Taken Phentermine? No critics, please. Looking for experiences of those who have taken it

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Replies

  • kerryg4803
    kerryg4803 Posts: 3 Member
    Currently a week into taking it. The only side effects I’ve had is dry mouth in the beginning but drinking lots and I mean lots of water helps. The first 3 days I had to remind myself to eat after that it stopped suppressing my appetite but I had started changing my eating habits a week before I started taking it so I just eat healthy when I’m hungry. Prior to taking it I had lost 6 pounds in a week on my own by simply changing my diet. I’ve lost 6 more this week and is questioning if I should keep taking it or just do it on my own like I was doing before.
  • Sandythinandfit
    Sandythinandfit Posts: 58 Member
    jclark14572 wrote: »
    I am on it 30mg once a day. I would like it to be twice as I get super hungry after workouts in the evenings. It does help with appetite suppression. This is not the 1970’s version of the drug. I do not have heart palpitations or any other issues. I have to call and get a new prescription every month as it is a regulated drug. My biggest issue is logging in and staying true to my goal. I have recently switched to low carb but got off track with so many people saying don’t worry about the calories just the carbs. This is not true and I knew it. I just needed to test it; fail. So back to calorie counter and lower carbs.

    If you're looking for ways to spread it out during the day, I've heard of a new form of phentermine you take 3 times a day. It's 8mg., Called Lomeira.

    Exactly the same for me! My biggest issue also is logging. As long as I log, it even write down what I eat, I do great. I partly think that's due to not wanting to see 'I ate four cupcakes' and '3000 calories' ;) on my weight log!

    I do agree with the carbs thing. Personally, for me, low carb or Atkins or Keto, any of those ways of eating are good for shaking things up but not sustainable.

  • Sandythinandfit
    Sandythinandfit Posts: 58 Member
    roge0195 wrote: »
    I’ve been on it since September 2017. I’ve lost 31 pounds and I feel awesome. I’m about half way to my goal.

    The thing with Phentremine is you MUST do the work. The drug is not making you lose weight, the calorie deficit is. It is still very hard, the drug is not a magic bullet, but it does make it easier because I don’t have that irrational panicking “I’m starving!!!” feeling every time I eat a side salad instead of bread at dinner. I feel hungry when it is an appropriate time to eat, and full after my planned eating.

    I’m using this “free from hunger” time (which is precious and very temporary) to build habits of mindfulness, tracking weight weekly and food daily, plan all my eating in advance, and deal with the emotional side of weight loss. When I go off medication and feel hungry again, I will be many months solidly into my new lifestyle and have some healthier coping skills.

    When I started I made the mistake of telling some friends who were less than supportive. Everyone is so into talking about the super healthy “lifestyle change” style weight loss. If that worked for you that is wonderful and you should be proud! But guess what...15 years and thousands spent on gyms, trainers, equipment, nutritionists and programs later I was just getting fatter every year. At some point, the scales tipped between “healthy lifestyle weight loss plan” and “you are headed towards early death from diabetes or heart disease by carrying around all that extra fat”. By last summer I didn’t really care how the weight came off as long as it did.

    It probably is working very well for me because my biggest problem was binge eating, which must be solved through fundamental emotional behavior change. It is so much easier to do that work when you’re not particularly interested in food. Sort of like doing an inpatient treatment program for drugs or alcohol. Also I went into it with a solid knowledge of nutrition / how to track / etc. so I didn’t spend anytime learning all that.

    I cannot emphasize enough- calorie deficit makes you lose weight. Not trainers or gym memberships or books or apps or watches or support groups or pills or even surgeries. At the end of the day, you lose weight when you eat less than you burn. Figure out what is stopping you (for me it was binge eating) and plan how to climb that mountain first.

    Exactly the same for me!!! It's that panicking "I have to eat right now" thing. With appetite suppression I can be mindful of what I eat, and can stop and think about what I put in my mouth. I am a nanny. Yesterday I baked chocolate chip cookies with the kids. A couple of months ago I could easily chug 10 cookies without batting an eye. But yesterday, I thought about it. I took one bite of a cookie, and it didn't taste as good as I thought it would. I tossed the rest of the cookie!

    Yes yes yes! It is all about calorie deficit. Like you said, you lose weight when you eat less than you burn.

  • Sandythinandfit
    Sandythinandfit Posts: 58 Member
    edited February 2018
    kerryg4803 wrote: »
    Currently a week into taking it. The only side effects I’ve had is dry mouth in the beginning but drinking lots and I mean lots of water helps. The first 3 days I had to remind myself to eat after that it stopped suppressing my appetite but I had started changing my eating habits a week before I started taking it so I just eat healthy when I’m hungry. Prior to taking it I had lost 6 pounds in a week on my own by simply changing my diet. I’ve lost 6 more this week and is questioning if I should keep taking it or just do it on my own like I was doing before.

