One Month In. Holy *kitten*
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ivanggarcia95
Posts: 35 Member
Hey guys, I Just wanted to share this with the world because it's pretty nuts.
I weighed in at 343.8 lbs on November 13th. I just weighed in today and I'm at 316.3. I have lost 27 pounds in one month.
First, I think some pounds "lost" might just be water weight. I drink a gallon of water a day and I eat at a calorie deficit of about 1000 calories and incorporate daily exercise. So there's definitely room for fluctuations and incorrect readings. But holy *kitten* I scared myself when I saw the progress. My doctor was even impressed, albeit a tad worried.
Though there's an obvious extreme calorie deficit in my diet, I have been taking phetermine to suppress my appetite. So I have been able to push it, although I still have hunger during the night. I have the 30 mg instead of the 37.5 mg dose.
The most important aspect of this weight loss has been CICO. I weigh everything I can, and count my calories. I have eliminated my soda calories and replaced it with one Crystal Light packet per day. I essentially went from 400-600 calories of soda a day to only 10 calories a day with the switch.
I also exercise daily for about an hour and a half on the elliptical. Though I plan on changing this a bit so I can start weight lifting or do strength training to start developing some lean muscle. Don't want to be all flabby even though inevitably I will have some loose skin.
I kinda feel like I cheated by taking phetermine, but at the same time one of my biggest downfalls in past weight attempts was that I would lack discipline and overeat. I still feel hunger with the pill due to the calorie deficit in the diet, but I push myself to hold and not give in.
Another downfall was that my brother would be a big influencer in my diet as he eats out 4-5 times out of the week, and I would join in. I've maintained discipline during this month and have declined to eat out a lot. I reserve one cheat day per week, and the rest of the week is focused on staying at my own calorie limit.
Phetermine has really helped me out with my lifestyle, as well as CICO. I plan to follow CICO all the way to my goal weight of 170 lbs. I plan on dropping phentermine by February.
With all that being said though, even though I know 27 pounds in one month (water weight inaccuracy included, maybe, not sure) is extreme and won't stay at that rate next month, I'm actually kind of proud of my progress so far.
I weighed in at 343.8 lbs on November 13th. I just weighed in today and I'm at 316.3. I have lost 27 pounds in one month.
First, I think some pounds "lost" might just be water weight. I drink a gallon of water a day and I eat at a calorie deficit of about 1000 calories and incorporate daily exercise. So there's definitely room for fluctuations and incorrect readings. But holy *kitten* I scared myself when I saw the progress. My doctor was even impressed, albeit a tad worried.
Though there's an obvious extreme calorie deficit in my diet, I have been taking phetermine to suppress my appetite. So I have been able to push it, although I still have hunger during the night. I have the 30 mg instead of the 37.5 mg dose.
The most important aspect of this weight loss has been CICO. I weigh everything I can, and count my calories. I have eliminated my soda calories and replaced it with one Crystal Light packet per day. I essentially went from 400-600 calories of soda a day to only 10 calories a day with the switch.
I also exercise daily for about an hour and a half on the elliptical. Though I plan on changing this a bit so I can start weight lifting or do strength training to start developing some lean muscle. Don't want to be all flabby even though inevitably I will have some loose skin.
I kinda feel like I cheated by taking phetermine, but at the same time one of my biggest downfalls in past weight attempts was that I would lack discipline and overeat. I still feel hunger with the pill due to the calorie deficit in the diet, but I push myself to hold and not give in.
Another downfall was that my brother would be a big influencer in my diet as he eats out 4-5 times out of the week, and I would join in. I've maintained discipline during this month and have declined to eat out a lot. I reserve one cheat day per week, and the rest of the week is focused on staying at my own calorie limit.
Phetermine has really helped me out with my lifestyle, as well as CICO. I plan to follow CICO all the way to my goal weight of 170 lbs. I plan on dropping phentermine by February.
With all that being said though, even though I know 27 pounds in one month (water weight inaccuracy included, maybe, not sure) is extreme and won't stay at that rate next month, I'm actually kind of proud of my progress so far.
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Replies
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I wouldn't feel like you cheated, what ever works for you is best. Great accomplishment! you should be proud!!!3
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BTW I noticed you dont have any friends on you profile, feel free to add me. A few years ago I did really well and lost a ton of weight and got into shape. My friends on this site/app really inspired me and helped keep me motivated to stay on track .1
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Its not eatting out that is the problem its what you eat when out. I can do fine if I get a small piece of lean meat and some grilled veggies.1
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That is awesome! Keep up the good work!
