I think the zipper on my fat suit is stuck!

[ate.my.veggies]

Just wanted to say hi! I'm a mom of two whose still trying to loose baby weight.....and the baby is 19 mo.! I gained 80# during both pregnancies (largely due to my crazy 24 hour a day eating, but also from being on bed rest) I've taken phen years ago, and just started again yesterday. Really crossing my fingers that I can unzip the fat suit I feel like I'm wearing, because I know there's a thin woman somewhere in here. Would love any tips. This is the first time I've been on a forum where I can talk to other people who are taking it! Hurray!

[tmreese]

Hi and welcome. There is alot of great people with wonderful motavation and great tips. I would say of course the biggest help for me has been drinking lots and lots of water. I can relate with the fat suit LOL!! My baby is 2 1/2 and so I cant really blame the weight on "just having a baby" anymore.

Well again, Welcome and Good luck!

[lenemani]

Hello all! I will be starting Phen hopefully next month. Are there any normal side effects I should be aware of that anyone has had any problems with? Any tips, I should really know before and while taking this medicine? Any advise and info would be greatly appreciated!

[LOLA'S A VIRGO 72]

Hello, and Welcome! don't feel bad I've been wearing my fat suit for 21 years now, lol!!! :)

[Saberducky]

Hi and Welcome.

My advice would be things I picked up mostly from here and experience over the years involving much trial and error.

Before you start changing your eating take a month or two to really pay attention to your eating habits. Just observe and don't change. See what triggers you have. And what triggers you may be ignoring. What triggers cause you to eat even when you aren't hungry? Did your kids leave food on their plate and you hate to throw it out? Are you stuffed but still nibbling because the plate is still in front of you? Do you have to have a snack to watch TV? After a fight with your significant other are you prone to binge? Do you hide your eating or treats from other people?

1) Drink Water at LEAST 2 liters a day.
2) Take your Phen on an empty stomach and don't eat for 2 hours after taking it
3) Don't eat after 6:30 in the evening
4) Measure yourself. You always see this suggestion but sometimes we let it pass us by. DON'T DO THAT! I do this about once a month. When your weight numbers aren't moving, lots of times those measurements are. I've noticed as I get smaller the measurements aren't as drastic but they are a fantastic boost and I am as proud of my inches lost as my weight loss. Sometimes my inches lost would be equal or above my pounds lost.
5) Exercise. Move and use your body. Yes the Phen increases your metabolism some. Particularly, in the beginning people really feel an energy boots, but that wanes. The only real way to boost your energy is to exercise and make yourself more fit and build muscle mass. The people most successful in Phen and with weight loss are changing their lifestyles and making Exercise a major part of that lifestyle. In my opinion, the people who don't think Phen works feel that way because they thought it was a magic pill and they wouldn't have to do anything. I'm losing weight because I'm getting up and working out for hours every week. (shooting for 3 to 4 trips to the gym a week which currently last about 2.5 hours each) Generally when people ask how I'm loosing I tell them about my weekly gym trips, then the meds.
6) Eat. Yes eat. The phen helps suppress your hunger but you need to shoot for at Least 1000 calories a day, even when the thought of consuming any food totally turns you off. In the beginning, I had to force food down. This wears off, thankfully.
7) Find good snacks. Yogurt, Cheese Sticks, Edamame, Fruit, Carrots, and other veggies, Humus for dipping, ham rolls. If you need something salty, Pretzel Chips are good. Something sweet, Atkins Indulgence Products are decent but they are small and may have about as much calories as a similar size/weight of the the product they mimic. However the protein, fat and carb distribution in those calories are different, and the Atkins products contain chemically sugar substitute stuff some folks don't like. (My personal fave is the Caramel Nut Chew Bar, think Snickers) However, these indulgences can give you a hankerin' for sweets, which can sometimes undo your good behavior. So be on the watch for that, if you expect it then some of the power over you is lost. Which leads to the next tip.
8) Know your body and ladies particularly know your cycle and what your normal weight change and cravings are, when to expect them and teach yourself to respect yourself even when you are bloated and cave to a craving. When I know that I'm approaching TOM I'm more lenient on my eating. I'm famished, I'm hungry, so I'll eat, and I'll eat what I'm hungry for, otherwise I'll eat everything until I actually consume what I wanted in the first place. Better to make a Chocolate Milkshake (which will be smaller than it used to be since I don't gorge like I used to) right away, than eat 3 fig newtons, a handful or carrots, a yogurt and pretzels etc. maybe for a few days and eventually have the shake anyway.
9) Take Vitamins
10) When people tell you you are doing good tell them thank you, smile and DON'T FORGET IT!
11) Don't forget the Phen is a tool, a very temporary one and use it as such. In a few months you'll be 100% all on your own. Therefore, in the time your have thprescriptionon you need to learn and train yourself with enough tools to continue managing thweight lossss after this tool has run its course.
12) Get to know your physical body. Become as comfortable in whatever skin you have as possible. Look at yourself in the mirror and note what you like as well as what you hope will change. This is a long process that more comfortable you are with yourself throughout the better things will be.
13)Watch for changes in your body and mind. Spotting them is a great moral boost. New Muscles. Collar Bones and Rib bones. A higher libido. A new strut. More Social or Confident


Hope these help and get you off to a good start.

[ate.my.veggies]

Wow! Thanks everyone! Kara, you really made me think about things I've never thought about before (and I used to manage two gyms and WRITE diets for cliets, LOL). It's so hard for me when the kids have food on their plates. I let the baby throw all his food on the floor and the dog has a treat. The 6 year old, just puts her plate on the floor for the dog instead of putting it on the counter now. I hope that doesn't sound gross. It has really helped me not to snack off of their plates. I am also terrible about night time eating, but haven't felt the need to eat since I started taking the meds.

My biggest problem so far has been sleeping. I didn't go to sleep last night, well actually this morning, until 5 am, then got up 2 hours later. I'm hoping I don't have such a hard time tonight.

Crossing my fingers!
Lindsey

[Saberducky]

Thanks Ate My Veggies.
I've been wanting to sit down and really put out some of the things I've done and changed and I took your post to do it.

I know these threads are a great resource and regular appearances on the Forum help all the new people. It is always valuable to see what others are doing and maybe learn some new tricks or tips.