My doctor started me onthe lower dose i think it was 15 mg when i woke up after 3 weeks i had not lost any weight so my doctor had me take the 37.5mg pills in the mornings. that was 2 weeks ago and i have only lost like 4 lbs total. What am i doing wrong. I cut out all of my soda intake. SOmeone said i might not be eating enough can this be true?
Why am I not losing weight on phentermine?
Question posted by sillysocks69 on 21 Oct 2010
Last updated on 4 January 2022 by kmiller236
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
9 Answers
kmiller236
5 Jan 2022
You need to eat your body’s appropriate TDEE amount, under eating can and will halt your progress. There are online calculators that can help you figure out your score. Make sure you are also exercising appropriately, and (I cannot stress this enough) add weight training to your routine. It boosts metabolism and burns calories for a period of time after your workout is finished.
Side note: phentermine has a loss rate is 3-6 pounds per month, if you have lost 4 so far than it has been effective and is working.
Lindsaynlfeltman
26 Oct 2021
I use the keto diet with mine but i make sure i get 6 carb servings and 15g of sugar a day. I also got keto meal shake and drink that for breakfast. But lunch should be the biggest meal bc that when your body burns the most so i eat bread, bake potato or healthy rices but like for dinner ill have a protein lean meat with fresh veggies etc. and i also eat keto bread that walmart sells and put like slice cheese that has no carbs or sugar in it for snack. Sugar alcohols or trying to eat sugar free stuff will really help cut the craving when you want something sweet. Also drinking lots of water is the biggest thing in any diet. I fast pace walk or just walk 5x a week even if its not that far. I try to avoid sitting as much as i can during the day. My first week i lost 11 lbs. but! The heavier you are the more weight you will lose in the beginning. Because they changing their diet, using the bathroom more regularly, inflammation decreases, and water weight is excreted more.
Like i weighed 254 at first weigh in and my last was 243. A lot of mine, was not using the bathroom a lot and not drinking enough water. Once i started drinking a high amount of water, i started losing more weight. Try increasing good fat intake like tuna, salmon, etc thats why i drink the keto meal shake bc it gives me 20g of good fats and 8g of protein and 4 grams of fiber.
Tanderson1963
2 Sep 2021
I don’t have an answer. I’m new here and didn’t see where I could post a question. I too am on the lowest dose and nothing is happening. Been on it a week. Some days I don’t have any hunger. Other days I can eat chicken and veggies and be hungry an hour later. I drink lots of water. Cut all sugar out. Walk 3 miles daily. Only issue is I don’t have regular bowel movements. I can go days without one. What does people take to help this along. I take fiber gummies too. Thx
Rita weber
1 July 2020
Iam 70 years old I started taking 37.5 phentermine. I walk everyday for 40 minutes. My dr gave me a 1300 a day calorie diet. I keep within that range. I have never gone over it. Iam 4 11 and I weigh 145. I take Zoloft . I have gained two lbs .i do not know what is wrong. I follow and do everything the dr told me. Can someone please help me
Cookie936
2 Nov 2019
What do I drink besides water is there anything else
abilifynomore
2 Oct 2019
I am having a crisis at the moment. I’ve tried everything apart from weight loss surgery to lose weight I gained when out on anti psychotic meds like abilify 32kg! My dr presecribed me Duomine 30mg and I’m currently on my 5th week with 1kg weight loss.. I’ve been eating 500-100 calories per day little coffee and alcohol and exercising 4-7 hours everyday! Mostly walking, gym machines, weights and resistance/toning bands. I really was hopeful and thought I had lost a lot of weight until I weighed myself and I got down and out.
My blood tests came back normal and I have had plenty of energy and eating less but really why can’t I lose weight? I thought maybe muscle mass I’m gaining but wouldn’t that result in burning more fat and losing weight? my clothes are a little looser than before and I have less fluid but still my stomach is hard like a rock and bloated up like a pregnant lady I have no idea what that is from apart from before abilify and other meds that were forced onto me by TA I was able to lose weight easy and was a healthy bmi. I’ve tried fasting, supplements, cleanses, Akins/paleo, raw foods etc even recreational drugs and nothing has worked.