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That’s great, but I think you should rethink the phentermine. Is this a long term medication you plan to take? It’s dangerous and most doctors won’t even prescribe it.0
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It's not cheating to take the drugs but don't cheat yourself while taking them
Recognize it is suppressing your appetite and know that when you stop there will be changes. Plan for this. Prepare for it. And make sure you learn all you can before you stop3 -
Is your calorie intake 1000, or is your calorie deficit 1000? A 1000 calorie deficit isn't much at your weight, but eating 1000 calories a day is way too little. Your weight loss seems to indicate the latter. Undereating isn't good. If that's what you're doing, no wonder you're hungry - no pills can solve that.
You won't have discipline to not overeat when you don't have discipline to eat enough.
Set yourself up to win. Follow MFP's suggested calorie target, drop the pills. Don't cheat. Learn how to eat both enjoyably and responsibly.0 -
Farmerj2000 wrote: »BTW I noticed you dont have any friends on you profile, feel free to add me. A few years ago I did really well and lost a ton of weight and got into shape. My friends on this site/app really inspired me and helped keep me motivated to stay on track .
Yeah definitely. I'm not sure how to add people as friends here. I've just been using MFP exclusively for calorie counting. So I'm not sure how to add, but definitely send the request.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »Is your calorie intake 1000, or is your calorie deficit 1000? A 1000 calorie deficit isn't much at your weight, but eating 1000 calories a day is way too little. Your weight loss seems to indicate the latter. Undereating isn't good. If that's what you're doing, no wonder you're hungry - no pills can solve that.
You won't have discipline to not overeat when you don't have discipline to eat enough.
Set yourself up to win. Follow MFP's suggested calorie target, drop the pills. Don't cheat. Learn how to eat both enjoyably and responsibly.
No, my calorie deficit is 1000 from MFPs recommendation. My current calorie intake varies from 1200-1700. In terms of the pills, I've already put a 3 month down payment on them. I plan to keep taking them while having the dosage stay at 30 mg. I've seen quite a bit of stories where people have their weight rebound back after getting off phentermine.
My main goal with phentermine was to instill a consistent regime of calorie counting and choice of healthier options for food, as well as weight loss. My cousin had the same approach as well, and after 10 years of dropping the pill, she's still in great shape. Usually the wrong approach that my sister's took with phentermine was that they would eat one meal a day with the 37mg dose, which I calculated would be anywhere around 300-700 calories. That would be their calorie intake. FOR THE WHOLE DAY! Of course once they're off the pill, the hunger strikes back with a vengeance. I'm expecting that to happen to me too.
While a 1200-1700 calorie intake may be extreme for me (males need at least 1500 calories per day), I'm doing this more so just so I know what hunger feels like, and be comfortable with it for the time being. I plan to stick on a 1900-2000 calorie diet once I drop phentermine, and continue following CICO. I plan to follow my regime of 6 strict days of diet, and one cheat day where I only go above 500 calories of my diet calorie intake. I know I will have times where I plateau or gain weight, but I feel really confident that I will ultimately reach my goal of 170 pounds and maintain from there on.
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GemstoneofHeart wrote: »That’s great, but I think you should rethink the phentermine. Is this a long term medication you plan to take? It’s dangerous and most doctors won’t even prescribe it.
No I only plan on taking them for 3 months at the 30mg dosage. Never do I want to go up to 37mg.0 -
Its not eatting out that is the problem its what you eat when out. I can do fine if I get a small piece of lean meat and some grilled veggies.
Yeah I know that eating out can still result in losing weight if you count the calories. But 2 homemade eggs and a cup of hashbrown (both cooked with no oil, just the Pam nonstick spray thing) is much more filling and has less calories than one McDonald's sausage biscuit. Don't get me wrong though, sometimes I still eat out just to satiate the cravings, but I also keep track of exactly what I'm eating and planning ahead.0 -
Do you mean that you're eating 1000 below MFP's recommendation? That makes no sense. The necessary (and optimal) deficit is built into the number MFP gave you.ivanggarcia95 wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »Is your calorie intake 1000, or is your calorie deficit 1000? A 1000 calorie deficit isn't much at your weight, but eating 1000 calories a day is way too little. Your weight loss seems to indicate the latter. Undereating isn't good. If that's what you're doing, no wonder you're hungry - no pills can solve that.
