Macros while on Phentermine?

InigoMontoyasDad · July 2020

I started Phentermine today and besides drinking a metric ton of water, I was wondering what sort of macros would be best to utilize while on the medication. I also have an e-mail out to my PCP, but he is not a nutritionist either, so I figured I could get some advice here in the meantime. Please no flaming about using a script to aid in weight loss; however, user experiences are welcome

NovusDies · July 2020

Be careful drinking a huge excess of water while losing weight in the first week or two. You can seriously deplete your electrolytes and end up feeling quite ill. You may want to consider some low calorie sports drinks.

The normal breakdown of macros that MFP gives you will be fine if you are not having hunger issues. Over time you might want to bump your protein some more but it is calories that control your weight loss.

Remember that phentermine is a tool not a cure. You still have to learn and modify your mindset and habits over time just like people who don't use it.

InigoMontoyasDad · July 2020

Absolutely agree with it being a tool. I need a kick in the pants and plan to use it for that purpose. I am planning on letting this be a "training tool" to modify my habits

cmriverside · July 2020

The default macros on this site are 50%C 30%F 20%P and they are fine for using with your "Meds."

Like Novus said above, a bit more protein during weight loss is a good thing, but you don't have to overdo it.

A lot of people like 40C 30F 30P, and I used similar macros when losing weight. I focused on getting Enough protein and then getting in 4-8 servings of whole fruit and/or vegetables daily. Whole grains, lowfat dairy, a couple servings of oil or butter daily. Nuts, legumes and whatever protein source I used in each meal.

It just takes corralling your calories for weight loss.

Log food, as a matter of fact pre-log your food before you eat it and then adjust portions to hit your goals. Easy peasy (with some practice.)

NovusDies · July 2020

InigoMontoyasDad wrote: »

Absolutely agree with it being a tool. I need a kick in the pants and plan to use it for that purpose. I am planning on letting this be a "training tool" to modify my habits

That might work. Repetition is a component of habit change but that alone is unlikely enough to unseat possibly decades of unhelpful food behaviors. There is a reward element to food that makes the habits associated with it harder to break. More helpful food habits can have much bigger rewards but they are not instant so your mind has a harder time associating them.

I think it is better to become the type of person who wants to perpetuate better habits. You mostly have a hygiene regimen like brushing your teeth because you are a hygienic person. If the drug assists with adherence long enough and your awareness remains high perhaps you can sink your teeth into a new identity that reinforces your desire to moderate food and move more.

An example is that when I was much younger I loved to hike. Weight gain and the sedentary lifestyle it helped create eventually forced my "hiker" identity to the background. I thought that version of me was lost forever. As the weight has come off that person has started to wake up and now a small part of my weight management and willingness to walk a fair number of miles is so that I can do what I really want to do which is hike. My habits are reinforced because I am a hiker and I want to do it comfortably and in increasing intensity and distance. The other interesting thing about being a hiker is that it allows me to work on things beyond just food and exercise. I research equipment, look for trails, buy appropriate clothing, and work on my photography skills. The more I get sucked in the easier it is for me to see value beyond food reward.

PAV8888 · July 2020

I am not aware of any macros offering a better or worse experience when using Phentermine. Generally acceptable macros (MFP's defaults fall in that category) tend to work fine.

The problem with a drug that increases your activity level while simultaneously blunting your appetite (as amphetamines/stimulants tend to do) is that when you wean off it you are faced with a triple whammy:

--the normal body reactions that come from having lost weight and having a body that is hormonally primed for regain--stuff common to everyone losing weight and discussed in many MFP posts

--you are now less active since you are no longer boosted by the stimulant, so your TDEE goes down.

--you have an ADDITIONAL hunger issue in that your appetite is no longer pharmacologically suppressed and it is likely your Calories in will go up. Also, since your drug assisted weight loss is probably faster than it would have been without the assistance the hormonal effects of #1 may be more elevated than they would have been for someone who proceeds using smaller deficits

The other day I saw an earnest discussion about using pharmaceauticals to help people deal with rebound hunger at the end of weight loss as that's usually where most people lose the battle.

Entering that critical phase with two additional disadvantages doesn't seem to stack the deck favourably.

tweet33 · September 2020

I'm new to using phentermine I'm only taking a half a dose a day any tips that I could use to help with my weight loss I'm currently working out on most days and trying to eat better and add more water

Justin_7272 · September 2020

You should get a minimum of 50g fat per day. Other than that I would try to focus on protein to prevent muscle loss as much as possible, but carbs are not the devil by any means. If you are considered obese, I'd focus on trying to find foods that make you satiated. For some it's fat, others protein, and others carbs; whatever works for you.

I saw that it increases blood pressure; did your doctor address this and give you a list of good foods/bad foods regarding blood pressure? I know for me (monitor every day) alcohol considerably increases mine, while working out considerably lowers it. Food for thought.

kshama2001 · September 2020

PAV8888 wrote: »

I am not aware of any macros offering a better or worse experience when using Phentermine. Generally acceptable macros (MFP's defaults fall in that category) tend to work fine.

The problem with a drug that increases your activity level while simultaneously blunting your appetite (as amphetamines/stimulants tend to do) is that when you wean off it you are faced with a triple whammy:

--the normal body reactions that come from having lost weight and having a body that is hormonally primed for regain--stuff common to everyone losing weight and discussed in many MFP posts

--you are now less active since you are no longer boosted by the stimulant, so your TDEE goes down.

--you have an ADDITIONAL hunger issue in that your appetite is no longer pharmacologically suppressed and it is likely your Calories in will go up. Also, since your drug assisted weight loss is probably faster than it would have been without the assistance the hormonal effects of #1 may be more elevated than they would have been for someone who proceeds using smaller deficits

The other day I saw an earnest discussion about using pharmaceauticals to help people deal with rebound hunger at the end of weight loss as that's usually where most people lose the battle.

Entering that critical phase with two additional disadvantages doesn't seem to stack the deck favourably.

I removed the Spoiler tag because these were definitely issues for me when I stopped taking phentermine (and regained a lot of the weight that I had lost.)

Repeating for emphasis - phentermine is an amphetamine-like drug.

Macros while on Phentermine?

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