Losing weight is hard, especially if you aren’t seeing your desired results from traditional dieting and exercise. Fortunately, weight loss medications such as Phentermine can make it easier to kick-start your weight loss journey. Learn more about this medication before you schedule a consultation at Advanced Life Clinic in Huntsville, AL.
How Long Can You Stay on Phentermine?
Phentermine is a medication that is used to suppress the appetite and help people feel fuller longer. This medication can help people lose weight by helping control portion sizes and hunger signals. This medication is meant to be used as part of a healthy weight loss plan, which is why this medication is typically only prescribed for up to 12 weeks.
Although a combination of Phentermine and Topiramate-CR is often prescribed for up to a year or longer, there are not enough long-term studies to determine whether taking Phentermine by itself for longer than 12 weeks is safe. Because this weight loss medication is a stimulant, the use of this medication must be monitored by a doctor.
How Much Weight Can You Lose With This Medication?
The amount of weight that can be lost while taking Phentermine depends on factors such as excess body fat, healthy eating habits, and exercise. Most studies suggest that using this medication for 12 weeks can result in a loss of about 5% of body fat on average. People who do well to incorporate healthy lifestyle habits may be able to lose up to 10% of their body weight.
What Is the Dosage for This Medication?
The most common dosage for this medication is one 37.5 mg tablet taken each day. Some people may split this dosage to take half a tablet twice a day, such as once in the morning and once at night. A smaller dosage of one 8 mg tablet three times a day for a total of 24 mg a day may be recommended for some patients. It’s ideal to take the lowest possible dose before raising your dose.
Who Shouldn’t Take This Medication?
While this medication is considered safe for most healthy people, there are several medical restrictions associated with this medication. People who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, heart disease, glaucoma, and hyperthyroidism should not use this medication. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding cannot use this medication. People who have high levels of anxiety or who are allergic to stimulant medications should not use this medication.
What Lifestyle Changes Should You Make to Sustain Weight Loss?
Aside from using weight loss medication under the supervision of a doctor, there are several other things you can do to lose weight and sustain your goal weight. Most people will only see significant, long-lasting results when eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise become life-long habits. Some things you can do to sustain weight loss after you achieve your goal include:
Track Your Food
Tracking your food is the number one way to sustain your weight loss goal. While you don’t need to count every calorie to the gram, using an app or food journal to keep track of what you’re eating can make it easier to consume the ideal number of calories for your weight, gender, and age. Tracking your food can also help you build healthier eating habits, particularly if you are a grazer or a snacker.
Get More Movement
One of the best ways to sustain weight loss is to get more movement throughout the day. The number of calories your body burns each day can increase significantly when you walk for at least 30 minutes each day, and ultimately, this makes it easier to control your weight even if you aren’t counting calories. Adults who want to sustain their goal weight should aim to walk for at least three hours each week. Getting enough movement from walking is especially important for people who have office jobs or a sedentary lifestyle.
Eat More Whole Foods
The key to nutrition is eating plenty of whole foods. One reason why you may want to opt for whole foods over processed foods is that whole foods tend to have fewer calories overall, which makes it easier to eat a filling volume of food. While processed foods are convenient and less expensive, it’s best to opt for whole fruits, vegetables, and grains whenever possible.
If you do eat processed foods throughout the day, be sure to switch to prepared food that has better macronutrients. Instead of sugary treats, opt for protein-packed health foods, such as protein bars, that contain fewer fats and sugars. Eating processed health foods can sometimes make it easier to track your food consumption if you lead a busy life.
Build or Preserve Muscle Mass
Did you know that muscles burn more calories than other body tissues? Research shows that people who have a healthy lean body mass and people who build muscle mass actually burn more calories at rest than other people. For someone who wants to sustain weight loss, this means that building muscle can make it easier to burn calories to keep weight off even if you aren’t doing a cardio routine every day.
Track Your Fitness
Tracking your fitness with a smart device or an application can be another way to sustain weight loss. One of the most common reasons people gain back weight after significant weight loss is a lapse in keeping healthy habits. But when you make a habit of tracking your calories, water consumption, and movement, you can more easily sustain your desired body weight in the future.
Indulge In Your Favorite Foods
Sustaining a healthy weight doesn’t mean you have to skip out on your favorite foods, even if your favorite food happens to be prepackaged or dessert. Research suggests that people who strictly prohibit the consumption of their favorite foods are more likely to overconsume or binge-eat in the future. To avoid binging and yo-yo weight gain, it’s best to control portions of your indulgent foods and spread these special snacks throughout the week.
Drink More Water
Your body needs a lot of water to survive and perform basic functions, but your ideal water intake will fluctuate based on your age, gender, and activity level. As a rule, you should aim to drink about half of your body weight in ounces each day and drink additional fluids such as electrolyte drinks if you have been active or the weather is hot. A person weighing 150 pounds should try to drink at least 75 ounces of water for optimal health and weight maintenance.
Change Your Coffee Order
One simple thing you can do to sustain weight loss is to change up your coffee order. It may not seem like it, but your usual Starbucks order could be undoing all of your hard work. Complex blended coffee drinks are loaded with sugar and calories, whereas black coffee flavored with milk or creamer is a better option to keep your calorie count on track.
Get More Sleep
Finally, you will want to focus on getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is linked to weight gain because your body will urge you to compensate for sleep loss with fatty and sugary foods during the day. Furthermore, it’s important to understand that your age and sex may determine the amount of sleep that is best for you. Women typically need more sleep than men, while older adults need less sleep than younger adults.
Why You Need to Understand the Science of Metabolism for Healthy Weight Loss
Losing weight in a healthy and sustainable way is a matter of science. Specifically, it’s important to understand the science and mathematics of your metabolism to lose weight, even if you are using a weight loss medication.
A dietician can help you calculate important numbers, such as your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). Both your BMR and your TDEE are essential for estimating the range of calories you can consume each day to lose or maintain your weight. To sustain a healthy weight, you should not eat more than your calorie ceiling or less than your calorie floor each day.
Get Started on Your Weight Loss Journey Today
If you want to lose a significant amount of weight, you may need to use a weight loss medication to suppress your appetite, so you can build healthier lifestyle habits. A medication such as Phentermine is typically prescribed on a short-term basis to individuals who are considered obese on the BMI scale. Schedule a weight loss consultation today at Advanced Life Clinic in Huntsville, AL.
