Long time lurker, first time poster. I am 23, female, and I started in January at 173 lbs (~78.5 kg), the heaviest I’ve ever been. Today I weighed in at 152 (~70 kg)! I’ve officially crossed the threshold of normal BMI. This would not have been possible without the support of my doctor and, yes, pharmaceuticals. I am still going, but here’s the story so far. It’s a bit long, but it’s cathartic for me.
I started my weight loss journey last September at 157 lbs with some casual CICO and effort to exercise a bit more, nothing extreme. I was only managing to maintain my weight, then naturally I gained 10 lbs over the holiday season (includes my birthday, so indulgence galore). Then came New Years résolutions and two new exercise classes. I revisited CICO (~1650 cal), lifted weights twice a week, and jogged using C25K three times a week. And I still gained 10 more pounds! My clothes weren’t fitting (cue emotional breakdown, my poor husband was witness), and even after 4 weeks of this, I wasn’t dropping any weight! Wtf?
I decided to see the doctor at this point to run bloodwork, and everything came back normal and perfectly healthy. Obviously this is a good thing, but it was frustrating having so much difficulty with my weight and I wanted something to blame it on. Luckily my doctor was concerned as I was and prescribed a low dose of phentermine. I was very skeptical about this drug because all I’ve heard is that it works, but you gain all of the weight back when you stop taking it. I decided to try it while continuing CICO and C25K and really focusing on my relationship with food.
You guys. It was the best thing! It’s basically a psych drug, so it helped me reprogram my brain and eating habits. It reduced my appetite, boosted my energy, improved my mood (I have depression), and eradicated my cravings. It changed my relationship with food. I found that I didn’t need CICO anymore as I’m actually struggling to eat enough each day. I finally started loosing weight in February, and by March I’d lost 5 pounds. That was the first time I’ve ever seen the number in the scale go down!! That feeling!! (Side note: could be a slippery slope to ED, so potentially dangerous for some)
I had a little hiccup in May where I stopped taking the medication and stopped exercising because my life was utter chaos. At one point, I gained a pound which made me stop weighing myself. I also went on vacation to an all-inclusive resort which meant a lot of drinking and eating. I was going to get my money’s worth dammit! But somehow, I’ve been able to keep a steady 5 lbs loss per month. This has really given me the motivation to continue to my goal weight of 130 (~59 kg). I really think I can do it now!
I wanted CICO and exercise alone to work for me, but the medication has been the best thing for me. My fears of going off the medicine were assuaged when I “took a break” and realized I don’t even like a lot of formerly tempting foods anymore. I don’t like burgers, pizza, ice cream, fries, etc. anymore. I’m still able to eat with my non-dieting husband. I’m used to eating smaller portions now, and I can actually recognize when I’m full. I also am able to recognize when I’m eating to clear my plate rather than to fill my stomach and STOP. I didn’t realize I was so bad at that before.
My most important takeaway is: Do not underestimate the power of a good physician. I’m lucky to have one that understands what I’m going through and keeps me accountable. She is as strict about my compliance just like my mom was about my grades in school. As much as I want to lose weight, I don’t want to disappoint her! I’m so excited to go back and celebrate this milestone with her. And I’m so motivated to keep going! Thank you for reading!
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