Risking a flaming but jealous of those on weight loss injections

[Notmyfinesthours]

I’ve specifically not put this in the weight loss section as I’d rather hear from those who aren’t dieting or thinking about it. Might help me find perspective better.

I am not overweight. I never have been.
I have however had what feels like a lifetime of making sure this is the case.

I suspect many women feel like me. Brought up to fear being fat or greedy or ‘let myself go’ as if it were the worst sin.

Ive skirted close to or actually been in the midst of orthorexia for most of my adult life. Always saying no to pudding, finding the latest food that will fill me up but not have too many calories and fixating on it before I find the next one. Exercising most days, fitting it in by missing lie ins or nights in front of the fire.

Fretting in pregnancy, menopause and any ill health leading to immobility that it might trigger weight gain.

you get the picture? Self flagellation is big driven by an instilled fear of being fat given to many in my generation (I’m 58) (and yes I know I should address this first- I am trying but the media doesn’t help)

Several of my friends and family are big eaters, always seem to have the toastie and cake when we are out and by their own admissions do little exercise. They have often jokingly talked about being slimmer but say they like food too much and ‘have no willpower’ and can’t be bothered to deny themselves for the sake of a few dress sizes.

I know it’s more complex than that but they basically enjoy life in the way it should be enjoyed to my mind and accept they will be a bit larger bodied. I’ve actually always really admired this as an attitude or at least been a bit jealous of it.

But with the new weight loss injections several of them have dropped weight significantly and are so slim and delighted.

I just feel so cheated. Like I’ve been so careful for so long and they haven’t but they get to be slim just with an injection.

I know it’s more complicated, I know it costs them money, might have risks etc but it’s clear so many celebs are doing the same and it feels like it’s not going to be more commonplace.

Why is this making me feel cheated and am I just an awful person?

I have no issue with slim people in general, don’t be so obtuse. All my friends are lovely and slender and are supporting me wholeheartedly with my weight loss.

But those that are nasty and want to keep you as their fat friend and be morally superior, yeah….

@User14March "the PP was talking re: the significantly overweight." Yes, overweight but not obese. The same point applies in that circumstance, benefits don't outweigh the risks at the moment. Based on the research which only looked at people who were obese or BMI 27 with weight-related health issues.

Perhaps the manufacturers will do further research, eventually, on people whose BMI is between 25 and 27 or 30, to look at the incidence of side effects and the severity, compared to the range of weight lost, and the effectiveness of keeping it off longer term. And then apply to have their medication licensed for general weight loss for anyone with a BMI of over 25. If it turns out that the risk of side effects is worth the limited health benefits of losing weight when not obese.

Yep I agree. I feel hungry and I’m glad that I do because otherwise I’d struggle to eat what my body needs. But I’m able to satisfy my hunger with smaller portions. I don’t feel deprived which is what some women were describing. I couldn’t live like that and I’d risk issues like osteoporosis if I went below 1200 calories per day which is what I’d need to drop to a size 8

What an utterly ignorant thing to post. Jesus.

I started in February, have lost the weight very slowly sticking to 5mg for a long time, I’ve never been on such a long diet so I guess I have reset my appetite? I have also filled my time with other things rather than eating out/cafes/takeaways. So Ive changed habits. I also have not been obese for long… maybe 7 years?

Whereas slim fast you can only sustain for 3 months if you’re lucky. Slimming world 4 or 5 before you fall off the wagon. This method allows you to keep going for longer and make permanent changes. I guess that’s the difference and reason for high success rates?

Well who are these nasty slim people then? You've just said all your slim friends are lovely, as are mine. Can you imagine any other group of people being characterised in such a way?

Have you read the thread?

I’m not sure what is so difficult for you to understand and I doubt my ability to state it simply enough for you.

I agree. Bringing up those who obtain it by any means necessary/illegally and including them in a discussion with those who go through the proper channels to get their private prescription just to add to the "Disadvantages of Mounjaro and MJ users' point is either disingenuous or ignorant - or both.

Where can people discuss it if they wish?

On a thread about people who are obtaining it illegally or unethically?

This thread is in AIBU, not the weight loss injection board?

I know. What’s your point?
My point was that lumping people who obtain it illegally/unethically in with those who meet the criteria and have been prescribed it legally by a registered clinician is unhelpful and detracts from the issue actually being discussed.

You are describing me! I have spent most of my life denying myself food that I love because I’m terrified of putting on weight. I am significantly underweight in fact but actually feel better for it. I beat myself up emotionally any time I eat anything that I consider unhealthy or have a pudding. I hate the way that I am and living like this, but I just can’t help it. I also get up early to make sure I have time to exercise when in fact I’m exhausted and my muscles hurt. It’s an ongoing problem, so I absolutely understand what you are saying when you look at the people taking advantage of the injections. However, in most cases dealing with your weight with a healthy diet is much better than going down the alternative route and using medication as most people seem to put the weight on once they stop.

Thats muddling up different things though

A person who needs say 1800 cals a day, may be hungry in between meals, or peckish but might say 'I'll wait until meal time'. They may well feel deprived, it doesnt mean they are deprived or eating too little. Some people cant live like that, some can, they're not risking osteoporosis though.

Another person may say, I'll eat now, I dont want to feel hungry. That would have been me before.

Its the same as bringing up the number of people addicted to painkillers on a thread about a new arthritis painkiller or something.

I think some people are too sensitive about this. Obviously someone who has been prescribed it is fine and noone has issues with that, but there are plenty of people who are buying it 'illegally'and it's important to be able to discuss those people and worries about it without the others getting on their high horse about it.

If they were buying those painkillers illegally then yes.

People can start a separate thread about people who obtain anything illegally including WLJ. That way the topic doesn't descend to mixing up genuine people who're on WLJ with them but on the act of illegal procurement of different good and services, if that is truly the intention of the person wanting to discuss it.

It's a serious and valid topic on its own and doesn't deserve to be used as a gotcha for discussing genuine users of WLJ. But I find that most people who bring it up in these threads really aren't that genuinely bothered.

Yes there are. But there are so many threads where people confuse the issues (often deliberately), and it gives the impression that everyone who is not getting it on the NHS (which is practically nobody) is buying it on the black market or lying to obtain it. I’m not sensitive about it as I don’t take weight loss injections 🤷🏻‍♀️, I just think on some threads (like this one) it’s unhelpful and detracts from the actual issue being discussed.

But what relevance does that have to this thread?

If it's that important (and i think it is) to you and others, where are the threads discussing such an important issue? Why let such an important issue get mixed up in a different issue and just added casually as a 'by the way'? Doesn't sound sensible to me. Don't you think it deserves threads upon threads discussing it and trying to do something irl about it?

Good question! It's at the right level to keep hunger at bay, but maybe I've gone too far. When I tried to reduce, I did get hungry again. And I do get hungry on days 6&7. It's a hard balance

I think you are taking too much. It’s supposed to be a reduction of food not making it impossible to eat. I felt like that on 10 so reduced and I can enjoy my life without feeling ill.

I did try going down to 5, but I started to put weight on again. 😬

I will bear in mind the advice here and reflect on it.