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Duromine & Pcos - My Weight Loss Journey

Hi Bam Bam.. well - total loss of 3.9 over the entire 4 weeks.. 2.7kg of those were just from last week.. the first week on 40mg... have taken laxatives again tonight- herbal tablets and fibre intake no help at all.. been waiting for the weekend so I can be home when I need to be - lol.. I cant see nor really feel any loss yet.. maybe in coming weeks this will become easier to see!?.. hope so! I haven't touched alcohol since starting... have had just a tteat here and there - duromnine does help to limit those (lucky).. Hope you are feeling better soon after your glass of wine! You watch- next week will be a good one for you..
 
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I haven't been on here for a while. I guess I have been a bit lazy, plus I got hit with 2x bouts of Gastro (Gotta love the viruses the kids bring home from school = aka = "the public petrie-dish system"). Seeing as you should not take Duramine during these times, it appears my first month worth of Duramine has been lasting longer than 30 days.

I am still awaiting my 2nd real period since having surgery to remove an IUD which punctured my uterus and caused an infection. I'm really not all that surprised that my period is 30+ days later than it should be; such is the nature of dealing with PCOS. The annoying part about it is that my breasts have been seriously enlarged (which is met with much elation from my fiancé lol) but are super tender (not his fondest part of this effect) and my bra's are not coping well with keeping me in. My abdomen is bloated and enlarged and cramping is ever present. But this has been happening for about 2 weeks now, and every day I expect to get the red devil, and every day - nothing.

As such, measurements and weigh-ins have stopped for some time. I can't trust either to be an accurate representation of where I am situated within my weight-loss journey. It's actually driving me quite mad, and quite disheartened to say the least.

But even so, I have also become a little disheartened with the slow loss as opposed to the rather rapid loss I am seeing in other Duromine users. I chalked it up to a couple of things:
  1. A lower starting weight, thus less to lose;
  2. The sporadic use of duramine due to ill health; or
  3. PCOS causing me to battle with weight retention.
Being the google fanatic that I am, and knowing my issues with PCOS (also responsible for my facial hair growth, skin tags, easy weight gain, disrupted ovulation/menstrual cycles, and anxiety/depression - cool huh?), I started looking into Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) calculators. We all know about BMI, and how annoying and disheartening they can be. We are all trying to lead healthier lives with exercise and healthy eating. But I always wondered why I have never been able to eat a regular caloric/balanced diet without continuously gaining weight! Even on Duromine, my diet and exercise only results in a small amount of weight loss. Could I have my BMR wrong???

So, I found one of many BMR calculators which are ever available on the world wide web. (For those who are unsure of what this calculation provides, it is the minimum number of calories that your body requires in order to sell sustain. It is initially calculated on age, sex, current height and weight, but is further adjusted for level of exercise per day). Now, this is a result of what it takes JUST TO EXIST. The idea is that any caloric input over this number will produce an excess of energy that is likely to be stored as fat. In order to lose weight, you consume this calculated number, and rely on exercise to place you at a caloric deficit = thus equating to weight loss. Here is my result from Calculator.net:

BMR = 1,522 Calories/day
I can NOT, for the life of me, remember a time that consuming this many calories has EVER resulted in weight loss. So a bit more researching led me to a study of PCOS with respect to BMR: Basal metabolic rate

This article is presented as an abstract online, but as I am a Geology PhD student through QUT, I have access to databases and full-text articles, so I have been able to read the entire study. It was quite a robust study, actually. Three groups were presented:
  1. Women without PCOS
  2. Women with PCOS (Not Insulin Resistant)
  3. Women with PCOS (Insulin Resistant)
Long story short - Women with PCOS (both groups) have a naturally lower BMR than those without. Those WITH insulin resistance had a BMR lower than those without PCOS by 700 calories!!!!! Those WITHOUT insulin resistance had a BMR lower than those without PCOS by about 550 calories!.

I don't know about you, but that seems particularly significant to me. It finally shows me that all that hard work I had been putting in, to no avail, was NEVER going to cut it. It wasn't all in my head!!!

"But what has this got to do with Duromine, Amber???"

