[jen57]

Hi all - I started phen 2 weeks ago today, and after 7 days, seemed to have lost 3 lbs. Now, at 14 days, I got on scale and GAINED the 3 lbs. back PLUS 1 more!!! I am so frustrated I wanted to throw the scale across the room. I am on 37.5, which I break in 1/2 and take 1/2 @ 7:00 am and other 1/2 @ 12:00 when I start to get hungry. I thought I was eating @ 1/3 less on phen. I work out EVERY NIGHT. It is curbing my appetite slightly, but its not a miracle pill or anything - which is fine - I just don't understand why I am gaining when I am sticking to a sensible diet [i.e. 3 meals, low fat, high fiber] and doing the eliptical machine 30 min. per night [no real time for more]. Has anyone had this experience??!! I don't know what to do anymore - my body is fighting to hold onto this fat! I am 100 lbs. overwheight - so its not like I just have a little to lose - I know the less you have to lose, the harder it gets - but I weight 231 lbs. Does phen just not work for some people? Any insight/experiences are most appreciated - so I can stop crying!

ps- I have a Dr. **, filled at a pharmacy, so I know its legit phen!

[[-Susanne-]]

It might be because you've increased your water intake? Make a search for water and read about this issue in the forums
Susanne

[mommy2cody]

I would try taking the whole pill instead of halfing it. Either take the whole pill at 7:00 and then wait about 1 hour to eat breakfast or eat breakfast and then wait about 1-2 hours and then take the phen.

Low-Fat High Fiber? So give us some examples of what you are eating? Typical day...
You should be eating about 1000-1200 calories a day. If you don't know how to calculate them, go to www.sparkpeople.com and use their nutrition tracker it is awesome and it is free!

You can do this...hang in there, and let us try to help you figure it out!

Laurie

[2getskinnysoon]

Jen... I don't have much experience with Phen myself.. but wanted to give you some words of encouragement. YOU CAN do this... it's just going to take some time and adjustment until you get everything lined up to lose. I agree with the pp, what exactly are you eating and how much? Your exercise sounds great.. keep it up. Actually, take a look at your diet, but the rest seems just fine. Please post back with your diet and let's see if we can help you.

I am on just day 3 of my first time with Phen, but here is what I eat.

B-small bowl cherrios
s-fruit (mango or 1/2 banana)
L-lean cuisine and small side salad (ff dressing)
s-string cheese
d-lean cuisine or very small portion of what I make for the family. very small portion, no extra potatoe, bread or pasta...

I try to do about 1200c a day. I previously did Jenny Craig and this calorie worked for me. I am hoping the Phen will take away the hunger and the low calorie will work.

Again, you are doing a great job, just need to tweek the eating... more water....

[jen57]

Thank you for your replies! I have actually decided to go back to my Weight Watchers points system [I lost 60 lbs. on WW previously - gained it all back, but the points system does work!]. I don't know how many calories/day, but I am going to look at that website now!
I have been eating basically the following:
breakfast: 2 hardboiled eggs, 1 fat-free yogurt, 1 banana.
Snack: apple
Lunch: 1 turkey [3 small slices] sandwich with hi-fiber/whole grain bread; 1 slice cheese.
Dinner: chicken or fish [6 oz. maybe? - not a lot], brown rice, veggie [mostly big salad.
Snack: fat -free, sugar free ice-cream [my greatest downfall!!!]
Tons of water throughout the day - I have dry mouth from the phen which increases the water intake tremendously anyway!!

My Dr. had suggested the 1 carb-free meal a day, [breakfact] since I have had so much trouble losing the last few months[which is why she agreed to the phen]. Now that I started doing WW points, the carb free is too many points, so I am eating 1 cup Fiber 1 cereal with 1 cup 1% milk for breakfast. I am hypoglycemic, so I can't eat just salads! WIsh I could!

Questions: I will try the whole pill in the am, but since with the 1/2 pill, I am hungry at 12:00, I am afraid the effects won't last all day? A lot of people on this site say the phen takes away their appetite completely, but I do get hungry [but it is definitely blunted from the phen]. Dinner is the easiest - seems I am able to eat much less and be full with less - other meals are harder, but I have cut down on my intake of food in general by a good 25% [I have been on the diet since Sept. 06].

