Diet Pill

Thanks Neecee. Brenda told me I should talk to you about the pill thing because she thought you were on them or were at one time. We'll see what happens in about half an hour....I need to get going time to leave!!!

Christa, The Phentermine helps with hunger but you alone control what goes into your mouth. Eating carbs for me makes me want/need/crave them ever more and for that I have found in the recent months harmful to my system. Let me explain. When I had surgery 11/05 for the Lap Band I was on liquids for a month and after 3 days the cravings for carbs left. I followed the Lap Band program to the letter never ever did I eat carbs or sugars over 6grams. June 2007 after a 2nd Severe Band Slippage I had to have emergency surgery to have the Band . Since that time gradually I have been craving and eating the foods that I ''missed''. I joined WW and even work for them as a part-time job and a full time job in a surgery center. Point here is I know what the hell to eat. LOL As of this past week my Diabetes is back with me using Meformin and insulin, high blood pressure is back and so is my high cholesterol (since my Diabetes is high) and the I have gained back 25lb since June but more alarming is 15lbs in 6weeks and yes Christa I have been taking Phentermin the whole time. It was explained to me in goorey detail by my co-worker the medical director of Anesthesia when I questioned why I have to now have a stress test. he said for me the carbs turn to sugar in an alarming rate and causing me to gain immensly and my blood sugars are rising which causes my heart and other systems to react which I could be having chest pain (heart attack) and not know it.  Now my family doc says  a medically supervised weightloss program is needed for me and of course the stress test. Will insurance pay? Maybe for the diabetice doc and counselor, but for medication it will not and will not pay for any liquid diet program ie:optifast,medifast et c.  The moral of my story is the WLS and medication wil help with fullness but does NOT fix your head. I have only(I say that lightly) gained back 25lbs and a mere over the BMI range but for me it is playing havoc and to be honest this is the worst part of my lifes journey that 25lbs that  I am fighting. Yes food is my drug of choice and no amount of group support, healthcare life career, couunseling,medication  can fix my Head. Only I have control of me and that I am finding that out the hard way but I am trying to learn to fix me...........

Sharon, my friend, you have done said a mouthful there.  Your post is likely the most useful to us all. "Fixing your head" is a phrase I learned here at OH, and that is exactly what we are all trying to say. FYH is the answer to why 75% of WLS patients fail, and 95% of non-ops fail at losing and keeping it off.  It is a long road, WE make it hard, again, part of the FYH. This path never gets shorter or easier, and by FYH, you take it one section of road at a time.  Sometimes we fall off that path, stumble lots, but the main objective is to get back on and enjoy (or wrangle hard - our personal choice) and again, take it a section at a time.  Brilliant post.

I'm going to be 37 in a few weeks and I have tried many different ways to lose weight.  I've been able to lose weight and keep it off for a couple/few years but it's always crept back on much to my dismay.  Like you, I know what foods and portion sizes are appropriate and am convinced that, even though I convinced myself, I never really dealt with my brain enough.  When I started in late August I had gotten to the point where, I could have afforded it, I would have financed weight loss surgery.  Insurance would not pay so I decided that I needed to at least get the ball rolling because I just kept getting bigger.  The first couple of weeks I was very emotional.  Probably because I didn't get really psyched up to "start"-it just sort of happened.  This made me experience the emotions more because I didn't have that temporary high that we often get when we start a program.m  Those first emotional weeks made me realize how much of a relationship I have with food.  I don't think I knew the extreme dependency I had using food to deal with any emotion: boredom, stress, sadness, happiness, etc. That said, I completely agree with you.  The drugs will deal with the real hunger which is great.  The "head hunger" (which doesn't always even feel like hunger) part will follow you if you don't deal with it.  That is how I ended up gaining the weight back plus more.  The drugs are a tool. Christa, I'm behind anything that works for you (as long as it is safe for you, of course).  Sometimes it takes a while to find the right combination of things that will work for us long term.  I hope that you and your doctor find the right combination this time!

I would like to add that I was talking with my boss yesterday of the problems I have been having and up coming doctors appts and this is someone that truely can understand. She is a registered nurse certified in the operating room and now CEO of the surgery center I work in with having gastric bypass surgery little over 2 years ago. She told me Sharon from what you have been thru if it wasnt for this WLS I know I would be screwed and back to over 400lbs (she is now about 150 give or take a few lbs) She eats crap and nibbles but drinks regular coffee all day long and a yogurt at lunch. She also said you know what to do and now do it and you know that with any surgery especially WLS it wont fix our head and it will never be easy for us. Damn girl that was a light bulb moment for me I am telling you. I want it to be easy and I want to eat what I want and not exercise and be a slug yes a slug but that aint happening in myh lifetime. I have to do what I have to do to try and fix my head. I have scheduled some counselor appts, Endocrinologist (diabetes doc), Diabetes/nutrionist appt, Internalist doc and the Stress test with the Cardiologist. After going to the drug store and picking up 4 RX's for health conditions that can be all but removed by diet,exerse and weightlosss another light bulb moment here. Let me be honest here and say I remember a few or more years ago that not living my life was a option that I choose a few times but apparently it was not my time to go. Now I want to live and a healthy life even if it does take fixing my head. This food no matter how comforting,loving, filling,tempting and everything else is not giving up ones life or a limb or two and even passing out (which I tend to do when my diabetes blood sugar raises) Yes I even am going to go to the gym the one that I pay for monthly that is open 24/7 and never ever closes and my DH said that he is getting a treadmill for my holiday gift so rain,snow and sleet I dont have an excuse to not be healthy.  Whatever it takes medication,going outside ones comfort zone (damn I freaking hate to sweat and workout LOL)  we all owe yes owe it to ourselfs to be on the healthy journey of life........................

Hi Christa,

Sorry I am only just back online today, so my reply seems somewhat late.

I know how desperate it feels to want to lose weight.  I asked my GP about diet pills before I started my weight loss.  For me, I was too much of a tight @r$e to pay the money as it was going to cost me about $80 a week for the one he recommended for me (Xenical).  So I never ended up taking them.

I say good on you, give it a go!  If you can use it as a kickstart (and you don't get sideeffects) then try it.

If your appetite is under control you can focus on the exercise part of the weightloss equation.  You can really get a workout habit made without feeling overwhelmed by the whole big picture of long term weightloss. This pill might be just the help you need while you start making long term lifestyle changes. It won't be 'forver', but it may be a starting point.

If you decide to try it, I do think it might be worth making a timeframe plan first- with 'review' points where you can see how all the elements of weightloss are working and make changes- eg change-dose, workouts, menu depending on what is happening. If all goes well, you can come off the pill and your new habits will help you stay on track.

Let me know how it goes, 

Em