People who think weight loss injections are cheating

[AuntieDote]

I've seen this viewpoint over multiple threads recently, and I'm just really curious to understand it a bit more because it makes no sense to me whatsoever.

What do you think people using the injections are cheating at?

As in - what's the competition and who are they gaining an unfair advantage over? What do you think the rules of being allowed to lose weight are/ should be?

Is it more important to you that overweight people/ those struggling with obesity lose the weight, become healthier, reduce the burden on the NHS, stop taking up more than their allocated amount of space in the world, or just stop doing whatever it is that upsets people so much about the existence of fat people -- or is it more important that they struggle and suffer whilst doing so?

Or would you secretly prefer them to remain fat so you can feel superior?

Is it that you feel you've worked really hard to either lose weight, keep it off or never put it on in the first place, so nobody else should be allowed to achieve this without the same amount of struggle?

What do you think the weight loss injections actually do, and do you not recognise that those on them are also doing all the usual things people who are trying to lose weight e.g. modify their eating, exercise etc? Does it not count that they're doing these things because it's made easier in some ways by the drug?

What types of weight loss support or tools are not 'cheating'? e.g. I used hypnosis once and it worked for a bit, to the point that I felt pretty much the same way I do with the injections i.e. reduction in food noise and compulsion to snack etc. It didn't last anything like as long, but it worked for a time - was that cheating?

Would it still be cheating if they weren't as effective as they are?

FWIW, I really couldn't care less if people think I'm cheating - who cares? Who does it impact only me and my bank balance? If someone said here, press this button and you'll be a healthy BMI overnight and stay there forever I'd press it with both hands and not give a shit about how anyone felt about it.

But it's just the logic of it that baffles me - I've never seen it as a competition and have never felt like getting to or being a healthy weight only counts if it's done in a certain way - I suppose I'm not much interested in what size anyone else is or what they do to get that way, so I can't imagine for a second ever thinking another person was 'cheating' - only ever being happy for them if they're happy and hopefully healthy too.

Who cares what they think or why.

Do what’s best for your health.

I am skinny and have always had people disapproving of me for being too thin, but I do it all ‘properly’ and as they supposedly approve of - lots of exercise and I eat well.

You can never win so just do whatever is best for you.

That's me! The benefits outside of weight loss have been life changing! I have come off HRT, my cortisol, aldosterone, and catecholamines are much better. My blood sugar is much more balanced. I have less brain fog, I sleep better and having less dizzy spells. And on top of that I am losing weight. And I am having minimal side effects (constipation is literally the only side effect I have, and I can manage that with making sure I drink enough and have enough fibre it seems). The only time I have felt bad on it is when I have eaten badly - fried food, way too much food.

Very quickly I think the companies will push for these drugs to be available to the overweight, not just the obese and also to produce them in pill form (although a once a week injection is quite convenient).

Then the lack of equality of access will go away. People can and do get round it even now otherwise how are all the celebs thinner than ever, but it does seem a bit bizarre that the BMI is a rather arbitary cut off and it can be prescribed at normal weight for those who were obese but not to very overweight people near to obesity to begin with.

Why do you think the injections stop you doing what you do?

I get my protein in, exercise in the gym 5 days a week, I’ve lose nearly two stone of fat and one pound of muscle, according to the gym scales. And I was fit to start with.

simply being on an injection doesn’t stop you eating sufficient protein and exercising, I’m surprised how many people seem to think that.

Read it again

I give no shits how anyone chooses to lose weight. I’m married to someone who’s had a gastric sleeve so I’m all for ways to get to a healthier weight if a person chooses.

My only point on this one would be as long as no diabetics have to go without the injections in order for this to happen. As long as that’s not happening-which I don’t think it is…life’s good.

MN is awash with WLI devotees. You cannot raise any negative concern or opinion about them here.

Using a gym and/or a trainer is cheating too.

You can, but if it is Ill informed, ignorant, emotive, goady, etc then expect push back.

Perhaps you could think about refraining from telling posters what to do, it makes for a more pleasant environment.

Or just ridiculous mouth foaming 😆

Why do you take the injections then out of interest?

I have heard that they suppress people's appetites to the point that you're essentially on a very low calorie diet, which in my mind would make it hard to find the energy needed to workout at the intensity required to build lean tissue.

So in your work place (if you work), if there's a smarter quicker way to get the same result, do you disregard it because its lazy and go for the long timely way instead? It's not lazy, it's life changing to so many people who have struggled all their lives which you obviously have no idea about.

