Question on muscle/strength and injections

[YourOnMute]

I was unwell during the start of lockdown in 2020. Not only that but I used to exercise a lot and it completely stopped (I couldn't exercise at all). It took me about 18 months to regain my health, but I was left with terrible anxiety.
I was always 71kg and although this was overweight I was happy with my weight and size. I put on a lot of weight.
Once the gyms reopened I joined up, I walk every lunch. I love exercise. I take seratriline (?) long term and am in a much better place.
However I cannot shift my weight from 79 to 80 kg. I have been in a calorie deficit since Jan. I'll go down a kilo and back up. I have a history of binge eating and I have really really tried to address this and honestly have been doing well.
I'm almost 50 and it's beginning to get me down. I'm considering asking the GP about weight loss injections.
However I am a competitor in a sport at an international level (representing country). I work out a lot, I eat a lot of protein, I'm quite conscious of what I eat. I'm very muscular but I have a lot of fat too. I train six days a week. Previously I was equally muscular, just didn't have as much fat. I'm worried the effect that injections might have on my strength and fitness. I've heard that it can reduce muscularity, which I don't want. I understand it can take some time to get used to, but I don't want to limit my strength. However I know reducing my fat could improve my fitness, but I don't want my strength to be affected.
Does anyone have any experience in this?

(About two years ago I went to a private clinic for a script but the local pharmacist talked me out of it, and freaked me with warnings about side effects and taking meds long term. But I already take other meds long term. I'm just so fed up of not being me)
Thank you!

Your GP cannot and would not prescribe you weight loss injections. For WLI on the NHS you'd need to be on the Tier 3 weight management list, having worked through tier 1 and 2 for a period of a couple of years, and it not be working for you. Even then, most places will only put people forward for bariatric surgery rather than WLI.

What is your BMI at the moment? Surely there are resources associated with your international sport that you could use to look at weight and diet?

“However I am a competitor in a sport at an international level (representing country)” if this is true, then I have no idea why you are posting on mumsnet, you will have access to fitness health professionals who actually have the knowledge to advise you!

Here's my experience in case it helps.
I loved weight training and was in the gym 6 days a week, but because of my snacking and appetite I just couldn't stick to a low enough calorie deficit.

I started mounjaro in October and have gone from around 80kg to 69kg (I'm only 5'3).

It has been amazing for easily losing weight. But because I got so tired at the beginning, I just couldn't maintain the gym. I definitely found it hard to exercise at the same intensity as before. Now that I'm around 6kg to my target weight I have started trying to eat more and get back in the gym with intensity.

My BMI is 30 to 31 so I'm obese but otherwise healthy. I've been obese for some time now. It is actually GPs who prescribe it here.
You'd be surprised how little support "athletes" (I don't consider myself one!) get for sport, especially once you head into the masters years. It's practically zero. I do have a plan written for me to allow for a deficit and I follow it - but I'm not losing. As I explained I swing between loss and gain. Our national body would not provide any technical support like that. At all.
@crumbsonmyface thank you for your helpful response. That is the kind of thing I'd want to avoid.

Depending on your height and what other medications you are on you might qualify for a private prescription for MJ. You are very unlikely to get it from a GP.

It almost certainly will affect your strength and muscle for a period. If you continued to eat high protein and work out throughout the period you took it then the effects might be minimal.

I have done strength training 2-3 times a week throughout (a pre MJ routine so not a newbie) and my ability has dropped. Not massively but now I am coming off MJ I will need to work to get back to previous PBs.

That said it affects everyone slightly differently and I've lost more weight than it sounds like you need to.

Apologies for not realising that you are not in the UK. Your BMI is in the obese category but that is likely due to your build rather than being obese in the non-athlete sense, surely?

No problem @SilenceInside. You might have a point. I have been following my plan since Jan and no change in weight.

Thank you @OvaHere. Very useful information.

If you have genuinely been in a calorie deficit since January with no effect at all on your weight or body composition then you need to talk to your GP about bloods to check your thyroid etc before you consider WLI.

Taking WLI is like any other cut. It’s likely you will lose some lean tissue in addition to fat loss.

Hi - is you r sport powerlifting? I am an amateur powerlifter and yes have found that the injections and subsequent 2 stone weight loss have affected my lifts especially bench! I was very obese now just edging into "normal" obesity so my health was dictating that I had to do something - I am hoping just to get to your bmi!

If you are happy heathy and strong if its not broke do you really need to fix it?

Yes, I am...however I have been told by GP that I'm obese.
Thank you everyone. I'm in good health so this has been a great help to me. I'm bigger than I was, but I don't look obese. I do feel like I shouldn't be obese? Does that make sense?
However I don't want my sport to suffer. I think I need to view myself in a more positive light..

If you've gained significant weight since taking sertraline talk to your GP about that. A change in medication may be the solution.

I lift and have not noticed any loss in strength, even though I'm now 68 kilos instead of 78

Really @HeavyHeidi? Can I ask what prompted you to start the WL? Same as me? (Feeling wrong being obese?).

I'm not on your level, but I work part time as fitness instructor. All the extra weight was really getting in the way. Not that inspirational for the class participants either, if your instructor is not in shape.

This is a good point and something I hadn't considered..