Is there any point doing injections if I can't do a full overhaul?

[Sprogonthetyne]

So for background, I work and am the main carer to two children with SEN, 'D'H literally cannot cope with the DC's needs, so everything falls to me. The last few years have been pretty intense with a far amount of stress eating and allowing my own health to slip to the bottom of the priority list, resulting in me now been horrendously fat. I really want and need to do something about this, but I'm literally at capacity and close to overwhelmed just from keeping everyone else afloat, so know I won't be able to put as much into weightloss as I really need to.

I have very little time when I'm not either working or careing for the DC, so not much opportunity to increase exercise. I also broke my ankle a few months ago, so can't even walk that far, I currently go swimming 1-2 times a week, but realistically won't be able to increase this.

My DC also have very restricted diets, and I honestly don't have the time or capacity to make two different meals every evening, so more often then not I end up eating the same crap they will. I could have a smaller portion just skip it but won't be able to change what we eat for this meal.

Monthly budget won't cover injection, but I have savings which would cover about 18 months worth of medication. Is it worth trying or is it just going to be a waste of money if I can't make the other changes alongside it?

Op, I think you’re a classic example of needing to put your gas mask on first. What can your DH do? Can he do the lion share of shopping and cooking? Two kids with SEN is tough! You need some good nutrition to cope with all of that. I would sort that before you think of injections. Yes they will help you lose weight but if it’s hard for you to shop and cook you could unravel quickly.

You are in a tough spot so well done for even thinking about weight loss.

I have begun calorie counting and also measuring my food intake with scales. Somewhat to my surprise, I find it really helpful. I don’t do it every day, as I think I could get obsessive about it, but it does make me much more conscious about what I’m eating.

How about changing one thing? Breakfast is often a good place to start.

I now have oats made up with hot water, a few sultanas or frozen fruit, then 100g of proper greek yogurt. This often keeps me going until lunchtime and alleviates the urge to snack.

She’s 18 months though to retrain herself. 18 months is a long time. Assuming she loses the weight in six or 8, she’s a good year on a low dose retraining.

I'm not massively worried about afterwards if it work, most of the weight was piled on during the most stressful couple of years (during which neither kid slept, so I basically didn't either), things are still hard but a bit more stable since they both reached school age. My weight hasn't increased any more for a few years, just hasn't come down either (actually did come down a little bit a year ago, but then went back on while I was immobile after braking ankle).

My worry is more that financially I can probably only try it once, so if I try now and it doesn't work, I won't be able to try again in a few years time, when I'm more likely to have the time for better diet and exercise.

I find the injections do help with this. Stress / comfort eating.

You could try a month and see how it goes / how you find it, there are some good offers on for first orders. I would just give it a go and then decide.

www.monj.co.uk

A month is just the starting dose though - just to test you for side-effects. I think you should give it 2-3 months to get to an effective dose/see what side effects you have (I have nothing, but minor constipation if I forget to drink enough, which is soon sorted with a bowl of branflakes)

I'm up to 10mg and will stay here a while - I'm having a consistent just under 1kg a week - which is a sustainable amount, and I'm not counting calories, just relying on the feedback that I now get from my body (which I've never had before - I used to live in a constant state of being able to eat/snacky).

That's the difference between the jabs and dieting for me - when I've dieted in the past, it's hard to sustain because it feels so hard to do, that I can't imagine doing it for months, so I try to lose as quickly as possible, and inevitably fail - just the thought of the years it might take feeling deprived as I do when classic dieting is too much.

On the jabs, I feel calm about it, I don't find it hard, so I don't mind the slower weightloss (which is actually the right amount of weightloss), because I don't feel deprived or that I'm putting myself through hardship - I eat what I want to eat, I just don't want to eat as much!

I’m not sure that’s logical. If you’re not worried at keeping it off. Can eat healthy during the day, your kids are at school and can afford to do it now. Then why would you wait a few years? Surely you’d just do a few months now, get it off and maintain? You have time for diet now, you admitted it earlier. And if your kids are at school why can’t you exercise during the day?

I think you need to examine do you actually really want to loose weight, more than you want to eat the food? Or is it something you feel you should do, you hate being fat, but feel so exhausted you dint really want to as you enjoy the comfort of eating ?you don’t want to lose the enjoyment. The difference between truly wanting to v feeling like you should.

why are you really hesitating?

as someone who is on mj I can say that food becomes much less important, you can still eat all the stuff you want, just you don’t want much of it.

its hard to describe, but yoy don’t feel deprived, becayde you’re taking a synthetic hormone that tells your brain you’re full, satisfied. And becayde you think you’re full and satisfied you don’t crave the crap. And because your insulin and blood sugar is under control you don’t crave carbs . Your digestive system is also slowed, so you feel fuller for longer, as your system doesn’t digest it so quickly.

an average day day for me, is some dried fruit, they taste so sweet now, I have it for breakfast. Then a Huel black edition shake for lunch/brunch. Then I have whatever my family is having for dinner, normally I don’t eat the carb element as I don’t fancy it, and it’s too much, unless it’s pasta obvs . So meat, fish and veg or salad. Sometimes I have meat or fish, or eggs and salad for lunch. I also drink 2 to 3 litres of water a day, and I exercise as I feel I’ve so much energy. With a stressful life like you’ve got. More energy should be a huge win.

in addition as the weight comes off, I like my appearance more. My face is slimmer and the fat puffy look has gone. My stomach bloating has disappeared. My stiff ankles have gone, everything works better. And I’ve only lost 17 pounds, with another 3 stone to go. I’m looking forward to wearing nice clothes again. Looking forward to the Xmas and new year parties. Where I won’t be the fattest bloated Lump sitting there.

so it’s not like you miss the comfort of food, you don’t, it doesn’t work like that, but you get other benefits, energy, feeling good about yourself, feeling healthy . You replace the eating crap and feeling crap with feeling positive and healthy,