Article: Phentermine's effects tend to plateau over time, and many patients develop a resistance to the drug. This is why it is essential that you get on a stable, sustainable diet and exercise plan, even while taking the drug. A healthy diet and regular exercise can allow you to maintain your weight loss or perhaps even continue to lose weight. Phentermine will help you lose weight in those crucial first few weeks, but only diet and exercise will give you long-term success in your weight-loss journey. A licensed dietitian can help you adjust your diet in a way that is both safe and effective for weight loss. Ideally, your dietitian will also be able to monitor your progress to ensure that you are responding well to your new weight-loss regime. Every patient will require a different plan; however, some common weight-loss strategies include:  Meal replacements (especially for patients who struggle with portion control)  A very-low-calorie diet, often taken in liquid form, under close supervision  Lifestyle modification. This can include rather simple changes such as avoiding processed snack foods, eating lots of low-fat proteins and fresh fruits and veggies, and steering clear of alcohol, simple carbohydrates, and sugars. Make sure that you are sticking to your diet plan by keeping track of the calories you consume. Make a list of all the food you eat throughout the day. Using a simple online tool or phone app, you can calculate your daily calories intake. Confirm that your daily calories fit within the diet plan worked out by your dietitian and physician. A food journal (using an app, a website, or just pen and paper) might also be useful. By recording everything you eat, you can learn to resist temptations more readily. Depending on your current weight and health, there are some exercises that might be safer for you to perform than others. Talk with your doctor about some of the best ways for you to integrate exercise into your life in a healthy way. Ideally your exercise plan will allow you to continue losing weight even after you discontinue your use of phentermine. If you cannot exercise strenuously right away, consider low-impact exercise such as swimming, or even walking. You can always work your way up to more strenuous exercises such as running, jogging, or lifting weights. Behavioral therapy is an integral part of medical weight-loss programs. A behavioral specialist can help you stick to your diet and exercise goals. Perhaps you get tempted to eat because of television commercials, or perhaps you overeat when you are stressed out. A behavioral specialist will use cognitive behavioral therapy to retrain your mind to respond to stress and temptation in healthier, more positive ways. This will help you lose weight while on phentermine as well as after you stop taking the appetite suppressant.

What is a summary?
Recognize that phentermine requires diet and exercise to work. Consult a dietitian about a safe diet plan. Measure your calorie intake carefully. Create an exercise plan with your physician. Talk to a behavioral specialist.