    You won't lose like that for long. It's probably water weight from eating less food. If you don't feel like you need it for appetite suppression, why take it? It seems like you are doing great without it. Seriously, 6 pounds would be an 18,000 calorie deficit ;)
  • Izabellesdance
    Izabellesdance Posts: 20 Member
    I'm actually starting Phentermine again tomorrow. I was put on an antibiotic and my doctor had me stop it. It's actually the 8 form of Phentermine that I will be starting. I think it's called lomaira and it comes in 8 mg pills instead of 37, that you can break in half if you want. Pretty sure the spelling is wrong LOL but I opted for the 8 mg so I could up the dose little by little, if I needed. I didn't want my heart to race and I've heard that's what the Phentermine does if you take the 37 mg right away. I have such a hard time losing weight with exercise and counting my calories. I do the whole calories in versus calories out thing and I gain weight and if I see a weight gain I'm not sticking to it. I'm actually certified to teach group exercise and know a great deal about nutrition. Unfortunately I don't stick to what I know for too long. I'm always hungry and at my heaviest right now. The two things I'm going to do different is take this pill to keep me from eating so much and drink more water. I will continue with light exercise bc I do have a few injuries but I'm not going to stop moving. Good luck and feel free to add me!
  • Sandythinandfit
    Sandythinandfit Posts: 58 Member
    Iz, let us know how it works. I have a feeling it will work better for someone who has never taken it before. My doctor was willing to let me try Lomiera, but I had the feeling it wouldn't work for me, since I am used to getting the whole dose at once.

    My biggest problem is night eating. I eat fine during the day, lots of fruit and vegetables, simple carbs, good fats. Then at night all I want to do is snack.

    I know it sounds crazy, but I take my Phentermine late. Sometimes as late as 5 or 6pm. I don't ever have sleeping problems. It keeps me from snacking all night after dinner.
  • Sandythinandfit
    Sandythinandfit Posts: 58 Member
    Phentermine only works for me if I take it at least one hour after eating something, and at least one hour before eating.
  • Sandythinandfit
    Sandythinandfit Posts: 58 Member
    Izabellesdance wrote: »
    I..... I do the whole calories in versus calories out thing and I gain weight and if I see a weight gain I'm not sticking to it. I'm actually certified to teach group exercise and know a great deal about nutrition. Unfortunately I don't stick to what I know for too long...

    You are really knowledgeable! I think we probably all know the right way to eat and exercise. The big question is why don't we just do it?

  • Smallville127
    Smallville127 Posts: 51 Member
    I used to use it but it started to wear off and I gained back the 120lbs I had lost
  • jjohn0129
    jjohn0129 Posts: 8 Member
    I have been on it for almost a month. I don’t find it to surprise my appetite. I stay hungry most of the day. I eat and will be fine for about 45 minutes to an hour. Then I am starving again. I found this app a 5 days after I started taking them. I log all my food. I started this journey at 377 lbs. I am currently 355 lbs. I honestly don’t feel any extra energy. I do feel better than I have in years. I don’t know whether to attribute that to the mess or the healthy eating. When I got this app I logged what I would eat in a typical day. It was between 4000-5000 calories of processed, and fast foods. I currently eat big full plates of fruits, veggies, and proteins. But the most I can seem to log in a day is 1900 calories. I don’t see this as a diet. I like all the foods I eat. It’s just always been a convenience factor. McDonald’s is way easier than preparing a meal. I’ve cut all sodas completely. Where I was drinking 6-8 a day. All I know is I feel great. I don’t have the brain fog/ the blah feeling all day. I am not full of energy like the dr said I would be. I don’t have the jitters. I am constantly thirsty.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Sandythinandfit wrote: »
    My biggest problem is night eating. I eat fine during the day, lots of fruit and vegetables, simple carbs, good fats. Then at night all I want to do is snack.
    Simple carbs is sugar (most people aim to reduce their sugar intake - but there's sugar in fruit); good fats doesn't mean anything (all you should avoid, is man made trans fat). Eating well is having a balanced diet of all the foods you like. Wanting is not the same as doing.
    Sandythinandfit wrote: »
    Izabellesdance wrote: »
    I..... I do the whole calories in versus calories out thing and I gain weight and if I see a weight gain I'm not sticking to it. I'm actually certified to teach group exercise and know a great deal about nutrition. Unfortunately I don't stick to what I know for too long...
    You are really knowledgeable! I think we probably all know the right way to eat and exercise. The big question is why don't we just do it?
    Lots of us have believed - for many many years, so it's deeply ingrained - that we know all we need to know. But we have only known what the diet industry wants us to know, so we can be dependent on them. What we need to know, is how to eat and move in a genuinely healthful way, a way that is easy to stick to, that makes us feel good (not virtuous) when we do it, and maintain normal weight and good health.
  • Sandythinandfit
    Sandythinandfit Posts: 58 Member
    edited March 2018
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Sandythinandfit wrote: »
    My biggest problem is night eating. I eat fine during the day, lots of fruit and vegetables, simple carbs, good fats. Then at night all I want to do is snack.
    Simple carbs is sugar (most people aim to reduce their sugar intake - but there's sugar in fruit); good fats doesn't mean anything (all you should avoid, is man made trans fat). Eating well is having a balanced diet of all the foods you like. Wanting is not the same as doing.
    Sandythinandfit wrote: »
    Izabellesdance wrote: »
    I..... I do the whole calories in versus calories out thing and I gain weight and if I see a weight gain I'm not sticking to it. I'm actually certified to teach group exercise and know a great deal about nutrition. Unfortunately I don't stick to what I know for too long...
    You are really knowledgeable! I think we probably all know the right way to eat and exercise. The big question is why don't we just do it?
    Lots of us have believed - for many many years, so it's deeply ingrained - that we know all we need to know. But we have only known what the diet industry wants us to know, so we can be dependent on them. What we need to know, is how to eat and move in a genuinely healthful way, a way that is easy to stick to, that makes us feel good (not virtuous) when we do it, and maintain normal weight and good health.
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Sandythinandfit wrote: »
    My biggest problem is night eating. I eat fine during the day, lots of fruit and vegetables, simple carbs, good fats. Then at night all I want to do is snack.
    Simple carbs is sugar (most people aim to reduce their sugar intake - but there's sugar in fruit); good fats doesn't mean anything (all you should avoid, is man made trans fat). Eating well is having a balanced diet of all the foods you like. Wanting is not the same as doing.
    Sandythinandfit wrote: »
    Izabellesdance wrote: »
    I..... I do the whole calories in versus calories out thing and I gain weight and if I see a weight gain I'm not sticking to it. I'm actually certified to teach group exercise and know a great deal about nutrition. Unfortunately I don't stick to what I know for too long...
    You are really knowledgeable! I think we probably all know the right way to eat and exercise. The big question is why don't we just do it?
    Lots of us have believed - for many many years, so it's deeply ingrained - that we know all we need to know. But we have only known what the diet industry wants us to know, so we can be dependent on them. What we need to know, is how to eat and move in a genuinely healthful way, a way that is easy to stick to, that makes us feel good (not virtuous) when we do it, and maintain normal weight and good health.

