Phentermine Maintenance Dose?

I (29/F) was just prescribed phentermine 37.5 (slow release capsule) through my new doctor at Absolutely Thin (I don't know if anyone else has had experience with them).

Just for some context, they are one of the only widespread online weight loss clinics that were available in my area. I chose them because the weight loss clinics in my town were not only sparse, but they were OUTRAGEOUS ($150 - $200+ a month) in price, and most completely refused to even consider prescribing any sort appetite suppressant to help me get past my weight loss plateau. In addition, most required that you come to frequent group meetings and that you purchase their supplements and food, which added to their high monthly costs, and the price tag just seemed ridiculous to me.

I've been able to lose from 240lbs to 180lbs just through diet alone. I'm 5'2". Only recently had my work schedule changed to where I can get back to the gym, I have missed doing cardio!

Initially what helped me control my hunger and learn how to portion and watch my caloric intake was Wellbutrin, which was actually prescribed for me by my normal doctor to counteract the sexual side effects of the Effexor I take for severe OCD. These effects from wellbutrin don't happen for everyone, and I was lucky that it helped propel forward my weight loss goals while it did. But now, I've been plateauing at 175 - 180lbs since July (it seems like I've learned to control my caloric intake enough for maintenance, at the very least), even with incorporating obsessive calorie counting and exercise. I've been hungry, frustrated and miserable, so I wanted to look for some additional help to get me to my healthy weight goal.

I signed up, submitted my health history, and visited my assigned doctor from the website in person, who went over my entire medical history and approved me to start phentermine. Typically, they prescribe phentermine with Prozac in order to stop your body from getting used to the phentermine, but since I'm already on wellbutrin and effexor, I am supposed to be okay in that regard, and didn't need to have the low dose Prozac. It's also to prevent the possibility of serotonin syndrome, which I was glad the doctor pointed out as well, because that was a concern for me when I read what their typical regiment was.

The reason I'm posting today is because this doctor's typical plan is once I reach a healthy weight, she gives her patients a very low maintenance dose of phentermine long term. This is great for me, as I was relieved to know that I didn't only have just a month or two to have this prescribed. I'm hoping it will help me maintain my weight loss as I continue to get therapy for binge/emotional eating, and continue to learn better eating habits and incorporating excercise into my life permanently.

I wanted to see if anyone else has had this regiment before, because I've never heard of anyone being allowed to have a super low maintenance dose long term. Of course, this is on the condition that my body continues to handle the medicine well, and I have to have a progress meeting monthly with my doctor via online/text in order to even receive another month of phentermine, as they do not prescribe refills.

Is anyone else on this regiment? If my body continues to do well with phentermine, as far as experiencing no negative side effects, what are your thoughts on a long term, low maintenance dose? From what I understand, it would the lowest dose of phentermine available (7mg I believe, and I think that can be cut in half via tablet form, for an even lower maintenance dose). Of course, my doctor said the decision to even have a maintenance dose is up to me (should I be handling the medicine well), and she's had successful patients on phentermine both short and long term.

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I'm changing my life

Sorry for the wall of text! I have tried and failed to lose weight many times. I've done CICO every time, and every time I've lost weight while counting calories.

I started the most recent attempt in February of this year. I was down to 207, and then for some reason I stopped. I struggled until June and then got back on the weight loss track. By then I was right back up to 220lbs. I started losing weight again, and by August I was down to 206. And then I stopped again. I struggled with some depression starting in September, and I overate like crazy. By October I was back at 217, and by November I was 225, the highest I've ever been. November 19th I started counting calories again.

I don't know what's different this time. Maybe it's that I'm fed up with losing weight and then gaining it all back, or maybe it's that I'm just finally ready to live a healthier life, but this time I'm really into it. I've only been counting calories for 2 weeks this time, but I've gone from 225lbs to 222.4lbs. Not a large difference, but I'm super proud of it.

Things that are different this time:

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- I've measured myself and will be comparing measurements all through the process. I also took pictures, and will be taking more and comparing them throughout the process as well.

