentermine appears to be relatively well tolerated.[2] It can produce side effects consistent with its catecholamine-releasing properties, e.g., tachycardia (increased heart rate) and elevated blood pressure, but the incidence and magnitude of these appear to be less than with the amphetamines. Because phentermine acts through sympathomimetic pathways, the drug may increase blood pressure and heart rate. It may also cause palpitations, restlessness, and insomnia. Additionally, phentermine has the potential to cause psychological dependence.
After short-term use, tolerance begins and can be followed by rebound weight gain. Long term data for use of phentermine shows no net weight loss.
Cardiovascular side effects include palpitations, tachycardia, and elevation of blood pressure. In the central nervous system, it can cause overstimulation, restlessness, dizziness, insomnia, euphoria, dysphoria, tremor, and headache. Its gastrointestinal effects include dryness of the mouth, unpleasant taste, diarrhea, constipation, and other gastrointestinal disturbances. It may also cause allergic effects - urticaria and changes in libido.
Its less common, but more severe, side effects include:[citation needed]
Convulsions (seizures)
Fever
Hallucinations
Agitation and aggression
Bizarre behavior
Mental or mood changes
Exaggerated sense of well-being
Increased blood pressure
Severe or persistent light-headedness, fainting or headache
Periods of mania followed by period of depression
Fast or irregular heartbeat
Overactive reflexes
Tremors, trembling or shaking
Panic
Restlessness
Severe nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
Stomach cramps
Weakness
Constipation
Primary pulmonary hypertension
Regurgitant cardiac valvular disease
Pounding in the chest or shortness of breath
Looks like this is only good to take in short-term
LMAO!!! Only good to take short term? How the *kitten* do ya figure? Ya'll realize that phentermine is just another form of legal speed right? I like the part in the beginning where it says it's not as bad as amphetamines. I guess nobody thought to think WHY they are comparing phentermine to amphetamines.
It's BAD for you - short or long term.
Be you're own health advocate, stop taking that crap, eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly (cardio & weight lifting) and consider finding a new dr.
Good luck!!!
Yes Short term for a patient who meets this criteria:
((((It is typically prescribed for individuals who are at increased medical risk due to their weight.))))0 -
Holy crap.. OP... you're ... ju...
you're just doing it ALL wrong.
look.. here..
So you're new here. These tips might help:
1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.
pretty much that.
...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:
the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.
Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.
I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.
Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.
Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
Take the tips, links, and info above and make the cart more manageable to stay on.
Stop the pills.
THIS. All of this.
Ditch the pills (and possibly your doctor!), learn to use the free tools here at MFP - eat right, exercise, drink water, get good rest, an have patience. It works, and it's worth it to do it the right way.
^^THIS! ALL of it!0 -
I don't excercise at all. I can't. I have had a problem with lack of energy for a couple of years now.
I'm sorry, but that sounds like an excuse. You can walk, right? Walk around the block.
I find I have more energy BECAUSE I exercise.
Not trying to sound mean or anything, it just sounds like an excuse to me. If 400 lbs people can swim or walk, you can at least walk around the block.
...that's really not fair. Energy (or lack of it) doesn't always have to do with your current weight. If the OP truly feels tired and has no energy, it could be the signs of another problem that has yet to be diagnosed.
I know 350 lb people who can walk circles around people half their size, but I also know 150 lb people who are sloths....
Get a new doctor, or at least a second opinion.1 -
I am confused. My primary care physician suggested I take phentermine because I am overweight, I didn't ask him at all about losing weight, he pointed it out to me. If it's so unhealthy, why did he think it was a good idea?
Because they are doctors and like to give you pills?
:grumble:
My vote is scrap the drugs, watch what you eat. Move your body. You can do this... it takes time, and patience.
Good luck!0 -
I don't excercise at all. I can't. I have had a problem with lack of energy for a couple of years now.
Eating 1200 or less calories is not going to help with energy levels. :noway:
Can you walk? Do yoga? Spend 15 minutes with a low impact exercise DVD?0 -
I haven't had any side efffects.
Well, this sums up that you are not going to consider anyone's advice. You aren't even very overweight and you are starving yourself and using dangerous drugs. And expecting super rapid weight loss. WAKE UP. There are NO shortcuts. Do you care about HEALTH at all, or is everything about that number on the scale and being "skinny"?
There's great advice in this thread; put aside your pride and consider it, even if it ruffles your feathers. Also consider that prescription DRUGS kill more people than illegal drugs, even when they are used as prescribed. And definitely ditch that doctor and please start thinking for yourself as well.
