Weight loss pills

I was considering this route at one point. I was getting to the point of desperation. I realized that unless I was planning on continuing to use them for the next 30 years or so until I drop dead, I really needed to learn how to eat within a reasonable calorie limit. I am so glad I made this decision and have lost 26 lbs. so far since Thanksgiving.

Yes, I know, "jump start" and all that. But I know I can kill whatever I've lost on a "jump start" in no time flat. So it would all be in vain anyway (the pill route). I'd have been jumpy, skittish and paranoid for eight weeks, as well as slightly thinner, then would just balloon again once I stopped the regimen.

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

Save your money and put the work in.

Listen to this^

There are very few effective appetite suppressants on the market today.

I have not tried any of the fat-uptake-blocking diet pills, but I would not use them. As has been noted, what they do is block the uptake of fat in your intestines, and as a result the fat leaks out the other end. This results in a lot of uncomfortable social consequences. It has the result of blocking about 20% of the calories as a result of blocking fats.

But since you end up getting uncontrollable leakage from it, people stop eating the fats that cause the problem. It's basically aversion therapy. So if you were going to cut fat from your diet resulting in a 20% calorie deficit anyway, save the money.

The other avenue is appetite suppressants. There are three that I am aware of:

Qsymia (Phentermine/topiramate)
Phentermine
Topomax
Belviq (Lorcaserin)

All of these have serious side effects and can only be gotten through a prescription under the supervision of a doctor. You basically have to have a BMI over 30 and a weight-related comorbidity like hypertension.

Qsymia is a time-release variant of Phentermine and Topomax. It is expensive and not generally covered by insurance. Runs about $180 a month.

Many doctors have been prescribing a generic equivalent of Phentermine and Topomax. Phentermine is generally not covered by insurance but costs me $30 a month. Topomax is covered and costs me pennies a month.

These are power drugs and can have serious side effects. Topomax can cause memory loss issues, however in the low doses used for weight loss this is not typical. The phentermine definitely jacks me up in the morning and it takes all day to burn it off. I don't find the sensation exactly pleasant in the morning but on week 3 now I am getting accustomed to it. By lunch I am on a fairly even keel. I can see how some people could crave the "up" from these things but the accompanying jitters are not for me. But this combination of drugs absolutely kills appetite. Also absolutely kills sex drive, by the way. I saw this with the diet drug Redux back in the 90's, too.

Willpower is a serious issue and has been the downfall of every weight loss attempt I have ever made. Knowing what I now know about obesity and the body's defense mechanisms to try and preserve fat stores I have no problem at all resorting to medication to beat this problem. Just like a diabetic requires medication to control their condition or a person with high blood pressure requires medication to control their condition, I see obesity as a condition that requires medication to stop hunger so that I have the willpower to stick to a caloric regimen.

I would not pay a whole lot of attention to the naysayers. More and more doctors are coming to the conclusion that the traditional advice of "eat less and exercise more" is not effective for most people. If you feel you need something to give you the willpower edge to win this fight, talk with your doctor, and work under doctor supervision with strict caloric and weight tracking.

maillemaker wrote: »

I was getting to the point of desperation. I realized that unless I was planning on continuing to use them for the next 30 years or so until I drop dead, I really needed to learn how to eat within a reasonable calorie limit.

Wouldn't you learn after a year or two of being on the diet pill? Or five? After five years of having no appetite you'd think you'd learn to eat within a reasonable calorie limit.

Well, realistically, yes. And I was being a bit facetious. My point was that as soon as I stopped taking the pills, the hunger would have come right back. Needing to deal with my eating was going to be for life, not something that was going to be somehow knocked out by diet pills.

It's Semantics and Micromanagement Day around here today. (Waving SaMD flag)

branflakes1980 wrote: »

jennifershoo wrote: »

I need to quote myself!

And one more time just incase someone still doesn't get it.

Well, realistically, yes. And I was being a bit facetious. My point was that as soon as I stopped taking the pills, the hunger would have come right back.

Exactly - the hunger would have come right back. Which means the issue is not the eating habits - you'd reprogram those in six months. It's the hunger caused by your body trying to return to its previous fat store levels.

That's why it may very well be that you end up being on some kind of medicine for obesity for life. Just like for any persistent condition.

maillemaker wrote: »

There are very few effective appetite suppressants on the market today.

I have not tried any of the fat-uptake-blocking diet pills, but I would not use them. As has been noted, what they do is block the uptake of fat in your intestines, and as a result the fat leaks out the other end. This results in a lot of uncomfortable social consequences. It has the result of blocking about 20% of the calories as a result of blocking fats.

But since you end up getting uncontrollable leakage from it, people stop eating the fats that cause the problem. It's basically aversion therapy. So if you were going to cut fat from your diet resulting in a 20% calorie deficit anyway, save the money.

The other avenue is appetite suppressants. There are three that I am aware of:

Qsymia (Phentermine/topiramate)
Phentermine
Topomax
Belviq (Lorcaserin)

All of these have serious side effects and can only be gotten through a prescription under the supervision of a doctor. You basically have to have a BMI over 30 and a weight-related comorbidity like hypertension.

