Phentermine and Weight Loss: The Slower, The Better?

Although losing weight with phentermine alongside a friend can really boost your motivation and give you a great source of support, there is a tendency for us to compare our weight loss with each other and feel disappointed when we see our scales moving down slower than the people around us.

While we are happy to see our friends’ success, it can be frustrating to see them losing weight more quickly than us despite eating and exercising similarly. But everyone is different, and even with a proven weight loss medication such as phentermine, results will vary across the many people who take it. Assuming two people have similar starting weights and the same amount of weight to lose, reasons for differences in weight loss can also be attributed to differences in metabolism, calorie storage, and lifestyle differences, such as having a more active job.

A slow loss does not, however, mean that you won’t achieve your goal; it will just take a more conscious effort and a little more time.

Small losses, big benefits

There are advantages to losing weight at a steadier pace.

Dr. Michele S. Olson of Auburn University says that as your body can adjust to your new lower weight more gradually, it will be easier to maintain the weight loss once you reach your goal. Rapid weight loss can cause your metabolism to slow down, resulting in a slower weight loss, whereas a more steady weight loss will ensure your metabolism remains efficient in the long term.

Scientific research into long-term weight loss also supports this. Researchers at the University of Toronto found that when monitoring weight loss participants for 24 months after they began losing weight, a loss of around 8% of body weight per year was an achievable goal for all participants. This might not seem much, but most importantly, this amount of loss had an excellent potential to be sustainable, meaning a new body for life and not just for now.

Rapid weight loss, such as that experienced by many people taking phentermine, can achieve noticeable results within a short time and really kick-start your weight loss journey. Often, people can become discouraged if their initial rate slows down, but this is perfectly normal as your body adapts to your new regime. In addition, losing weight little by little can bring its benefits. It’s better to constantly see the scales going down rather than that familiar yo-yo effect many dieters see. So, a slow and steady weight loss, defined as two pounds per week or less, is both achievable and beneficial.

This amount of loss can decrease your risk factors for chronic diseases related to obesity, and as your BMI decreases, you are also likely to notice changes in your skin, breathing, and cholesterol levels, and you will have more energy and feel more positive. Even if your overall goal seems distant, it is important to remember that this is about the journey and not just the destination. Your new healthy habits will help you to live a healthier lifestyle and make it more likely for you to maintain the loss over time.

New perspectives can lead to a new you

While having a goal weight can keep you motivated and focused, there is the danger of focusing on unattainable goals and feeling like a failure if you do not achieve them. As psychologists Janet Polivy and Peter Herman have found throughout their research on setting and achieving personal objectives, dieting can be emotionally stressful even when the dieter is successful, so adding the disappointment of perceived failure can have negative psychological effects on the individual.

More modest, achievable goals maintain the focus of weight loss while also giving a greater chance of success and, therefore, a more positive perspective of your weight loss achievements. It is important to maintain a positive attitude while you are losing weight, no matter how small you think your losses are, and seeing losses each week means that your weight loss journey is going in the right direction. 

The scales don’t tell the whole story

It is also important to remember that muscle weighs more than fat, and to achieve your ideal body, you will need to build muscle and tone up too. So, while conventional scales may say you have lost just a pound, measuring your ratio of lean muscle and bone mass to body fat could show that you have gained 2 lbs of muscle, meaning a total loss of 3 lbs of fat.

Ideally, your phentermine doctor will be able to measure your muscle and fat ratios by using a Bioelectric Impedance (BIA) scale, but you can monitor your progress using a tape measure for a sign of how your hard work is paying off in other ways.