All my historically fat friends have gone thin this year

[donttellscotty]

Okay maybe not ALL of them, but a few friends/acquaintances who have been very big for years and years, tried everything but could never shift the slightest bit of weight, have all had dramatic transformations and shed many stones over the past year. It’s just becoming expected now whenever I see another formerly large acquaintance or relative pop up on my feed with a super slim selfie.

I (rightly or wrongly) suspect it’s got to be WLIs or similar? Although all are adamant it’s a strict diet only. Just to add there is NOTHING wrong with jabs at all, and I’m aware it’s absolutely none of my business, and I sound mean but I wouldn’t actually discuss this in RL. It just got me thinking that being overweight might be obsolete in a few years?

Anyone else noticing this trend with people they know?

Well they aren't even lying. They just aren't telling you all detail. It's quite personal. I'd worry about people judging my financial expense, how I could possibly afford it etc. Don't forget they are on a journey and may just want to see how it goes and how they will manage.

I think you avoid your poor friend's scenario by obtaining them through a legitimate provider. Some are better than others, but mine closely monitor you to ensure you aren't veering into ill health.

So my pharmacy allow me to set my own target, providing it is above a BMI of 21 - so firmly within the healthy range. My BMI is current 24.9 and I wish to continue losing until I reach a BMI of around 21 - arbitrary but my GP told me that was the optimum BMI for good health- I have my doubts about how much truth there is in that, but hey, gotta set it somewhere.

When I get to that point, my pharmacy will help me choose a maintenance plan. A common option, which I will likely choose, is to stay on my current dose for a few months but up my calories to maintenance. Then I'll slowly start titrating down, monitoring the effect on my appetite and food noise. The key is to find the dosage that allows you to easily maintain without the old food obsession creeping back in. If you start binging, you've gone too far or too quickly and you go back up a dose, at least for a while. When I find that sweet spot, that's where I'll stay. Bloody hope its a lower dose though!

Hi. T2 diabetic who has lost 9 stone and will be on MJ for life here.

Pre-MJ I was on insulin and metformin, 4 x tablets and 2 x injections a day, was only eating carbs in green veg, no fruit, no rice, no potatoes, no bread, no oats…..land my sugar levels were still high. As a result of that I was having weekly appts with the diabetes team to tweak my insulin dosage and assess my diet and quarterly blood tests to check my levels. I was also increasing my risk of heart disease, stroke, nerve damage, blindness, amputation etc every single day that my blood sugar remained high.

Started MJ and within 2 weeks (so not as a result of significant weight loss, just because MJ is very very good at regulating blood sugar levels) I was able to start reducing my insulin. Within 4 weeks I was able to stop the insulin altogether, within another 6 weeks I had reduced the metformin to 1 tablet a day, and a few weeks after that I stopped the metformin. So at that point I was able to remove completely the need for the NHS to provide me with 2 lots of medication. My levels were also so good I went from weekly to monthly check-ins with the diabetes team, then to quarterly, now I have been put on an annual schedule.

my risk of all associated conditions is reducing with every day that I maintain my sugar levels, I have also reduced my cholesterol, my blood pressure and my liver and kidney function tests have improved.

So yes, the NHS provides me with 1 medication for the rest of my life to maintain control of my sugar levels, but by doing this they reduce appts, tests, other medications and all of the costs that would be associated to associated conditions caused by poorly controlled diabetes.

Much like the regimes in place for managing high cholesterol and high blood pressure which are considered life-long medications.

Does that help to explain how providing long-term MJ is actually a cost and time saving exercise for the NHS?

Exactly. You think you’re better than people that used it to lose weight. You see taking Mounjaro as an insult. But it’s a medication for people who are obese, or morbidly obese, which presumably you also were if you’ve lost 7 stone? The end result is the same, fine if you didn’t take it and succeeded anyway but your achievement is the same as someone who took the medicine available.

I get this. I was severely depressed for many years and then I was prescribed Prozac. After a few weeks I realised that other people's normal was my happy. My normal was other people's depression. My depression was other people's suicidal ideation. I needed Prozac to train my brain to understand normal brain emotions.

Once I knew what happiness felt like, I was eventually able to come off the drugs.

