Have you asked your GP for help to lose weight?

[TeaNbiscuits74]

Has anyone asked their GP (or practice nurse etc) for help / guidance about losing weight?

I’m very overweight (BMI in the high 30s). I know it’s bad for my physical health, it’s also bad for my confidence and self-esteem. I feel like I need some help, but I also feel really unreasonable to ask for it. I know what I need to eat, I know I need to eat less and move more. I just struggle to do it. I’m not looking for a new diet plan, I need something to help me break my psychological issues with food. I can’t afford private therapy, or I would go down that route.

I know the NHS is massively overstretched, and I hate the idea of wasting their time, but I’ve tried for years on my own (and with friends, and with slimming groups), and I make a little progress but can’t sustain it.

This isn’t a lack of knowledge about healthy eating - I know what is healthy, reasonable sized portions etc. I need support with stress / comfort eating, bad habits and poor food associations. I struggle massively in situations where I’m not in control, and tend to binge eat when I feel that I’m losing control of my environment.

Are GP surgeries willing / able to help with things like this? And if not, where can I get some support?

Ask your GP to put you on the waiting list for therapy. If you know how to lose weight but are still not managing it, then you need help working out why you keep overeating.

Your local pharmacy can refer you.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/digital-weight-management/how-to-access-the-programme/

I asked once and was told I wasn't overweight enough to access any support - my point was that I was trying to avoid becoming more overweight and was struggling to control my eating which meant I was still gaining weight - BMI of 27.5 and gaining roughly 0.5 - 1lb a week at the time.

My GP advised me to eat more salad with every meal and told me that the waist measurement I had taken that morning must be wrong as I didn't look that big (I am very apple shaped with a waist measurement bigger than my hips and a family history of Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease so this concerns me greatly). I invited her to measure my waist herself but she refused. I gave up at that point.

Four years later I have stabilised my BMI at 28.5 but still struggle to control my eating and still have a large waist that concerns me greatly. A different GP commented on the size of my stomach once whilst palpating it, but again offered no advice when I told him I struggle to control my weight.

I have tried and failed at Slimming World, Weight Watchers, intermittent fasting, low-carb and goodness knows what else. I mentioned all this and my concerns about my weight again more recently to a new GP at my practice when it was relevant in the context of a long-term injury that was limiting my mobility. She weighed me and agreed that I am overweight, but told me that there was nothing she could do to assist as my BMI is under 30.

I refuse to get fatter so that I can be referred for help with my weight so I think me and the NHS are at a stalemate now. I will qualify for one of those over-40 health checks next year, so I wonder if I may be able to get some advice or assistance from that?

This is what I’m afraid of @TenInSport - sorry you didn’t find the help you were after.

I was called in to the surgery by a dietician. We discussed diet/exercise/relaxation/lifestyle. We drew up a plan and she contacts me every week by phone to ask how I’m doing. I have lost a bit of weight and it is making me do more exercise.

I haven't but MIL did, a number of years back now. She was just told to eat the same but smaller portions.
It did work in that she lost some weight. She was overweight though, just felt she'd gained a bit.

Yes. I've asked twice.
First time absolutely no help other than a discussion with the nurse which was worse than useless.
Second time they did agree to refer me to the local weight management service ("Lose weight, feel great"). I was referred last Feb. Took til sept to get an appt. They assessed me and said I needed discussions with the dietician, physio and psychologist for support. Since then I've had phone calls from dietician x2 and physio x1. Nothing from psychologist. But I know this is what I need. I weigh more than I did at the first appt in sept. I weigh the most I've ever weighed. Bmi is around 43.
My eating is 100% disordered and is fully emotionally linked. I'm permanently exhausted and just need some help to figure it all out.
I've lost and gained huge amounts of weight (5st plus) multiple times over the last 20 years. I'm 38 and just want to be normal. I can lose weight. I can't keep it off though.
I don't know how I will ever get there and then stay there. The best way for me to keep weight off is being single. But that isn't a way to have to live life.
Good luck OP.

Gp surgeries can refer you fir weight management. Don't bother the doctor with it though. Admin or HCA can do it.

thank you @LittleRebelGirl , that’s awful, how frustrating.

I can totally relate to what you’re saying, that’s exactly how I feel too.

@RuthW I don’t mind who I speak to, I’m aware that GP surgeries have all sorts of professionals with various job titles now.

I asked. They told me to join slimming world.

Really, I need therapy. I know HOW to manage my weight on paper, but I binge eat/emotional eat. But I can't afford it, and have a 1 year old at home so can't access NHS therapy as it's only 9-5

Probably depends on the area or doctor mine referred me to weight management who then put me on to baraitcs hopefully going to be sleeved in the next year! I'm 5'9 18stone

All the gp can do is refer/signpost you to a weight management service or for therapy.

Both of these you can self refer to. GP’s aren’t psychologists and aren’t dieticians, people’s expectations are too high. They are not allowed to prescribe any of the weight loss drugs. All they can do is tell you to eat less and move more. Don’t have a go at GP’s for not being able to do much about this. 🤷‍♀️

I was referred to a nutritionist for menopause and I gained 2 stone. Then the healthy plate club for counselling, CBT and now I am taking Rybselsus which is working really well. I have fatty liver disease so I am being monitored very closely. It was prescribed by an online GP and funded by me but my surgery are aware and doing the bloods. I am losing about a pound a day on the 3mg maintenance dose. When I get nearer to goal weight I will go to keto as this always worked before bloody menopause. I was BMI 41 and 18 stone. I need to lose 8 stone to be in a healthy category.

Yes I have asked several times. All I want is to meet with someone for ten minutes perhaps twice a month for three months then once a month thereafter, to weigh me, look at my diet, offer advice and either signpost me to counselling or spend a few minutes listening to me. Or attend a clinic or something. The most receptive person was the practice nurse who was sympathetic and said "there's nothing for this, there should be but it's all in mental health these days. Maybe you could come back and say its affecting your mental health".

Oh, and the two doctors I asked both fell over themselves to offer me nothing but sarcasm and one was actually simply downright mean. It was weird and unnecessary.

No
But I know a couple of people that their doctor has put them on onto a food, nutrition, diet, weight loss course. The course was an hour for several weeks

I asked my gp and was referred to the local nhs weight management service. It’s a 12 week programme where I log into a group meeting each week and each week is a different theme…drinking water, salt/sugar in the diet, food labels, eating out etc. As part of it, there is also an online exercise class to do for 12 weeks.

My bmi is 52 so I have a HUGE amount to lose and 12 weeks will be a drop in the ocean. My gp advised there will be more support once I’ve successfully completed the 12 weeks. You have to show a commitment before you’re offered therapy, medication or surgery, which although it feels frustrating, I can understand why they do this.

I have recently started paying for a personal trainer. I know it’s pricey but I needed someone to be accountable to, and I also feel less tempted to eat crap in between sessions because I know that would undo all the good work I’m doing and would make it a waste of money, so it’s working for me. I write down everything I eat each day to be more mindful about what I’m putting in my mouth, and I try and focus on nutritious, whole foods (not low fat processed stuff). I do parkrun. I am the type of person that needs the help and support of others to lose weight. It’s hard to do alone.

Have a look at Rebelfit on Facebook, there is stuff you have to pay for on there but also lots of free advice/support. It's all about the psychology of why we struggle to lose weight and has taught me a lot.