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- I've accepted that I need to just lose 1lbs a week, currently eating 1730 calories a day, instead of trying to keep myself between 1100 and 1200, which is what I've tried in the past. Losing more than 1lbs a week is possible for me, and I've done it, but I've always failed because I find it too restrictive, so I'm not quite sure why I kept trying to do things so fast, though it was probably because I didn't want the process to take so long.

​

- Which brings me to another point, that I've finally accepted that this weight loss journey will take around 2 years for me, I have an ultimate goal weight of around 135lbs, smack in the middle of my normal BMI range. That's 90lbs I have to lose.

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- I've accepted that this will be a lifetime of work. The work will not stop when I lose that 90lbs. I will need to be vigilant for the rest of my life so that I don't gain back the weight.

​

- I've started doing 30 minutes of exercise a day

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- I've started C25K, and am running 3 times a week, on top of the 30 minutes of exercise a day, so 3 times a week, I'm doing 60 minutes of exercise a day.

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- I've started yoga, also on top of the 30 minutes of exercise a day.

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- I'm actually ENJOYING the exercise I'm doing. This is the biggest difference with this time. I'm excited going to sleep knowing that when I wake up I get to exercise. Every day I'm celebrating that I have a body that can move me, and every day I'm thankful that I have the determination to keep exercising even on the days when I'm maybe not so excited for the exercise when I wake up. The exercise has improved my mood SO much, and I'm not planning on stopping it anytime soon.

​

I just feel like this time I'm accepting that this will be hard work, I'll have to keep exercising, and the changes to my body will not happen overnight. This time I don't only want to lose weight, I also want to be healthy and happy. I didn't really have anyone to share this with, other than my boyfriend who has already heard me talk about this like non-stop for 2 weeks, and thought maybe people here would like to hear this! I'm hoping that all these differences mean that this time I'm ready to stick with it and see the weight loss through. I'm hoping to post updates maybe every 10 or 15lbs, so hopefully you'll be hearing from me soon!

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It's important to not only share weight loss advice but also ask for the other person's input.

Kind of a long story

So when I saw one of my friend's dads after losing 20 lbs, he told me he was also losing weight, which is great. However the whole time we were talking he was kind of just lecturing me about weight loss and not really asking my input or what I thought. Now the thing with my friend's dad is, he kind of thinks he's an expert on everything and has all the answers, no matter the issue. He's a businessman so he was all like "oh I know the best weight loss product, the best protein shake, I have a client who's a personal trainer, I'll give you his number" etc etc.

I get that he was trying to help, and I appreciate that, but like it really came off as a bit condescending. His advice wasn't the best either, he would say that lifting is bad for weight loss and that I should eat every three hours (which no, lifting burns calories and preserves muscle, and eating every 3 hours would keep my insulin high all day). He kind of came off as one of those weight loss gurus who tell you everything you know is wrong and you have to try his magic formula.

I'm pretty sure most of you know just how annoying it is to get lectured on weight loss even though you're doing fine, and to get recommended like a dozen different products and diets. No thank you. That was just his personality though, so I really didn't mind at the time, and knowing him, he had 100% good intentions.

After that I didn't see him for quite a while, maybe 3 or 4 months. I just met him yesterday again though, and by this time I'm 40 lbs down from when I last saw him. What surprised me is by this time, his attitude completely changed towards me. I don't just mean that he complemented my weight loss. What I mean is that while we were talking, we were having an actual discussion. He was asking me questions, he was asking what my routine is and what my diet is, and then share his own plans. It was very back and forth and very productive this time. This just made my day yesterday.

Sure compliments are nice, encouragement is nice, but I really appreciate when people ask me for my input rather than telling me to try this and that. Discussion is productive and helps both sides. Weight loss can sometimes be a lonely journey, and if someone compliments me all I can say is thanks, but if someone asks me what I did, how I did it, I get to share my experiences and have a discussion and then ask them in turn. So if any of you have a friend or family member who wants to start losing weight, I REALLY encourage you guys to not just give advice and encouragement but also ask them what they have tried, how they're doing, what their goals are and what they want to do. It really goes a long long way in keeping someone on track with their diet and fitness, and keeping them motivated.