I think WLIs are probably similar in shutting down brain rubbish. If it helps people then I think it's a great idea. I do think everyone should know that once they start they are committed for the rest of their lives because the statistics of weight regain after WLIs are so much higher than for those on diets.

But plenty of people (including me) take prescription drugs for the rest of their lives. The real issue is that the cost is solely on the patient rather than on the NHS.

You can tell who is on and whose not I feel. The WLI loss is rapid and often has a sudden loss of weight in face. I met a friend last night having not seem her in 2 months. She looks great and I told her as much. She replied that shes on Mounjaro. I had kind of guessed. I think its great that its available and helps people. They should be honest though. An influencer I follow insists shes not on them but it was obvious to me she was. I came to find out that she definitely is on and its frustrating that she is telling followers shes not....its not fair people beating themselves up that they cant be like her...

Yeah you just uo your calories a bit, it’s actually a surprisingly small change. I was eating 1200-1400 calories to lose and now am eating 1400-1600 to maintain. So it’s one protein bar a day or a large ish portion of Greek yoghurt or a couple of boiled eggs and a minuscule handful of nuts.

I calculated by TDEE regularly as I lost weight, then aimed for 300-500 below that to put me in a deficit so I’d lose weight. Now I just eat at my TDEE number.

Now you are putting words into my mouth.
I didnt say why i wouldn't choose to use it which is no business of anyone else's. Ive made no comments on anyone else who has chosen to use it. At all.

@Travelfairy yes, I stopped following Rosie Henshaw because it was pretty obvious she was on the jabs.

Generally (if you can afford to do so) the approach is to 'wean off' once at goal weight by reducing the dose and/or increasing the time between doses. So it's trial and error, and different for each person.

As patents run out and cheaper delivery methods e.g. pills roll out, the medication will become cheaper and more accessible.

For me, the cost is offset to a large extent by what I've saved eating and drinking less. But my life really did revolve around going out to eat and drink (or have it delivered) before, I wasted a fortune on it.

But if you were confident enough, you would admit it openly! Your just too embarrassed to admit it 😊

Do you still also take a maintenance dose now that you’re at your desired weight?

One thing I’m really struggling with (not on WLI) is having to reduce calories as I get smaller, when I still have the appetite 😢

I don’t think anyone can lose weight while eating sweets! I for one definitely can’t as I am insulin resistant and had gestational diabetes during both my pregnancies. I am currently pre-diabetic but only just. So nothing to be ashamed of. I find it very silly when people say they haven’t used WLI but it is quite apparent that they have. I find dishonesty very off putting.

I've been taking it for around 18 months and lost 7.5 stone, (11 stone total since my highest weight) I'm pleased with the results but I've been obese my entire adult life and been on WW/SW for most of the last 20 years and had weight loss surgery and managed to regain most of the weight within 3 years. Mounjaro has been one of the best things to ever happen to me, I've been on a diet forever and felt guilty and ashamed of myself that I couldn't just lose the weight and keep it off and now I can.

I've been highly successful, hard working and diligent in every other aspect of my life but for whatever reason I could not control my weight. I expect I'll be on the medication long term but if someone told me I could remain at a healthy weight for £7 a day I'd snap their hand off and that's exactly what I'm doing.

I only tell other people who struggle with their weight that I'm on WLI, everyone probably suspects anyway but I really don't care.

Thanks for the very helpful answers. I think I was thinking of it as a drug that caused weight loss no matter what you do and therefore the loss wouldn't stop as long as the person continued taking it. Whereas actually it sounds like the person is on a normal CICO diet but is enabled to keep it up by the drugs?

Indeed. There's an increasing amount of research about what is being called Type 3 diabetes (Alzheimers resulting from pancreatic dysfunction). But then perhaps these GLP medications could reduce the incidence of pancreatic induced Alzheimers? They were originally diabetes medications after all, so maybe we may also see reduction in Type 3/Alzheimers? Who knows, we can hope.

That's exactly it, yes. Someone upthread used the fantastic analogy that losing weight with MJ is like climbing a ladder up a tall tower - tough but doable. Losing weight without it is like pulling yourself up the same tower with a rope - most people just can't hold on for long enough to get to the top.