    I respectfully disagree. Don't you think we all, deep inside, know the right way to eat and live? I don't pay a lick of attention to how people say is the right way to eat. I think the food pyramids are trash. I am not young. I've lived through low fat trends, low carb trends, low fat trends then back to low carb trends. I like eating fresh foods. It's just my personal preference. Take a look at my food diary. That's the way I like eating when I'm not off on a 6 month binge like I was.I also think about when I was a kid, even in high school, walking up and down stairs all day. And now I drive to work when I could easily walk 2 blocks to the train and then 3 blocks to work. I have British associates that walk all over the place and wouldn't think of driving if it is less than a mile.

    I think it does boil down to calories and moving.
  • scthomas100
    scthomas100 Posts: 31 Member
    I'm on phentermine now. I'm using it to help build that mindfulness around eating and exercise that I've lost over the years, like some of you here. Along with actively going to therapy to work on what causes my binges, I'm really hoping to use this month to get into a better spot than I've been previously. I must say, it's been very nice to get back into the groove of weighing and tracking and exercising regularly without my body screaming that it's hungry (when, realistically, I know it's not hunger but my mind playing tricks with me). The only side effects I've had is some dry mouth (that went away after the first few days) and constipation. I'm even able to drink my morning iced coffee and feel fine. If anyone has any tips on managing the constipation, though, I'd greatly appreciate them.
  • crisma1974
    crisma1974 Posts: 52 Member
    I took it many years ago and yes it does help with the appetite. And yes, I lost a lot of weight however I did gain it all back. You can not stay on it forever because it will mess up your heart. I do NOT recommend it. I now know where my anxiety and depression came from. While on it, I was fine but once 8 pm came around, I would crash and didn't want anyone around me and just wanted to cry. I stopped taking it and I was back to my normal self.
  • Sandythinandfit
    Sandythinandfit Posts: 58 Member
    scthomas100 wrote: »
    I'm on phentermine now. I'm using it to help build that mindfulness around eating and exercise that I've lost over the years, like some of you here. Along with actively going to therapy to work on what causes my binges, I'm really hoping to use this month to get into a better spot than I've been previously. I must say, it's been very nice to get back into the groove of weighing and tracking and exercising regularly without my body screaming that it's hungry (when, realistically, I know it's not hunger but my mind playing tricks with me). The only side effects I've had is some dry mouth (that went away after the first few days) and constipation. I'm even able to drink my morning iced coffee and feel fine. If anyone has any tips on managing the constipation, though, I'd greatly appreciate them.

    You're doing great!

    A friend posted on my profile page what must have been very painful for her to share. A brutally honest portrait of what it was like when she was bingeing. My page is private but if you want to friend me, I will point you to her comments. I can't describe the feeling I got, other than being grateful she shared it.

    So good you are doing the mindfulness around eating and exercise. That's what I am trying to make sure I do this time. Crisma, I too gained it all back, and it was my own fault. But look at all the 'dieters' that gain it all back. Even Oprah. I don't think it matters how you lose the weight. As long as we are drastically watching our calories, we're bound to gain it back unless we are mindful.

    The dry mouth lasts forever for me. Can you eat more vegetables? I eat tons of vegetables and never get constipated except when I eat a lot of almonds for some reason. I have the opposite problem! Thank goodness for Immodium.

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