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Issues I've come across on my weight loss journey.

Hey all, I stumbled on some posts from this sub reddit and figured I would share my story and maybe get some insight into some issues I've had while working on my weight loss goals. (CW 350 GW 280)

I'll try to keep it short and simple. I'm 29, nerdy, geeky guy, been chunky my whole life, coming from a Hispanic family I was always being fed that good, but heavy, homemade food. I've never really had a problem with being a big guy, I would be and still am self conscious about parts of my body, but overall I was OK with being the fat funny guy. Earlier this year in March, I was exhibiting symptoms of diabetes (WebMD ftw). I went to an urgent care that eventually led me to an emergency room, because of how high my blood sugar was, and was finally given the official diabetes diagnosis. The doctor pulled me aside that day and told me that if I didn't seriously change my lifestyle from that moment on, I wouldn't make it to my 40s (there were other health issues but that's a story for another time!). This was one of the most defining moments of my life, I simply asked him what I needed to do and was determined to start the change. I was at my heaviest then, 430lbs.

Fast forward to June, I had made the changes to my diet, low to no carb meals, ONE diet soda with my dinner and no sweets! I quickly dropped to 401 just making those changes alone. But I knew that I wanted to lose more and so I started going to the gym and working out. With the guidance of my cousin I was able to overcome the fear that is being an overweight person in a gym and actually start getting to work on myself.

I'm happy with the progress I've been making but now I feel like I have some issues. The first one is body image. I know most people struggle with body image issues even if they aren't obese or overweight, but even when I am losing weigh, actually seeing myself weigh less on the scale, there is a voice in my head that just keeps saying, "you are still fat, you still look fat, don't believe people when they say you look like you lost weight, they are just being nice". I'm sure I'm not alone but sometimes it's overwhelming to be able to come from being excited to see that number on the scale go down to just feeling like crap, if that makes sense.

The second "issue" is that I come from a pretty religious family, although I cut ties with it personally when I went to college. And since I've been working out and losing weight, I have seemingly "reversed", it's in quotes because I don't know if you can actually even cure it, my diabetes. I'm only taking one pill for it now, when I was previously on one other one plus insulin. But now all my family can say is that they are haply that God answered their prayers and that I'm better now. Without getting to much on the religious debate here, it just makes me feel like my work and progress doesn't mean anything to them and then I just get down on myself about it and want to just stop putting in the effort. I know I should only worry about how happy I am now and how exciting it is for me to get progress, it's hard to not be able to share that with my own family.

This became more of a rant but I guess I'm just hoping to connect with people who can understand where I'm coming from and somewhere to share my stories. Thanks for reading

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Fast weight loss

Hi!

2 years ago I lost a large amount of my weight and got skinny again. However, i have still had a bit of a belly during those two years. 20 days ago I decided that it was time to put an end to that too so since then, I have not eaten any sweets, tracked my water intake and only eaten healthy or home-made meals as I am still at high school and 18 years old. Usually the only execise I get is walking my dog for 30 or so minutes, albeit at a high pace.

When I started, I was 94 kilograms (207 pounds) and now, after 20 days, I am 88 kilograms (194 pounds). I would like to remind that I am 2 meters tall, so the numbers a bit higher due to my weight. I have lost the weight really gradually and I am not doing anything extreme. Is this fast weight loss normal in your opinion? I have not once felt that I am malnourished or my stomach is empty.

Thanks!

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Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Sunday, 02 December 2018? Start here!

Today is your Day 1?

Welcome to r/Loseit!

So you aren’t sure of how to start? Don’t worry! “How do I get started?” is our most asked question. r/Loseit has helped our users lose over 1,000,000 recorded pounds and these are the steps that we’ve found most useful for getting started.

