You shouldn't take weight loss drugs. Learn about healthy eating, eat less and exercise more.

[GapTshirtsAreShitQualityTheseDays]

This is like telling an insomniac "don't take tablets, just get more sleep"

I'm 41.
I have tried.

I KNOW all about healthy eating. Probably more than most slim people.
I don't have an emotional/binge eating disorder, I just have a bigger appetite than most people. I can only control it so long via willpower or low-carb diets. The drive to eat is the most powerful instinct known to man (except maybe breathing)

It's the weight loss medication that takes the edge of said appetite and ALLOWS me the space to make sensible decisions on food.

I've gone from 15 stone to 9 stone (I'm short). If these drugs had been invented 20 years ago, my life would have been much better.

And no, I didn't steal the drugs off a diabetic. I got private prescriptions for Wegovy and then Mounjaro which are only marketed for weightloss.

And yes I am quite prepared to take the drug forever if necessary.

And no, I don't care about the "potential unknown long term side effects" because they can hardly be worse than what I was facing with obesity.

And although exercise is beneficial for many reasons, it is a fairly trivial factor in weightloss.

I’m reading and fully understand your posts. I just don’t agree with what you write or believe what you believe.
Doesn’t matter how much you write the same thing and call me thick, I still won’t agree with you.

👏

Absolutely agree. It’s like some sort of weird cult on this thread. The level of denial and excuses are fascinating.
As are the insults and put downs for suggesting anything whatsoever about losing weight without drugs. Literally can’t have a discussion or put across an opposing point of view without personal insults. Some serious mental issues with people going on here if you arnt even willing to discuss the other side of your view.

I don't think it should get to personal insults but I did question your conclusion in one the earlier posts on ruining insides and outsides

I just don't think it's been evidenced and overall the drug is a break through imo

One of those things that will change many lives for the better

There is a fundamental problem in that people do not understand how these drugs work. They work primarily by making people feel much less hungry and seem to greatly reduce the pleasure gained from eating sugary or fatty foods. Mounjaro also seems to slightly increase metabolism too. But people don’t lose weight on them if they ‘continue to eat Macdonalds’. The point is that when taking this medication people don’t want to eat Macdonalds. They eat less and they eat better and become healthier, in most cases at no cost to the NHS.

What IS the opposing view? Eat less and exercise more? Pay for loads of therapy to get to the "root cause"? Demolish Western culture so we are not surrounded by junk food?

As Ricky Gervais said, not every belief that someone has is WORTHY of respect or debate!

See I completely disagree.

Coming at it from the other side I would say what you have written is exactly how you have come across.

Except I wouldn’t be so rude and bigoted to throw ‘some serious mental health issues with people going on here’ especially after complaining about people insulting them. I could.

The attempt of those to who don’t agree with others people making a perfectly legal and valid choice for themselves, to make veiled insults and then display faux innocence is quite bizarre.

@GapTshirtsAreShitQualityTheseDays I don’t peddle anything. There is a whole world of difference between using a drug that has been advised by medics and is used under the supervision of medics than people doing it off their own back privately with no medical supervision or other support ..surely you can see the difference?

@GapTshirtsAreShitQualityTheseDays perhaps could you explain why you felt the need to post your before and after pics? I’m interested in why you did this.

@untiltheend If people want to take ANY medication without doctor supervision, that's up to them.

I didn't "feel the need" to post my photos. If I had, I would have put them in my OP. Various people were asking about things like loose skin so I posted them to give an idea of the reduction in my size. And just for general interest I guess. I don't think they are terribly startling photos. It's not My 600lb Life turned supermodel. Just "overweight" turns to "healthy" looking body.

I know you're trying for a "gotcha" so sorry to disappoint!

SUCH a head-tilty "and how did that make you feeeeeeel????" counsellor vibe coming from that question btw!

Personally, I don't believe in counselling for the most part. Too much navel-gazing is counterproductive (Prince Harry springs to mind!). Just find something that works for you whether it's medication, or a particular lifestyle and crack on with things.

For those people who believe that if people just tried harder they would lose weight and keep it off by continuing to stay disciplined and stick to whatever method they choose to lose weight and are interested in why that approach doesn’t work for everyone please read Why We Eat (Too Much) by Dr Andrew Jenkinson who is a bariatric surgeon. He explains why it is just not that simple particularly for people who have been obese and on yo yo diets for a long time.

The other thing worth pointing out is that these medications don’t work for everyone. They work better and for longer for certain people with issues with certain hormones that don’t work as well as in other people. And people who are insulin resistant. For some people the appetite suppression wears off after a while. As more research is done and more is known about the various reasons for obesity more medications will be developed. We are just at the beginning of this new approach.

I really hope that the medications become more widely available and the type of Wild West scenarios where people who only shouldn’t take it can fool providers by lying or doctoring photos etc. I know some people won’t agree but I think if providers like Boots or Lloyds or Asda etc actually had proper clinics and saw people in person it would be much harder and yet also safer for those who it would benefit.

I think once someone is obese then their body systems have been messed up and it is much harder to lose weight. I think as a society we need to take action before someone gets to that stage. Personal responsibility for our health and government restrictions on crap food. The reality is that societal change probably won't happen so we will have to take responsibility for ourselves. Of course if the government do do something people will complain about a nanny state but at the same time be reluctant to take personal responsibility.

Why did you post then?! Just to hear lots of people chime in with opinions the same as yours? An echo chamber for everyone who whole heartedly agrees with weight loss drugs?
Your OP said
‘you shouldn’t take weight loss drugs. Learn about healthy eating and exercise more’
Literally what you wrote asking if this view other people held was unreasonable. Did you want everyone to agree with you like some sort of Tudor queen, otherwise it’s off with her head?

Well that’s where I completely disagree with you so we obviously have very different views.

How many times do you need to tell us all your opinion? Surely you've got this out of your system by now?

You find it hard to accept that other people have a different life experience to you - we get it. Change the record!!

Yeah. And I think making a post to discuss something and then getting shitty when not everyone agrees with you is also bizarre.

Its your record. You put it on the player and now you don’t like the listeners.

I hadn't spotted your photos. Wow - what a difference! Well done. You must feel like a different person.

Hello @GapTshirtsAreShitQualityTheseDays - firstly congratulations on losing all the weight. I think you sound very sensible and I agree with you - it has also worked for me.

As an aside, I wonder if all the people criticizing you also think anti-depressants are a waste of time and people should just “get a grip”?

And as for those worried about “abuse” it happens with all drugs - it’s not the responsibility of those using it on prescription to worry about that.

So @WhiteLily1 , I've decided to take your advice. I've flushed all the MJ down the toilet.

What do I do now?

No, I didn't. I don't take weight loss drugs. I've never had any issues with my weight. I've always been slim.

That doesn't mean everyone else finds it as easy as me. We're all different.

I do have to take medication every day to function though - with things you probably find easy. You finding things easy that I find hard doesn't mean I shouldn't take medication to level the playing field.

This is just common sense.