Qsymia is a time-release variant of Phentermine and Topomax. It is expensive and not generally covered by insurance. Runs about $180 a month.

Many doctors have been prescribing a generic equivalent of Phentermine and Topomax. Phentermine is generally not covered by insurance but costs me $30 a month. Topomax is covered and costs me pennies a month.

These are power drugs and can have serious side effects. Topomax can cause memory loss issues, however in the low doses used for weight loss this is not typical. The phentermine definitely jacks me up in the morning and it takes all day to burn it off. I don't find the sensation exactly pleasant in the morning but on week 3 now I am getting accustomed to it. By lunch I am on a fairly even keel. I can see how some people could crave the "up" from these things but the accompanying jitters are not for me. But this combination of drugs absolutely kills appetite. Also absolutely kills sex drive, by the way. I saw this with the diet drug Redux back in the 90's, too.

Willpower is a serious issue and has been the downfall of every weight loss attempt I have ever made. Knowing what I now know about obesity and the body's defense mechanisms to try and preserve fat stores I have no problem at all resorting to medication to beat this problem. Just like a diabetic requires medication to control their condition or a person with high blood pressure requires medication to control their condition, I see obesity as a condition that requires medication to stop hunger so that I have the willpower to stick to a caloric regimen. I would not pay a whole lot of attention to the naysayers. More and more doctors are coming to the conclusion that the traditional advice of "eat less and exercise more" is not effective for most people. If you feel you need something to give you the willpower edge to win this fight, talk with your doctor, and work under doctor supervision with strict caloric and weight tracking.

Just another excuse! Wow. Have you gone for a run yet?

maillemaker wrote: »

There are very few effective appetite suppressants on the market today.

I have not tried any of the fat-uptake-blocking diet pills, but I would not use them. As has been noted, what they do is block the uptake of fat in your intestines, and as a result the fat leaks out the other end. This results in a lot of uncomfortable social consequences. It has the result of blocking about 20% of the calories as a result of blocking fats.

But since you end up getting uncontrollable leakage from it, people stop eating the fats that cause the problem. It's basically aversion therapy. So if you were going to cut fat from your diet resulting in a 20% calorie deficit anyway, save the money.

The other avenue is appetite suppressants. There are three that I am aware of:

Qsymia (Phentermine/topiramate)
Phentermine
Topomax
Belviq (Lorcaserin)

All of these have serious side effects and can only be gotten through a prescription under the supervision of a doctor. You basically have to have a BMI over 30 and a weight-related comorbidity like hypertension.

Qsymia is a time-release variant of Phentermine and Topomax. It is expensive and not generally covered by insurance. Runs about $180 a month.

Many doctors have been prescribing a generic equivalent of Phentermine and Topomax. Phentermine is generally not covered by insurance but costs me $30 a month. Topomax is covered and costs me pennies a month.

These are power drugs and can have serious side effects. Topomax can cause memory loss issues, however in the low doses used for weight loss this is not typical. The phentermine definitely jacks me up in the morning and it takes all day to burn it off. I don't find the sensation exactly pleasant in the morning but on week 3 now I am getting accustomed to it. By lunch I am on a fairly even keel. I can see how some people could crave the "up" from these things but the accompanying jitters are not for me. But this combination of drugs absolutely kills appetite. Also absolutely kills sex drive, by the way. I saw this with the diet drug Redux back in the 90's, too.

Willpower is a serious issue and has been the downfall of every weight loss attempt I have ever made. Knowing what I now know about obesity and the body's defense mechanisms to try and preserve fat stores I have no problem at all resorting to medication to beat this problem. Just like a diabetic requires medication to control their condition or a person with high blood pressure requires medication to control their condition, I see obesity as a condition that requires medication to stop hunger so that I have the willpower to stick to a caloric regimen.

I would not pay a whole lot of attention to the naysayers. More and more doctors are coming to the conclusion that the traditional advice of "eat less and exercise more" is not effective for most people. If you feel you need something to give you the willpower edge to win this fight, talk with your doctor, and work under doctor supervision with strict caloric and weight tracking.

so you've been taking diet pills for 15 years? and you're still overweight? perhaps you wouldn't have such huge cravings if you ate at a reasonable calorie deficit instead of one that has you eating less than many women on this site who weigh half of what you do.

salenamartine wrote: »

Wow a lot of interesting points of view! Yeah so far just cutting calories and making an effort to exercise and be more active I've lost 4 lbs this week. The main reason I ask about pills is because I am soooo hungry all the time. I don't know if it's because I'm breastfeeding but I'm hoping once I stop my appetite isn't as ravenous. I've always had a large appetite though which has always been my downfall.

I've never been pregnant or breastfed but I have read that women need more calories while breastfeeding to maintain their current weight or healthfully lose weight and I just did a quick search to see, "In general, most breastfeeding women need about 500 calories more per day than their non-breastfeeding counterparts." So perhaps you're just eating at a much bigger deficit than you intended? If you're eating at what would normally be a reasonable caloric deficit without factoring in how much more your body is burning through breastfeeding, that could explain your extreme hunger! (I'm sure there's tons of info out there but this is the article I copied/pasted from: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/recommended-daily-calorie-intake-breastfeeding-women-3935.html)