You won't have discipline to not overeat when you don't have discipline to eat enough.
Set yourself up to win. Follow MFP's suggested calorie target, drop the pills. Don't cheat. Learn how to eat both enjoyably and responsibly.
No, my calorie deficit is 1000 from MFPs recommendation. My current calorie intake varies from 1200-1700.
If you can't get your money back, I would just see that as a sunk cost.In terms of the pills, I've already put a 3 month down payment on them. I plan to keep taking them while having the dosage stay at 30 mg.
People regain weight by going back to old eating habits.I've seen quite a bit of stories where people have their weight rebound back after getting off phentermine.
The pill doesn't teach you how to make better food choices, it just suppresses hunger. Undereating can never be healthy. And if you eat healthily, you shouldn't be bothered by hunger - not now, and not later. So there's really no need for the pill. When you eat at a calorie deficit, you lose weight, if you do it for long enough. You can't speed up the process, you can only choose to make it comfortable, acceptable, or horrible. The less horrible, the longer you'll be able to continue. No medals are given for unnecessary suffering.My main goal with phentermine was to instill a consistent regime of calorie counting and choice of healthier options for food, as well as weight loss. My cousin had the same approach as well, and after 10 years of dropping the pill, she's still in great shape. Usually the wrong approach that my sister's took with phentermine was that they would eat one meal a day with the 37mg dose, which I calculated would be anywhere around 300-700 calories. That would be their calorie intake. FOR THE WHOLE DAY! Of course once they're off the pill, the hunger strikes back with a vengeance. I'm expecting that to happen to me too.
This makes absolutely no sense to me.While a 1200-1700 calorie intake may be extreme for me (males need at least 1500 calories per day), I'm doing this more so just so I know what hunger feels like, and be comfortable with it for the time being.
Not going to happen. That's when rebound eating starts.I plan to stick on a 1900-2000 calorie diet once I drop phentermine, and continue following CICO.
500 calories isn't much. Do you intend to log on those cheat days?I plan to follow my regime of 6 strict days of diet, and one cheat day where I only go above 500 calories of my diet calorie intake.
Plateaus aren't really a thing; water weight fluctuates, and sometimes more from day to day than you can lose in fat in a week. You only gain weight if you consistently eat above maintenance.I know I will have times where I plateau or gain weight,
I don't think that is possible with your current approach. But it's very possible with a more sensible approach.but I feel really confident that I will ultimately reach my goal of 170 pounds and maintain from there on.0 -
Hey man,
Take my advice with a grain of salt, but I felt inspired to chime in.
That's great to hear that you're losing a lot of weight! I would be wary of taking any medications though... I was at 407lbs when I started and I have lost about 117 pounds over 2 years with just diet and exercise. I'm not going to lie, it's REALLY hard. I lost a lot of weight fairly quickly too, but you can't go too extreme too quickly. It's a slooow process. Just think, it kind of took a long time to put all that weight on, and it will probably take a similar amount of time to take it off.
You have to find something that is sustainable for the rest of your life. Cooking at home and recognizing what is filling yet low cal is a great start and that has helped me out a ton. Also weighing your food was absolutely essential to me. Additionally, at least for me, the idea that "a calorie is a calorie" doesn't really seem to be true. Certain carbs (processed grain) seems to cause me to lose weight much slower or even gain weight, compared to when I eat mostly veggies and protein.
Just some lessons learned from my journey. You will likely hit some plateaus that seem to coincide with "set points." These seem normal, although no one understands the science or the "why". The goal is to keep on keeping on, and just try your best. I have been able to overcome a couple of them. They become closer together as the weight comes off. Also, try not to splurge too much on your "cheat" days, because unfortunately, it seems that human bodies want to gain the weight that they lost easier than they're willing to let it go.
Good luck!1 -
kommodevaran wrote: »The pill doesn't teach you how to make better food choices, it just suppresses hunger. Undereating can never be healthy. And if you eat healthily, you shouldn't be bothered by hunger - not now, and not later. So there's really no need for the pill. When you eat at a calorie deficit, you lose weight, if you do it for long enough. You can't speed up the process, you can only choose to make it comfortable, acceptable, or horrible. The less horrible, the longer you'll be able to continue. No medals are given for unnecessary suffering.