It isn't okay though. Being slim makes it socially acceptable somehow to comment on it. Nobody has the right to openly talk about your weight, and make comments on what you eat, whatever your size. This country has lost view of what a normal healthy weight looks like. A UK size 8-10 isn't "needing a good meal inside you", "too thin", "anorexic", "oh that's why she is so thin", and the list goes on. It is overweight people that are making these comments. if I turned around to them and said infront of an office full of people at a work buffet "don't eat that cake, that's why you're fat", I'd be hauled into HR.
I will never forget this woman at work, she was very overweight. She would patronisingly openly lecture people on what they were eating. She walked in on my colleague, and I eating fish & chips as a treat, and launched into a unsolicited advice rant about transfats. Another was a size 22/24 dietician advising the public on what to eat. 🤔

I've spent this whole year overhauling my diet and working with a PT to try and improve my Blood Pressure and Cholesterol readings as they were sky high and was told I needed to go on meds for them. In October, after 10 months of eating better and working out (lost 1.5 stone in this time) I had another check-up and while my BP was marginally improved (still in the red range), my cholesterol had got worse. I started MJ at the end of October as I'd heard that it could have a positive effect on BP and Cholesterol levels and after 3 weeks both measures were in the normal range. To me, that's a miracle! As I would be needing meds regardless, it wasn't a difficult choice for me.

I'm losing 1-2lbs a week so not much more than I did previously but it's less of a struggle. My brain is calmer, making it easier to make good choices and that's an unexpected bonus. I don't really have suppression as such and still eat a decent amount of food every day but knowing my risk of cardiovascular issues is significantly reduced is amazing and worth every penny spent (I appreciate I'm in a privileged position to afford it).

I'm going for them and I couldn't give a damn if people think I'm cheating. You can't do these and not change your lifestyle otherwise it's pointless.

Which I have and I have joined slimming world to help me stay accountable.

But I've been on diets all my life and i cannot stick to them. I need help. So who cares really? Better in long run when I'm not a burden to health care as I am very obese now. I am scared of trying them but I'm scared of being this huge for the rest of my life. I aren't afraid to admit that I will be using them.

Isn’t it though? Isn’t that what the injections do? They control how much food you can/want to put in your body? I thought that’s what they did so please do correct me if I’m wrong.

No judgement from me, I have food issues the other side of the spectrum so I know just how complicated food issues are. If I could take an injection to make me better I would.

For what it’s worth, I think people think it’s cheating because a lot of people put huge amounts of effort into not putting on weight in the first place. So it makes them feel as though all their effort has been pointless.

I also know a few women who use the injections and are only slightly out of shape and by no means obese. God knows how they get them but there must be a way.

I'm not sure I'd say it was cheating. But, my BMI is 41, and I'd desperately like to lose weight and become fitter, but I'm worried about possible side-effects from the drugs. So, I'm not willing to take them myself, and I do feel envy of those who are taking them and benefiting as a result.

Envy is a perfectly natural emotion, if one that people don't like to admit to, and I guess it can lead people to come up with all sorts of strange arguments to avoid admitting to it.

But you do know when people get their BMI to 21 they won't be using the injections? They'll likely have the exact same battle as you to keep their weight off.

I absolutely don't think it's cheating but surely if you don't stay on the drugs for life then all the weight will pile back on again or am I missing something?

If you don’t mind my asking, how has MJ done that? Reduced your cholesterol and BP I mean. Did you change your diet again after using MJ? Or increased your exercise? Or is it just simply from taking the injections?

@AuntieDote thanks for starting this thread - interesting discussion on both sides.

I've always thought that one of the challenges in our society is not education about food and health, but the way in which potentially unhealthy food is marketed. We all know that grabbing an apple to eat is better for us than a bag of highly processed and highly flavoured crisps but salty, sweet, flavour-enhanced products are designed to make us want more. I love how WLI have quelled that craving, I actually want the apple.

I've made changes to my shopping/cooking/serving/eating which I think will be sustainable for the long term. On WLI I've been able to lose weight but I've also had the head space to notice and implement habit changes. I've never managed that on previous diets. My palate has changed and I no longer enjoy sweet foods. I've changed my mindset about 'treats', there are no snacks. I've accepted that some food waste is OK (and have learned to buy and cook smaller portions) and that I don't have to clear my plate. Alcohol is for special occasions not an everyday event.

they might. I will be. I intend to stay on a low maintenance dose.

Forever? That's wild.

Only if you revert to eating habits of old, which made you fat in the first place, like any other diet.