Hi from a reluctanct user

[SuzyQ2809]

Hi, I'm new to the site and to phentermine. I just started yesterday. Here's some info about me. I have had a life long struggle with weight. Especially now because I have been diagnoised with Hashimoto's (auto immune version of hypothyroidism) and metabolic sydrome complete with the high BP (controlled by med), high cholestrol (controlled by med) and triglycerides (almost under control with med), high insulin levels (working to get under control- metaformin was just increased), and of course the stubborn belly fat that wouldn't come off no matter what I do.
In January I started my second stint with Weight Watchers. I joined WW the first time 4 yrs ago and I lost 30lbs in approx 3 year time span. I quit it last year after being plateaued for a very long time, I bounced around gaining and losing the same 3-5 lbs. I joined a gym and hired a personal trainer, we worked on both an exercise program and nutrition. BIG MISTAKE!! Over the course of the year I gained 20 lbs of it back. So back to WW I went. I have managed to lose 6lbs with it so far. I follow the WW plan as well as eating low glycemic foods with an occasional moderate glycemic indexed food. I exercise 4-5 times a week for approx an hour at the gym doing the treadmill, eliptical, or sprints on the recumbant bike or on my wii fit. ( not as good as workout as the gym but is good when I don't have time to go to the gym. It's not a terrible workout now that I know how to get it to go past 30 min) My endo told me to focus on the aerobic exercise and not to do any stength training.
Friday I went to the doctor to go over my newest lab results. They weren't perfect but they are getting close. Much improved over the last results. While there I got the standard lose weight lecture and that I was not doing enough. She suggested that I go on phentermine to give my metabolism a kick start. I was and still am somewhat reluctant to go on this medication. I worry about drug interaction since I am on so many medications (even though she said it would be fine) plus I just didn't want to add another pill to my collection. After doing research and reading many of the posts I've decided to give the med a chance. I am on a 1 mth trial and if it works I can be on it for 3 mths. I really hope this will work for me because the next step would be to go to a metabolic specialist according to my dr. I would love to be able to go off some of my meds or at least reduce dosages. If there is anyone out there that has similar issues and/or medical issues I would love to hear from you. Any support I can get would be much appreciated. Sorry this is so long and thank you for letting me vent.

[Marie Anna]

Hi Suzy Q!

Welcome! There are so many helpful people here.

I have not been through what you have been through...I'm sorry to hear that. I've also never heard of anyone gaining weight by hiring a personal trainer...but I certainly believe you. What the heck diet did they have you on-pasta and rice and no protein? OH MY!

I understand you not wanting to have another tablet added to your concoction every day. Phen is temporary. I would invite you to find a lifelong lifestyle that you can live with so you can drop all of those meds or at least some of them.

I am the resident "know-it-all." Sorry. I just wanted to welcome you and wish you great success and happiness!

[SuzyQ2809]

Thanks for the welcome. I like the Weight Watchers diet especially now that they have the Momentum program that focuses on healthy filling foods. WW worked for me once so I am hoping with the pills to give my metabolism a boost it will work again. As far as the trainers diet, I was eating a lot of protien, in my opinion too much protien and not enough fruits and veggies. I was eating 4-5 times a day. The meal plan didn't seem balanced at all. I was sooo sick and tired of eggs, meat, and whey protien shakes by the time I gave up the diet. He then gave me a diet with protien and natural peanut butter. After that diet failed he gave me a diet with strictly all protien and no carbohydrates what so ever. I couldn't make it past day 3 with this diet. So I told him no more diet plans. I'm going back to my WW plan because at least when I was eating WW I was maintaining the weight within 5lbs or so. I appreciate the fact that he did some research to try to tailor it to my medical issues and he did a good job helping me achieve some fitness goals. He was really baffled why I wasn't losing and that I was gaining. Also after trying these diets my lab results were horrible!! In retrospect I think the amount and the portion sizes were just too much. I also think that possibly the whey might have affected me? As a hypothroid I do try to limit my intake of products containing soy because soy has a tendency to bind to fat. Even though I had to gain a lot of weight it was a hard and important lesson learned. Just because a diet works for other people it doesn't mean that it will work for me. I have to gather all the information and then make an informed decison on what will be right for me.

[elemteach5]

Welcome to the site. If you've never used phentermine before, this could be a great medication to help you get your weight loss on track. You will find many helpful people on this site. Just don't get discouraged. You can win this battle. Take it one day at a time. If you mess up one day, get right back on track the next. Don't ever give up!!! Focus on getting healthy and the weight loss will follow. I look forward to hearing from you!!!

[Marie Anna]

Thanks for the welcome. I like the Weight Watchers diet especially now that they have the Momentum program that focuses on healthy filling foods. WW worked for me once so I am hoping with the pills to give my metabolism a boost it will work again. As far as the trainers diet, I was eating a lot of protien, in my opinion too much protien and not enough fruits and veggies. I was eating 4-5 times a day. The meal plan didn't seem balanced at all. I was sooo sick and tired of eggs, meat, and whey protien shakes by the time I gave up the diet. He then gave me a diet with protien and natural peanut butter. After that diet failed he gave me a diet with strictly all protien and no carbohydrates what so ever. I couldn't make it past day 3 with this diet. So I told him no more diet plans. I'm going back to my WW plan because at least when I was eating WW I was maintaining the weight within 5lbs or so. I appreciate the fact that he did some research to try to tailor it to my medical issues and he did a good job helping me achieve some fitness goals. He was really baffled why I wasn't losing and that I was gaining. Also after trying these diets my lab results were horrible!! In retrospect I think the amount and the portion sizes were just too much. I also think that possibly the whey might have affected me? As a hypothroid I do try to limit my intake of products containing soy because soy has a tendency to bind to fat. Even though I had to gain a lot of weight it was a hard and important lesson learned. Just because a diet works for other people it doesn't mean that it will work for me. I have to gather all the information and then make an informed decison on what will be right for me.

Wow! Did they not realise that you had other medical problems?

You're absolutely right about that...some lifestyles work for some people, not everyone. Actually if I was a personal trainer, I would have put people on a similiar diet. Most people drop weight like crazy on a diet like that.

I have a friend that does really really well on Weight Watchers,too. I understand that it's a very do-able program!

Wishing you great success!