started Phendimetrazine....

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vanfio
vanfio Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
So you guys, please don't judge me! I know diet pills are taboo, and diet and exercise alone are the best bet. I discussed this med with my doctor this week at my annual physical. At first she was against it, but after hearing my thoughts agreed to let me try it.

So, I've never really had a weight problem until my early 20s. Not sure what happened, but clearly I developed some unhealthy eating habits, less exercise, and over time the weight just came on. Mostly after i met my (now) husband, poor guy!

At my heaviest last year, I was 199. I started the South Beach eating plan, and had some success with it: brought me down to 190. Then I got pregnant and everything went haywire. Not that I was eating a lot, just didn't have an appetite, weird cravings etc.

While pregnant, I developed Gestational Diabetes. Did my best to control with diet and exercise - and I was very, very rigid with my eating and exercise.... my endo even told me that she used me as an example for her other GD patients. Unfortunately, I still ended up needing insulin injections 2x per day. I ended up gaining 26 pounds total during my pregnancy, and the diabetes went away when I gave birth. however, if you've had GD, the chances of developing type 2 diabetes is almost 50% in the next 6 years.

So.... I've been working very hard over the past few months to lose some weight. Aside from wanting to look and feel better, I definitely don't want diabetes. I've been very good at exercising and monitoring my eating, and for the most part i have very healthy eating habits. My main problem is the amount I eat.... I eat large portions at meals, and feel like I'm snacking constantly. So the choices I'm making may be good ones, but I'm being undermined by the amount.

I'm currently 184.5, and my BMI is high enough to recommend phend. However, if you have other risk factors (Ie diabetes), the recommended BMI is even lower. So. I started taking phen d 2 days ago, and so far it has been very helpful. It helps my tune into my bod and eat when I'm hungry, not when my mind is telling me to. I even started eating breakfast again, since I don't have to save those calories for snacks :)

So with all this being said, I was wondering if there were any other phen d users out there and if you wanted to be my weight loss buddy! It's hard to admit that I'm taking these pills, honestly, and I swore my husband to secrecy. I just to help my body adjust to new eating habits in terms of portion control and cutting out snacking, and I think this is a good way to start that.

Replies

  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
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    I'm not taking it, but I am a medical professional who sometimes writes it for her patients. Only the ones, like you, who have a reasonable expectation of what it can do for you. I think you have a great attitude and are not expecting a magic pill to make you thin...you are doing the hard work as well. Good luck to you. (And by the way, the reason I'm NOT taking it is because I eat whether I am hungry or not....I eat out of boredom....so an appetite suppressant doesn't really help me much.)
  • brbm6672
    brbm6672 Posts: 5
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    I did use it once. I lost 50 lbs on it. The problem was after I quit taking it I gained it all back. Be really mindful of portion sizes. Get used to eating less. Good luck!
  • MaryjaneSH
    MaryjaneSH Posts: 1
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    Good luck to you! I haven't tried those pills - to lose weight you just need to have the will power and the WANT to lose - pills, shots - just won't cut it in the long run...I just got done reading (and re reading) the book "The Eat Clean Diet - Recharged" by Tosca Reno - I am hooked on her thought process - she started working on weight loss at age 40 and has done extremly well! Eating healthy foods, exercising and everything in moderation is the key!!! Just seems to me like the "real deal" - and truly makes sense. Good luck to you!
  • Unwrapping_Candy
    Unwrapping_Candy Posts: 487 Member
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    Just be careful while you're taking it and remember that it is only meant to be a short-term substitute for exercise. Be especially careful if you exercise strenuously while using this because you can quickly become tachycardic and dyspneic which can lead to a syncopal episode causing injury. I am sure you were given all the warnings, and you should definitely take them to mind. This is not a very "nice" drug. It's a lot like meth actually. So, best of luck to you and I hope it works and that you heed the warnings.

    Candace
  • vanfio
    vanfio Posts: 7
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    Thank you very, very much for your comment! I'm feeling really conflicted, but I do think it's a good fit for me for the short term to help with eating habit changes. My doctor also originally was against it, but after hearing me out, agreed that it would be a good fit... like you said, I'm not looking at this as a magic pill, just a way to help me get in tune with my body - when it's really hungry vs eating b/c of habit or my mind telling me to.

    I don't plan on using for more than a month, and it's so hard for me to even admit that I am! You folks are safe, because you don't know me lol :)
  • vanfio
    vanfio Posts: 7
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    Just be careful while you're taking it and remember that it is only meant to be a short-term substitute for exercise. Be especially careful if you exercise while using this because you can quickly become tachycardic and dyspneic which can lead to a syncopal episode causing injury. I am sure you were given all the warnings, and you should definitely take them to mind. This is not a very "nice" drug. It's a lot like meth actually. So, best of luck to you and I hope it works and that you heed the warnings.

