APPETITE SUPPRESSANTS
Why do you use appetite suppressants/semaglutide?
We use appetite suppressants or semaglutide to help control your hunger. We use them much in the same way that people use nicotine patches to help curb their cravings while they’re quitting smoking. If you’re not struggling with hunger, you can work on changing habits without having to battle your willpower the whole time.
Now some people try to argue that using appetite suppressants to help with weight loss is somehow cheating, that using a crutch makes your weight loss less “real.” Try applying that same logic to nicotine patches. Who cares how you quit smoking, as long as you quit, right? Who cares if someone used nicotine patches to help with their cravings? And if nicotine patches make it easier and more likely to succeed, why wouldn’t you use them?
The truth is, studies show using appetite suppressants improves weight loss, increases the odds of reaching your goal, and without a doubt makes the process a whole lot easier. So really, the question should be, “why wouldn’t you use them?”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Won’t I just gain my weight back after I stop the appetite suppressants?
The whole goal of One Life is to make the appetite suppressants unnecessary as we teach you how to control your hunger and your weight, not with medication but with changes to your diet. We simply use the appetite suppressants as a crutch or training wheels until you are to the point that you no longer need them.
Can I do One Life without taking appetite suppressants?
Absolutely. About 15% of our patients do One Life using our natural appetite suppressants. The One Life diet works great whether you use the prescription appetite suppressants or our natural supplements.
How long do you take the appetite suppressants for?
Our philosophy is for people to take as little of the appetite suppressants as necessary but as much as they need. Ultimately our goal is to make the suppressants unnecessary by teaching you how to control your hunger by the way you eat.
Most people take them until they cross the finish line, although as they learn more and as they get better and better at controlling their hunger with changes to their diet and lifestyle, most of our patients begin to take their pills on a more sporadic, as needed basis.
Which prescription appetite suppressants do you use?
Phendimetrazine and Phentermine.
Are the appetite suppressants safe?
Given the history of problems caused by weight loss medications it’s wise to be cautious and it’s the reason why One Life only uses phendimetrazine and phentermine—because of their proven track record. Both of these appetite suppressants have been in use since the 1950’s and over the last 60 years they have been used by millions and millions of people without causing health concerns and are considered extremely safe. They are both FDA approved and carry no restrictions or warnings. They are actually in the same category of medications as the ADHD medications (e.g. Ritalin, Adderall, etc.) that millions of children take every day.
Are the appetite suppressants the same thing as Fen-Phen?
The appetite suppressants we use are related to Fen-Phen but they aren’t the same. Fen-Phen was a combination of two separate medications, Fenfluramine and Phentermine. Fenfluramine is the half of the medication that caused heart problems and is now banned worldwide. Phentermine walked away without any restrictions or warnings and is still considered safe.
It is similar to what happened to the cholesterol drug Baycol that was banned because it caused liver failure and death while the other cholesterol drugs in the same category (Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, etc.) are all still considered safe. There are numerous other examples of this happening in medicine including Vioxx which had to be pulled from the market for health concerns while Celebrex the other drug in that category is still safely used by millions of people.
Of note, Qsymia the appetite suppressant approved by the FDA in 2012 is comprised of phentermine, which means that phentermine essentially received re-approval by the FDA 60 years after it’s initial approval in the1950’s.
Will the appetite suppressants make me jittery?
The appetite suppressants are stimulants so it can take your body a day or two to get used to the medication. The first couple of days some people can feel a little bit “jazzy,” kind of a “zoom, zoom” like feeling, but you shouldn’t feel jittery or agitated. By day three or four the stimulation the medication provides starts to feel about as strong as a cup of coffee. Most people actually like the little pick me up that the medication provides.
Will the appetite suppressants make me anxious?
Among those with anxiety issues this is a very common fear but it is rarely, if ever, an issue.
Will the appetite suppressants keep me up at night?
On the first day or two, as the body is getting used to the medication, there can be some sleep disturbance. After those first couple of days, sleep issues usually aren’t a problem as long as the medication is taken early enough in the day.
Will the appetite suppressants raise my blood pressure?
Studies show that the appetite suppressants on average actually lower blood pressure by a few points and only minimally increase the heart rate by a beat or two. In the real world, because of our patients’ weight loss, almost everyone’s blood pressure and heart rates improve.
In our experience, less than 0.2% of our patients have experienced any significant change in blood pressure or heart rate, and then it has only been to a minor degree. And for those whose blood pressure is already controlled with medication we have never had any issue with their blood pressure because of the appetite suppressants.
Are the appetite suppressants similar to “meth”?
The appetite suppressants are in the same amphetamine-based category of medication as Ritalin and Adderall, which are used by millions of children everyday. Comparing phentermine to “meth” would be the equivalent of comparing codeine to opium because both compounds are opiate-based.
Are the appetite suppressants addictive?
From a physical standpoint the appetite suppressants create no physiological dependence. The National Institute on Drug Abuse ranks phentermine 148th and represents less than 0.03% of all drugs with abuse potential.