Losing weight, weight loss injections or gym?

Forget about the gym for now and focus on walking.

Go out as a family for 30mins - 1hour each day, rain or shine and the weight will start falling off of you.

The kids will get more exercise and less screen time, so will behave better and sleep better.

You will feel less hungry, less tired and sleep better too which also helps with weight loss.

I would also swap the bread for oats.
You can buy them so cheap, they’re very filling and way better for you than bread.
You can do overnight oats too which takes a minute or 2 to prep.

I think you could try the injections for a couple of months and see how you get on but tbh it sounds like a couple of minor changes to your diet would have the weight coming off anyway.

The injections do give some people side effects, they’re very expensive and don’t get to the route of the problem.
But if they do help you lose weight and keep it off then they’re worth trying.

I don’t think you have to use them forever- but you do need to have a good strategy to keep the weight off. I’m currently on Mounjaro. I have lost weight with a calorie controlled diet before but it’s hard when I’m so busy with kids wtc. Mounjaro helps that as I don’t have the compulsion to overeat

I’m not sure you’re right about people being bitter when fat people lose weight with injections, although if anyone is that’s incredibly sad.

The thing is, you say that but in the same breath talk about changing habits to maintain and for it to work. And that has to involve changing dietary choices. I mean if you think taking the injections
to give you a boost to lose what you want to would help then maybe it’s a good choice - but you do also need to change your eating habits while on it and afterwards, right? Yet it seems this is what you are the most resistant to?

Besides even if slim people don’t get it - so what? You asked here if you should do injections or gym but you know dietary issues will come into it whatever you do.

Definitely sounds like you should have stayed on a lower dose @Chopbob !

I agree, it was far too much too fast. I questioned the amount of weight loss with the prescribing doctor, but they seemed unconcerned. My issues could have been caused by the speed at which i lost weight, or the injections, or a combo.

I also don't think my experience is the norm, but it was my experience and just wanted to put it out there 😀

Sorry you been so unwell x that’s a lot of weight in a short time though (unsurprisingly if you couldn’t eat) which I believe can also cause gallbladder problems. I’ve been on them 4 months and “only” lost 2 stone and I’ve been fine x

Have a look at the Slimpod threads on here. I joined a year ago after seeing it pop up on Facebook and thinking it was a load of rubbish. I have lost some weight but my attitude to what I eat and exercise has changed. You basically listen to a 10 minute NLP recording daily, there are videos to watch but they are short. It costs £99 spread over three months and there is a free trial and money back guarantee for the first 30 days. I was the biggest sceptic but am very pleased.
think they do a Blue Light discount.

Hi OP,

Just wanted to add my recent experience with Mounjaro injections as I think many people are quite polarised in their opinions.

I have been using Mounjaro for 6 months and I have lost 5.5 stone very quickly. I was substantially overweight before starting the injections and the weight loss has improved my knees, my back, my blood pressure and I feel less tired.

Although this is an amazing result in terms of weight loss, I found the side effects really unpleasant. I also suffered more serious side effects.

I struggled to eat very much as I constantly felt full and sick. Certain foods I was unable to eat at all eg. bread, pasta, rice...basically any carbs otherwise I would vomit.
I was in a constant cycle of constipation followed by horrendous diarrhoea.

Rather than listen to my body I stuck with it as the weight loss was substantial. This was to my detriment...
I eventually ended up in hospital with gallbladder disease and liver issues.

I'm in no way saying this was 100% due to the injections, but gallbladder problems are a known serious side effect of Mounjaro.

Even so, I wouldn't say definitely don't use them but please go into using them with eyes wide open. Listen to your body and seek medical attention if things don't feel right.

Would I have done it had I known? Probably, yes. I was desperate to lose weight for my health, my mental health and my children.

I think it's very easy for others to throw stones about weight...do more exercise, eat less, eat better etc. but unfortunately it's a multifaceted problem that often isn't a result of one cause. It can be psychological, a social issue, a biological issue, lack of time, lack of affordable and convenient healthy food choices. The list goes on.

No I didn’t, didn’t know you could tbh!

it’s the pool thats the big draw for me, but my kids are older (15 and 18) so I’m lucky to have no childcare to worry about x

I'd maybe look at some therapy to help with your mindset around food first.
I have found it an absolute game changer, it's helped me to completely change the way I think about food and myself.

