I’m really upset I’m still fat

[Refvs]

It’s been years since I’ve been trying to lose weight. I have done lots of diets but I can’t stick to anything. I will not take the weight loss jabs (no judgement to those that do btw) im just lost. I have all the exercise equipment at home but im so fat still. Yes I don’t exercise much so yes I know my fault.

my biggest thing is my emotions. If I have a bad day or great day I will eat loads. Been off work today due to ds being really unwell and from morning till evening I have just stress eaten.

please help me

'This is why I don't think WLI are the way forward, at least not until they are better managed and regulated. They encourage dangerous eating habits. It's only a matter of time until someone dies if things don't change.'

In what ways are they not managed and regulated and what do you think should change?

bite the bullet and order montjaro. Its not cheating anymore than taking a tablet for high blood pressure. The “eat less & move more” doesn’t help for some people especially when youve got food noise constantly. See it as and aid to shift the majority of your excess weight and get yourself healthy. Theres no shame

I'm following this with interest as I am similarly an emotional eater.
I started the first book and as you say found it a bit hard going, but this second book is on Amazon as an audiobook if that's ok interest to anyone.

I would think they need to be given offside a balanced eating plan. I know a few people who just skips meals because they aren't hungry on them, so they are losing weight. But the meals they do have a the same the have always eaten so surely as soon as you stop you will regain the weight in that scenario.

Have you read OP’s posts?
She doesn’t feel comfortable taking such a new drug (new in terms of people who are taking it just for weight loss). There are NO longitudinal studies on the impact, or its effectiveness long term - it’s just too new.

Are people exercising alongside taking them? If not then they will be losing a lot of muscle mass in a short period of time. This is a big concern as we get older and especially for women. I wonder how much support people are given to minimise this risk?

Read the room!!!!

Glad you had a good day @Refvs , 1200 seems low for the day but I don't think I have seen your weight.
My daily allowance is 1600.

I try not to eat till 1pm.
To get a crunch hit I have crackers with soft cheese spread and red pepper or cucumber.
If I fancy something sweet I have an apple with peanut butter.
I also have stirfry veg with whatever I have in the evening just to fil me up and get some goodness in.

I know how tough it is and I still have bad day where I can't stop eating. But just take a day at a time and move forward.

There is no shame in losing weight the natural way either but the thread has been bombarded with comments asking the OP why she does not want the drugs

They're too easy to get hold of. There are lists available online of suppliers who will accept you if you tick a box stating that you don't have a GP and who either don't require or don't properly check the photos you are supposed to send in to prove eligibility.

People on them are not properly monitored or given proper nutritional support.

There are so many posts online where people are struggling to hit 1000 calories a day with some not even managing 800 calories a day. Side effects of such a low calorie intake include nausea, dizziness, headaches, fainting, muscle wastage, kidney damage, constipation, hair loss, hypoglycemia, gallstones, lethargy, inability to maintain body temperature, bone damage and if followed long enough death.

Something with the potential side effect of death shouldn't be marketed in such a cult like way and should involve a lot of medical supervision.

Louder, for those at the back - OP does not want to take weight loss injections

Weight loss is about diet, more than exercise. But, when you exercise, (1) it's time away from the the biscuit tin and (2) you feel better, therefore less inclined to snack on junk. So, exercise does indirectly help weight loss

Myfitnesspal app can be helpful. I found that when I religiously tracked everything I ate, I learned that my diet was definitely less healthy than I'd realused

The absolute worst thing about all these threads isn't the Mounjaro debate, it's that you can count on half the posts telling the OP that exercise doesn't work and you can't outrun a bad diet.

Exercise does work. Exercise will make you healthier. Health is about more than weight. It is a much better route to having a stronger, more resilient body than disordered eating, obsessive calorie-counting and the grift that is diet culture.

There are different ways to lose weight. I have lost four stone without counting calories but I would not come on here telling people they are wrong to do so or asking why they do not follow the path as me. My focus has always been on eating better food, cutting out processed food, focusing on natural plant based wholefoods as well as doing the occasional fasts. It is working for me but not saying it could work for everyone just sharing my experience.

When I was diagnosed with diabetes, I felt sick and tired and every day. I was lucky to have a doctor who explained all the options to me. He said that although it had been common for diabetics to immediately start taking medication there was a growing school of thought that the condition could be treated with diet and exercise. I researched the matter and did not relish the thought of the side effects of the drugs offered (it would likely have been metformin) nor the thought of taking them for the rest of my life so I chose the latter option. My doctor was very supportive although even he thought that I would eventually have to take drugs. If that is the case, I have still achieved something as metformin definitely has a diminishing effect so postponing is a result.