Well! I am glad you asked, and I will tell you now.
  • Women with PCOS, are clearly set up for failure from the get go due to their lower BMR - regardless of Insulin resistance or not. 550 calories (for anyone watching their diet) equates to an entire meal! And not only that, but we all know that not all calories are created equal. So this throws a massive spanner in the works!!!
  • You don't have to have PCOS to be insulin resistant! Infant, excessive weight gain alone can invoke insulin resistance!
  • You may have a hormonal imbalance caused by weight gain (one can trigger the other - it's hand in hand!)
  • Weight gain can invoke PCOS (instead of the other way around), and thus you may want to get your doctor to run a hormone check on you!
These could be potential reasons why we do not all lose our weight as rapidly as others on Duromine. Our unique body chemistry dictates how our systems run. Duromine helps to reduce appetite, but is also works synchronous with our BMR - our adrenaline and our capacity to burn more energy than we otherwise would.

Food for thought!
 
Thank you Bam Bam for sharing your research... very interesting! Hope you are feeling better now!
 
Deanna78 said:
Thank you Bam Bam for sharing your research... very interesting! Hope you are feeling better now!
Hi deanna!

Feeling much better now :) going to do my next weigh in on friday. How is everything going with you?
 
Well.. despite drinking water - i am ridiculously constipated.. :confused:.. i reluctantly weighed in on Friday morning and was suprised to see a loss. I actually need to check my stats but i think ive lost around 3.5 in last 3 weeks.. will check and be back to share..
 
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So.. heres my stats 6 weeks in:

17 June SW: 78.5
7 July: 3 wks in 77.3
28 July: 6 wks in 73.5

Wonder how much the bricks in my bowel weigh..?? Haha
 
Deanna78 said:
So.. heres my stats 6 weeks in:

17 June SW: 78.5
7 July: 3 wks in 77.3
28 July: 6 wks in 73.5

Wonder how much the bricks in my bowel weigh..?? Haha
Well done with the progress, Deanna!!!

I always find that a handful of dried fruit and a bottle of water will have me strapped to the loo lol
 
Hi ya :)

I'm 24 years and not very tall weighing in at 78kg.
On day 4, cannot sleep. Light headed and thirsty. I Wouldn't say I have lost all my appetite. Still able to snack etc
I have PCOS, doctors prescribed metformin , which did not help with the weight loss so have given me 30mg duro.
I am yet to see results, can't wait :)
Is there anyone on here who have PCOS that would like to share their experience, I'm all ears :)
 
Hello, Ronnie! Welcome:)

I hope this time the pills will help you lose weight, but you should help them yourself. Make sure you reduce the amount of calories you consume, increase your physical activity and drink more water. If you don't do these steps, the pills won't work. Duromine only reduces the appetite. Please remember that. Good luck!
 
Hi Ronnie,

Haven't got any experience to share with you, but I am in the same boat. PCOS, taking metformin and started my first dose of Duromine 30mg today. 123.3 kgs and 166cm so I definately needed to do something- BMI is sitting at 45.

But I definately plan on doing it properly. If I am going to be putting a drug into my body to make a change then I am not going to be taking it lightly.
 
Hi Bam Bam... are you still on the duromine ? or how did your weight los end up ? I have loved reading your posts... I am going to the dr Friday to hopefully get a prescription for some....
 
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aunthoney said:
Hi Bam Bam... are you still on the duromine ? or how did your weight los end up ? I have loved reading your posts... I am going to the dr Friday to hopefully get a prescription for some....

Hi AuntHoney!

Sorry it's taken so long for me to respond - It's been a crazy few months with starting my PhD, and going away for field work (I am a geologist).

Ahhhhh Duromine lol I was on 30 mg Duromine for 2 months, but I had no results by the end of it. I had actually put on 3kg! It was very discouraging, and I was reluctant to get another script (It's so expensive for no results). I was under the guidance of a nutritionist and an exercise physiologist in addition to my GP - the weight gain didn't make sense.

Recently, I have been getting my Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria back (basically, Hives for no known reason), accelerated weight gain, headaches, terrible joint pain and fatigue even after 8+ hours sleep! I skulked back to my doctor, and he seems to think that it could be sleep apnoea due to my weight. (I am currently 89kg, and ~5'4"-ish). Not sure how ALL of the symptoms factor into it, but he is also ordering a bunch of blood & Urine tests as well.

So.... long story short, he wants me back on Duromine, but 40 mg instead of 30 mg. This is my 2nd full day on Duromine 40 mg, and I have to say, so far the higher dose is treating me a LOT better than the previous lower dose (totally unexpected, but a fantastic surprise!). When I was taking the 30 mg I was absolutely BUZZING, couldn't get to sleep, shaky, and it made my moods swing like a pendulum! This time, I actually feel what I imagine is "normal" (considering I have been feeling like the walking dead for the past few months haha).

