Q: In order to understand the scoring system, you will need to know the value of the cards. The values don’t change throughout the game. Playing the cards in a “meld” during your turn nets you points, but holding onto the cards at the end of the round costs you points.  Jokers are worth 50 points. Aces and deuces are worth 20 points. Any card from an 8 to a King is worth 10 points. Cards ranked from 4 to 7 are worth only 5 points. Black 3s are also worth 5 points if you are able to use them. Red 3s are different from the other cards and are kept separate on the table. Each red 3 is worth 100 points. As soon as you get one, lay it face up in front of you. Collect as many of the red 3s as you can for bigger bonuses.  If you get all of the red 3s during a round, they are worth 200 points each. There are 4 of them in total, adding up to 800 points. It is rare, but it will put you way ahead of the competition. Failing to play a red 3 by the end of a round nets you a 500 point penalty, so be careful! That gives your partner a chance to pick up the discard pile on his turn. Black 3s also have some additional scoring quirks for you to be aware of. Black 3s can only be melded for points when they are the last cards in your hand. For that reason, they tend to be more useful for throwing off your opponents than scoring points. Think of these cards as replacements for ones you’re missing in your hand. When you score points by matching at least 3 cards of the same rank, use a wildcard to replace another missing card. These cards also allow you to freeze the discard pile to prevent your opponent from taking it. If you do this, turn the card sideways on the discard pile to indicate it is frozen.  For example, if you have 2 jacks, you could complete a meld by playing a 2 with it. Place the set of cards face up in front of you. You need to have 2 natural, matching cards to begin a meld. You can't start a meld with 2 wildcards, but you can use up to 3 of them to finish a meld. Normally, you freeze the discard pile with a wildcard when you are desperate. When the pile is frozen this way, nobody can take the discard pile until someone uses the top card to make a natural meld. There are a few different types of melds to keep in mind as you play. Each meld must have at least 2 natural cards in order to be valid. You can add wildcards to the meld in order to score more points and make game-changing moves like completing a 7-card canasta.  A meld of 7 cards is a canasta. A natural canasta, or one with no wildcards, is worth 500 bonus points. A dirty or mixed canasta, which has at least 1 wildcard, is worth 300 bonus points. The goal of the game is to make as many canastas as you can before the game ends. In fact, most rules force you to make at least 1 before you are able to stop playing a round.
A: Memorize the point value of all the scoring cards in the game. Use red 3s as a bonus card to score additional points. Play black 3s to block the next player in turn from taking the discard pile. Use jokers and 2s as wildcards to score or freeze. Make different melds to score points during the game.

Q: 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.
A:
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.