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.

Recent studies are beginning to show people need to take these kinds of drugs for life.

I was warned by a doctor they can cause pancreatic problems. I’d be wary that they seem too good to be true without side effects in the future.

I still go out. I just drink and eat less, swap chips for salad and just have 1 course. It's saving me more than I spend on the jab!

@ANonEMouseYouSir I use Voy! Very happy with them, had no issues at all.

It seems to be different for everyone but I still enjoy meals out, etc. I just get fuller quicker but I still enjoy the taste of food. In fact I probably enjoy it more because I don't have residual anxiety or stress about the volume of it. I know that a small portion will fill me up so I can savour it. I've been for a few meals out since starting and no issues, although I've generally not had dessert when I would have before, because I'm just not that interested in sugar on it.

It has made me change up what I eat though. I didn't eat UPF before in the first place but I did eat a lot of carbs, but I've found myself favouring protein now and naturally just not eating much carbs.

It will affect a diabetic person’s body differently than a non diabetic person’s though so while there have been long term studies involving these types of drugs and their use in diabetes, there haven’t yet been long term studies of them being purely used for weight loss. Not saying there is necessarily going to be a negative long term effect of using for weight loss, just that no one yet knows.

@Parrotting it doesn't stop you enjoying eating. It just reduces your appetite, makes you feel fuller for longer and stabilises your blood sugar, which for many people reduces the sugar craving and snacking behaviour. As I said in my earlier post, I tend to prefer fresh, vegetable based food, high quality protein and I rarely eat processed white carbs. If I want to taste something I'll have a small amount and then stop. Unlike before when eating a small amount of a dessert, or a carby main could trigger over eating and throwing any attempt at calorie reduction out of the window.

My husband says that he still feels hungry at times but the feeling of hunger passes really quickly, so if he doesn't eat at that point, the feeling will have passed and he won't eat. He still enjoys his food, but I notice he rarely snacks at all anymore, he still has a drink socially.

Thank you! I am poised ready to order... just a bit scared as I have never tried things like this before.

How long have you been on them and how much have you lost please?

I use Mounjaro. It costs just shy of £200 per month. I am losing weight steadily.

I started out at 26 and a half stone. That wasn’t sustainable, I had tried pretty much every other method going, but they didn’t work. This one does. I’m down about 3 stone so far. I eat one meal a day. I don’t want more. I rarely snack. I drink more water. I couldn’t do that without Mounjaro. If I have to remain in it for life, then I’ll remain on it for life.

I'm really interested in current efforts to isolate the 'anti-craving' effect from the 'anti-appetite' one. I'm not optimistic, tbh, from reading about how the drugs work ... but neither am I a biochemist or neuroscientist, so I hope I'm wrong!

I fixed my eating disorder donkey's years ago and am not obese, but do have compulsive behaviours. On top of the fact that I could do with some help getting to the middle of my healthy BMI from the top, I'm really envious of users who say their injections have stopped their other cravings.

The wider health benefits are definitely impressive but, as far as I'm aware, there's insufficient evidence that these were not caused by the weight loss itself.

at just two stone over weight id be very surprised if you will be eligible

I wasnt

Ive had to do it the hard way so to speak ( not knocking the meds ) and it took a year to shift the two stone and its not easy keeping it off but I am - a year so far

You mean just like any other diet. Except when you give up on other diets you generally haven't got near your target due to hunger.

If it was as easy as eat well and less there wouldn't be an obesity epidemic. This over simplification is getting really tired.

Also the drugs have been around and studied for decades now.

I have a BMI of 39 :( but I'm too scared to try mounjaro (I have health anxiety and worry about getting ill or dying).

Can't afford it either.

Except that its easily off set by buying less food, alcohol and takeaways .

No such thing as a free lunch. long term side effects are not known.

It’s an interesting phenomenon of medically reduced anorexia and I’m Sure discussed elsewhere. But it’s interesting to me as someone who was profoundly anorexic as a teenager and experienced that when you are thin and in an anorexic state you have a physiologically Suppressed-appetite. These drugs must have the potential to push people into eating disorders and that is a very high price.

I was JUST heavy enough to qualify for MJ (I went with Voy, who are absolutely brilliant, imo).

My heaviness was not due to unhealthy food - I grow vegetables, love plant-based healthy eating and scratch cook every day - but down to also snacking, and just eating too much!

I'm now just shy of my target weight, after only three months. It's been easy, I haven't been troubled with any awful side effects, and I've still enjoyed food.

What has been even more incredible than the weight loss, however, is the profoundly positive effect on my ADHD symptoms. I had NO idea that would happen. I am completely disinterested in sugar (although I never had much of a sweet tooth) and I have to force myself to have wine, even though I love it.

It is the shutting down of unhealthy habits - sugary things, snacking, the constant food noise, alcohol - that is astonishing. I'm blown away by it, as I didn't expect any of those things really. When my MJ journey is over, as it will be shortly, I'll stick with my usual food, but have less of it. I'm keeping a careful record of what I'm eating, to help me construct an 'after MJ' plan that works for me.

Tgey make you actively avoid processed over sugared food.

Weight loss medications are a game changer, but I would hope anyone looking to get pregnant would not take them.

@Wildywondrous @Triflelife there must be an exception though from reading posts some users are now a size 12 and carrying on to lose more weight a size 12 surely would not equate to a bmi of 30 unless you where shorter than 5ft maybe? Don't people just say there BMI is over 30? I'm not advocating for it im partially just curious i would be afraid to try to be honest but I can see the temptation

It's interesting, isn't it? I do suspect that, for many, the rediscovery (or first-time discovery) of normal eating could break the link between emotional 'hunger' and food, which wouldn't fix the underlying issues but may free their minds enough to get a fresh perspective.

From what I can tell, though, the vast majority of users have a faulty brain/gut feedback mechanism (as diabetics do) and this is what the drugs improve. Obese people aren't all trying to eat away an emotional problem, they're hungry!

I wish it worked for me!!! I feel like the only one who has actually put on weight whilst taking them!! I’ve tried Wegovy and now Mounjaro (the latter only the first month but was in Wegovy for 5m). What’s wrong with me?!!!

I worry what people will have wrong with them in several years times tbh.

@Nogg a risk of developing anorexia would surely have been identified in the many drug trials in the past and ongoing. The sort of thing that would be very apparent I'd have thought. Yet it isn't mentioned anywhere as a possible adverse outcome from any of the trials for any of the GLP-1 medications.