December 10, 2021 “Is your vision clear for your health?"
Recently I had a conversation with a client I hadn’t seen in a while, the last time I saw her she was double her size. She literally looked so amazing that I complimented her on the spot. She immediately started to put herself down. I gave her what turned out to be the first of a few BLANK STAREs. Now, don’t get me wrong, I know we are our own worse critics. A thousand people can tell you how awesome you look, but if you don’t feel it or believe it, nothing anyone can say or do will convince you otherwise. This is because most of us have very unrealistic expectations of how our bodies should look. Because of these impractical beliefs many people will put their health at risk or even die trying to reach those improbable goals. Which makes me question, “Is your vision clear for your health?”
In that conversation the client relayed to me how although she lost 60 LBS she feels worse than she has ever felt in her life. She said she has no energy to do anything, constant heart palpitations, headaches, high blood pressure and is sleep deprived, with a loss of appetite and feels nauseated. BLANK STARE.
When I asked her more questions to understand why she feels this way; she stated she drinks several cups of coffee a day because she is extremely tired, doesn’t take her blood pressure pills and has been taking Phentermine for the last 6 months. As a registered nurse, I heard a mouthful. I quickly suggested that she consult with her physician and to stop taking the Phentermine. She immediately stated NO, I will not stop because that’s how I lost the 60 LBS. I stated, YES, but at what cost to your health and quality of life.
Many different companies have taken advantage of America’s obsession with skinny, (not healthy), and used this opportunity to release “miracle products” that guarantee you will lose the weight with little-to-no effort! Unfortunately, most of these products are scams. The drug phentermine has seen a recent surge in popularity, for several reasons. It appears to bring about weight loss of 5-10% in approximately 12 weeks, its inexpensive and curbs hunger. However, phentermine is not one of these “miracle pills” which will solve your weight problems overnight, you must take these pills for a while. And although it says to take with a healthy diet and good exercise regimen, many just take the pills.
Phentermine is the most prescribed weight loss pill in the United States. It is a stimulant and an appetite suppressant that acts upon the central nervous system. It can be harmful when ingested along with other drugs, so your best plan of action is to discuss the use of phentermine with your doctor or pharmacist before taking the pill. When used in combination with fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine, you are at risk of death or serious injury, so do not take the danger factor lightly.
If you have a history of heart disease, high blood pressure, glaucoma, an overactive thyroid, drug abuse, allergies, diabetes, or kidney disease, you should not take phentermine.
Let’s pause: When I was trying to convince this client to taper off and to stop taking this drug, I pulled up the dangers, side effects and contraindications to share with her. When I specifically told her “You shouldn’t be taking this if you have high blood pressure” she stated, “that’s why I stopped taking my blood pressure pills”. Another BLANK STARE.
Side effects are rare, but possible. They include chest pain, shortness of breath, heart valve weakening, heart palpitations, confusion, extreme sadness or happiness, irritability, high blood pressure, sexual dysfunction, muscle cramps, hair loss, dry mouth, or swollen feet. You should avoid alcohol and other harmful substances as they may increase certain side effects of phentermine.
The big question I had for her after our long discussion was now that you are having several serious side effects and you feel like crap, why would you risk your life to lose even more weight when you are smaller than you have been in your adult life? From the look in her eyes, everything I was saying was going in one ear and out the other. She was dead set on being a size 2-4, she didn’t care if her health declined even more, she had set a goal and was not going to stop until she reached it or apparently died trying.
Although, this is one story, I have many and most are just as scary. This is why I want to know what is your vision for your health? Not just what are your weight loss goals but how do you envision a healthy being. Our motto is fitness starts from within. That means what you look like on the outside is not the only indicator of your healthiness. Are you putting the right food in your body, to feed and maintain healthy organs? Are you staying hydrated, eating healthy and balanced meals (even with a suppressed appetite you need to eat and it needs to be healthy food), exercising consistently, being careful with supplements, over the counter medications and prescribed medications, controlling blood sugar and addictive habits like smoking and drinking and getting regular checkups for teeth and eyes? If you aren’t consistently looking at your overall health, your vision is not clear at all, it’s skewed. Clean you lens, so that you can have a clearer vision for your health. A total wellness vision can lead you to your best healthy and happy self. No Mess!
