Do you sometimes feel that phentermine, and everything associated with it, is targeted at women? We’ve felt that way too, so you aren’t the only ones. Don’t let the marketing fool you though, there are plenty of men taking phentermine.
Today we’ll be focusing on our male readers with a post dedicated to men. We’ll be looking at some of the issues surrounding male weight loss, particularly when it comes to men considering – or already taking – phentermine.
Benefits of Weight Loss for Men
Most of the media surrounding weight loss has been targeted towards women, but men can benefit from slimming down just as much. As well as reducing the risk of chronic illnesses, losing weight loss for men has also been shown to improve the quality of life and longevity for overweight men. Basically; almost every benefit for women losing weight also applies to men.
One of the most noticeable benefits of losing weight is reducing the risk of chronic conditions such as high blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer. It’s because of this that most men may find themselves relying on medication less as they lose weight.
Adopting a healthy lifestyle will also improve sex drive (not to mention performance!), decrease joint pain, improve memory, and strengthen immunity. Exercising more also means releasing more endorphins, which reduces stress and leads to better moods.
Many people would agree that all of the benefits that come with losing weight easily outweigh – pardon the pun – the difficulties associated with adopting a better and healthier lifestyle.
Differences Between Phentermine for Men and Women
While phentermine will have a similar overall effect for both men and women, there are several small differences in how it affects men and women.
Effectiveness
Men generally lose weight at a faster rate than women. As such, it’s hardly surprising that men will tend to lose weight faster through phentermine.
There are a few reasons men have an easier time losing weight;
- They tend to have more muscle mass. Muscle burns through more calories than fat. As men have more muscle, they burn more calories at rest. This advantage is caused by increased levels of testosterone.
- Men evolved to lose weight at a faster rate. Studies have shown that the male body responds better to dietary and lifestyle changes designed to lose weight. This could be related to the fact that men would never have to maintain body fat in order to bear and sustain children in the early days of humanity.
- Men tend to look slimmer faster than women. Even if men and women lose similar amounts of weight, the man will often look trimmer. That is because men generally accumulate fat in their midsection, while women keep fat in their thighs and hips. It’s much more noticeable when a man’s stomach shrinks compared to a woman’s hips.
Side Effects of Phentermine for Men
Both men and women using phentermine are likely to experience at least one side effect when using the medication.
These side effects can range from mild to severe. While xerostomia (dry mouth) is one of the more common side effects, there are other, more worrying phentermine side effects, for men.
One of the most potentially bothersome male phentermine side effects is the impact that phentermine may have on their sex life.
The list of common phentermine side effects listed by the FDA includes two relevant reactions; both a change in sexual desire and the risk of impotence/erectile dysfunction.
Men who discuss using phentermine through forums and websites have corroborated the risk of erectile dysfunction, increased ejaculation, shrinkage of the penis and scrotum, and not feeling satisfied by sex.
The good news is that those side effects, should they occur, will likely clear themselves up within a week or so. That’s how long it takes the body to adjust to using the medication. If the problem does continue, then you should consider asking your doctor if they can help.
There are plenty of medications out there that may be able to help. Either way, keep in mind that losing weight has been shown to improve body image and increase sexual desire overall, so things can only improve by losing weight.
Some men have also reported needing to urinate more while they take phentermine. This problem, like the others, seems to diminish as you continue to use the medication. It should likely disappear when you finish your prescription.
Even so, be sure to get in touch with your prescribing doctor if you become concerned about the continuing, worsening, or severe side effects of using phentermine.
Making changes to your lifestyle, such as eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated, and exercising regularly, helps to lessen those side effects. However, if the potential reactions become too much to you – or aren’t going away on their own – you should consider taking PhenQ.
PhenQ is an all-natural supplemental alternative to phentermine that is able to boost energy and suppress appetite without the potentially harmful sound effects.
Men’s Diet and Exercise While Taking Phentermine
The diet and exercise requirements for phentermine are generally the same for both men and women, other than the fact that men are able to eat a little more than women, even while trying to lose weight.
Nutrition
Men should be eating at least 1,500 calories each day, even when they are dieting. That minimum threshold of calories helps to ensure that men are able to properly break down fat, maintain their lean muscle mass, and achieve a sustainable level of weight loss.
The protein requirements are the same for both men and women; aim to eat around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (or 0.36 grams per pound) of body weight.
There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all ultimate diet for men taking phentermine. As mentioned in our post about low-fat vs low-carb diets, the most important things to consider when choosing a good diet are; your body, lifestyle, and preferences.
Many people are comfortable with a low-carb diet, while others are terrified at the prospect. The effectiveness of each diet can also vary between person to person.
Be sure to choose the diet that works best for you and your body, as long as you get everything that you need. While it may sound appealing to eat even less to try and lose more weight in the short-term, it can be very bad in the long-term.
Losing weight too quickly generally means that you are losing muscle as well as fat, and no one wants to have to lose the muscle they worked so hard to gain while losing weight.
Fitness
Speaking of muscles, you are using phentermine with the goal of losing weight, but perhaps you’re also interested in building some muscle while you’re at it.
As mentioned above, men will have the natural advantage over women when it comes to this as they have more testosterone, which helps in building lean muscle mass. Even so, fitness should be at the center of any phentermine weight loss journey.
Aim to set goals for yourself to work out more, and make working out a healthy habit that can be sustained in the long term. Start out slow if you don’t have much experience with exercise, but continue to push and challenge yourself to do a little more every week.
For the average American adult, it’s recommended you get around 150 minutes of moderate activity – such as walking or biking – a week, or 75 minutes per week of strenuous activity – such as running and swimming.
You should also aim for two days of strength training. You will see more benefits – not to mention lose more weight – if you are able to reach 300 minutes of physical activity a week.
This works out to around 30-60 minutes of exercise each day including moderate and vigorous workouts, as well as strength training.