Now I'm not just broken-hearted for you, I'm angry.0 -
Your doctor suggested phentermine because you're MAYBE 40 lbs overweight?! I'd guess it's more like 20 or 25.....get a new doctor! There is no miracle weight loss drug. Calories in calories out. End of story
We do not know the details of why the doctor suggested Phentermine....
It's usually prescribed to patients who have a medical reason to lose the weight.0 -
My doctor suggested the phentermine and said I was overweight for my height. I weighed 167 and am 5 foot 7. I got to a point where I was eating all the time, even just because I was bored, then eventually I got used to it and was hungry all the time, even after eating a meal. The phentermine has curbed my appetite. I guess I will force myself to eat more. I am eating very healthy. I am not excercising because I have an issue with energy. I had this problem for a couple of years. My doctors don't know what is wrong, I am low on iron, so I take a supplement, and I've tried vitamins. I barely have enough energy to do normal everyday things without getting exhausted.
Lisa the best thing you can do, IMO, is to either seek a new doctor or keep on with your doctor`s advice.
The people on this forum are not medically qualified to give you advice based on the history that your doctor is prescribing drugs for.1 -
My doctor suggested the phentermine and said I was overweight for my height. I weighed 167 and am 5 foot 7. I got to a point where I was eating all the time, even just because I was bored, then eventually I got used to it and was hungry all the time, even after eating a meal. The phentermine has curbed my appetite. I guess I will force myself to eat more. I am eating very healthy. I am not excercising because I have an issue with energy. I had this problem for a couple of years. My doctors don't know what is wrong, I am low on iron, so I take a supplement, and I've tried vitamins. I barely have enough energy to do normal everyday things without getting exhausted.
Lisa the best thing you can do, IMO, is to either seek a new doctor or keep on with your doctor`s advice.
The people on this forum are not medically qualified to give you advice based on the history that your doctor is prescribing drugs for.
Agree with this person here...
Get a second opinion. With out knowing more about why the doctor suggested the use of those pills...We really can't offer much.1 -
I don't excercise at all. I can't. I have had a problem with lack of energy for a couple of years now.
Please elaborate... "lack of energy" mean that you're just not motivated to get off the couch and you feel tired all the time, or does it mean that if you start to do anything that increases your heart rate the slightest amount (walking, doing housecleaning, etc.) you collapse and pass out? Just trying to determine the validity of your phrase "I can't".
If there is a legit medical excuse, you need to work with a doctor (preferably one that does not prescribe phentermine to you) to figure out how you can get your body moving in one way or another... possibly physical therapy or similar?
If you just feel tired all the time, honestly I believe that some form of exercise--walking, yoga, swimming--will help give you the energy you need along with a sufficient daily calorie intake to meet your body's needs.0 -
I don't excercise at all. I can't. I have had a problem with lack of energy for a couple of years now.
I'm sorry, but that sounds like an excuse. You can walk, right? Walk around the block.
I find I have more energy BECAUSE I exercise.
Not trying to sound mean or anything, it just sounds like an excuse to me. If 400 lbs people can swim or walk, you can at least walk around the block.
...that's really not fair. Energy (or lack of it) doesn't always have to do with your current weight. If the OP truly feels tired and has no energy, it could be the signs of another problem that has yet to be diagnosed.
I know 350 lb people who can walk circles around people half their size, but I also know 150 lb people who are sloths....
Get a new doctor, or at least a second opinion.
YES! A new doctor! Have them run a cbc. make sure your iron levels are okay, make sure your thyroid is working okay. (When my thyroid tanked on me, I was falling asleep ON my dinner at the table. THINKING about exercise exhausted me.)1 -
At 5'7" and at a 167 pounds and your doctor states you are overweight to the point he has prescribed pills for you. I think it is time to find a new doctor. At that height and weight, yes it would be good to come down in weight, but not with meds, because you don't have much to lose.
You say you have struggled with lack of energy for years, could be because your body is more lazy than tired. Not meant as an insult but your body has grown used to not doing anything. Go for short a walk, and work into longer walks. Exercising helps to give the body more energy. An excuse for lack of energy is not really a good one, unless there is some medical issue tied to it. Start with small steps, way bigger than you in weight have done it, I am sure they had lack of energy as well, however they took baby steps.
If you want to stay on the pills that is your choice, however you need to eat more and you certainly need to exercise.
Good luck
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Holy crap, I love the forums here.
