Contrave

It will really depend on what quality of life you want. Havung taken buproprion for depression I spoke w my dr about contrave and we decided I could try it. I blame the added drug. After the third week I could care less about anything and my emotions were flatlined. I couldn't make decisions and it wasn't depression. I did experience intestinal issues and my dr herself said she had tried it and couldn't tolerate the nausea. I have been overweight all of my life. In my 40's I jumped in the "avoid high fructose corn syrup and those sugars" and changed to use as much natural sugar as possible. My weight dropped. That encouraged me to make other SMALL changes ONE at a time, until my preferences actually changes. Last year I was seeing my weight creeping up about 8-10 pounds (the most it's gone up in the 8 yrs I've kept it off). Needless to say the answer was not contrave for me. I got off my butt again and started walking. It was hard at first but again, having lost 83 pounds on a 5'2" body and kept it off bc I changed from a desk job to active job, I wasn't going back to 218#! I used to think it harsh when people told me it really was density of nutrition in the calories you choose to eat and your activity level that matter when you want to lose weight and keep it off. I am 54 years old. I started dieting when I was 12 with weight watchers. Which without all the fake food like artificial sweeteners and foods full of fillers on their food lists has a good while food structure to follow if you can read labels and not eat all the fake food. It takes a commitment to yourself. I tried to lose weight for other people and apparently that never worked. Oh maybe for a year... anyway. Having finally hit a goal weight of around 145-150 ( still borderline obese BMI according to charts) and knowing how much better I feel and can move at 54 than at 40. I can eat for me now. It doesn't matter what I do in moderation now that I'm here as long as I stay active. I don't exercise but I walk and work in my yard, etc., looking for ways to get activity into the things I do throughout the day. Again, the activity part was particularly hard at first but worth the perseverance. You can do it if you can change one thing st a time and not beat yourself up if people think you are extreme bc you just won't consume ANYTHING that contains what you are eliminating until u reach your goal. I mean don't go without eating if it really is out of your control, like at your grandmas house out in the country, etc. I found there is almost always a choice. And this will be contradictory, but if you absolutely must have something, I figured out I should havebit bc I was out of control with other things if I denied myself the thing I really craved. However, if that's happening everyday u must not really be committed to yourself. I learned to hold myself to a treat a week and not keep food that I couldn't control where I could be alone with it at first. This is what has worked for me. Yes I've used phentermine even in the past and it worked until I started eating again bc I had changed nothing else. Density of nutrition as in not empty calories. Feed your body what it needs. Basic food groups works. Portion control works. Activity works. I know I will have to make choices that keep my weight off or I will return to a 5'2" size 18-20 again.
I have a philosophy that pharmaceutical companies don't like people to have. I evaluate side effects bc to me in essence a side effect takes away from the desired effect. I feel side effects indicate its poisoning MY body and that's why I have the side effect. (people react differently to rx). Like I stated. Quality of life choices. At least for me. Hope this helps someone. I'm very sincere. I did all kinds of diets and lost hundreds of pounds over my (age12-46) journey to a healthy weight, (I'm sure) all to gain them back and more bc I didn't change my tastes and importantly my activity level once I reached goal bc the diets were not sustainable for real life.
It was crazy. I weighed more than during my third pregnancy (and that was when it was ok to gain 30-35 pounds) and still couldn't stick to something that changed everything for me at once. I had to focus on small changes, master those and then choose something else to change. Amazingly it has worked for me for 8 years if I stick to my commitment to myself bc I feel better!!!