I have also decided that I am not going to weigh myself at all. I am going to leave it up to the Doctor to weigh me at the end of this script, because (left up to me) I will seriously check it multiple times a day, hoping that a miracle will occur and I will all of a sudden become a swimsuit model. I have taken the batteries out of my scales.

Anywho! Good luck with the beginning of your journey! I would love to hear your story and your updates! I am so glad you have enjoyed reading my posts - Hopefully I will be on here more frequently now hehe
 
nice to have you back ! I have lost 3.7 kilos in 2 weeks... I suppose it is ok.... I would like to think it was more but I know that I need to get of my bum more and exercise more than I am ! I don't want to exercise ridiculous amounts and lose the weight that quick that I can not maintain the exercise when I end up off duromine.... my eating has been 100% healthy & my water intake has been 3 litres of water a day... did you exercise much when you were on them the last time ?
 
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aunthoney said:
nice to have you back ! I have lost 3.7 kilos in 2 weeks... I suppose it is ok.... I would like to think it was more but I know that I need to get of my bum more and exercise more than I am ! I don't want to exercise ridiculous amounts and lose the weight that quick that I can not maintain the exercise when I end up off duromine.... my eating has been 100% healthy & my water intake has been 3 litres of water a day... did you exercise much when you were on them the last time ?

Thanks, Aunthoney! 3.7 kg in 2 weeks is pretty great though! I think you have the right idea by making lifestyle changes that you feel will be sustainable in the long run though. It's all about the long term. I often found (personally) that moderate exercise was more beneficial to my goals than high intensity exercise - I think the high intensity exercise was basically shocking my body too much. It sounds like you are doing all the right things though! YOU GO GIRL!! hehe

Last time I was on Duromine, I dedicated 2hrs/4 days a week to exercise (strength training, cardio and specific core workouts). I was also completing my Honours degree at Uni at the time, so I couldn't really spare much more time. The rest of the time, I would make sure that I was taking stairs (jogging up them instead of just walking), doing some at-home exercises that the exercise physiologist gave me (both morning and evening) as well as the geology field trips and field work I had been doing. My muscle mass increased, as did my GOOD cholesterol. Along with the good stuff though, my BAD cholesterol also increased and so did my body fat. Apparently the exercise was placing too much stress on my already strung-out body.

This time, I am putting more focus into diet and well-being (and just staying consistently active) rather than going nuts with work-outs.

Do you do weekly weigh-ins, or do you have another system for keeping record of your process? I actually made my first Blog entry on here yesterday. I figured that even if no-one else reads it, it's therapeutic for me to vent frustrations or celebrate milestones :)
 
Hello Bam Bam! Funny, I was reading through your thread a couple of days ago and was wondering how you are doing now. I see you’re back. So I wish you a great weight loss journey and hope you’ll get at the weight you want to get at. Sorry to know you are ill and feel so unwell. Wish you the fastest possible recovery and tones of strength to fight and get to your goal!

It is great that you already know your body, and what you should do to get good results. Weekly weigh ins are great for many people, yet someone prefers daily or monthly ones. It depends… you also can make measurements and check these, as well.

Hope your daughter feels better by now. Wish you a fantastic week and a successful weight loss journey!
 
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April said:
Hello Bam Bam! Funny, I was reading through your thread a couple of days ago and was wondering how you are doing now. I see you’re back. So I wish you a great weight loss journey and hope you’ll get at the weight you want to get at. Sorry to know you are ill and feel so unwell. Wish you the fastest possible recovery and tones of strength to fight and get to your goal!

It is great that you already know your body, and what you should do to get good results. Weekly weigh ins are great for many people, yet someone prefers daily or monthly ones. It depends… you also can make measurements and check these, as well.

Hope your daughter feels better by now. Wish you a fantastic week and a successful weight loss journey!

Hi April!

Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement. I found them to help me quite a bit this morning. I woke up feeling absolutely awful, and considered skipping today's duromine to just roll over and go back to sleep. I read your lovely message, along with some other threads by other members (all very strong and inspiring people), and decided that I wouldn't let a relatively short term illness get in the way of a long term goal.

Thank you for your best wishes to my daughter. She is currently spending a week at her daddy and step mothers house and is under observation in case she develops signs of glandular fever too - so far she is doing well.