I will also look at water posts.
Thank you again!!!

[2getskinnysoon]

Hi Jen, your meal plan sounds just right.. WW is a great plan and with the Phen as a bounus for the hunger you are all set.

I was also taking just 1/2 in the a.m. and 1/2 about 2.. Today I decided to do the whole pill at once. I ate a small bowl of cherrios about 8 and took the full dose of Phen at 10:15. It's 11 now and I am ready for my snack, but drinking a 16oz water first, then a fruit. My main snacking time is afternoon into evening.. I am WW grazer for sure (hehe).

Well, keep us posted and I wish you much sucess.

[mommy2cody]

Jen,
I think everything looks right on target...the only thing I would watch is the ice cream...if it is your downfall, then you probably are eating too much of it! I stay away from all that stuff. I only eat fruit or yogurt as a sweet fix.

Try taking a whole phen tomorrow. I would eat your breakfast and shoot for taking the phen about 10-10:30 with lunch at noon. Try that for say 3 days. Let's see if it changes anything for you.
WW is a great plan.

Some days I do get hungrier then others. Don't know why.

I do think the phen will work for you. You might also try adding some 5HTP to the mix, it might help.

Hang in there...PM if you need extra encouragement!

Laurie

[jen57]

Thank you very much to all! I have to look into this 5HTP stuff. I live in NYC and don't have a Wal-Mart anywhere near me. Is it sold anywhere else/online?

[gijoesgirl]

try some vitamin or health food stores for the 5htp. also you might want to give CLA a try along with it. i take both in the morning and when i go to bed. the CLA pills are really big,i was like wow,but they do seam to work,esp. in the stomach area. how are your clothes fitting you now? i know it's probably too early to see the effect of this but people have always told me muscle weighs more than fat. now that i am working out regularly i'm not seeing weightloss as fast as before but my clothes are feeling looser. so even though i might not be seeing the loss on the scale it's happening cuz of how my clothes fit. hope that helps a little. just give it a little more time and don't be discouraged. you are doing everything right and it will happen.

[rant_s0me]

have you had your thyroid checked? i have thyroid disease and if it goes untreated, you wont lose ANY WEIGHT--even if you exercise everyday and are watching what you eat!

[jen57]

Again, thank you so much for your responses! My clothes are looser, but I have been excercising since Feb. and on the phen 2 weeks, so its hard to know at this point what its due to. I DID take my measurements yesterday, so at least I have that to go by from now on.

I make my Dr. check my thyroid EVERY year, as I am convinced there has to be another reason I am this heavy...! [it couln't be due to what I ate and lack of excercise, of course...]. Anyway, its normal - she test 2 mos. ago!

What is CLA? Sounds familiar - I'll have to look it up.

[rant_s0me]

do you know what your TSH level is? just bc youre in the "normal" range doesnt necessarily mean its "normal" for YOU... (something i learned the hard way)

im constantly battling my dr's bc they are treating me based on a number rather than my symptoms.... and nothing is getting resolved.

[bateaux2]

Just some further input. Make sure you are measuring everything you eat. You estimated your protein portion size -- we have a tendency to underestimate what we're eating. A 4 oz serving of fish should be about the size of a deck of playing cards.

Also, while brown rice is healthier than white, it still has calories (100 in just a half a cup) in it. Are you measuring it out to make sure you're eating only one portion? Is it boxed, flavored stuff, or is it just plain? Do you add butter or oil? On your salads -- what type of dressing? Are you using low/reduced fat and measuring it? As for your sandwiches -- have you checked the calories/fat on the bread? It may shock you how much is in one slice. Also, do you add condiments such as mayo? It looks like the ice cream you're eating is around 80 calories per 1/2 cup -- how many servings of it are you eating at a time? It's the little things that can creep up on us, especially when it come to portion size. This is why Weight Watchers is great in making us aware of everything we eat.

Your breakfast did seem like it would be a bit high in points. To me that seems like a lot of food. While eggs are very healthy, yolks can have quite a bit of fat in them -- which can also be healthy, but two eggs is about 10 grams of fat I believe. The whites have a lot of protein and trace amounts of fat. This breakfast would have been roughly 400 calories in itself.

[2getskinnysoon]

Jen - you still out there? How is it going this week? I am hoping your adjustment in calories and m