JGL53

For the record, Xenical is also crap - and not just because it makes one crap ones pants. Its development was based on the now defunked theory that eating fat makes one fat.

If your doc prescribes this for you, throw the prescription in the garbage and find another doc.
((But, to reiterate, what do I know - I'm just a pharmacist.))

crab juice

Fenton, ask your doctor about hypoglycemia and insulin resistance . The symptoms you described sound like ones I've experienced.

Dune

-For the record, Xenical is also crap -

Nice double entendre.

I would not recommend Xenical either- just stating what other stratagies are available via Rx. (ie, not much) The only advantage I could see is that it is behavior modification for eating a high lipid diet....
And although not the only factor, eating a high fat does contribute to obesity.

(also R.Ph.)

JGL53

That is correct, IF the high fat diet is ALSO high in simple sugar/low in fiber.

((There have been two recent threads debating so-called low-carb diet theory vs. what is daily losing ground as the mainstream, i.e, the fat controlled, high carb government recommended diet. Want to start a new thread on this debate? - I'm game. Warning: Dr. Atkins is dead - but I'm not.))

Dune

Im certainly up for the new thread! Lead away and lets see what comes up....

ProNihil

I myself have used "Phentermine" in the past with success. The whole idea behind using a prescription appetite suppressant is to condition you to being used to eating less. Thus, when you discontinue the use of the drug, you have created a habit in which you are used to eating less.

As far as I understand, the whole "to do" about the phen-fen diet was the combination of the two substances. Phentermine in and of itself is not harmful as far as I have heard. Of course, Phentermine is practically pharmaceutical grade "speed" and makes you feel really good, (at least in the first few days you take it) so you need to be aware that there is a risk of dependence.

If you are the type of person that can handle feeling "on top of the world" for a while, without having to feel like that all the time, then I would reccomend it. Taken for 60 to 90 days, it definatly can help facilitate a change in your daily routine of food intake.

Good luck!

JGL53

Well, ProNihil, even though I am a highly trained drug professional I cannot dispute your personal experience. If Fastin (phentermine) worked for you in a positive way, then god love you.

Unfortunately, For MOST people, such drugs act merely as a temporary appetite suppressant, and one's appetite comes back in spades when one inevitably ceases taking the drug, with resulting weight regain.

That is the average reaction. Because most don't have the results you did, I would really caution anyone thinking about taking appetite supressing drugs. There is also the dependence risk you mentioned, and such drugs can actually make permanant changes in one's brain - for the worst. All these bad things didn't happen to you, but they are a risk one takes.

I think one first should try manipulating ones diet, e.g., eating more fiberous foods, avoiding high glycemic carbohydrate-rich food, avoiding unhealthy fats, and eating four or more normal sized meals a day of REAL food, not fast food, about every four hours or so.

I had a huge appetite once, but controlled it using the above regimen. Many may be convinced that such just won't work for them. Well, maybe so, but one should at least give it a good try first before moving on to drugs, surgery, etc. that could have unforseen negative consequences.

Yellum Notnef

Oh my. Where do I begin?

I'm going to try to condense a half dozen responses into this one reply.



Pills.
I went to see the doctor last Tuesday,but I never got around to asking about the diet pills. I had been dealing with a sinus infection for several days prior to tha appointment and on the day of the appointment it was REALLY bad.
It was so bad that I had fluid in my ears and was dizzy and sick to the point of almost being delirious.

Dealing with the sinus infection turned into the priority that day,but I was given an electrocardiogram which turned out fine. They then took two vials of blood for tests and sent me home with some Biaxin. I haven't heard anything about the blood tests yet.
I also asked to be weighed while I was there and found out I only weigh about 270. Not quite as bad as I thought,but I'm still in the same fat situtation.
Btw, I NEVER use a scale at home because I'm the type of person who will become fixated on every little fluctuating ounce. I judge my weight by how how look.

Ineffective exercise.
We bought a BowFlex 2 years ago. Last summer we bought mountain bikes and right after that I found a "Fitness Flyer" on the side of the road.

I have a love hate relationship with the BowFlex and used it every other day for several months after I got it,but then I started using it sporadically and then not at all.
My girlfriend (who has also become rather plump) decided we were going to Amsterdam in October and I decided I wasn't going if I was fat.
I came up with a plan that summer to lose as much weight as I could and it involved crawling back to the BowFlex,riding my new bike several miles a day (at least 5),sweating my balls off on the Fitness Flyer thing I found and taking Xenadrine EFX. I also ate nothing but rice and vegetables.