I don't know how vastly different her pill is to my vyvanse but it is possible to still learn to eat appropriately even with the appetite suppression, but you do have to make sure you do it. When i started taking Vyvanse, i made sure to set times to eat and to make meals the same size as i would for a normal calorie goal and eat it all and ignore the fact that i was not hungry.
But if someone really really struggles with eating, sometimes it's not about hunger.. sometimes people need appetite suppression simply to ignore the urges to eat regardless. It can be a hard thing to understand sometimes, especially since most case scenarios is that the majority of people experience eating problems and hunger problems due to their food choices and better choices do often fix that.. but it's not always a guarantee that it's something that will happen.
It's mostly why i suggested that since she is going to be coming off those pills in february, her experience right now with no appetite is going to change, and it may be over whelming the difference. Which is why for the rest of december and january, besides learning to eat appropriately, She is going to have to prepare and plan for how she is going to feel once she is off the pills, its hard to ignore, women go through it all the time during PMS, the sensation and urge to eat gives people a lot of problems, you need to be ready to deal with that, but unlike a period, it may or may not go away..
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ianjchadwick wrote: »Hey man,
Take my advice with a grain of salt, but I felt inspired to chime in.
That's great to hear that you're losing a lot of weight! I would be wary of taking any medications though... I was at 407lbs when I started and I have lost about 117 pounds over 2 years with just diet and exercise. I'm not going to lie, it's REALLY hard. I lost a lot of weight fairly quickly too, but you can't go too extreme too quickly. It's a slooow process. Just think, it kind of took a long time to put all that weight on, and it will probably take a similar amount of time to take it off.
You have to find something that is sustainable for the rest of your life. Cooking at home and recognizing what is filling yet low cal is a great start and that has helped me out a ton. Also weighing your food was absolutely essential to me. Additionally, at least for me, the idea that "a calorie is a calorie" doesn't really seem to be true. Certain carbs (processed grain) seems to cause me to lose weight much slower or even gain weight, compared to when I eat mostly veggies and protein.
Just some lessons learned from my journey. You will likely hit some plateaus that seem to coincide with "set points." These seem normal, although no one understands the science or the "why". The goal is to keep on keeping on, and just try your best. I have been able to overcome a couple of them. They become closer together as the weight comes off. Also, try not to splurge too much on your "cheat" days, because unfortunately, it seems that human bodies want to gain the weight that they lost easier than they're willing to let it go.
Good luck!
Yeah in terms of calorie intake i began following CICO when i went on Reddit and found the r/Loseit community. Home made cooking is way more filling and low calorie compared to eating out as you dictate what ingredients you use. I'm gonna take a bit more time until I start tracking micronutrients.
In terms of cheat days I always prepare for them by counting the calories the day before. Most of the restaurants I go to have some nutritional value in their website or online.0 -
HellYeahItsKriss wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »The pill doesn't teach you how to make better food choices, it just suppresses hunger. Undereating can never be healthy. And if you eat healthily, you shouldn't be bothered by hunger - not now, and not later. So there's really no need for the pill. When you eat at a calorie deficit, you lose weight, if you do it for long enough. You can't speed up the process, you can only choose to make it comfortable, acceptable, or horrible. The less horrible, the longer you'll be able to continue. No medals are given for unnecessary suffering.
I don't know how vastly different her pill is to my vyvanse but it is possible to still learn to eat appropriately even with the appetite suppression, but you do have to make sure you do it. When i started taking Vyvanse, i made sure to set times to eat and to make meals the same size as i would for a normal calorie goal and eat it all and ignore the fact that i was not hungry.
But if someone really really struggles with eating, sometimes it's not about hunger.. sometimes people need appetite suppression simply to ignore the urges to eat regardless. It can be a hard thing to understand sometimes, especially since most case scenarios is that the majority of people experience eating problems and hunger problems due to their food choices and better choices do often fix that.. but it's not always a guarantee that it's something that will happen.
It's mostly why i suggested that since she is going to be coming off those pills in february, her experience right now with no appetite is going to change, and it may be over whelming the difference. Which is why for the rest of december and january, besides learning to eat appropriately, She is going to have to prepare and plan for how she is going to feel once she is off the pills, its hard to ignore, women go through it all the time during PMS, the sensation and urge to eat gives people a lot of problems, you need to be ready to deal with that, but unlike a period, it may or may not go away..