Lashon47
3 Jan 2021
Try JJ smith 10 day green smoothie cleanse , I lost 15lbs the first 10 days. You can get her book on Amazon and you can join the group on Facebook and look at all the real stories from different people.
Lashon47
3 Jan 2021
Try JJ smith 10 day green smoothie cleanse , I lost 15lbs the first 10 days. You can get her book on Amazon and you can join the group on Facebook and look at all the real stories from different people.
abilifynomore
5 Jan 2021
So like a year and a bit later now I’ll update you I was on Duomine (5 prescriptions) I am pretty sure not all consistent though I ended up keeping to an exercise program at the beginning and fairly good diet. I lost 31kg so I was 83kg at the beginning now 51kg which is awesome. My skin isn’t loose cause the way I lost weight was through physical fitness and not too fast which is awesome and also I have learnt a lot about my metabolism. I hope to tone up more muscle definition and also lose another 4kg -5kg no more then that I am thinking as I am a pretty fit person now. I want to be in the healthy bmi category. Anyway Duomine does work just keep up eating healthy working out and having a balanced diet. Water helps and don’t starve yourself as eating abit helps this drug/medication work.
phoenixdagogeda
10 July 2015
I started taking adipex may 2015 I stopped eating red meat,pork ,white bread and no sodas or candy I weighed in June 2015 I lost 19lb 15 1/2 inches I work out 3 days out the week an hour of cardio 25 min weight training and I consume 2 liters of water a day at the minimum my starting weight was 232lb current weight 214lb I just got my second month of adipex not sure what my results will be but I'm staying focused. Also I ate plenty of watermelon, banana,apples ,pineapples high fiber, cereal hope this helps good luck
Angelajean32
25 July 2015
Can you tell me how many calories you are eating? I'm on half a pill and eating 1200 calories and struggling to loose weight
Lindsaynlfeltman
26 Oct 2021
Angela, don't focus on calories. Focus on your carb and sugar intake.
Lala22
23 Feb 2013
I have tried phentermine twice with the same problem. I barely lose a lb. per week on 1200 calories and exercise, while others lose lots more on this plan.
I have started going to a specialist, and although Dont have the the solution yet, I believe it has to do with hormones and insulin resistence. Also, my doctor found that my leptin levels are messed up... And he says that when you are leptin resistent, it is next to impossible to lose weight. I'm imagining something similar is going on w you.
My doctor did not, however, tell me how to cure or treat leptin resistence. There are some "paleo diets" and advice online, but that hasn't worked for me either. Hopefully u will have better luck. I've been trying to lose the same miserable 20 lbs. for 5 years :-/
Love 27
16 May 2013
I also suffer from insulin resistence and I have lost weight on phentamine. It depends on the dosage you are taking. I was on 37.5g phentamine and my doctor had to combine with another medication which would incerase the effect of losing weight. There are many medication that have been found to work with phentamine such asthe genreic of prosac. Try to address that to your doctor.
Czarins
15 July 2015
Hi, I am on thyroid meds and still continue to gain. Started 1/2 tab of Phentermine yesterday and put on .4 lbs! I am at my wits end. What did you ever find out was wrong with you and were you able to fix it and lose those 20 lbs?
jenniekate
12 June 2018
kudos to you that are doing great and losing weight. But a couple of you have changed your diet and exercise regimes drastically and maybe the sole reason you are losing the weight. I'm having my doubts about this drug because it used to used in combo, Fen-phen if anyone remembers but it had deadly side effects it was pulled off the market only for phenterime to reappear. I've been on it a month and havently lost a pound. I'm an ER nurse, run my butt off for 12 hours, don't graze on crappy food, drink tons and tons of water and i'm so sad. it communte an hour each way after 12 hour shifts which leaves me about 5 hours to sleep so there isn't a minute to spare to work out. I keep track of my activity at work and walk over 7000 steps a shift, which equals to over 4 km, burning tons of calories. So I'm really starting to wonder if this actually a weight loss drug or more of an appetite suppresent.
But after a month, it is no longer suppressing my appetite and i'm starving all the time, I drink protein shakes, no soda, coffee, alcohol. I honestly don't know what to do anymore.
