A Time for Change

Well, It's close to the end of the month and I have decided to make an appointment with my family physician to discuss my weight loss options. I go in Tuesday at 10am.

I've tried every diet out there and no matter what, the weight comes back. Diets do not work for me...well, let me rephrase that Diets work until I stop dieting. I know that a diet is not going to be lifelong solution - I'm going to have to change my habits. Which is sooooo hard! No only am I going to have to eat less, but I'll need to work out more - and to be honest, I don't have the energy. I'm on the go from the time I wake up until I crawl into bed. I'm exhausted by the time I get home and don't feel like working out. Then, when I do workout, I get tired easily and get discouraged, so I end up stopping and watching TV instead. -Wow. I sound pathetic. Sorry. I really am trying though.

Several of my friends have recommended the drug phentermine to help me kick-start my weight-loss lifestyle. They have been prescribed it by their doctors and they sing it's praises. So, I'm going to see if the doctor thinks this might be a good option for my own struggle. I've done some research about phentermine and decided to list the pros and cons below. If you have an opinion on this drug, please feel free to post. *This is not in any way an advertisement for this drug, it is simply my own opinion and examination.


About (From drugs.com)

Phentermine is a stimulant that is similar to an amphetamine. It is an appetite suppressant that affects the central nervous system.

Phentermine is used togther with diet, exercise and behavioral modification to treat obesity (excessively overweight) in people with risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

Phentermine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Taking phentermine together with other diet medications such as fenfluramine (Phen-Fen) or dexfenfluramine (Redux) can cause a rare fatal lung disorder called pulmonary hypertension. Do not take phentermine with any other diet medications without your doctor's advice.

Phentermine can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase some of the side effects of phentermine. Phentermine may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Keep track of how many pills have been used from each new bottle of this medicine. Phentermine is a drug of abuse and you should be aware if any person in the household is using this medicine improperly or without a prescription.

You may have withdrawal symptoms, such as depression and extreme tiredness, when you stop using phentermine after a long period of use. Do not stop using phentermine suddenly without first talking to your doctor. You may need to use less and less before you stop the medication completely.

My List of Pros:
FDA regulated
Must Obtain from Doctor - Doctor regulated
Boosts Energy
Suppresses Appetite
Friends lose up to 10lbs a week
Can be used to help establish better/healthier lifestyle habits
Used to treat Obesity - which, as established in earlier posts, is me.

My List of Cons:
Makes you REALLY Thirsty
Makes you stay awake - when you should sleep
Friends lose up to 10lbs a week (Not so sure this is healthy - 2lbs is about avg.)
Doctor can say no
Weight can come back if you don't change your habits
in the same family as amphetamines - Speed.
Habit forming

Well, Pros and Cons are pretty much equal. I am kind of excited about this. I'm hoping it will give me the energy boost to start a regular exercise routine. Then, when it comes time to transition off phentermine, the habits will be in place and I will be able to continue this new lifestyle. It should be able to help me with portion control as well. Since it will keep me from eating too much, my stomach should shrink and agian, when I transition off of it, I should be able to continue the new portions on my own. The people that I have taled to about phentermine did say that their weight came back over an extended period of time (3 years or more) but that they did nothing different when the stopped taking it. They didn't change thier lifestyle at all. I know I cannot do this. This has to be a permanent change.

Wish me luck. I'll post again with how the appointment goes.