This was nearly ten years ago and I am still on the same path. I have not regretted it, nor been tempted by the newer drugs on the market that were developed for diabetics. Nobody knows the long term effects of WLI but the one thing that is certain is that if there will be more information in the future so I am happy to delay any decision until that information is available. Some people say they are miraculous but I feel the same way about losing weight naturally. I may not have hit my target weight but my blood sugar is normal, so is my cholesterol. So long as I feel good and healthy then it is of secondary importance.

I saw a news report that suggested more than 80% of people who stop the WLIs regain most or all of the weight in a year. This would mean basically staying on them for life to sustain the loss.
This was what convinced me to lose weight by more old fashioned means as I am not risking my health for a likely unsustainable weight loss.

@Refvs - I agree with those who have found walking to be great for weight loss.

You can virtually double the effect - and strengthen your core, which is the ultimate key to getting fit - by wearing a weighted vest.

They come in different weights - 3 or 5 kg to start with, depending on your current fitness. There are lots of YouTube videos on how to choose the best vest.

But it's also true that most methods of weight loss also have some if not total weight gain when those methods become unsustainable again.

And they can easily become unsustainable. People get new jobs all the time that take up more time and energy, longer commutes, more children, less energy, injury, chronic pain, illness, boredom, the community we keep around us and their influences, and so on.

This is why obesity is a lifelong disease and needs to be treated as such.

I haven't pushed the OP towards WLI, in fact I've been very respectful of her desires not to try them, but I also understand that other obese people are finally grateful that there is a medication to help them with their disease.

I have tried the medications myself, loved them, but wasn't losing weight as fast as many other people, and it was still impacting my mobility, and ability to actually cook food, play with my little boy, and do sustained activities even walking for an hour.

I'm over 16 stone with a BMI of 46, I'm very short, and when I was religiously calorie counting I found it hard to eat over 800 calories and lose weight. That was with the injections that still curbed my appetite. I did get my BMI down on the WLI but it kept creeping back up.

I have been referred and approved for weight loss surgery now, which is the last resort, and an irreversible step towards recovery for obesity.

I applaud the OP for wanting to try everything she can now before it gets to medication or surgery because I don't think any one should get to this point and have to make these sorts of choices lightly.

It is dismissive though to slate these weight loss injections because the cessation of them means that you're likely to regain the weight. Many people have accepted they'd need these medications for life in the same way diabetics would need medication for life because the reality is you can't just cure a disease through willpower alone, willpower has it's limits and isn't entirely reliable.

People are just reporting their own experiences, I have no affiliation to any drug company or pharmacy. Yes some people take drugs irresponsibly or improperly, don't eat properly, over exercise or don't take and implement good advice- same with any drug or food/exercise regime. Also people regain weight on many diet and exercise regimes, mainly as they stop doing them as they are unsustainable. I have been a member of the Nutracheck group on Facebook for a while now and people regularly post photos of meals which are horribly beige and don't include any green veg. Definitely not following all the advice you get on Nutracheck. But each to their own, they are grown adults making their own choices.

What I would say is that I have also come across people like me who have been following a good exercise and diet regime (I mean overall balanced diet not just for weight loss) but still found it impossible to lose weight reliably. I'd been trying to lose two stone for 16 years and had never been back to normal BMI since having DD2.

I found that the online TDEE calculators and particularly James Smith recommendations of the amounts I could or should be eating were absolutely laughable. They were more than I can eat for maintenance when overweight, never mind for weight loss and that includes me doing a fair bit of exercise but also a job where I sit down a lot which I can't change. The simple fact was that I needed to eat about 300 calories a day less than I had been to try to lose weight at a safe level, but that level was hard to maintain due to hunger before, so GLP-1 drugs which suppress hunger have been extremely helpful.

It's not a short term or quick fix, however I have lost 21bs at a rate of 1-2lbs a week so far, and another half a stone seems very achievable now. I am not then going to go cold turkey with the drugs when I get to goal, but then spend several months gradually taking less and less while finding what my maintenance level of eating is.

Also for me I have had PCOS and endometriosis for ten years, which mean that both it is harder to lose weight, but being overweight with them carries more risk of things like getting endometrial cancer- particularly in the age group I am currently entering.