Then I joined a gym and started to enjoy exercise for the first time in my life, my body shape changed and I became much stronger and fitter but I was still gaining weight. After around a year of regular using the gym and loving it I started to look at calories and using a tdee calculator.
After almost 9 months of experimenting I've found despite all the calculations and evidence saying otherwise I only lose weight if I either cut out all bread/pasta/rice/potatoes/grains etc or only eat around 900-1000 calories a day. I have started the injections to help me stick to this, I'm three months in and haven't had the huge losses some have had in that time but I'm losing and able to stick to my calories easily. I genuinely feel I'm in such a better position to keep the weight off from the therapy and exercise than I would be from the injections alone.

Surely you're cooking healthy meals for your kids each night so why aren't you eating the same healthy meals with them? You say you've not got time to cook but you must be cooking for your kids.

I'd spend that money on reducing stress, not adding to it. E.g. get a cleaner, get food shops delivered (though I too enjoy the challenge of yellow sticker savings!). Anything to create more chill time. Reducing stress can help with weight loss.

If you can somehow fit it in, do try therapy. Sounds like you have some underlying issues you've been ignoring for a long time.

Gardening can be good all-body exercise and is free, plus you get to relax outdoors and have a nice garden.

After reading your update about how active you are (steps) , I think you need rest rather than my exercise!

The gym you described does sound nice - would it be possible to visit sometimes without paying £180pcm on a membership?

If you are so focused on keeping your food budget low, I think you'll need the extra money you have to cut yourself more slack there.

Congratulations on your pay rise and I hope you find a way to use the money that makes your life easier and you feel more comfortable in your own skin.

Op you mention a go-to meal of butternut squash, rice and pine nuts. This meal is very carby, especially if it’s white rice. Try more green leafy vegetables instead and more protein. Or even just simple things like using frozen peas more.

What I find using Mounjaro is that whereas I’d previously still feel hungry after eating mostly green vegetables and want to fill up on bread or rice or potatoes, now the vegetables make me feel full and are naturally what I reach for. along with protein, but I eat meat so can’t guide you on that as a vegetarian.

@BigDahliaFan

Really no the weight loss drugs, you have 2 young kids and no one knows the long term effects of the drugs.

It is extremely important to understand that medical risks are increased hugely by being obese. The risk of obesity far outweigh the risk of using injections. That evidence is absolutely clear.

Also, the drugs have been in use for Type 2 diabetes for a long time and medical science is a lot more sophisticated than “oh let’s just approve a drug cos it seems OK right now and cross our fingers about the long term effects”.

I do think that a lot of the scaremongering comes from the fact that the drugs are injected rather than taken in tablet or capsule form. People seem to make a mental negative connection between needles and junkies shooting up. Whereas it’s actually often safer to take a drug subcutaneously because it reduces risk of damage to the stomach.

You can’t out train a bad diet. You really need to start with food. I’d personally invest in meal
prep or something and have them delivered. Calorie controlled healthy and have nothing else in the house you can binge on

You need to try and change your mindset regarding waste in particular. The food is wasted whether it goes in the bin or whether you eat it despite not needing it.

Gym membership is a great idea. How about a food delivery / fruit box delivery?

And OP every suggestion other than injections like batch cooking exercise etc you are making excuses up, if you want to use injections do it stop seeking others approval.

You probably feel awful because you are stressed and tired and running on empty. Could you eat three meals a day for a couple of weeks with no snacking? Absolutely no snacks at all? I do that when I want to reset myself.

I'd get a gym membership, there are many more benefits of exercise other than losing weight.

GLP-1 injections have been used in humans for 20 years and are some of the most tested drugs on earth. We know that for the vast majority it f people dieting doesn’t work. These medications do. A BMI of 34 raises the risk of many diseases including cancer. It’s not like someone with a BMI of 24 using them.

I also find it really hard to lose weight. Although I wasn't that honest with myself - felt that the weekends were a time for overindulgence etc.

Reading that I suspect you would really benefit from the injections. Your body seems to hold onto weight no matter what is going on around you, that usually points to hormone issues. That is where the weight loss injections come into their own. They are designed to interfere with the hormone system.