OK I'm convinced, weight-loss drugs are Incredible and will change the world

[AliceAbsolum]

DH has been on them for a couple of months and they've changed our lives for the better. He's an over eater/ mild binger and generally quite obsessed with food. Never managed to keep weight off.

Now he's happy, calm, doesn't think about food, eats like a 'normal person' and it's freed up so much space and joy in our lives.

Apparently in the future it'll be a pill you can either take that day or not, e.g. Most days but not Christmas day. Incredible!

Yes I know people get side effects and they don't work for everyone, etc. But I'm very impressed.
Apparently they also help alcoholics and other addicts as they work on the reward centre's of the brain. Amazing.

This is how I am. I’d love to turn food noise off- complete emotional ester too.

I am not sure that all ‘naturally slim’ people achieve that ‘naturally’ though. I know some people think that of me. But since the age of 46 it has taken quite a lot of willpower to stay slim, as the perimenopause kicked in with a vengeance, esp when combined with the stress of my older teen’s serious health issues. Wish my being slim was ‘natural’.. Nobody knows the history behind someone’s body size and weight, large or small.

Anyway, it’s great that you and others are reaping such immediate benefits. And well done on the advent chocolate!

Maybe quick fix is the wrong term but it's something that people are using without having to really think about the reasons why they over eat and what is driving it - similar to weight loss surgery, it changes your body but not your mind. I worry that people are going to be medicated forever and actually if it was offered alongside therapy that this would support a lifestyle change rather than purely medication.

It's really good to see people on here saying that it's actually made them confront the emotional side and take up exercise. This is great and I hope is reflective for all/most users.

I'm not judging, I'm overweight myself but not so much to get MJ. I know I need to eat better and exercise but fitting it in and having the motivation is what doesn't help me, I also have ND which impacts me and my habits.

@AliceAbsolum OP I'm curious were you among the naysayers of this drug till you saw for yourself how helpful and effective it is? No judgement, just that I think a lot of naysayers (including those on mumsnet) will eventually come around to a similar mindset once they finslly realise that Mounjaro is truly as good as (even better than) it's said to be, health wise.

Some may have to take it forever for health reasons. Some don't have to if they don't have the health issues that will make that a need. I imagine if you're in the first camp, your health issues will come back up again if you stop, just as it would if you stopped taking your diabetes medicine, for example.

If you're in the 2nd group, you will be able to keep the weight off if you continue to do all the right things you were doing while on Mounjaro.

I'm on MJ and getting both benefits and side effects. The only way I have found to manage obesity in my adult life is 2 hours of significant exercise a day, at least 4 x a week (so I've only avoided obesity when in a competitive rowing crew). But if I work full time I find it impossible to do that level of exercise. I have PCOS so my body wants to build bulk, muscle or fat whichever it can.

Clearly that is how humans are meant to operate - we're not designed to do as little as we do physically. So I agree with those who have concerns. 65% of US adults are on at least one prescription drug, and it used to be 25% in the UK but I bet that's changing and I would ascribe it to the bypassing of bans on consumer meds advertisng with social media - like this.

Having said all that - I'm still doing it. I was in despair at the constant increase in my weight and the rising number of musculoskeletal issues, blood pressure rises etc. On balance I'm happy to take the less known risks for the known risks of obesity. Tapering off is going to be hard but I'm determined to do it.

@Bakedpotatoes "I worry that people are going to be medicated forever". Can I ask why this worries you? I will be medicated forever for my essential high blood pressure too. Many people take medication lifelong if the benefits outweigh the risks.

If people can maintain a healthy weight without medication, I'm sure they will. If they aren't able to then continuing with medication is an option.

I will be taking Mounjaro for the best part of a year to get to my target healthy weight. It is abundantly obvious that maintaining that target weight is an equal or more part of the challenge, not just losing the weight. I don't need therapy to work that out. I'm not traumatised into overeating. It's pretty darn easy to work out why I (used) to comfort eat. What I needed help with was breaking the physical urges to overeat and maintaining that for long enough to lose a substantial amount of weight. Our bodies resist long term calorie restriction, unsurprisingly.

