Really depressed I didn’t just go on Ozempic - only maintained for a year

I think what you’re saying is that the process of losing weight and maintaining now was miserable and you’re sad it wasn’t made easier by using WLI?

im not sure it’ll make you feel better but being on GLP1s is also a bit miserable for lots of people. You’re not getting your dopamine hit from food and lots of people feel quite flat, are very very tired, have nausea, headaches, constipation, judgement and worry about more severe side effects. And it costs A LOT so are probably having to cut back in other areas. It’s not all a bed of roses.

Definitely look at the strength training, it sounds like your body is in the right place to really benefit from it.

The key is to focus on getting enough protein there are arguments for what is enough but in the region of 0.7-1g per lb of target bodyweight per day so 84-120g per day for you - maybe target 100g and see how you feel. Then on the lifting focus on the big compound moves so squats, lunges, deadlifts presses and rows, things that involve more than one joint and lift a weight you can lift around 8 times per set but no more - 2kg is not likely to be enough.

If you have money you would have spent on GLP1s then spending that on a few months of a personal trainer to get you started might be a great investment.

That's a case of toning. Not weight loss. I'm a size 8 and have wobbly bits.

ETA and congratulations on your weight loss!

I think you need to reframe this in your mind OP, because I read your post and thought 'Fucking hell, that's amazing!' and you're clearly not thinking that. You lost all that weight through sheer willpower and determination and you've maintained that new weight for a year. That is amazing!! And now you want to lose a little bit more, but are frustrated because others have used WLIs and have lost more than you. You go to the gym, so some of your weight now is muscle, you still have wobbly bits, but so do many people (including me and I've never been overweight). It would be stupid to pile weight back on again, just so you could lose it again using WLIs, that you would have to pay for (and they're not cheap).

Could you try something different like 16:8 or 5:2? Might that kick-start things again for you, so you could lose that last stone that you'd like to? Or what about the Human Being Diet? I have two friends who've done it and lost 1-2 stone and they look bloody great!

You've done brilliantly, especially with PCOS. I really admire you but I wish we could all stop judging ourselves by what we weigh. Stop wasting your life with self-criticism and enjoy this glorious bank holiday.

You shouldn’t compete with your friends like this. Were you happy until you saw her. As it reads you were. And as you say you are triggered by the fact she’s now smaller than you. It’s not a competition.

@Neade you might actually find with pcos that you have an advantage when it comes to strength training - I'd really encourage you to give it a go. Maybe use the money you've saved by not using a GLP for a couple of sessions with a PT to get you comfortable using free weights. If your arms are an area that bother you I promise that's an area that's easy to make a difference at to how they look with weight - but it is about going heavier, not using light weights for a long time, that's more like a cardio/aerobic thing.

Strength training also increases how much energy your body burns at rest, so if you add a bit of muscle you might find over time you actually get a bit leaner. Good luck!

OP, here is what you do.

Have a maintenance break, as your weight loss has stalled because your metabolism has adapted to fewer calories. Slowly increase them and lift weights to get your metabolism back up to running off more calories. Honestly, this works.

Second, take 1tsp psyllium husk powder in water half hour before each meal. It’s the poor man’s mounjaro. Honestly I cannot finish most of my meals anymore, so end up leaving half as leftovers. It has changed everything.

ETA use psyllium to cut calories after you’ve built up your metabolism for a while. Otherwise you’re just continuing with a deficit that isn’t working..

I’ve lost 7st on WLI going from 16st to 9st. I’m at the lower end of my bmi range and still wouldn’t wear anything skimpy. Currently sitting in my own garden in shorts and tshirt but feeling a lot more comfortable than I used to at 16st.
Good to see you’re going to commit to strength training op, it’s been really beneficial to me as I’ve lost weight and miraculously I haven’t been left with loose skin (well nothing more than a wrinkly belly post 3 children). I also swim 1km 2-3 times a week and do reformer Pilates twice a week. Find something you love and shift your focus a little.

Did you post recently under a different user name? Also how depressed you were feeling about your weight?

Just swim.It will tone everything up. Arms and stomach.

If you’re only 31 you can absolutely fix this with exercise. What do you enjoy? Yoga is great for toning and mental health. Don’t be so down on yourself. You’ve done really well, you should be proud, but don’t wrap all your self esteem into a number on the scales.

Some of the online pharmacies offer WLI at a lower BMI, 27 I think? Eat a bit more, drink a load of water and then request mounjaro etc at a slightly higher weight? I’ve been where you are (I lost 70lb with intermittent fasting and exercise) and after a particularly stressful bit of life I finished my weight loss with some v low strength mounjaro for a few months.

‘Only maintained for a year’ can be read as you maintained your weight loss for a year and then put it back on.
That’s how I read it tbh.
You’re doing so well to keep it off!
ETA sorry, cross-posted with pp.

I think the poster meant that your thread title includes “only maintained for a year” which suggested after a year you put weight back on ie “I was only able to maintain for a year” rather than what I now assume you meant which is “for a year all I’ve been able to do is maintain rather than lose weight”.

OP have say you go to the gym, have you considered focusing on strength training? As it's entirely normal to have wobbly bits at all sizes and losing another 15lbs might make your arms and stomach a bit smaller, but smaller doesn't necessarily stop them being wobbly. Having a bit of muscle does - muscle still wobbles a bit when it's not flexed but the 'toned' look many women aspire too isn't just smaller, it's more muscle and less bodyfat.
I know it might not be much consolation but I've seen a lot of women who have lost weight with injections be disappointed that the result is having the same body shape just less of it, as that's not necessarily the change they wanted - some of it we can't change because it's genetic, but strength training can make a big difference to how you look, and importantly, how you feel.

Can be interpreted as you only managed to maintain for a year.

So you have lost a shit ton

and
now healthy bmi but with some loose skin . So tone up with exercise

how old are you

A “healthy” BMI for someone my height is 7 stone 10 to 10 stone 5. It’s a pretty wide range and you could def drop a stone (or two) and still be within the healthy range.

Can you afford to pay for them privately?

If you're not judging others, what makes you think they are judging you?