Depressed that I can’t afford WLIs

[Velveteengreen]

I am ‘obese’ according to the BMI calculator.
I’m 5’7 and 16 stone 4.
I have lost about a stone through calorie counting, so was even bigger before.
I am now a size 18/20, instead of 20/22.
But it feels like everything has significantly slowed down and it’s much harder to shift any more of the excess weight.

We are on a very low income and I’m unfortunately in significant debt to my credit card. I have several long term conditions that stop me from working full time.
I do get Pip but that covers the necessity costs for my disabilities.

I have started swimming twice a week as any other exercise is awful for my joint pain - in doing that I do feel physically fitter.

I have spoken to my GP and I don’t fit the criteria for jabs on the NHS.

I get it OP. However I would argue that you can do WLI on £180 per month. It takes work, but it can be done. I’ve been doing it usefully for around 6 months. Use the price checking website mount.co.uk and access a different provider every time maximising the discounts available by switching providers with every order - currently there are at least half a dozen providers offering the starter 2.5 mg dose at around £105 per month. Switch provider every month - yes it’s 15 minutes of faff per month, but well worth it financially. Take 5 doses from each syringe, and/or space each shot longer than 7 days stretching each pen to 5 or 6 weeks brings costs down £17-£21 per week. I did this and stayed on the 2.5 mg dose for 4 months, only then creeping up to 5mg via 3mg, 3.75mg, 4mg along the way stretching the time on each level as far as possible. Another way is to buy the larger dose pens after 1 month on lower dose, and draw smaller amounts from it eg after 1 month on 2.5 mg buy a 5mg pen, but only take 2.5 mg doses from it weekly - there are a few providers offering 5mg pens at less than £130 and many offering it below £150. For this amount you can take up to 10 weekly 2.5mg doses. You will of course eat significantly less and you also work hard on food costs too, and yes, why not drink ‘nothing but water ‘ as mentioned by a previous poster? Anything else is wasted calories and cost anyway tbh. So I’m not saying its easy, but with investing time and effort you can get significant benefits from WLI at a fraction of the quoted costs. Your friends quite likely will have referrals codes from their providers, get them to share with you if so. I made it my mission to source WLI as cost effectively as possible - I have lost 4.5 stones and this loss has been pretty much been cost neutral. As always its a balance for you to weigh up personally - for me this ‘off piste’ route has made WLI accessible and effective - my choice and of course yours may be different.

I guess I’ve use the WLI as a tool towards weight loss and not been completely dependent on them to reduce, not completely suppress the food noise I battle with - so I would say the results I've had have been WLI assisted and WLI fuelled if that makes sense. Personally, in your shoes, if nothing else I would invest in one pen as cheaply as I can and stretch it to 5 weeks - see how you go in terms of food cost reduction. If nothing else you are likely to lose another significant amount of weight which may make you LTCs/exercise easier . Just don’t give up.

@SexyFrenchDepression nope, I literally said ‘ sustainable lifestyle changes’ did you read my post properly ?

@Falloutgal nope, I literally said she’s making sustainable lifestyle changes. Which is very different to sw etc

Looking into intermittent fasting, if you haven’t. It's very effective and free.

I was referring to the first sentence, however SW and WW are actually very sustainable life changes if done properly. Many people keep the weight off after those sorts of diets as it changes what and how they eat, same as WLI. The providers give so much onfo on what should be eaten and all the advice is very sustainable. Like with anything it is about controlling portions and generally what you eat. Very few people are slim all their life by eating what and how much they want.

@SexyFrenchDepression “Very few people are slim all their life by eating what and how much they want.”

The difference with WLIs is they change what “what and how much you want” means as you no longer want or crave so much and you actually feel full. arguably you are therefore kind of eating what you want …. If that makes any sense anyway!

The 97 percent regain rate would prove you wrong I’m afraid, slimming world is likely up there with one of the most unsustainable diets there is.