I’m on month 2 and have lost 10lbs. I’m not getting anywhere near the same appetite suppression many others seem to report (although, on the plus side, hardly any negative side effects) - reading your experience is giving me hope for the coming months! Well done on your weight loss.

But the point is GLP1s do change your mind. Users claim it quietens food noise, and helps curb all sorts of addictions including drinking, shopping and nail biting. Barbaric surgery does not do that and why people can end up with 'transfer addictions' to something else e.g drinking. It is fixing the chemical imbalance of Glutamate in the brain. I think what you may mean is it doesn't 'cure' you and when you stop taking the medication weight gain can return. If the food noise comes back and you obsessively think about your next meal, yes, the weight will return, hence why many view this as a life long medication.
It took me years of therapy to work through bad childhood, marriage etc. And when I had no more trauma to discuss, I was left asking why am I binge eating and procrastinating daily? I had always explained it to myself as 'emotional eating' but I had nothing to be upset about. The ADHD diagnosis it became obvious it was a symptom of that, and happens to be my main dopamine seeking behaviour of choice. And skin picking, just to gross you out a bit more.

Of course you do.

I'll add "I know a friend/many people..." to the MJ bingo.

I’ve heard that too, and I need to up my game in this regard. I’m exercising about 10 hours a week, so a couple more hours of a different activity won’t hurt for sure. Thank you and good luck on your fitness regime.

@Dietingfool not fat enough to qualify for the drugs.

my weight fluctuates a bit depending on life. It’s more when I go on holiday or after babies. It goes up in winter. It certainly goes up at Xmas. It’s less when I have money to spend on exercise. If I want to I could start a calorie controlled diet now and a few pounds within a week.

I'm not that poster, but I am a MJ user with unmedicated ADHD. Sadly I can't say it has made a difference directly. Indirectly maybe. I don't get that dopamine hit from binge eating anymore because I don't have the urge to eat. Which also means I don't get that fidgety need to be constantly eating when I'm sitting at the computer or watching TV. But any ADHD things that aren't connected to eating haven't changed. God I wish there was an injection that worked on impulsive spending and time management.

That’s great, good for you. I’d crack on.

Everyone who started it for weightloss and has gotten it legally from a registered pharmacy was in the 'obese' category. You have to be obese, not 'overweight' to be prescribed it.

Those who got it and are not in this category have gotten it illegally and from an unlicenced source.

I'm on medication for life for a medical condition so I'm not against any pharmaceuticals. However, these are necessary medications for a debilitating medical condition. I just don't think medicating a proportion of the population for life is a good thing and we should be focussing on people being able to maintain a healthy lifestyle moving forwards - it's just an opinion though, I don't expect everyone to agree.

If you can afford it - it’s available privately.

That's not how Mounjaro works. You should read up on it. You can't be on it and still be regularly eating crap. It won't work as intended if so. You will stay fat. If anything, Mounjaro is beginning to and will continue to take money away from the crap food industry.

You're not obese.

No it isn't possible to get them without being in the 'obese' category, not legally and from a registered pharmacy. Those who get it when they don't meet the criteria go through unlicensed and illegal methods to get them.

I was in the overweight and not obese category and got it legally, from a licensed pharmacist with my GPs approval because I have an underlying health condition.

It's not a straightforward yes or no depending on your BMI but it is important to get it for the right reasons from an approved source - not eBay!

Obesity is also a debilitating medical condition. If people were able to maintain a healthy lifestyle through therapy and addressing behaviours and following a balanced diet, they would all be doing it already.

10lbs in 2 months is perfect. Any faster and you risk health issues, loose skin and muscle wastage. It's a marathon, not a sprint

@ChangeHasCome

I think it’s time to post the bingo card… have we crossed them all off yet?

So you aren't a person who is at risk of obesity or someone with symptoms that are managed by Mounjaro. So your views on how we should manage our obesity aren't really very important.