I was feeling pretty good and people were commenting that I looked slimmer after two months of it (mostly in my belly and face).
The biggest problem I was having was with what was probably going to help me the most. The bike.
I have a pretty serious case of generalized social phobia and being out on the bike in public REALLY bothered me. It would bother me even if I was a model of human fitness nevermind the extra shame I felt of being fat and out of shape.
I had actually planed on this happening so I bought a multi purpose Mongoose bike for the street and trails. Days when I felt too many people would see me out on the roads I would turn onto the trail under the power lines which starts about a mile from my house and just keep going until I felt that I should turn around and head back.
There are also several adandoned dirt roads and horse trails here where I live that I also use,but I started to worry that nobody would ever find me if I was to pedal myself into a stroke or heart attack.
So then I bought two headlights for the bike and started cruising the streets around midnight. The second light was backup in case the first light died because this town has never heard of streetlights and when the light on your bike goes out it goes BLACK. You might as well just sit down and wait for the sun to come up if this happens.

It became too cold to take the bike out by mid fall and then we went to Amsterdam. All dieting and exercise was put on hold.


The holidays
The diet and exercise didn't pick up again upon returning from Amsterdam as I had hoped and within weeks it was Thanksgiving. I said there would be no pies or other tasty treats,but there were a few. Not anything near as bad as previous years though.
And then it was time to eat like a pig yet again because why was Jesus born in that feeding trough if not for me to eat that Boston cream pie? It's the least I could do.

Winter kicked in and this year it was brutal. There was no thought of weight loss and I was also very busy trying to design new products to sell. The fall/winter season is when I sell the most stuff as it's an indoor hobby people tend to put on the back burner when the weather is nice.

The dizzy spells
These started happening about a month or so ago and they seem to be related to food. It seems to happen only after I haven't eaten in a couple hours and it often lasts until after I eat something.
They are a little scary and I'm not about to do anything strenuous until I know what the hell is causing it.

Fast food
This one really wouldn't be that much of a problem if it weren't for my girlfriend. I could very easily live the rest of my life eating vegetables and rice,but not her. She HATES vegetables and refuses to eat them. Not only that but she flat out refuses to even try the ones she's never had because "they're gross and they suck".
She doesn't live with me though so I'm alone with my vegetables,other very low fat foods and water about 4 days out of the week.
I've actually drank nothing but water since last spring. I drink a lot of it,but I prefer it to be rasberry flavored Fruit2o and I'm spending as much on water as I used to spend on cigarettes when I smoked.
It's just friggin WATER with a tiny drop of some rasberry chemical and it's more than $1.00 a bottle.
Somebody should wait in the Very Fine parking lot with a lead pipe.

I know I've left a lot of unanswered questions about my eating habits,but elaborating on it would involve delving into my personal life and living situation. Thats not something I want to really get into right now on a public message board at the moment.

The plan
1.) Find out whats causing the dizzy spells.

2.) Finally try to deal with the social phobia.
It's always been a HUGE problem in my life,but it's become worse since I quit smoking two years ago.
This will certainly involve medication and I start meeting with psychiatrists later this week. This is whole different thread though.
Without taking care of this I don't see how I'll ever get off the internet and be more active in the real world.
Perhaps I could get to the point where I could join a gym and get some "hands on" help with the weight loss.

We'll see.

JGL53

Fenton, my man - just a couple of comments:

- You're way ahead of the game by not focusing on weight, but focusing on how you look - that, plus judging by how your clothes fit. If you exercise and gain muscle and lose some body fat, your weight might actually go UP, but that would be a good thing.

- I also bike for about an hour and a half twice a week or so, mostly from March thru November. It is a great exercise because it is so enjoyable (to me) it really doesn't even seem like exercise.

I belong to a gym and go at least three times a week. I enjoy the variety of equipment that is available, plus I could never get motivated, for some reason, to pump iron at home. You might find out it works the same for you - or not.

- Re your concern with people looking at you - if you live in southern California, where everyone may be in shape that goes to the gym, maybe so. But in any normal place, the people who go to gyms these days run the full gambit from anorexics to very large people. There are both many fat -ish women and men who go to my gym, a lot of 'senior citizens", even several 'physically challenged' folks, plus the usual 'meathead' types who apparently live at the gym. EVERYBODY seems to be into exercise these days, so I wouldn't focus on that.

- I have a theory about your dizzy spells, but I will keep it to myself for now, 'cause I ain't no doctor, just a lowly pharmacist.
I would be interested in knowing what diagnosis your doc comes up with.

- Re your diet - you only mention rice and vegetables. I am assuming you are also eating protein rich foods too, like meat, cheese, eggs, etc. on a regular basis, right? (Or a lot of tofu, if you're a vegan, I guess.)

Good luck, and let us know occasionally how things are going.