Another reason for my doing something now was elevated blood pressure and aching joints. All my life I'd had low to normal BP, so this was worrying. Aching feet and knees as I turned 49 were making it harder to exercise, and I'd always been fit. My dad had osteoarthritis in later life and had always been fit and not overweight. My DM had an MI at 53 then later got type 2 diabetes so I was very aware of potential heart and diabetic issues. Now my BP is normal again and my joints have stopped aching. Blood sugar and cholesterol were normal and are still normal. My waist measurement is now several inches below the diabetes risk point rather than hovering on it. There may be risks with taking these drugs but I have reduced immediate risks to my overall good health in the last three months.

Not all diabetics are on medication for life. As I said up thread, I am diabetic and have never taken medication and my blood sugar levels are back in the normal zone and have been stable there for over five years. I know others with similar stories and the NHS has backed some brilliant schemes in the last few years to encourage diabetics to cope using diet and exercise only. Likewise there has been some superb research by the likes of Professor Roy Taylor of Newcastle University showing that it is perfectly possible to put diabetes in remission without drugs. There really has been a revolution in thinking and in practice in the last 10-20 years.

I agree, @zanahoria

I highly recommend The Blood Sugar Solution by Dr Mark Hyman, which explains the process for loosing weight and preventing or potentially reversing diabetes really well, and it includes a lot of straightforward advice on what to eat and what not to eat. (There is also a separate cookbook with lots of easy and healthy recipes.)

www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/blood-sugar-solution-book-mark-hyman-9780316127370

i also like Dr Becky Gillaspy’s short talks with on YouTube, especially her older once which don’t include sponsored promotions.

I am not disagreeing with you, it's great that some people can manage or even put diabetes into remission through diet and exercise. But I think you're missing the point I was making.

My point was that many people with obesity have come to terms with needing weight loss injections long term, much like many diabetics need lifelong medication. Both obesity and type 2 diabetes are chronic, relapsing conditions, and while remission is possible for some, for many others, ongoing medical treatment is necessary to manage the condition and prevent complications and in a good portion of those cases its the same medication which is the WLI.

Fucking hell, it’s neverending 🤦🏻‍♀️

Anyway. @Refvs how are you doing today? I did brilliantly until after dinner last night but then slipped up. I definitely don’t do well when I know there’s cake in the house!!

I found a photo of myself earlier today from a few years ago when my face was visibly much slimmer - and I found that’s motivated me!

I’m going out for my daily walk shortly but I’m interested in what PP were saying about walking on the spot in front of TV…..does this actually help?

OP: I don't want to use WLI
MN: You should get WLI
OP: I'm fed up that my thread was taken over by WLI suggestions
MN: You should get WLI

🙄

@Refvs I hope your day yesterday went as well as the day before. If not, today is a new day. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start again. Not every day will be perfect, but if you plod away day after day, you will get there.

Some people do better with support. If you think that's you, maybe think about starting a new thread. Hopefully, the WLI cult won't follow you. It doesn't have to be about numbers and weigh-ins or progress reports; it can just be for support, motivation, tips, and recipe swaps.

I find that marching on the spot raises my HR more than regular walking, especially if it is combined with some other type of movement, eg, raising your arms or doing some arm exercises with a small set of handweights or alternating marching with squatting/kettlebell swings/whatever.

Oh that's interesting, thank you!

I've been enjoying going out for an evening walk but due to circumstances at home, sometimes it's tricky to get out or I want to do a bit longer than I have time for out of the house.

I might add this into my routine too and see how it goes!

I’m going out for my daily walk shortly but I’m interested in what PP were saying about walking on the spot in front of TV…..does this actually help?

@SpidersAreShitheads I was one of the posters who mentioned it and yeah I’ve found walking/marching on the spot at a brisk pace is effective. I also mix it up by doing a variety of moves I pick up from YouTube walking videos like kicking my legs back or doing a little side step etc.

If you ever have phone calls lasting longer than 10 minutes it’s a good opportunity to walk up around your house. I usually walk up and down my open plan living room/kitchen if I’m on the phone.

At the end of a 30 minute phone call to a friend or being on hold to a company, I’ll have added about 3,000 steps to my stepcount.

Of course walking outside is great, but realistically sometimes I know I’m not going to leave my house. So it’s better to do something than nothing. And turn a sedentary activity into a more active one.