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ABOUT LINDORA AND LEAN FOR LIFE
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    • I take thyroid medication and have had difficulty losing weight. Is this medication, or my thyroid condition, preventing weight loss?
      Thyroid is rarely a cause of significant weight gain, especially when under treatment. More disappointing is the minimal effect on weight loss once thyroid medicine is begun. One study showed an average weight loss of just eight percent of the excess weight after taking thyroid medicine. In other words, a person who has gained 100 pounds would lose just eight of those 100 pounds after the thyroid is under control....

    • Do birth control medications cause weight gain?
      Injectable, long-acting birth control methods like Depo Provera cause some women to gain a lot of weight. However, the average weight gain in one large study was just 8.1 lbs. in 2 years (13.8 lbs. in 4 years). ...

    • Several years ago I was taking "fen-phen" for weight loss. How can I tell if I have heart damage?
      Fen-phen consisted of fenfluramine (also known as Pondimin) which was taken off the market, and phentermine which is still available. There are several national and international groups which are now looking at side effects of fen-phen. There's a great deal of discrepancy in their findings. All agree that the longer people took fenfluramine (Pondimin), the greater the risk of developing heart valve damage. ...

    • What is HCG?
      "HCG" (human chorionic gonadatrophin) is a hormone derived from pregnant women's (or animals') urine. It was popular in the 60's and 70's as a weight loss aid; it was given by injection. It produced minimal weight change, primarily increased muscle mass, and was therefore popular among bodybuilders. We now realize that nearly all of the weight loss accomplished by individuals using HCG was due to the very low calorie eating plan they followed. ...

    • How does Meridia aid weight loss? What is the dosage?
      Meridia is an appetite suppressant that helps one feel more full. It is taken only once a day and has a wide range of effective doses. By contrast, the older appetite suppressants like phentermine and Tenuate have few available doses, are short acting, and tend to "wear off" over the course of a few months. ...

    • What are the benefits of taking a potassium supplement while dieting? What are the types of potassium?
      Potassium is a mineral that is essential for growth and general good health. It has many important actions in the body. Potassium can improve blood pressure, fatigue, stress, and headaches, and glucose transfer which affects weight. It helps to maintain proper electrolyte balance in body cells, is essential for proper muscle function, and is instrumental in conducting nerve impulses....

    • What kind of weight loss results do you see with Xenical (orlistat)?
      Xenical (orlistat) is a prescription medication used for weight management including weight loss, weight maintenance, and to help prevent weight regain after a diet. Xenical inhibits (blocks) the absorption of dietary fat by approximately thirty percent when taken as recommended. ...

    • What is Alli?
      Alli, the new over the counter medication, helps by reducing the amount of fat that the body absorbs from the food we eat. We all consume fat in our daily diet. In our digestive tract we have enzymes that help to digest the fat in our diet. Alli works by attaching to these enzymes in order to block them from breaking down some of the fat that has been eaten. The undigested fat cannot be absorbed by the body so it is eliminated naturally through the digestive tract in our bowel movements. Alli blocks ¼ of the fat in the food that you are eating from being digested. ...

    • Do antidepressants cause weight gain?
      When considering the effect of anti-depressant medication on weight, it should be noted that depression has been associated with both weight gain and weight loss. It's usually a matter of degree; when people are mild to moderately depressed, they tend to eat more. When someone is very depressed, they sometimes stop eating altogether and, in severe cases, may even have to be hospitalized and fed intravenously. When these individuals are put on anti-depressant medication, the resultant relief of depression will affect their eating behavior. This is not necessarily "caused by" the medication itself, but rather a result of a change in the depressive state....

    • Does hormone replacement medication (premarin, estrogen, evista, progesterone, or provera) cause weight gain?
      These hormones are associated with aging and aging absolutely affects one's weight. Metabolism slows, hormone levels change, and vigorous activity becomes more difficult. However, there is evidence that behavioral changes account for a greater proportion of weight gain than physiological changes. ...

    • How does thyroid disease affect weight? Does taking natural (armour) thyroid help people lose weight?
      There is no question that an abnormal thyroid can lead to weight gain. The thyroid gland, located at the front of the neck, affects nearly every body system including metabolism. When too little thyroid is produced, metabolic rate slows, leading to weight gain in many people affected by the condition. ...

    • What is topiramate (Topramax) and does it cause weight loss?
      Researchers have recently learned that a medication often taken in combination with seizure or mood-altering medications, topiramate, can cause weight loss by decreasing appetite and increasing metabolism. Of course, every medication has potential side effects and it's very important to work with your own doctor in determining whether this may be an appropriate medication for you. If you wish to consider the use of this medication, you may want to refer your physician to: Gordon A, Price LH American Journal of Psychiatry 1999, 156, 968-969. "Mood Stabilization and Weight Loss with Topiramate"....

    • I've heard that some antidepressants like Wellbutrin can cause weight loss. Is that true?
      Wellbutrin works much like Meridia, the most recent appetite suppressant approved by the FDA. However, it is less likely to cause an increase in high blood pressure than Meridia. It is also often covered by medical insurance, where Meridia rarely is. Wellbutrin is identical to Zyban, just marketed in a different container. For that reason, we often recommend Wellbutrin to cigarette smokers trying to lose weight. [1] [2]...

    • Can I participate in the Lean for Life program if I take the blood thinner Coumadin?
      It is important that individuals who are taking the anticoagulant medication coumadin (warfarin) consult their physician before beginning Lean for Life, or any other weight reduction program. Your physician will need to be aware that blood volume decreases during the Weight Loss phase of the program, which can affect bleeding/clotting times. PT and PTT blood results should be monitored by your physician throughout the program and medication dosage adjusted accordingly. ...

    • Will taking blood pressure medication impact the rate at which a person loses weight?
      The rate at which a person loses weight varies among individuals and is affected by many factors such as age, gender, current weight and body size, lean to fat ratio, metabolism, physical activity, dietary compliance, etc. ...