Why you’re overweight

Our bodies are amazing (yes, yours too!). In order to survive before supermarkets, we had to be able to store energy to get us through lean times, we store this energy as adipose fat tissue. If you put more energy into your body than it needs, it stores it, for (potential) later use. When you put in less than it needs, it uses the stored energy. The more energy you have stored, the more overweight you are. The trick is to get your body to use the stored energy, which can only be done if you give it less energy than it needs, consistently.

Before You Start

The very first step is calculating your calorie needs. You can do that HERE. This will give you an approximation of your calorie needs for the day. The next step is to figure how quickly you want to lose the fat. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. So to lose 1 pound of fat per week you will need to consume 500 calories less than your TDEE (daily calorie needs from the link above). 750 calories less will result in 1.5 pounds and 1000 calories is an aggressive 2 pounds per week.

Tracking

Here is where it begins to resemble work. The most efficient way to lose the weight you desire is to track your calorie intake. This has gotten much simpler over the years and today it can be done right from your smartphone or computer. r/loseit recommends an app like MyFitnessPal, Loseit! (unaffiliated), or Cronometer. Create an account and be honest with it about your current stats, activities, and goals. This is your tracker and no one else needs to see it so don’t cheat the numbers. You’ll find large user created databases that make logging and tracking your food and drinks easy with just the tap of the screen or the push of a button. We also highly recommend the use of a digital kitchen scale for accuracy. Knowing how much of what you're eating is more important than what you're eating. Why? This may explain it.

Creating Your Deficit

How do you create a deficit? This is up to you. r/loseit has a few recommendations but ultimately that decision is yours. There is no perfect diet for everyone. There is a perfect diet for you and you can create it. You can eat less of exactly what you eat now. If you like pizza you can have pizza. Have 2 slices instead of 4. You can try lower calorie replacements for calorie dense foods. Some of the communities favorites are cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash in place of their more calorie rich cousins. If it appeals to you an entire dietary change like Keto, Paleo, Vegetarian.

The most important thing to remember is that this selection of foods works for you. Sustainability is the key to long term weight management success. If you hate what you’re eating you won’t stick to it.

Exercise

Is NOT mandatory. You can lose fat and create a deficit through diet alone. There is no requirement of exercise to lose weight.

It has it’s own benefits though. You will burn extra calories. Exercise is shown to be beneficial to mental health and creates an endorphin rush as well. It makes people feel awesome and has been linked to higher rates of long term success when physical activity is included in lifestyle changes.

Crawl, Walk, Run

It can seem like one needs to make a 180 degree course correction to find success. That isn’t necessarily true. Many of our users find that creating small initial changes that build a foundation allows them to progress forward in even, sustained, increments.

Acceptance

You will struggle. We have all struggled. This is natural. There is no tip or trick to get through this though. We encourage you to recognize why you are struggling and forgive yourself for whatever reason that may be. If you overindulged at your last meal that is ok. You can resolve to make the next meal better.

Do not let the pursuit of perfect get in the way of progress. We don’t need perfect. We just want better.

Additional resources

Now you’re ready to do this. Here are more details, that may help you refine your plan.

• Quick Start Guide - Build your foundation!
• Loseit Compendium - Frame it out!
• FAQ - Answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions!

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Has anyone had success adding carbs for weight loss?

I know that there are many people experiencing great success with keto and I have a personal fear of gaining weight with carbs. Has anyone experienced success losing weight after experiencing neato keto by adding things like milk or fruit but still eating at a deficit? I kind of got into a “you can eat anything as long as your day is under 20g of carbs” mentality, and have gained weight in the past six months (shocker). Apologies for grammar. Carnivore and keto can be life-saving and I have experienced many benefits, just not weight loss, per say. I come from a restrictive background and probably just need to learn to monitor calories, regardless. But I am curious if anyone upped their carbs to 50–100 grams daily and lost weight. I went on a long bike ride today and noticed I had more energy having increased carbs to <65g but calories lower than usual. Thank you.

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