[Sweet_Girl]

Did anyone get on Phen and not really lose weight the first month? Did it get better? Next Friday will be my one month. In the first two weeks I only lost 7 pounds. Since then my scale will NOT budge! I am feeling so upset, I feel like nothing is going to work for me. I have been drinking my water and forcing myself to eat! Whats wrong with me?

[dmistyc7]

I just had my first follow up appt yesterday. I actually lost 13.8 lbs. My doc said i could have lost more if I had done some exercising. So that is my goal this month. Are you exercising and what types of foods are you eating?

[Sweet_Girl]

I barely started exercising this week, 3 times for 30 minutes on my exercise bike. It is on a cycle where its easy then hard then easy then hard and so on....I'm not sticking to any diet but I also dont eat very much. Sometimes i forget....I am upset because "will anything work for me?"

[lovemyboys]

so far 3 weeks have not lost but 11 but have had some stress and not much activity.

[dbethied]

i think it's probably the lack of an actual "diet" ..i hate that word, but for me...i have to have some kind of plan. i've always had a really hard time losing weight, but now i count calories (no more than 1200 a day) and no more than 25 fat grams per day, but usually less. you can eat small amounts of food but if the food is small amounts of chips or something it is loaded with fat...and if you're eating high sodium foods it makes you retain water. i say come up with an actual plan and see how that works for you. 7 pounds is still good, though. keep it up...you're doing great!

[jbenev5338]

yeah i agree with setting a diet plan... Not like i can't eat this or this...
But maybe using a website to track your calories which makes you more aware of what has a lot of calories and what is a good food to eat

[Sweet_Girl]

Thanks guys! I guess what is really keeping me is getting on a diet. I've been dieting most of my life and ERRR I am just so worn out, I think that is why i gave up altogether! I was on atkins for about a year 3 years ago, so far atkins is the what really works for me.....but i am so tired of EGGS AND CHICKEN!!!!!!!

[Leigh_Ann]

A lot of people are saying the dreaded 'D' word- but what I have done is make changes that I will stay with for a LIFETIME in order to be healthy. They are changes that make sense to me. Here is my 'plan'
1. Eat something every morning an hour or so after taking my meds. (I take phen, synthroid, and will start birth control tomorrow). In that hour between meds and food I drink at least 20 oz. of water if I can.
2. Make a water bottle permanently attatched to your hand. Always in reach and full of fresh water. Seriously, find a way to make this happen. I am a teacher, and I keep a bottle on my desk. I visit the water fountain (and bathroom haha!) between each class to fill it up. This extra important during high stress/high temptation times like parties, bbqs, whatever.
3. I eat a turkey sandwich on whole weat with light mayo everyday. Not 'lite' as in low fat mayo, but regular mayo, just a VERY small amount. The 'lite' you miss in fat you make up in sugar, and I trying to limit my processed sugars. I also drink (another) water and have some type of fruit with lunch.
4. Don't deprive yourself, just make smarter choices. For example: skip whatever desert everyone else may be having and if you HAVE to have something sweet, grab one of those 100 calorie packs. The carrot cake ones are so good! They taste like REAL carrot cake, and I know it goes agains the whole processed sugar thing, but I don't eat them on a daily basis.
5. Dinner should be a lean meat and veggies, preferrably the type that have a low glycemic index. This means they have very few of the carbs that cause your blood sugar to fluctuate and make you feel bad. Some 'bad' carbs are things like potatoes, corn, white rice, etc. We have fallen in love with the ziplock steam bags- fill them up with brocoli, squash, and carrots, some mrs. dash garlic blend, a pat of butter, nuke for 5 mins, and it is so good.

A little bit more on choices: instead of beef buy either ground turkey or for burgers buy turkey burgers, they are fast and easy. Examine your grocery habits. Where do you spend most of your time shopping? Try to shop on the 'outside' of the store and buy 80% or better of your food. This requires WEEKLY shopping for fresh fruits and veggies, instead of the canned and frozen ones. Hit up a local farmers market for some great deals on fresh foods! If you have to have ice cream, get the skinny cow stuff or the weight watchers stuff or frozen yogurt.

Take each day and reflect. Celebrate a victory, make a new goal for tomorrow.

Get a pedometer and see how many steps you walk in a day. Try to top that number each day.

These are small changes that don't take much effort, its really a mind over matter thing. A 'how bad do you want it' thing.

The people here are GREAT for support and celebrating your victories with you. Good luck!

[Sweet_Girl]

Originally Posted by Leigh_Ann

A lot of people are saying the dreaded 'D' word- but what I have done is make changes that I will stay with for a LIFETIME in order to be healthy. They are changes that make sense to me. Here is my 'plan'
1. Eat something every morning an hour or so after taking my meds. (I take phen, synthroid, and will start birth control tomorrow). In that hour between meds and food I drink at least 20 oz. of water if I can.
2. Make a water bottle permanently attatched to your hand. Always in reach and full of fresh water. Seriously, find a way to make this happen. I am a teacher, and I keep a bottle on my desk. I visit the water fountain (and bathroom haha!) between each class to fill it up. This extra important during high stress/high temptation times like parties, bbqs, whatever.
3. I eat a turkey sandwich on whole weat with light mayo everyday. Not 'lite' as in low fat mayo, but regular mayo, just a VERY small amount. The 'lite' you miss in fat you make up in sugar, and I trying to limit my processed sugars. I also drink (another) water and have some type of fruit with lunch.
4. Don't deprive yourself, just make smarter choices. For example: skip whatever desert everyone else may be having and if you HAVE to have something sweet, grab one of those 100 calorie packs. The carrot cake ones are so good! They taste like REAL carrot cake, and I know it goes agains the whole processed sugar thing, but I don't eat them on a daily basis.
5. Dinner should be a lean meat and veggies, preferrably the type that have a low glycemic index. This means they have very few of the carbs that cause your blood sugar to fluctuate and make you feel bad. Some 'bad' carbs are things like potatoes, corn, white rice, etc. We have fallen in love with the ziplock steam bags- fill them up with brocoli, squash, and carrots, some mrs. dash garlic blend, a pat of butter, nuke for 5 mins, and it is so good.

A little bit more on choices: instead of beef buy either ground turkey or for burgers buy turkey burgers, they are fast and easy. Examine your grocery habits. Where do you spend most of your time shopping? Try to shop on the 'outside' of the store and buy 80% or better of your food. This requires WEEKLY shopping for fresh fruits and veggies, instead of the canned and frozen ones. Hit up a local farmers market for some great deals on fresh foods! If you have to have ice cream, get the skinny cow stuff or the weight watchers stuff or frozen yogurt.

Take each day and reflect. Celebrate a victory, make a new goal for tomorrow.

Get a pedometer and see how many steps you walk in a day. Try to top that number each day.

These are small changes that don't take much effort, its really a mind over matter thing. A 'how bad do you want it' thing.

The people here are GREAT for support and celebrating your victories with you. Good luck!

THANKS FOR ALL THE INFORMATION!!!

[gothprincess]

I posted my story earlier in the week. Maybe if you read it , you won't be so discouraged. I've been fighting this battle and been on Phen for almost 4 years. Don't get discouraged, it will happen. I'll bump the post so you can read it. Good luck!

[Band Mamma]

When you get really frustrated and want to give up ask yourself, "Where would I be if I hadn't done what I've been doing?"
Unless your brain is messing with you, you'll soon realize 7 pounds is 7 pounds less and 7 pounds closer to your goal. It's better than gaining or plateauing. Even when gains or plateaus happen, you can remind yourself how much healthier you feel and how much more you can do physically than when you started this journey.