IN...for learning or something.0 -
I've dealt with a lot of doctors through the premature birth of my daughter and a long term illness with my hubby, and I can tell you flat out that they certainly aren't always right, and don't always have the best plan. Your doctor is not in charge of your health and well being, YOU are! Do your homework - with the internet and some discernment, there's a heap of great information to be had, all free and right at your fingertips.I didn't go looking for a pill to fix my weight problem, I just want to make that clear. My doctor suggested I take it because he said I had gained too much weight.
Seriously, temporary changes such as diet pills will only get you temporary results. And with pills, possibly a bunch of side-effects that you weren't bargaining for.0 -
At 5'7" and 167 pounds you are only just into a slightly overweight BMI. I'm surprised your doctor's first impulse was to prescribe a drug that has numerous side effects and is only somewhat effective in the short term when used with exercise, diet and behavior modification.
Read the Wikipedia page on phentermine and decide if you really want to be doing this -- and whether you should give your doctor a swat upside the head, although that's just my opinion.
Then, you have a bit of a learning curve ahead of you. As you've seen from the responses so far, the many folks on MFP have chosen many different paths to the same goal but basically eat fewer calories than you burn and you will lose weight.
My pattern of choice? TDEE (total daily energy expenditure)-20%, a bit of exercise, a lot of work on breaking bad snacking habits, and trying to design my eating around the Healthy Eating Plate at http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/. Normally, I do scrupulous food diary entries to keep track of what I'm eating but the last week or so, I've been taking a hiatus (and falling back into bad habits).
Some folks do six meals a day, some one. Some folks do intermittent fasting. Some folks do low carb. Some folks eat "clean" or "paleo" or something else. You will need to choose what works for you. No matter what way you go, it's basically calories in/energy out and trying to maintain a balance for weight loss, maintenance, or gain.0 -
I completely agree with this - there could be something entirely different that has nothing to do with weight or food intake which could be causing the lack of energy. Ditch this doctor and get a second opinion.I don't excercise at all. I can't. I have had a problem with lack of energy for a couple of years now.
I'm sorry, but that sounds like an excuse. You can walk, right? Walk around the block.
I find I have more energy BECAUSE I exercise.
Not trying to sound mean or anything, it just sounds like an excuse to me. If 400 lbs people can swim or walk, you can at least walk around the block.
...that's really not fair. Energy (or lack of it) doesn't always have to do with your current weight. If the OP truly feels tired and has no energy, it could be the signs of another problem that has yet to be diagnosed.
I know 350 lb people who can walk circles around people half their size, but I also know 150 lb people who are sloths....
Get a new doctor, or at least a second opinion.1 -
Do you have depression? It could have caused the weight gain and explain the lack of energy. 167 at 5'7 isn't really big. Your BARLEY in the overweight category. I think your doctor just likes to push pills. You do need to eat more, you will have even less energy eating under 1200 a day.1
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Your doctor suggested phentermine because you're MAYBE 40 lbs overweight?! I'd guess it's more like 20 or 25.....get a new doctor! There is no miracle weight loss drug. Calories in calories out. End of story
We do not know the details of why the doctor suggested Phentermine....
It's usually prescribed to patients who have a medical reason to lose the weight.
Based on what she said, the doctor said she had gained too much weight and as a result, prescribed phentermine. Also, based on what she said, she weighs 167 lbs and is 5'7." That puts her at a bmi of 26.2 which is barely overweight. Her doctor sounds like a quack1 -
I don't excercise at all. I can't. I have had a problem with lack of energy for a couple of years now.
I'm sorry, but that sounds like an excuse. You can walk, right? Walk around the block.
I find I have more energy BECAUSE I exercise.
Not trying to sound mean or anything, it just sounds like an excuse to me. If 400 lbs people can swim or walk, you can at least walk around the block.
...that's really not fair. Energy (or lack of it) doesn't always have to do with your current weight. If the OP truly feels tired and has no energy, it could be the signs of another problem that has yet to be diagnosed.
I know 350 lb people who can walk circles around people half their size, but I also know 150 lb people who are sloths....
Get a new doctor, or at least a second opinion.
This was just an example I was throwing out there. Of course, there could be an underlying issue. I'm just saying, saying "I can't because I don't have energy" sounds like an excuse. If there were a medical issue though, that's something different. I second the opinion of finding another doctor and asking for a second opinion. Until then, she could *try* small exercises and see if that helps with her energy levels. I mean, if it were me I would try everything within my ability.0
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