Yes thats kind of true but many people do not respond to that level on the WLIs so still have to overhaul their whole diet (it is recommended to eat clean etc anyway of course) and have to still use willpower. So you would hope they can find a way to continue that healthy eating and way of thinking.

For me I am what people say is a super responder and on a very low dose and generally can't eat enough to get close to my maintenance dose so I think potentially I could have an issue coming off it. I still count calories, well mainly for the macros but it'll be hard work after. I am confident I'll keep it off though.

I haven't read all the thread but some pharmacies sell them with Klana pay in 3 if that would help.

It doesnt prove me wrong. It is a stat based on limited data, also irrelevant, any healthy lifestyle is sustainable if you put the effort in. SW is less limiting than WW and is based on eating clean. didnt end up overweight eating healthily with reasonable portions. I put on weight by eating too much of the wrong things and drinking too much.

I dont agree that maintenence after WLI is harder than other diets, its always tough. Doesn't mean its not sustainable, people just choose not too. I lost 35lb on WW 20 years ago, I put on weight 17 yrs later by not exercising and eating crap for various reasons. Totally my own fault.

I mean ok, you want to beleive slimming world is sustainable and some hugely successful thing and everyone keeps rhe weight off, then crack on.

Not sure where I have said that 😂

My personal experience of weight loss with no weight loss injections and no calorie counting.
2 years ago ny weight was 140kg at 1.70m ( sorry european so i have no clue anout briyish measurements.)
I did light gymwork, calorie counting, meal replacement shakes. I lost 30 kg. Then i got burnout from calorie counting and got bored, stopped the shakes, was inconsistent with the gym. Regained 10kg. In feb 2025, i went back to the gym consistently 3 to 5 times a week every week. Stopped calorie counting, increased my protein intake massively. I dont restrict myself with what i eat, but i try to make betyer choices. If i fancy a dessert , i do some baking,and chuck in some scoops of protein. Or have some greek yogurt with granola and honey. I drink clear potein dhakes instead of juice. I have cheesy chips every week (in the cafe at my daughters weekly swimminv lessons haha). The occasional takeaway or crisps or chocolate. But i cook from scratch moat days. Protein and veg everyday. Toast and poached eggs as breakfast most days. I am now down to 85kg . From a size 22/24 two years ago, to a size 14 now.
Tho i do workout now 3 to 5 times a week 2/3 hrs each time...
At some point my memtality changed from wanting to lose weight, to wantkng to be the strongest healthiest version of myself, regardless of what the scale shows.And that is what made the biggest difference

Demonising food, living a vwry restrictive lifestyle, calorie counting to the last calorie... none of it leads to longterm change. Its all a good start, but the only way to keep the weight off permanently its changing ypur mindset. Its making healthier choices while still allowing yourself some "treats", without feeling guilty and enjoying life. Being calorie conscious is not the same as calorie counting to an inch of your life, and for me personally worked much better.

I have also documented my weightloss/ fitness journey on tiktok, with exercise videos, which has been an amazing motivator for me personally, to be able to look back at different exercises see where i was, and compare to how i am now. Might not be for wveryone, but keeping a visual documentation of progress is something i would reccomend to anyone on a weightloss journey, cause no matter how much you lose, there will be days that you will feel like nothing has changed.

Sorry for the long post, but just wanted to share my experiemce that there are many ways of achieving your goals.

Me and 2 friends all started our weigh loss journeys around the same time. Me mostly through exercise, one friend through WLI and one friend through calorie counting and dieting. Out of the 3 of us, the one that used WLI , while slimmer is the only one looking always poorly and her faced now looks more aged and hollow.

If someone is resistant to WLIs, why would they take them? I thought the whole point was to suppress appetite. So I don’t really understand that.

I am losing weight very slowly through calorie deficit and focusing on nutrition but it’s a struggle as although I am more used to this way of eating and fewer calories, I am rarely full, never leave anything on my plate, and the “want” is only kept in check at huge effort. If I took WLIs it would be to reduce portions only as I already know how to eat for health, and if I were resistant to them, I would save my money.

