Really depressed I didn’t just go on Ozempic - only maintained for a year

[Neade]

I don’t know I really need a rant.

I feel really angry and upset at myself. To the point i just want to scream/cry.

Last year i lost 55 pounds without glp 1s. I totally cut out carbs (well I’d eat sweet potatoes if absolutely necessary). And just made an effort not to use food as a crutch. It worked fairly well as the weight came off.

I decided I needed more moderation. The no carb thing was just making me have cravings. So I started eating jackets, pasta salads etc. Not ideal as I have pcos but I try to be sensible. Ie having cooled down pasta to make it resistant or whatever. Not smothering pasta in cheese etc.

Its meant my weight loss has completely stalled. I’m happy that I’ve not gained all the weight back. But still. I’ve been eating in moderation for a year and not lost weight! I can’t deny this anger is compounded by the fact I saw my friend for lunch today. She’s lost 5 stone in 5 months using Mounjaro.

I just want to weep. I wish I just started on Ozempic or similar. I’m at my goal weight but to be honest I’d love another stone off. I don’t know why I didn’t go
on a glp 1. I just knew in my heart that my weight was not “inexplicable”. I was eating far too much out of boredom.

Just another sunny day wasted hating myself even though I’ve tried 😢

I’ve been going to the gym too. How pathetic to be this mindful and to not have lost any weight.

OP, here is what you do.

Have a maintenance break, as your weight loss has stalled because your metabolism has adapted to fewer calories. Slowly increase them and lift weights to get your metabolism back up to running off more calories. Honestly, this works.

Second, take 1tsp psyllium husk powder in water half hour before each meal. It’s the poor man’s mounjaro. Honestly I cannot finish most of my meals anymore, so end up leaving half as leftovers. It has changed everything.

ETA use psyllium to cut calories after you’ve built up your metabolism for a while. Otherwise you’re just continuing with a deficit that isn’t working..

@Neade you might actually find with pcos that you have an advantage when it comes to strength training - I'd really encourage you to give it a go. Maybe use the money you've saved by not using a GLP for a couple of sessions with a PT to get you comfortable using free weights. If your arms are an area that bother you I promise that's an area that's easy to make a difference at to how they look with weight - but it is about going heavier, not using light weights for a long time, that's more like a cardio/aerobic thing.

Strength training also increases how much energy your body burns at rest, so if you add a bit of muscle you might find over time you actually get a bit leaner. Good luck!

You shouldn’t compete with your friends like this. Were you happy until you saw her. As it reads you were. And as you say you are triggered by the fact she’s now smaller than you. It’s not a competition.

You've done brilliantly, especially with PCOS. I really admire you but I wish we could all stop judging ourselves by what we weigh. Stop wasting your life with self-criticism and enjoy this glorious bank holiday.

I think you need to reframe this in your mind OP, because I read your post and thought 'Fucking hell, that's amazing!' and you're clearly not thinking that. You lost all that weight through sheer willpower and determination and you've maintained that new weight for a year. That is amazing!! And now you want to lose a little bit more, but are frustrated because others have used WLIs and have lost more than you. You go to the gym, so some of your weight now is muscle, you still have wobbly bits, but so do many people (including me and I've never been overweight). It would be stupid to pile weight back on again, just so you could lose it again using WLIs, that you would have to pay for (and they're not cheap).

Could you try something different like 16:8 or 5:2? Might that kick-start things again for you, so you could lose that last stone that you'd like to? Or what about the Human Being Diet? I have two friends who've done it and lost 1-2 stone and they look bloody great!

That's a case of toning. Not weight loss. I'm a size 8 and have wobbly bits.

ETA and congratulations on your weight loss!

Definitely look at the strength training, it sounds like your body is in the right place to really benefit from it.

The key is to focus on getting enough protein there are arguments for what is enough but in the region of 0.7-1g per lb of target bodyweight per day so 84-120g per day for you - maybe target 100g and see how you feel. Then on the lifting focus on the big compound moves so squats, lunges, deadlifts presses and rows, things that involve more than one joint and lift a weight you can lift around 8 times per set but no more - 2kg is not likely to be enough.

If you have money you would have spent on GLP1s then spending that on a few months of a personal trainer to get you started might be a great investment.