Yes you still have to be in a calorie deficit but the drug suppresses appetite so it is easier to stay in deficit and eat for fuel (as opposed to feeding the food noises).

Might be going slightly against the grain here, but I don’t think it’s right to lie about it. Having worked in the fitness industry for 15 years there would always be people who would drastically lost weight very quickly and then deny having bariatric surgery or lipo, and frankly it just makes other people who are doing everything they can to no avail feel rubbish about themselves.

I’ve been on WLIs for 10 months and lost 80lbs, I don’t feel I’ve cheated or that I don’t deserve the weight loss, I’ve still had to try, I’ve spent a lot of money and for me WLIs were a last resort, having tried everything else and having a few medical conditions that have hindered progress. A close friend is also on WLIs but denies it, also won’t let anyone look in her fridge, this is because she feels she’s cheated at weight loss and is ashamed. I think it’s a greater reflection on the deniers that they are denying using WLIs and it’s wrong because it does move the goalposts for everyone else who is struggling. Yes in an ideal world we wouldn’t talk about each others bodies or ask awkward questions, but by lying you create more speculation, I booked a secret boob job 10 years ago and wasn’t going to tell anyone, until my boyfriends mum pointed out that by lying about it I would create more speculation and draw more attention to it.

do want you want to do, live how you want to live and just own it ✌

@Fitsthenewfat yes BUT I take MJ for diabetes so I am dosed based on blood sugar levels rather than weight loss effect. I will continue to take my current dose until either my sugar levels start going high in which case I might increase or add in a second medication like metformin, or my sugar levels start reading low in which case I might reduce my dosage or re-assess my macros and add in more carbs.

and frankly it just makes other people who are doing everything they can to no avail feel rubbish about themselves.

No-one is responsible for how strangers feel about themselves.

They don't owe them any personal information at all. Where would that even end?

It is difficult if you have not used them and everyone assumes you are. i started back in July healthy eating, and walking then started to reduce calories after 6 weeks, then added in more exercise - for other health reasons I can not take WLIs - but I looked at them.

The simple fact was I ate too much and did not exercise enough -the weight did not drop off but have now lost 12kgs over 6 months. I hear all these people saying WLI are a drug to treat their food noise but at the end of the day you are simply eating less calories.

I do get pissed off when people which one I am on - but the simple fact is most people ate too much and did not have enough will power to reduce consistently what they ate. It is hard, there are days that I am hungry - then out comes the water, cucumber and lettuce and there are days it is very hard but I want this and feel so much better. Would be nice to have an injection that did not make me hungry for days one end but at the end of the day I can not and I know in the long term - this is how i am going to have to be. However, getting to a BMI if 21 is not realistic - that requires a 6ft 1 woman to weight 70kgs - which is simply not going to happen or be healthy for me.

Each to their own but lets not kid ourselves - obesity if caused by putting too much in our mouths and not moving our backsides enough, You only ahve to look at other cultures ot realise their food education starts in primary school and their obesity rates are a fraction of ours.

Good luck to everyone who wants to lose weight what ever way you choose

@GG27 I am “owning” the fact that I don’t owe anyone any details about my personal medical choices. I’m not in the fitness industry, I don’t blog about health, I make no claims about my weight loss. I don’t talk about my weight or size at all, it’s not a topic of conversation I ever bring up with anyone outside of me and my DP, and even with him I don’t generally discuss it.

Your whole post is couched in terms of moral worth, with ideas about cheating and shame. That’s not my frame of reference and not something I think about at all.

I am also not responsible for anyone else’s weight loss struggles, and my choice not to talk about it does not in any way harm them. If they can’t find out about WLI on their own, then they must be living under a rock. No one told me about using WLI and I managed perfectly well to start using them!

All my friends are slim anyway so the only one who has been on WLI and has lost weight significantly is me. The only other person I've noticed has lost weight is someone I know through work.

I know this isn't the point of the thread, but to those who say they can't afford WLI, tally up what you spend on food each month- not just the grocery shop but snacks on the go, takeaways etc. I was worried about the cost, but actually save money now. You may be suprised how much you actually spend on food and over eating.