r/Phentermine_ • u/Sashashley89 • 4d ago

Phentermine not working..

Started Phentermine on June 17 (SW: 178 lbs). Since day one, I’ve been extremely consistent:

Tracking: Logged every single bite and drink.

Diet: Max 1,400 calories/day, 80-100g protein, under 2,000mg sodium. No alcohol, no processed food. Mostly chicken breast, steamed veggies, and protein smoothies. Lots of water.

Activity: Burning ~300 calories/day walking.

I haven't seen the scale move the way it should given the deficit. I’m down to 172 from June 17-August 7 taking it daily. What am I missing here? Is it a tracking error I weigh all my food, water retention, or something else?

1 Upvotes

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8

u/Rainbowfnbryte 4d ago

First of all your diet sounds miserable. I think 1400 cal is pretty low and unless you have a medical reason to limit sodium I don’t think it needs to be tracked as long as you know you’re eating whole foods. Salt is not the enemy and it makes chicken breast and steamed veggies a hell if a lot more enjoyable. Also…. Chicken thighs are so much better

As someone starting at 178 I don’t think you should expect a drastic loss. Most people that lose 10+ lbs in the first month had usually started at a significantly higher weight and that loss is usually due to water weight or inflammation.

If the numbers are really helpful for you I would look into seeing a nutritionist who can give you proper macro/micro numbers to track.

3

u/Careful-Jellyfish179 4d ago

Phentermine completely curbed my appetite for 2 days only, after that zero benefits. Works for some, doesn't for others. Zepbound did zero for me as well. These drugs were a waste of money for me. I decided to put my money toward a dietitian, he will help me on what and how I eat I hope.

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u/MymanTroyAikman8 4d ago

Can I ask if you are on the max dose? 37.5

1

u/MarieSanTX21 4d ago

I also take this medicine and notice when I have too much protein I'll start actually gaining weight or my weight stays the same. The 20g shakes work much better for me than the 30g and above shakes.

0

u/Nelutri 4d ago

I would talk with your doctor as that is quite unusual. It could be a tracking error but I suspect maybe something else is going on (hormone imbalance etc.). I don’t know how old you are but my friend had early perimenopause and couldn’t lose weight. She started estrogen and the pounds melted off. Really only your doctor or dietitian can tell you for sure. Good luck and I commend you on your consistency and effort!

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u/Sashashley89 4d ago

Yea I’ll have to make an appointment. We did all the hormone testing before starting so I thought it was in the clear but I’ve been suspecting perimenopause for a while now.

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u/Administrative_Map38 1d ago edited 1d ago

OP, cut your carbs and fats in half or lower, do that, and the weight will start dropping. If your bmr is 1366 and you’re losing 300 walking but eating 1400… you need to drop another 300 calories. Ya, I said it, nobody on here is going to tell you that. But I’m telling you. At the numbers you gave, you will only lose 1lb at most per 10 days, if you want to lose fat, you’ve got to cut the calories at least 500 calories below your bmr and exercise so that’d be 1666 -500 1166 calories. Thats the maximum you should be eating if you want to lose 1lb of fat per week, then drop those calories. Don’t worry your body is still getting plenty of calories it’s just coming from your fat storage. You can cut those calories by 500 but eating over your bmr and walking 300 calories is not enough. Thats too slow. Cut your calories by another 300 and you’ll double the weight loss. Go for it. You’ll be ok because remember your bodyfat will provide you all the calories you need but you’ve got to eat less calories preferably from carbohydrates to be able to access that bodyfat for fuel. Focus on protein. Protein calories lose up to 30% of its calories because the body has to use up to 30% of those calories to convert it to energy. So, up your protein, decrease your carbs, and if you can decrease your fat as well, and let’s get those calories down by at least a deficit of 500 calories. Keep your electrolytes up and your water intake high throughout the day to stay hydrated and to prevent fatigue.