Jaxx57
26 Oct 2018
I have the same yoyo issues with the phentermine. After a month or so it would sto working and I was back at square one. I don't feel it ever really helped me loose weight but it did curve my appetite and gave me energy to be able to do body weight workouts at home. I have tried everything to no avail. Doc has not found anything out of the ordinary with my blood work so there is no explanation for my weight. Not a heavy eater or drinking, fairly active with my toddler, etc... A month ago I decided to try Keto and Intermittent Fasting and after 4 weeks I am down 11lbs. It's not as much as I was hoping for but it is still more than nothing and thus far the only thing that has helped me loose any weight.
Lindsaynlfeltman
26 Oct 2021
You have to allow 4-5 lbs for weight fluctuations. It doesn’t mean you gained weight. You have to weigh yourself at the same time, in very similar clothes everyday after your first bathroom visit and before you eat or drink anything.
sbell40
18 Nov 2010
My question to you is Are you losing weight now? and If not are you exercising and what are your eating habits like?
sillysocks69
19 Nov 2010
No i have not lost any more weight. I walk a lot and I am on the softball field with my daughter practicing hand and hand with the team but thats about it. as far as my diet i eat like 2 cheese sticks in the morning then i eat a salad with turkey in it for lunch and for dinner i eat a small portion of whatever everone else is eating with no snacks.
sbell40
19 Nov 2010
well I was 211 and i'm 5'3 it took me a month to lose 11 pounds and I'm using 30mg. I increased my water intake I started going to the gym 4 or 5 times a dayi, I increased my cardio for 1 hour and then I do some weight training. You have to change what your doing because it's not working. As far as my eating habits are concern I had to jump start my metabolism by doing a protein shake which is good after a work out to help build muscles which in turn gets burn fat. I also take something to help me use the bathroom #2 cause you should go if not 3 times a day atleast 2 is good. Sometimes a 3 day of shakes and raw veggies would help jump start your weight lose. visit www. robert ferguson web site on foodlovers.com that program is really good . good luck and let me know how it goes.
Nicholeheart
20 April 2012
My first thing I want to say is cheese sticks for breakfast are not ideal. It isn't necessarily bad for you but you should start your day with something else. I recommend greek yogurt it is about 30 calories less than 2 cheese sticks and its more filling. As for the rest of the diet it sounds right. Just remember not to add more tons of dressing to your salad. 2 tablespoons should be enough to cover your salad and turkey. Stay away from salt. Practicing with your daughter is a great way to work out but you also need to be doing a little more. p90X is amazing so is jillian michaels they are both around an hour a day. Phentermine is not made to make you drop a pound a day, it takes time. The average weight loss for this drug is about 10-15 pounds a month so don't be dissapointed if you are losing in that range. losing 20-30 pounds in two months is an amazing result. It will take time just keep doing what you are doing and add a little more work out. the more you elevate your heart rate the better.
My4starz
24 Oct 2016
My doctor put me on 30mg Phentermine, I already have a great workout regime and my diet is pretty healthy (I have made a few adjustments to my diet ). I've only been on the medication for a week and find that it gives me more energy but I have no appetite at all. I'm having to force myself to eat and finding it difficult to even get 1,000 a day. I do have a program where I can enter what I have eaten and also allows to scan bar codes and gives nutritional break down. I rarely eat processed foods, and try to make everything as fresh as possible. I workout 5 days a week and just ran a 5k and am signed up for 1 a month for the next 3 months. I run typically 4-5 miles a day and do a mile walking to cool diwn. I do a few weights and floor exercises to strengthen my core and other exercises for thighs and gluts.
How soon should I start to see results and is it typical to lose your appetite? I am not a breakfast eater but have tried to eat a piece of fruit or oatmeal (not instant) in the mornings after my workout, but like I said I haven't had an appetite with this medication. I get between 54 and 64 ounces of water a day. I'm lactose intolerant, but have been trying to drink at least half a glass of almond milk a day (not used to it as I haven't drunk milk since I was a teenager ). I have lost 7 lbs already, just wondering if that is normal or if it should be more or less?
Related topics
weight loss (obesity/overweight), phentermine, weight
Further information
- Phentermine uses and safety info
- Phentermine prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Phentermine (detailed)
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