Plenity is an FDA-approved medical aid to help with weight loss. It is a prescription capsule that is made of cellulose and citric acid. People who take it 20 minutes before eating lunch and dinner report feeling fuller sooner. Since people feel fuller soon, they often eat less, resulting in decreased calorie intake.
Even though Plenity sounds fantastic, and it really can be, some tips and tricks can assist you with your path to weight loss. Plenity is not a cure, it is only another weapon in your arsenal in your weight loss journey.
I often have people asking for a prescription, thinking that it will solve all their problems. They also want instant results and hope to lose weight within weeks. It's difficult to explain to patients that Plenity is not meant to solve all their weight loss issues. It is intended to assist them in making the right decisions regarding eating to the point of satiety, not fullness.
Plenity is NOT meant to curb your cravings for chocolate or salty foods. It will, however, make it easier to say no when you have a feeling of fullness.
Many people who overeat do not know when to stop eating. Their brains don't get the chance to register that they are feeling full. I have found taking Plenity 20-30 minutes before eating a meal is it gives my mind a chance to send that signal that I am starting to feel full.
It is my job to realize that I am full and stop eating. If you ignore these feelings, you will still overeat, as I have done many times. The only difference is, after taking Plenity and overeating, I felt bloated and overfull. I always try to remember this feeling in hopes it will stop me from repeating this behavior.
The following information is not medical advice, and you should consult your medical provider with medical issues. However, these are tips I have received from other people taking Plenity and many I experienced myself.
One of the first tips regarding Plenity is to use your health savings account (HSA) or Flexible spending account. This way, you pay for Plenity with pretax money. People with medical savings accounts (MSA) can also pay with pretax money. I am not an accountant so consult them with any further questions regarding your tax savings.
When you are on Plenity, remind yourself that you are paying good money to take Plenity. Make every dollar that you spend count. Do everything you can to lose weight.
If you miss a dose, you should still take the dose when you remember. Make sure to drink 16 oz of fluid, even if it's with your meal. Plenity needs the liquid to work correctly by absorbing the water and expanding. However, if it is close to your next meal, do not double up on the dose.
My first question to you would be, why both? You haven't even tried Plenity alone yet. Why not give Plenity a chance to work on its own? Clinical studies have shown 6 out of 10 people who took Plenity lost at least 5% of their body weight. Their average weight loss was 10% (about 22 pounds) Plenity.com.
If you are struggling after a few months of being on Plenity, you may benefit from trying other weight loss medications with Plenity. However, we do not recommend trying both when you start. Give Plenity a chance to work. Pick a weight loss program and stick with it.
If you decide you need more help, you can take Plenity with other diet medications such as Phentermine, Saxenda, and more. According to Plenity, there is no contraindication to taking other dietary weight loss medications.
Many people have had positive results from intermittent fasting. However, we recommend using a way of healthy eating that you will stick with for the long term. Anyone can do a "diet" for a few days, but are you going to stay on this way of living and eating for the long term? If the answer is no, then find something that will work for you.
If you eat your bigger meal at breakfast, then take your Plenity with breakfast and then your next largest meal. Plenity may recommend taking it with lunch and dinner, but multiple groups have suggested taking it with your two biggest meals of the day to avoid overeating. Not everyone is created equally, and everyone doesn't eat the same.
Now is not the time to start dieting. Wait until your Plenity is delivered to your home and you are ready to start. We don't recommend having a "last supper," but you should eat like you usually eat.
What you should do is plan on a healthy way of eating once you start taking Plenity. Hopefully, your prescriber will set you up with a healthy program to help you succeed.
Read up on healthy diets and forms of exercise that will assist you in losing weight. Knowledge is power, and your provider should lay the groundwork in your path to success.
VirtualWalkinCenter.com can prescribe Plenity in Connecticut and educate their patients in steps to success. They will set you up with a login to a weight loss program that will give you the steps to healthy eating. You can even download an app that will track your food intake.
If you're not going to drink the recommended fluids, then do not take Plenity. It needs the fluid to work correctly. Many people do not lose weight when they first start because they come into the diet dehydrated. You start drinking enough water, and your body retains the fluid. It could take two weeks to release the water and start losing weight.
When you first start, it is even more important to drink enough fluids. Try to stay away from the scale for the first two weeks. Your body needs time to adjust, and your bowels will need time to change as well.
Many people take longer than one month to see the benefit of Plenity. Your body is adjusting, and you need to make sure you are sticking to a healthy eating plan. Do an honest assessment of your eating habits. Are you taking in enough calories? Are you eating too many calories and think your eating healthily? Utilize a tracker so that you know your numbers.
It may seem counterintuitive, but increasing your protein intake will get you the needed calories your body requires for muscle growth. You would be amazed at how many people take in so little calories that their bodies try to hold onto those pounds thinking that you are starving.
Most importantly, stick with Plenity and give it a chance to work. It may take longer than two months to see results. If you eat healthily, exercise, and take Plenity, you will eventually lose weight.
Another word of advice is to take your measurement before starting Plenity. This way, when the pounds are not coming off, you can repeat your measurements. If you are losing the inches, who cares about the rest. It means Plenity is working!
Some people end up with hard stools and constipation while taking Plenity. There are many options for treatment that can help you get "normal."