    Candace

    Actually, my doctor instructed me to continue my exercise routine, which is 4 - 5 days a week for up to an hour on the treadmill currently. This medication isn't supposed to be used as a substitute for exercise, but rather as a short term addition to a diet an exercise routine. I spoke with the pharmacist, and she also didn't tell me to stop excercising, so your response is actually new information for me. the literature did say to look out for side affects such as irregular heartbeat though, so I'm wondering if that might be part of what you are talking about. Also, I'm following up with my physician in a month to check blood pressure, etc.
  • vanfio
    vanfio Posts: 7
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    I did use it once. I lost 50 lbs on it. The problem was after I quit taking it I gained it all back. Be really mindful of portion sizes. Get used to eating less. Good luck!

    Yes, I think you are right that this is going to be the key!!! I've done a lot of reflection on my eating habits, and portion control is definitely what I'm lacking!
  • nightbird1103
    nightbird1103 Posts: 34 Member
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    Hello. I don't take this drug, but I just wanted to add my two cents regarding portion control because I'm in the same boat. I like VOLUME. I'm working on trying to read my body's cues, and trying to focus on whether I'm feeling full, but again, my progress in that department is very slow.
    The one thing I do that seems to help is I add a can of green beans or a bag of steam in bag veggies to pretty much whatever I'm eating. And I always eat my lunch on a bed of lettuce. This might also help you get that full feeling without the additional calories of a second serving.

    Best of luck to you and congrats on your baby!
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
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    Just be careful while you're taking it and remember that it is only meant to be a short-term substitute for exercise. Be especially careful if you exercise strenuously while using this because you can quickly become tachycardic and dyspneic which can lead to a syncopal episode causing injury. I am sure you were given all the warnings, and you should definitely take them to mind. This is not a very "nice" drug. It's a lot like meth actually. So, best of luck to you and I hope it works and that you heed the warnings.

    Candace

    Are you trying to say she could turn into a dinosaur?
  • Unwrapping_Candy
    Unwrapping_Candy Posts: 487 Member
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    I suppose I should have worded my comment a bit differently. I didn't mean to sound alarmist or anything, and I really should have said "exercise" with a degree. lol So, I edited my comment to say "exercise strenuously". That's when you're most likely to encounter an issue because you're really stressing your cardiovascular system with that, and the drug itself will have already stimulated that system. The drug "mimics" exercise by increasing your heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration.

    Anyway, sorry to have been unintentionally misleading. Cheers.
  • vanfio
    vanfio Posts: 7
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    Just be careful while you're taking it and remember that it is only meant to be a short-term substitute for exercise. Be especially careful if you exercise strenuously while using this because you can quickly become tachycardic and dyspneic which can lead to a syncopal episode causing injury. I am sure you were given all the warnings, and you should definitely take them to mind. This is not a very "nice" drug. It's a lot like meth actually. So, best of luck to you and I hope it works and that you heed the warnings.

    Candace


    OMG very funny :)
    Are you trying to say she could turn into a dinosaur?
  • vanfio
    vanfio Posts: 7
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    Hello. I don't take this drug, but I just wanted to add my two cents regarding portion control because I'm in the same boat. I like VOLUME. I'm working on trying to read my body's cues, and trying to focus on whether I'm feeling full, but again, my progress in that department is very slow.
    The one thing I do that seems to help is I add a can of green beans or a bag of steam in bag veggies to pretty much whatever I'm eating. And I always eat my lunch on a bed of lettuce. This might also help you get that full feeling without the additional calories of a second serving.

    Best of luck to you and congrats on your baby!

    Funny you say this, I keep lots of bags of steam fresh veggies in my freezer (esp the cauliflower, love it!)... try to add them to every dinner, so I can keep eating. But love the bed of lettuce idea!!! I'm definitely going to use that, the crunch of lettuce is very satisfying and low on cals. Thanks :)
  • vanfio
    vanfio Posts: 7
    Options
    Hello. I don't take this drug, but I just wanted to add my two cents regarding portion control because I'm in the same boat. I like VOLUME. I'm working on trying to read my body's cues, and trying to focus on whether I'm feeling full, but again, my progress in that department is very slow.
    The one thing I do that seems to help is I add a can of green beans or a bag of steam in bag veggies to pretty much whatever I'm eating. And I always eat my lunch on a bed of lettuce. This might also help you get that full feeling without the additional calories of a second serving.

    Best of luck to you and congrats on your baby!

    Funny you say this, I keep lots of bags of steam fresh veggies in my freezer (esp the cauliflower, love it!)... try to add them to every dinner, so I can keep eating. But love the bed of lettuce idea!!! I'm definitely going to use that, the crunch of lettuce is very satisfying and low on cals. Thanks :)

    Oh, and also thanks - he's 7 months old!

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