Wishing you an amazing day xx
 
Also, on a positive note: Today will be my 4th day on Duromine again, and I noticed when I was laying in bed this morning (on my back) that my tummy has reduced in size a fair bit! And when I put some shorts on after getting up, they were looser around my thighs. I don't know how much I have lost, nor if this is just losing water etc... but I don't really care at this stage. It made me feel really good to feel a bit smaller, and I guess that is really what matters. I know that it is helpful to keep an eye on progress for recognising times when weight-loss stagnates so you can change parts of your exercise/diet, but in all honesty, I have a tendency to get discouraged really easily, and I would simply prefer not to know so that I don't self-sabotage. I will wait until my check-up with my GP at the end of this script of Duromine (after 30 days on Duromine) to find out :)
 
Bam Bam said:
Also, on a positive note: Today will be my 4th day on Duromine again, and I noticed when I was laying in bed this morning (on my back) that my tummy has reduced in size a fair bit! And when I put some shorts on after getting up, they were looser around my thighs. I don't know how much I have lost, nor if this is just losing water etc... but I don't really care at this stage. It made me feel really good to feel a bit smaller, and I guess that is really what matters. I know that it is helpful to keep an eye on progress for recognising times when weight-loss stagnates so you can change parts of your exercise/diet, but in all honesty, I have a tendency to get discouraged really easily, and I would simply prefer not to know so that I don't self-sabotage. I will wait until my check-up with my GP at the end of this script of Duromine (after 30 days on Duromine) to find out :)

Hello Bam Bam. I am very glad I managed to help you get through a hard moment and I hope you are feeling better today. We both know you need to get back on track with your weight loss plan and start working. However, it’s great that you already do see the difference in your body volumes.

It’s good that you know yourself so well and prefer to not have often weigh in to avoid discouraging yourself. Then we’ll just have to wait a little more and get the full picture of your 1-month weight loss result. =) It’s ok. Yet, you still can post daily to watch your eating and physical activity. Even if you decided not to engage in serious workouts, simple walks will bring a lot benefit to both your weight loss and your overall health.

Have a fantastic day!
 
Hello dear Bam Bam! How is it going? We’re getting into the weekend, which is always a hard test for our willpower. I am talking about the desire to rest, cook something tasty and hearty. ;)) What I want to wish you is to plan up a good walk outside and enjoy a day full of fresh air and activity. And, of course, delicious healthy meals AND a fantastic mood that even might make you dance and move happily!

Have a great day and a fun weekend!
 
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Hello April :)

Sorry I haven't replied sooner - For some reason the website wasn't letting me post anything lol Seems to be sorted now though.

I am going well. I am slowly recovering from Glandular Fever so I haven't been able to do much of anything lately apart from sleep a lot. I am getting excited about being well again, and have redesigned my meal plan to incorporate more fresh produce and to keep within 1100 - 1200 calories:

Breakfast: Overnight oats (1/3 cup rolled oats, 1/3 cup chobani natural yoghurt, 1/3 cup low fat milk, cinnamon and 1 tsp honey)
Morning Tea: Medium piece of fruit (apple or mandarine) or 40g almonds
Lunch: Multigrain tuna and salad wrap (Tuna in spring water, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and 1/2 avocado)
Afternoon Tea: Hard boiled egg (with sprinkling of salt) or 100g low fat yoghurt
Dinner: Grilled salmon fillet (or other lean meat), 2 cups mixed steamed vegetables with pinch of shredded cheese, 1/2 cup pasta mixed with 1tsp basil pesto.

Do you have any advice with the above plan? Would you know of some ways to vary the plan? I would love any advice you have :)

ALSO! I want to start exercising more as soon as my doctor gives me the go ahead (i.e/ after I am over the worst of glandular fever). I have also considered re-evaluating my method for monitoring weight loss. I am no expert in weight loss, otherwise I wouldn't be as overweight as I am now hehe so I think I will do a full measurement today and I will update it on here :)

I hope you are well and enjoying the weekend.

:::[STATS UPDATE]:::

23rd Feb, 2017 - Doctors office weigh-in ::
SW: 89.0 kg
GW: 60.0 kg

04th Mar, 2017 - At home, first measurements ::
SW: 89.0 kg
GW: 60.0 kg
CW: 87.3 kg ---> -1.7 kg !! yay!!
------------------
Waist: 91.0 cm
Hips: 115.0 cm
Arms: 39.0 cm
Thighs: 73.0 cm
 

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