I can not recommend the best course of action, but these are a few of the many things that have worked for others.
Increasing your daily fiber intake will soften and add bulk to your stool. This should help result in a regular bowel movement.
Before you get to the point of needing all of the above, make sure you are drinking enough water! Plenity absorbs the water in your stomach, and water reabsorbs it in your colon. You will still need to increase your water intake while taking Plenity.
You do not need to drink plain water for Plenity to work. You can add sweeteners, preferably sugar-free or all-natural fruit juices, to water. Some people like flavored seltzers, and one person I know drank skim milk with hers. Drinking 16 oz of skim milk with both meals seems a bit much but to each their own.
Decaffeinated coffee and tea work well, mainly because some people say that drinking warm fluids helps activate the Plenity in their bodies. However, there aren't studies to back this statement.
The long and short of it is to make sure you are drinking at least 16 ounces of water when taking Plenity.
According to Plenity.com, you should contact a doctor or medical provider right away if problems occur. If you have a severe allergic reaction, severe stomach pain, or severe diarrhea, stop using Plenity until you can speak to your doctor.
You may need to go to the emergency room if symptoms worsen or not resolve with over-the-counter treatment.
The side effects of having an allergic reaction are very low compared to a sugar pill or placebo.
Plenity can cause GERD (acid reflux) to be worse than normal. There are things you do that will help you with the symptoms.
You may want to try natural remedies such as papaya enzyme or Probiotics.
You can also try over-the-counter remedies such as antacids like TUMs or Maalox. These are quick fixes for that burning sensation you may be feeling.
If these do not work, you may want to call your medical provider for something more substantial. Some medications help either reduce or block acid production in your stomach. Medications such as omeprazole or Pepcid are commonly used.
Try to identify your "trigger foods" such as;
If you can avoid the cause, then you may be able to avoid the treatment. You may also have fewer symptoms by not overeating, which could result in further weight loss.
I would caution anyone starting Plenity not to treat this as a sprint but rather a marathon. We all did not put this weight on overnight, and we shouldn't expect to lose it overnight.
Your chances of keeping the weight off after you lose it improve if you drop the pounds slowly.
By losing the weight slowly, you decrease the chances of having lots of extra skin that could need removal. It will not prevent it if you are severely overweight, but it allows your body to recover more efficiently.
If you wish to increase your chances of success, you should consider adding weightlifting to your routine. By adding muscle mass, your body will burn calories daily to maintain this muscle. This means you will burn calories at rest "afterburn."
You will also want to increase your calorie burn with cardio activity. This extra calorie burn will help with weight loss as well as cardiac health improvement.
Another tip is to make sure you are eating enough calories and eating the right kind of calories. Fuel your body with high-quality protein and food so that your body will become a fat-burning machine.
Education can help you in your weight loss journey. Try to read up on topics related to healthy eating and exercising. Learn how to read labels on the food you purchase. Get to know the calorie load of carbohydrates versus protein versus fat, so you pick the right mix of food.
Learning how to exercise correctly will help prevent injuries while making your workouts more effective in gaining muscle mass. As you know by now, the more muscle you gain, the more calories you burn. Getting better at your workouts helps you build muscle. Focus on the large muscles of the body when you start working out to build a foundation.
We all start diets in hopes of losing weight and getting healthy. Our motivation is full speed ahead initially and often slows to a halt the longer we stay on a diet.
We all need to be accountable either to ourselves or others. Life can be challenging when choosing to live a healthy lifestyle.
You will often have better success by letting someone know your goals regarding weight loss.
Let them know your expectations and how they can assist you in your journey.
Many people mean well, but they need to know that encouraging you to eat and live an unhealthy lifestyle is the best way to help you succeed.
There are a couple of Plenity groups on Facebook that other people taking Plenity can post questions and answers. They post their frustrations as well as their many successes. Try to get involved and research your questions before asking them. Most likely, someone has already answered your question.
You may want to post your;
It's much harder to back out when you know you have other people wishing you the best.
It may seem like the Plenity is the cause of you going to the bathroom more frequently, but it is most likely all the extra fluids you are drinking.
Most people who take Plenity initially didn't drink enough water each day.
Once you start to take the weight loss aide, you have to take in a minimum of 16 ounces of water with your two doses.
Many people also increase their daily intake of water to assist in the effectiveness of Plenity. Just the increase in fluids can cause you to urinate more than you did before starting.
Make a game out of all the extra trips you make to the bathroom. For each trip, do either five wall pushups, five air squats, or five lunges. This way, you clear out your system and get fitter in the process.
There are no magic bullets that will solve your weight loss problems. Plenity is a tool to help you lose weight, but you will still need to do all the things required to lose the weight.
Taking Plenity will, over time, make you feel fuller quicker. You will still need to practice mindful eating and pay attention and listen to your body.
You need to put in the work to live a long healthy life. I wish you the best in your weight loss lifestyle.
If you live in Connecticut and would like to start Plenity, go to VirtualWalkinCenter.com and register for a quick telehealth visit, and get started right away.
They can prescribe Plenity and get setup with a free weight loss program to help you succeed. You will get access to the same program weight loss centers charge hundreds of dollars to access.
