Why are you taking a weight loss drug?

[ObsidianTree]

After reading the thread on weight loss chat about why people were not taking a weight loss drug, I thought I would create a post to ask why you decided to start on a weight loss drug.

So, why did you decide to take a weight loss drug?

I'll post my reason as a reply (with some back story!)

I have a couple of questions if it's ok. I find this fascinating.

I noticed a lot of people talk about doing hundreds of diets and they might work in the short term. Do you think the diets create or worsen the food noise? Or what do you think causes the food noise.

I have a good friend with diabetes and she is on various meds. Is it likely she has been offered these weight loss drugs? She is always being told by doctors to lose weight and I wonder if they have ever offered her one of these drugs. Next time it comes up in conversation I will ask.

I think generally there is a fear of medication but some meds create more fear than others. HRT is another one that seems to carry a judgement and fear with it and I can't understand why.

@Upsidedownimturningit which side effects are you thinking of? It’s like any other prescription medication, the risk of possible side effects is outweighed by its benefits for those that are prescribed it. I don’t find that surprising.

@Jewel1968 I think it’s quite well known that repeated dieting leads to longer term weight gain and certainly makes it harder for people to permanently lose weight.

If your friend is a T2 diabetic and her diabetes isn’t well controlled on current medication then she might be offered these injections. They’d be for treating the diabetes though, any weight loss would be beneficial but not the aim.

After some research into Mounjaro after reading about it on this forum, I decided to give it a go.
I have struggled with my weight since the birth of my 2nd child she is now 40.
Putting on a few stone , joining a slimming club, taking off a few stones, putting in on more stones.Usually ended up a size 16.
Decided to live with it, but adding more weight, so when my size 16 was looking too tight and 18 was creeping in, I knew I had to try again.
i knew my head was not in the right place due to bereavement and other family problems, so decided on Mounjaro.
i ordered and felt such a failure when taking the first dose, but I was so pleased when it worked,not thinking about food constantly and able to say no to big helpings and pudding.
I am now able to eat healthy, I do have the odd treat, can still drink wine if I want but have limited it , and it truly doesn’t bother me.
i enjoy feeling in control, I have lost 3 stone and now am in size 12 clothes.
I am just going to the 10mg as still have a stone to go to get to a healthy BMI.
I plan to titrae back down and hope to either stay on a low dose or come off but will do it slowly, it’s takes 6 months to lose the weight but have never felt deprived or missing out.

@SilenceInside thanks. Yes, I am aware about dieting largely leading to weight increase but I was particularly interested in the food noise aspect. I always thought it was dieting messed with your metabolism but now I wonder if it's more subtle than that. Am interested as family history of addiction (mostly alcohol).

Yes that makes sense re Diabetes. And yes it is T2.

@PrimalLass , ditto. How’s it going?

Well of course people are concerned about the side effects especially if they are experiencing them. It’s a risk benefit analysis like any medication.

Exactly this. You'd hope people were concerned enough to be aware of the side effects of any meds they take.
I've always been grateful to myself for making sure I read the leaflet that came with the pill properly, as without it I might not have clocked that my breathlessness could be blood clots. It may have saved my life when that's exactly what it was.
I would imagine most of us did our own risk assessment before starting mounjaro and concluded that the potential risks were worth it against the potential risks from obesity.

My BMI is actually in the normal range but I have struggled with disordered eating all my life. I have ADHD and it’s hugely linked to my poor impulse control.

I’ve been taking the lowest dose of Wegovy for several months and have lost around 7kg so I’m now towards the bottom of the healthy BMI range so I won’t continue much longer.

But it has totally reset my attitude towards food - I literally don’t think about it anymore which has been so freeing.

For me, it was because I have tried to get back to normal BMI ever since I had DD2 and she is 16 now. My weight has been between 12 and a half stone and 13 and a half mostly in that time, BMI 27-29. I have always taken a good amount of exercise, and my diet was a good balance, though my job is sedentary. I just couldn't stick to eating little enough to lose weight for good, for a lengthy period of time- it would take me six months to lose a stone then I would gradually put it back on again. I was very fit and healthy in spite of that, except that my blood pressure had gone a bit high, which was a worry for me as it has always been low to normal. I also have PCOS and endometriosis. I'm probably now at menopause (aged 49) and my 50th in September is a good milestone to try to lose weight before. A lot of illness you are higher risk for if older and overweight so I really wanted to do something about it now.

On mounjaro I've lost a stone in seven weeks eating about 1400 calories a day, and it feels very sustainable. I have 1st 3lbs to lose and should get to goal in another three months or before, I hope. Then I plan to use it for maintenance and slowly decrease the dose. I think my maintenance calories at goal weight will be about 1800 which should also be ok to keep to.

I'm unable to stop eating