I said 'to that level'. If it works for you then you should still have suppression but not everyone will have it to the level where you cannot eat much.

If you're losing weight then you don't really need WLI. I have some other issues they help and they have worked well for me. For people with BMIs over 40/50 they are completely life changing.

Its very personal. I have lost weight just calorie counting before and found it relatively easy, but I was young and had no health issues. Its been a different story lately unfortunately.

I don’t have a choice to be honest as I can’t afford them. I’m losing “naturally” but it gets boring and exhausting to have to keep the “want” in check constantly. I would love that bit of extra help in turning on that “I’m full” feeling that people who don’t seem to struggle with weight have, or are given via WLIs. I think if I were to take WLI and still had to fight lots of food urges then I wouldn’t bother.

I totally understand what you're saying, it is definitely what helps keep the losses coming consistently having no 'want' for food really. Even when out for dinner or away for a weekend it is easy not to overeat or make bad choices. It does feel like cheating, I know you still need to eat well and exercise to see good results but it isnt like dieting for me. I totally get what you're saying though, its a lot of money if you are still having to use lots of willpower, however even for people who still feel hungry they do say they can then only eat half the amount.

For those people the weight would presumably go straight back on once they stop.

3 months in I am only on the lowest dose, it has changed so much for me, it has made me wonder if I did have an insulin issue I was unaware of. I was never overweight before now, I put on weight after having my 1st DS 20 yrs ago so dieted to shift that 35lbs when he was 4 months old, I then was around a BMI of about 22 till I was just over 40 (and lockdown hit). I have never been comfortable around food though, its always been a comfort thing, or a reward thing or for boredom, I have always been hungry and always thought about food a lot. I have always been careful with what I was eating but constantly binging then losing. After 40 hit I was the same but the losses didn't come as easy.l so the weight crept on.

I feel like I now know what is normal when it comes to how you should feel about food. I dont think I can justify taking the jabs long term.

I have afforded it as we ate a lot of convenience food before, incl takeaways plus drank a lot at weekends, so now I am not wanting to do that, as a family we are saving loads. I switch every month so havent paid more than £125 for 5mg (which i take over 9/10weeks in smaller doses). I have a small stock as have ordered every month so then can wean off it.

@JustLilacSlothI have just sat through the master class webinar and I have listened to the book. I am on WLI but have lost 2stone in a year so I want to add this. Do you religiously stick to the four BLs? I might start another thread.

Have you considered mimicking the effect of WLI by reducing your food intake? E.g. instead of sweet potato which is just a calorific as white potato, have no potato. Ditto rice - don’t supplement it, just drop it. Eat less, no takeaway, no snacks. You can use something like My Fitness Pal to figure out a meal plan that’s 1200 calories per day and stick to it.

You mean go on a diet?

I’m not sure your post warrants a reply but you must think us obese people are stupid.

Thank you for taking the time to share. like you, food has alwsys had emotional meaning and efffect, but I also cook for relaxation and the joy of it. My weight went haywire around menopause, which again I think is very common. I’m finding it’s harder to keep within my range at a lower weight, I have also accepted that I will never be size 12 and I’m trying to accept that sustaining something reasonable is ok for me. I’m pleased for your own success!

Wtf. Go away. This reads like one of those parody advice letters in Viz magazine.

(I’m trying to reply to a response in this thread about Bright Lines Eating I made but not sure how to do it. )
It’s the only thing that has worked for me, when I started it I thought I don’t know if I really can do this so I’ll just try it for a few weeks but once I got into it it was easy - it’s made such a difference to me I can’t tell you!
I do follow the four bright lines as I view it like they have helped kind of heal my poor overeating brain, so I’m not always craving more food - I hope that makes sense.

And not to mention a random number of calories thrown in to show a complete lack of understanding about any of it 😂