[Optical Goddess]

I currently weigh about 157, and want to weigh about 140. I've been stuck for about a year or so. I've upped my exersize and now lift weights. I eat much better than I used to ( counting calories), and have just generally been a happy person.

I was reading on this site about a person who was given Phentermine, and she only has about 20 lbs to lose, and she's still using it...

How do Dr's determine who is right for these medications and who is not? I feel like I'm doing everything right, but yet it's so frustrating. I just need a jumpstart and this may be it...

I'd appreciate any feedback anyone could give...

Thanks so much!

OG

[aphil]

In my opinion...someone who is 158 is not a candidate for weight loss prescriptions. You have totally lost 62 pounds on your own!!!!!!! I don't believe that a "good" doctor will hand out weight loss prescriptions to those who only have 10-20 pounds to lose. I like to equate doctors with hair stylists, or mechanics, or any other profession. There are a lot of people who graduated from the same college or tech school...but they are NOT all equal. There are good and bad in all professions.

There are a few things to consider-is 140 the best goal weight for your body-or was it just soemthing that sounded good? Some of us are just not meant to be 140, 130, or 115...and our bodies just won't do that. Even if we were 115 when we were 17...if we are now 40 and had 3 kids, then that probably isn't ever going to happen again.

140 pounds can be a totally different thing for every individual, depending on your height, age, shape, and fitness level. There are 140 pound women here who range from a size 3/4 to a size 10 depending on those different factors.

While 158 pounds may be overweight to a 5'1" woman-it may be absolutely perfect for a woman who is 5'7".

You have done the right thing by upping your exercise...but have you changed your diet at all? If you are doing the exact same thing now that you started doing at 220...then this may be the issue. What is your curretn exercise regime, and what is your diet like?

[Optical Goddess]

Thank you for your information...just some back ground:

I am 27 yrs old, and I have never been a slim chica. When I was a teenager I never was one of those tiny teenage girls that crowd malls.
I am five seven, and I have changed a lot since I weighed 220. I do not eat fried foods, I stay away from overly processed foods, white bread, white pastas and white rice. I watch how much of what I am eating in terms of fats/carbs/protiens..I exersize for between an hour to an hour and a half every day, doing cardio and alternating weight training.

It is not to say that i don't have my slip ups, we all do, but I have become much better at stopping the cycle instead of getting caught up in it....

I think what was going on when I wrote that post is I fell prey to the "easy way out" theory, mainly because I've been plateaued for so long. I picked 140 because 135 seemed way out of my ball park. I chose these numbers based on BMI and charts, saying that I am now over weight as I am. I weighed 147 once, about two years ago, but I am not sure how much muscle I had at the time. I weighed less than that once but it was due to an abusive relationship and that's not the way to lose weight, either.

As I write this, I know it sounds rediculous, and I know that I shouldn't be so hung up on numbers, but my resolve falters when I see people my height who weigh numbers I don't even dare to dream about....

Well, I'm not intending to have a big bowl of pity-me-oh's for breakfast, so I have to get going to the Y...

This is a matter of knowing what the truth is about losing weight and different body types ect...but not always listening.

Thanks so much for your firm approach to my question, I appreciate your honesty.

OG.