Meridia for weight loss

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Forum -> Health & Wellness -> Healthy Lifestyle/ Weight Loss/ Exercise

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Chani

Sun, Jan 08 2006, 9:45 am

Hi,
Well, I've been high risk for diabetes for a while - overweight (229 lbs on a 5'4" frame), gestational diabetes with all of my pregnancies, and now I'm having other symptoms. I went to my endocrinologist, who's supposed to be the best in this city. He did a bunch of tests, the results of which are not all back yet, and wants to put me on Meridia to help me lose weight. (Actually he gave me a bunch of patient information on it and said we should discuss it at the next visit in a couple of weeks.)

I've been reading about it and it seems like a little bit of a scary drug. On the one hand, I've been getting heavier by about 10 lbs a year each year since I got out of college. I've tried dieting, but have never successfully lost more than 20 lbs, and was never able to keep it off long term. Weight Watchers was the most successful, but I found the work involved in tracking everything and menu planning to be really really difficult. Meridia apparently works by altering serotonin levels to make you feel full so you have less appetite. So maybe it would help. But I feel like this is something I ought to be able to discipline myself and do without a drug. However, it hasn't happened so far. And the prospect of being a diabetic scares me.

Has anybody taken Meridia and did it help? How bad were the side effects?

Chani

Tefila

Sun, Jan 08 2006, 12:38 pm

Hi I'm planning on trying that out too . You just have to be constantly monitored Exclamation

and considering the danger effects of being quite abit overweight, I say weighs fairly with meridia risk factor

Chani

Sun, Jan 08 2006, 4:33 pm

When do you think you'll start?

Are you thinking of trying any particular diet at the same time? I was thinking <groan> of going back to Weight Watchers b/c there's a weekly meeting at my employer's (I work for a large company) so it would be very convenient - could go during my lunch hour.

Might be nice to have a diet buddy...

Hatzlacha,

Chani

cindy324

Mon, Jan 09 2006, 2:29 pm

I took Meridia for about 4months. Lost 20lbs, which is the fastest I ever lost in that time. I think though that after the firdt 3 months it started losing affectiveness, so you might have to up the dosage. It comes in 3 diff. strenghts. I didn't have too many side effects except for the dry mouth, some stomach cramps here and there, and a bit of feeling anxious. It really helps by letting you eat only about half or even less then you used to be able to eat before. I used to get very full a very little food, like I was able to only finish a half of a sandwhich, however when your stomach is empty you WILL feel hungry, and you have to eat. I also excercised and of course you have to watch the kind of foods you eat. I don't know how good it will be longterm as you have quite some weight to lose, but it worked wonderfully for me since I only needed to lose about 20 lbs.

Queeniemom

Mon, Jan 09 2006, 10:50 pm

I think Meridia sounds great, but group exercise helped me tremendously.

Purple Hug Bunny

Tue, Jan 10 2006, 1:15 am

Interesting, I never heard of Meridia.. I'm diabetic.. but I take Metformin.. which takes away appetite and lowers sugar levels.. been on that for a while..
dieting is impossible for me..
PM me if you want a buddy to talk to.

DefyGravity

Tue, Jan 10 2006, 11:56 am

Queeniemom wrote:

I think Meridia sounds great, but group exercise helped me tremendously.

I also think that group exersize is a great option, or at least combining Meridia with exersize. From what I've read on fat burners and other such diet pills, it's important to combine them with exersize. Group exersize is the best because it's the only way to ensure that you'll get a good workout. Generally, when people exersize alone they don't push themselves as hard as they should. Once they get tired or feel achy, they stop.

Chani

Tue, Jan 10 2006, 1:13 pm

When do y'all find the time to exercise?!! I work full time and then come home to the kids, making dinner, doing homework, reading stories, baths, bedtime, and then the housework begins... I don't know when I'd do it. That being said, I do try to at least go for a walk on Shabbos afternoons.

cindy324

Tue, Jan 10 2006, 1:53 pm

Quote:

When do y'all find the time to exercise?!!

I ljust started going to the gym again for the first time in 4 months, and one of my main excuses was, that once my kids were fed , bathe, put to bed and hubby came home, I was too wiped to go out and excercise. But now I literally force myself to go after 7 or 8 o'clock. I have to, I gained back some of the weight I lost with the Meridia, and I paid way too much money for those pills to just gain all that weight back. BTW insurance does not pay for it, it's like a $120 / month for 30 pills.

Motek

Tue, Jan 10 2006, 6:44 pm

cindy324 wrote:

it worked wonderfully for me since I only needed to lose about 20 lbs.

chani wrote that she lost 20 lbs. and that was without drugs, but she couldn't keep it off

so how would taking meridia and losing the weight help if she doesn't keep it off?

and if the answer is monitor your diet and exercise, well ... then why use a drug?

chavamom

Wed, Jan 11 2006, 12:03 am

Chani - could you get a treadmill or stationary bike? If you can find even 30 minutes 3 - 4x a week it will make a huge difference. I think it is important for all of us to MAKE time for ourselves to exercise, esp. if we are sedentary, even if you have to schedule it in.

RivkaS

Wed, Jan 11 2006, 7:02 am

It is better to change eating habits than depending on medication. try to get a low-carb = low-sugar diet and try to stick to it. if you don't loose you would at least not gain and with a non-working tyroid-gland that is already a success (and here experience is talking Wink

)

Chani

Wed, Jan 11 2006, 1:12 pm

Well, I ended up signing up for Weight Watchers at work. I'm going to try to stick with it and as long as I'm able to I'll delay the Meridia.

cindy324

Wed, Jan 11 2006, 1:24 pm

Quote:

so how would taking meridia and losing the weight help if she doesn't keep it off?

Keeping it off is always half the struggle no matter what. But for some people the meridia will give a boost, when they see results like a 2-3 lb. weight loss in one week, they'll have the notivation to continue. For me, I fail a lot because of the intense hunger I feel a lot of times when I'm on a diet. And let's face it , the first few days or even weeks on a diet is very hard because of the hunger you feel until your body is used to the reduced calories. Meridia takes away the hunger, and you're satisfied with less food.

Quote:

and if the answer is monitor your diet and exercise, well ... then why use a drug?

Same answer as above. Also, for me, the Meridia helped with that late afternoon hunger that struck between 4:00PM and dinner time. So as much as you want to monitor your diet, I've caved in way too many times at those hours. Excercising is great , but not enough on its own. The only thing you'll achieve with just excecise is that you'll maintain your weight, but won't lose any.

timeout

Wed, Jan 11 2006, 3:40 pm

Cindy I knew you would be in on this thread!!!!!!!!!!!

How's the diet going?

cindy324

Wed, Jan 11 2006, 10:55 pm

I'M HUNGRY!!!! Actually not too bad, it's when I come home from the gym that I want to devour the entire kitchen, so I just get on IMAMOTHER.COM and pass the time like that!

I WILL SURVIVE!!!

timeout

Sat, Jan 14 2006, 8:22 pm

Cindy how did your diet go this Shabbos with all the cake surrounding you?

cindy324

Sat, Jan 14 2006, 10:35 pm

No comment. I had a piece, but I didn't overdo it. Sunday it's back on the wagon!

Chani

Tue, Jan 17 2006, 8:01 pm

Started Weight Watchers today. I'm already hungry - LOL. Oh well...

Chani

Tue, Jan 24 2006, 1:03 pm

Hi - Just weighed in after my first week on Weight Watchers - I lost 4.2 lbs! (But I did feel like I was starving all week! Oh well, can't have everything!). 95.8 lbs to go...

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