Should I get a second job in order to afford Mounjaro?

[AppleJuiceAvid]

Currently work 9am to 6.30pm during the week and weigh over 25 stone. I'm not eligible for weight loss medication on the NHS, but cannot afford Mounjaro or Wegovy privately. What second jobs could I apply for in order to pay for Mounjaro? Currently work in an office environment and lead a completely sedentary lifestyle. My weight is so high that I struggle to walk and have left hip/pelvic pain that gets worse when walking.

Yes but still hugely effective, if I was starting now I’d absolutely try the cheapest most effective one for the price first and that’s the wegovy pill.

It seems to me that you get what you pay for, often. So in the stats I've read people tend to lose more weight on MJ jabs, then Wegovy jabs, then the pills. Like the stats say on Wegovy jabs on average people lose 14-16 percent of their body weight and on MJ 20-22 percent. I guess it depends how much you need to lose. The extra hormone targeted by MJ makes a significant difference in trials and in anecdotal evidence. Obviously there will be people who have different experiences.

The GP isn’t allowed to prescribe unless the person fits the strict criteria, the NHS GP that is. Not sure why you think otherwise. If you were offered it, why did you not take it? Wait a minute, it didn’t happen, did it?

My consultant has offered me them, I've decided against. Last year he told me that they are getting more flexibility in perscribing. My sister (75) was offered them before surgery, she has none of the conditions. I know two younger people who don't, but have been prescribed them.

I couldn't really afford it myself, but I decided to cut back on extras to pay for it. I used to spend a lot on Amazon and without thinking I'd just buy it. So I'm making a conscious effort to just buy what I need. Same with food and wine. No takeaways, quite basic food (actually, that's all I fancy now) and just an effort to live more frugally for a year for my healths sake

If taking a second job is the only way you can afford it, and you've no other way to access what you want at no cost and can't lose weight by any other means - I'd say yes, you should try to earn more to buy what you want.

The pros are likely to outweigh the cons, so why not? Lots of people have second jobs for lots of reasons.

Hi OP. How will the stress of taking on a second job affect your mental health? I appreciate thatyour weight may be having an adverse impact on your mental health too but it's worth seriously considering whether the extra workload runs a high risk of exacerbating your psychiatric illnesses.

(sorry - edited to remove random word)

Are you well paid? I wonder would it be worth changing your main job to one that is pretty active if you could earn the same money. It would have a big impact on your life style if you were able to get a more active job.

Are you on the waiting list for surgery? You need to join that asap x

i was a similar weight and I had none of the qualifiying conditions.

@AppleJuiceAvid Ive saved an absolute fortune on food since being on MJ. so it may not be as bad as you think. I have no words of wisdom other than it’s changed my life. I had to have a leg amputated at the hip due to cancer and i was told in no uncertain terms that there was no way i’d ever walk again at the weight i was at. So i started MJ and have lost 10 stone (not including the leg weight 😆) and im currently working on building my strength to hopefully get on my feet again.
good luck with working it out 😊

I think that you would be unreasonable. You are already working full-time and must be exhausted. If the Fluoxetine and Aripiprazole are for current psychiatric conditions then you might also risk those getting a bit worse if you're over-worked and overtired (I know for me as someone with psychiatric conditions myself, i couldn't put myself through it).

Could you go back and see a different GP just to check that you don't qualify? They might start loosening the criteria and shortening the list as the NHS acquires more. Alternatively, are you able to save money in other ways to afford it?

Why does OP need to join a list for surgery? OP wants to find a way to access WLI, not surgery.

If you cant afford the jabs but want to get the weight loss, surgery is the way to go! I

Surgery would only be done on NHS if your BMI over a certain number and serious health condition caused by obesity

What have you tried so far to loose the extra weight? Diets, exercise?

As a household I think we have definitely saved money on our food shopping by taking weight loss drugs (although there are 2 of us taking them). In particular we used to be proper chocoholics (the decent large bars costing £3 or more, from Lindt or Tony's), and we hardly eat chocolate ever now. So that saving would help. We don't eat takeaway regularly anyway but you wouldn't want regular takeaway on weight loss so potentially you'd save a lot on that. Could you make a head start somehow to afford the first month or so by cutting down before starting? Similarly with alcohol. If you have food in your cupboards perhaps challenge yourself to use it all up to help save money on food shopping.

There have been a few posts here about where to get Mounjaro jabs privately.

Any pointers on where to go MJ tablets privately? I saw on BBC news recently that the tablets can help against cravings towards food and alcohol alike.

@Propagandalf there are no MJ tablets. There are Wegovy tablets and a new tablet called Foundayo which has just become available, made by the same people as Mounjaro but a different medication. You can access a prescription via an online pharmacy, there are many. You would still need to meet the standard prescription criteria.

Hi OP,
It's difficult to advise on affording the weight loss medications as I don't know if you are already hugely frugal and single for example or have a family and have areas for cutting back.

You can save some money on the medication by using the "golden dose" (look it up) and by counting clicks when you move onto stronger doses. The meds are supposed to be used in 30 days and can be kept out of the fridge once opened. Some people are comfortable pushing this by keeping meds in the fridge but even within 30 days you can take 5 doses not 4.

Not just due to weight loss injections but due to cost of living/my hours reducing/need to save for university for my son we have cancelled subscriptions (review all of yours), cancelled general savings for the kids (didn't save for ourselves anyway) reviewed phones and broadband and have fewer paid days out/meals out etc.

I don't feel guilty about cutting back financially for WLI. I work night shifts and have a child with special needs. I've been on Mounjaro and lost 2 and a half stone. Before Mounjaro I was putting on half a stone each year and I think this would have continued. I think I will now live a longer, healthier life and be able to work and support my family for longer.

I think most people will save some money on food. You will probably want to buy high quality food (meat. veg, fruit, dairy) in smaller amounts. Saving some money on the amount of processed food and takeaways.

Rather than working more I'd see if you can find savings anywhere to pay for it.

Also Retatrutide should be coming soon and is more effective than any meds so far I believe. Hope they get cheaper with time.

If you react like everyone I know who has taken it you won’t want to eat at all so you’ll save a huge amount each month on food…

No, of you can’t afford something looking at your finances and trying to work out how to juggle them is far better than gastric surgery.

Oh i dont think so

This person needs medical intervention now

Its a postcode lottery with NHS mounjaro but the surgery waiting list should be pursued immediately

You are being really weird about something OP didn’t ask about.

I would get the second job; it’s likely to be temporary for a year or so while you lose the weight. But who knows, you might need to be on it longer. But for now give it a go. Best of luck,

Is 'weird' code for - offering a solution you dont agree with?