Just wanted to clarify that I'm male, so I won't necessarily get those sensations other than probably hunger. In terms of hunger, while I did struggle with that and led me to balloon up, it was always my poor eating habits of eating out instead of eating homemade. I would eat until I felt stuffed. Like throwing up stuffed.0 -
Sorry, you have no photo and i didn't realize the first g in your user was a middle initial.
But.. can i ask how often that happened?0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »
Do you mean that you're eating 1000 below MFP's recommendation? That makes no sense. The necessary (and optimal) deficit is built into the number MFP gave you.ivanggarcia95 wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »Is your calorie intake 1000, or is your calorie deficit 1000? A 1000 calorie deficit isn't much at your weight, but eating 1000 calories a day is way too little. Your weight loss seems to indicate the latter. Undereating isn't good. If that's what you're doing, no wonder you're hungry - no pills can solve that.
You won't have discipline to not overeat when you don't have discipline to eat enough.
Set yourself up to win. Follow MFP's suggested calorie target, drop the pills. Don't cheat. Learn how to eat both enjoyably and responsibly.
No, my calorie deficit is 1000 from MFPs recommendation. My current calorie intake varies from 1200-1700.
If you can't get your money back, I would just see that as a sunk cost.In terms of the pills, I've already put a 3 month down payment on them. I plan to keep taking them while having the dosage stay at 30 mg.
People regain weight by going back to old eating habits.I've seen quite a bit of stories where people have their weight rebound back after getting off phentermine.
The pill doesn't teach you how to make better food choices, it just suppresses hunger. Undereating can never be healthy. And if you eat healthily, you shouldn't be bothered by hunger - not now, and not later. So there's really no need for the pill. When you eat at a calorie deficit, you lose weight, if you do it for long enough. You can't speed up the process, you can only choose to make it comfortable, acceptable, or horrible. The less horrible, the longer you'll be able to continue. No medals are given for unnecessary suffering.My main goal with phentermine was to instill a consistent regime of calorie counting and choice of healthier options for food, as well as weight loss. My cousin had the same approach as well, and after 10 years of dropping the pill, she's still in great shape. Usually the wrong approach that my sister's took with phentermine was that they would eat one meal a day with the 37mg dose, which I calculated would be anywhere around 300-700 calories. That would be their calorie intake. FOR THE WHOLE DAY! Of course once they're off the pill, the hunger strikes back with a vengeance. I'm expecting that to happen to me too.
This makes absolutely no sense to me.While a 1200-1700 calorie intake may be extreme for me (males need at least 1500 calories per day), I'm doing this more so just so I know what hunger feels like, and be comfortable with it for the time being.
Not going to happen. That's when rebound eating starts.I plan to stick on a 1900-2000 calorie diet once I drop phentermine, and continue following CICO.
500 calories isn't much. Do you intend to log on those cheat days?I plan to follow my regime of 6 strict days of diet, and one cheat day where I only go above 500 calories of my diet calorie intake.
Plateaus aren't really a thing; water weight fluctuates, and sometimes more from day to day than you can lose in fat in a week. You only gain weight if you consistently eat above maintenance.I know I will have times where I plateau or gain weight,
I don't think that is possible with your current approach. But it's very possible with a more sensible approach.but I feel really confident that I will ultimately reach my goal of 170 pounds and maintain from there on.
I see your criticisms and see your perspective on this and I appreciate and understand them. But I have struggled with weight and hunger throughout my life. And it was a lack of discipline that led to my current obesity. Of course, undereating won't be the permanent or long term solution to losing weight. I see phentermine as a tool to help build discipline. All my past weight loss attempts failed because I would give in to poor eating choices. CICO and Phentermine allows me to build discipline for now. In terms of the undereating, I hear you. And I'll address that0 -
It took me a long time to realize that it was not a lack of discipline for me. It's easy to blame ourselves then it is to maybe think that something we struggle with our entire lives just might be something out of our complete control.
When you go off the drug in february, if you find those same struggles return, you should seek me out again.0 -
HellYeahItsKriss wrote: »Sorry, you have no photo and i didn't realize the first g in your user was a middle initial.
But.. can i ask how often that happened?
It was about 2-3 times a week that I would eat until I felt that way. More often than not I would drink a water bottle after a meal if I still didn't feel full after a homemade meal and then I would feel fine.0
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