Is phentermine to blame?

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I took phentermine for 3 months. I started getting angry at stupid things and my dr took me off of them. They were great until that point. I've been able to change my eating habits and teach myself the correct portion amounts. The last dose that I took was the 15th.

The issue that I'm now having is I haven't lost any weight what so ever since my last dose. I weighed 362 on the 15th and still weight the same today. I haven't changed anything in my diet. I eat around 2k calories a day. Can phentermine mess up your metabolism and halt weight loss? Any ideas on what I should do to jump start it again? I eat starting around 11am until 10pm. I try to eat something atleast every hour and half. I started my weight loss journey on the 18th of Feb. Since then I've lost 56lbs. That's a great start... But it's only a fraction of what I need to lose. I don't want to stop losing now.

Replies

  • JessicaMcB
    JessicaMcB Posts: 1,503 Member
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    Is there a reason you're eating so frequently? Do you think that re-evaluating your caloric intake now that you're down 56lbs (great job by the way!) might be a plan? Phentermine has diuretic qualities so perhaps you've regained some water weight in the absence of it?
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    It might just be a coincidence. The first chunk of weight usually comes off quickly, and then it gets harder. The 15th was only 9 days ago, assuming you mean the 15th of May, so I definitely wouldn't worry yet. I'd just stay the course for now, although it might not hurt to re-do your calories to reflect your weight loss. It probably won't make a huge difference tbh.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
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    Also curious why the eating is so frequent. I eat every 3-4 hours and that works for me, some have 3 meals a day and a snack or two. It's really only been a bit over a week, your body is likely adjusting. Have you added workouts? Many ppl do gain the weight back if they don't keep a careful watch over their food portions and exercise.

    Are you weighing and measuring your food on a scale each time you eat something? Are you getting in plenty of water? Having dropped 50+ lbs have you dropped your calorie intake down?
    I don't that I'd look for any more jump starts, how about just keep logging and going from there. That seems to be working for a number of us. Check out the Success stories for inspiration.

    Good luck!
  • blackaheep4288
    blackaheep4288 Posts: 41 Member
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    I was told that eating through out the day was better than eating 3 times a day.. That it would keep my metabolism going throughout the day. I'm still eating 3 meals a day, I'm just eating small meals for breakfast and lunch and having snacks inbetween. I think that being a big guy also has something to do with this. When I'm constantly eating I don't feel the urge to go look for something to eat. I plan my meals everymore when I wake up and set all of my food out for the day. I work in a call center surrounded by people eating all day. I'm afraid to drop my calories any lower than they currently are. I weigh 362lbs and eat around 2k calories a day... I do have foods that I eat that I could cut out but mfp actually suggests I eat more than what I'm eating now. I've actually upped my calorie intake about a month ago. My dr had me eating 1800 calories a day for 2 months and then the nutrionist told me to eat 2k a day so I've been doing that for the last month.
  • blackaheep4288
    blackaheep4288 Posts: 41 Member
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    Maintenance
    3655
    CALORIES/DAY

    Fat Loss
    2924
    CALORIES/DAY

    Extreme Fat Loss
    2896
    CALORIES/DAY


    When I look up a calorie calculator to figure my daily needs this is what it tells me.
  • blackaheep4288
    blackaheep4288 Posts: 41 Member
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    Also I drink 12-14 bottles of water daily. That's the only thing I drink. I haven't drank pop in years.
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    Options
    Maintenance
    3655
    CALORIES/DAY

    Fat Loss
    2924
    CALORIES/DAY

    Extreme Fat Loss
    2896
    CALORIES/DAY


    When I look up a calorie calculator to figure my daily needs this is what it tells me.

    You're probably correct then, and eat as frequently as you need to in order to succeed. But it doesn't actually do anything to your metabolism.

    I'm going to suggest a food scale, weigh absolutely everything. If those numbers are correct or even close, you should be at a deficit but aren't. So you're probably eating more calories than you think you are.
  • blackaheep4288
    blackaheep4288 Posts: 41 Member
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    brb_2013 wrote: »
    Maintenance
    3655
    CALORIES/DAY

    Fat Loss
    2924
    CALORIES/DAY

    Extreme Fat Loss
    2896
    CALORIES/DAY


    When I look up a calorie calculator to figure my daily needs this is what it tells me.

    You're probably correct then, and eat as frequently as you need to in order to succeed. But it doesn't actually do anything to your metabolism.

    I'm going to suggest a food scale, weigh absolutely everything. If those numbers are correct or even close, you should be at a deficit but aren't. So you're probably eating more calories than you think you are.

    I weight and measure everything that I eat unless I'm eating outside of my home which is usually 2-3 meals a week . I actually use two different scales to ensure that my weights are correct(I had a junk one to begin with that wasn't weighing things correctly). I also weigh all of my meat before cooking.

  • bellabonbons
    bellabonbons Posts: 705 Member
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    Phentermine is an excellent weight loss aid. My late husband prescribed this often for his women patients. You're probably eating much more than you realize. Very difficult to change habits. It requires patience and diligence.
  • scottkjar
    scottkjar Posts: 346 Member
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    It is common to lose weight for a while, hit a plateau for a while, and then lose again. Everyone on MFP can tell that same story. As long as you are eating at a deficit, you will lose weight over time. Not every day, and not every week, but certainly overall.

    In the meantime, there are many reasons why your weight might fluctuate. For example, if you worked out a bit more than usual, your muscles might retain more water for a few days while they recuperate. Also, you might be building a little muscle at the same time that you are reducing fat, so even though your weight might not change, you are still getting healthier.

    Also, remember that weight is not the only issue. Look at the NSVs -- the Non-Scale Victories. If you are dropping fat and gaining muscle, you might see your waist shrink even though your weight does not change. Likewise, if you are walking or exercising more, you might see an increase in stamina even though there is no change in weight. Look at all of your health indicators, not just your weight.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
    Options
    Maintenance
    3655
    CALORIES/DAY

    Fat Loss
    2924
    CALORIES/DAY

    Extreme Fat Loss
    2896
    CALORIES/DAY


    When I look up a calorie calculator to figure my daily needs this is what it tells me.

    Link to that calorie calculator? Most of them use the TDEE method while MFP uses the NEAT method.

    When you plug your stats into MFP, how many calories does it tell you to eat per day in order to lose 2 pounds per week?

    There are mistakes that people commonly make that cause them to not lose weight that we might be able to spot if you change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    Are you saying it's only 9 days since you recorded a loss? If so it's not time to worry or change anything yet, especially if you are confident your logging is tight and you're choosing the correct entries from the database. Lots of people, me included, can go two or three weeks without a scale loss then have a whoosh.
  • ShrinkinMel
    ShrinkinMel Posts: 982 Member
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    Just keep at it. Increase or start walking/exercise. I'd agree with others if you haven't recalculated your calorie needs and what deficit you need then you might redo that. MFP recommends every 10 lbs and it will drop your target some each time. I'd stay it's less not having the pill and more that you have lost a good chunk and need to reduce calories or increase activity to keep the deficit. If you feel the calories are truly fine just keep at it and see if it starts moving again. I've never taken phentermine so I'm definitely not an expert but my NP had mentioned it but I wasn't about to start another pill.