I think what you’re saying is that the process of losing weight and maintaining now was miserable and you’re sad it wasn’t made easier by using WLI?

im not sure it’ll make you feel better but being on GLP1s is also a bit miserable for lots of people. You’re not getting your dopamine hit from food and lots of people feel quite flat, are very very tired, have nausea, headaches, constipation, judgement and worry about more severe side effects. And it costs A LOT so are probably having to cut back in other areas. It’s not all a bed of roses.

Bless you, you've achieved amazing results but the mind can take a while to catch h up with the body. Toning /light weights might help firm things up and most importantly get you proud of what your body can achieve (lifting strength etc) also consider some counselling /coaching for self acceptance in your new shape &weight. 😊

Exercise and muscle toning is what you need now if you are at a healthy BMI. Possibly the reason you can’t lose that last stone is that you are aiming for a weight that is below optimum for your body.

You will be glad you did it this way when they struggle to come off the injections 💉.

Then maybe it’s time to look at ways of firming those wobbly bits up, in the gym, swimming, Pilates etc.

I think you have lost weight in a really sustainable way, not by using expensive chemicals that tie you into a lifetime of using them . Well done, you should be very proud of yourself.

After years of being overweight I lost three stone on Mounjaro. Then I stopped taking it and put two stone back on.

Im Back on it now and will probably be on it long term. It’s not ideal, it’s expensive and doesn’t come without side effects but the hunger that comes when you stop it is something else.

you lost all that weight pub your own, you’ve maintained for an entire year. That’s so much healthier than the way I, our your friend, have done it. Get yourself to the gym and tone up, that sounds like all you need to do.

Using 2kg weights won’t tone anything up at all. My gym doesn’t even have 2kg dumbbells available. You need to build up the weight slowly using progressive overload to failure. You should be starting at 6kg.

[NB this assumes you don’t have any injuries you might aggravate, and a PT session to show you how to do it properly would be invaluable]

I think you have done fantastically well and you maintained that weight which is even more impressive and you've been to the gym, your future self will thank you, and in 20 years time as you hit menopause you will be strong and well still. Do Not feel down feel proud.
A little quote from Dr Vonda Wright who is an
Orthopedic Surgeon: Up to 40% of the weight lost on GLP-1s can come from lean muscle mass if you are not intentional. And muscle is not cosmetic. Muscle is metabolic power. It is blood sugar control, bone protection, balance, mobility, resilience, and longevity.
By intentional I believe she means building muscle and bone strength.

Op i cannot stress enough how much swimming will have a MASSIVE affect on toning. Just try it and i promise within 4 weeks you will see a difference and your fitness will improve greatly. Sticking chemicals in your body does not improve fitness.

Doesn’t sound like you’ll ever be happy tbh

Sorry to hear you want them but can’t afford them

You’re in the healthy range for a 31 year old having lost 55lbs and maintained for a year. Well done, its a fantastic achievement, no caveats.

Get off Tik Tok, focus on fitness and eating well and enjoy your life in the body you have.

Said from the point of view that the last time I lifted my head up I was 31 - I’m 55 now and that time feels like a minute.

Just a small thing about food though…I eat rice every day and find the ‘resistant starch’ thing has really worked for me, but you need to refrigerate or freeze the rice/pasta/potato/bread for 24 hours or so to convert the starch, not just allow it to cool, which is what I think you said you do.

OP if you cook pasta, potatoes, and other starchy foods and let them cool down, then reheat before you eat, it cuts the carb content in half. Works with bread too. Make toast and let it go cold before eating. But I have to say while this works for those needing to watch glucose levels, it won’t necessarily work for weight loss. I’m like you - lost a lot of weight over a twelve month period and it stalled for a while. I kick started metabolism with a bit more exercise and, sorry to say, cutting back on carbs again and the weight loss continues - albeit at a slower rate. You do plateau at a certain point - it’s inevitable.

OP you are young. You are in a healthy bmi. You have met your goal weight. Please don't beat yourself up about what you think you look like. You will never be as young as you are right now.

I promise you, in 10 years time you will look back and realise how gorgeous you were and you will wish you had appreciated it at the time. Wear what you want, enjoying the sunshine, no one is judging you except yourself.

Why would she come off? She may stay on, she can clearly afford them

A lot to be said for this.

Good for you for losing weight by eating better. I know how hard it is to not use food as a crutch.

However, I have tried to lose weight for 20 years 'the hard way' and I finally reached the end of my tether earlier this year. I started on Mounjaro and I am so much happier. If you can afford it just stop torturing yourself and take it. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Huh? Did you mean to quote someone else?