Well this is depressing!

[Puppylucky]

New research published by the Guardian - so not a notable scare monger. Makes my MJ journey feel a bit pointless unfortunately. Edit : it's not letting me share the link for the article which is annoying but the upshot is that studies now show all the weight loss from MJ is regained within a year - much quicker than previously thought. Hey ho.

I lost 3 stone on it.
Came off in January and am 14lbs up now.

I have multiple health issues, thyroid, immune sytems etc and believe I am insulin resistant so I don't believe its me going 'back to bad habits'

I just can't maintain a low weight it seems :(

Is there something for insulin resistance? Im not sure if Metformin works, i will research.

There is so much more research needed. It is really clear from being on a WLI thread last year that we all have very different reasons for over consuming calories and becoming fat. We also had very different reactions to the WLI and how effective they were for us at different doses.

Even on this short thread, there are so many different anecdotal tales of efficacy and success. I used the power of WLI to not only lose weight but also address the reasons why I was packing away too many calories. So far I have had success maintaining but I know that it will require constant vigilance. I'm on a thread of fellow maintainers and just that alone gives me some accountability each week and support of others in the same position. I suspect support is really helpful, in the same way that it is during weight loss itself.

Hopefully, there will be continued research and the WLI will improve and become more easily available for those who want to continue to take it. I don't really see it as depressing news, more as an opportunity to help people succeed.

I think this is it. It gives people a chance to reset things and give them a head start.

But we all know that eating hamburgers, chips and ice cream every day will just pile it back on.

My best advice is to get a blood sugar monitor for 2 weeks. Or even better do the Zoe Nutrition program.

When I look around me I’m not surprised people need help. We aren’t educated to eat correctly.

Every high street and supermarket is stuffed full of sandwiches, pastries, pies, pizza, pastas, crisps, sweets and chocolate.

Those carbs turn to instant sugar in the blood stream.

Follow insulinresistant1 on YouTube. It’s such an education.

WW and SW should be closed down. Again they make people suffer and eat completely the wrong foods.

Surely to god you didnt think you would stop taking it and remain the same!!

Of course you will need to maintain with diet and exercise like everyone else.

I am wondering when people will realise a lot of this is propaganda. Who is funding the 'research' in a lot of cases? I bet pharma has a lot to do with the articles, news and research that appears because they WANT people to feel that they HAVE to stay on these expensive drugs forever. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that if you have the money and feel it's your only option but these companies are so heavily invested and making an absolutely mint. They don't want people to know that it's possible to keep the weight off afterwards.

And it is. It's the same as any diet. You come off and go back to old lifestyle, then duh, you'll put weight back on. It's not rocket science.

I've been fully off Mounjaro for almost 20 weeks now and I've lost another 4lbs in that time while trying to maintain. I don't calorie count, I just eat mindfully and sensibly and move more. I still have takeaways, I still have a glass of wine most nights, but I weigh myself daily and never take my eye off the ball. If it goes up a lb, I am extra good to get it back off. I am hungry again but it's not this RAGING INSATIABLE HUNGER that everyone said would come for you when you stop. My desire to keep the weight off is more than the desire to overeat, and in fact I feel like I get bloated quickly these days and I eat differently - pizza and pasta are off the table for me as they make me feel yuck and they were previously my favourite. I crave more salads and veg.

But I don't have food issues or health reasons for gaining weight, I really was just a lazy pig (that's ME I am talking about before anyone jumps on me and I'm allowed to say that about myself!).

I've got a chronic illness that requires lifelong meds, it is reallt rubbish. I'm not insulted by the comparison. I think people need to stop tying so much of their self worth to being thin and accept that there definitely are genetic predispositions to being fat and that the wli work when coupled with lifestyle changes because it is harder for some people's bodies to process just the lifestyle changes.

My self worth isn’t tied to being thin, I have always been comfortable, confident and happy in my own skin regardless of size. I feel grateful to be alive and well, that is my starting point.

I have noticed weight gain as I have aged, and the extra risks that will carry for me - so I am pleased I have been able to do something about it.

It’s not vanity to care about your health and well being, nor to give yourself the highest possible chance of meeting grandchildren etc. I have longevity in mind not the runway!

I wish for good health into very old age, that is my focus. I have spent enough of my life in hospitals to know the golf course/cruise/garden is a better future option!

I think this could be true for those who are chasing full suppression and barely eat anything. That's obviously not at all sustainable.

I really hope that it will be different for those like me who use MJ to rid the obsession with food. I still get hungry, have cravings, need to use willpower and eat 1500 cals a day (bit more at the weekend).

I'm now looking at maintenance and it's going to be a case of trial and error. I don't know yet if I'll come off cold turkey, taper down or micro dose. I think it'll be a challenge and the hard work is really starting now.

I agree with @FortyElephants

@CountingSleepySheep I have a number of chronic conditions all of which are made worse by being obese / overweight. I want to be healthy and active into my retirement when that happens and not become increasingly ill and immobile. Obviously, it is very nice to be able to look slim but my primary goal was a healthy BMI and a reduction in the symptoms of my various conditions - all of which I have achieved. So far I have had success in maintaining and I'm 5 months down the line now. I therefore think that we should try to embrace being more healthy and if that involves losing weight with the amazing power of WLI, why not.

This has always been my concern around the WLI. I am quite tempted by them because it seemingly does make weight loss easier and I do need to lose 1-2 stone. But if you don’t have to face cravings or proper hunger while you’re on them then of course it’s going to b v hard not to gain weight again when you stop taking it and have to use will power to manage those cravings. There is a danger of having a lot of yo yo dieters coming off the WLI then going back on again… unless it is safe to take it v long term.

And it’s neither realistic nor reasonable to expect to stay on these drugs for the rest of your life, and neither should it be encouraged.

Why not?

I’m guessing for some there will be financial constraints. AI has just told me that the range is £129- £269 per month and will rising rents, groceries etc it may become too expensive for those who are not wealthy but budgeted for using them for a few months.

It's probably best to stay on them for life for most obese people if the reason for their overeating is not dealt with during the time they're on medication. I'm on Effexor, probably for life or I wouldn't get up in the morning.

Some other people might not be able to afford them at the current rates is a funny reason not to continue using medication that's licensed for lifelong use. It's costing me around £30 a week at the moment, which is money I have available and think is a great investment in my health. Costs will also reduce hugely once patents expire, once the NHS rolls out to more people and once tablet versions are available.

I’m not saying that you or people who can afford might not continue for life because others can’t afford it. I’m saying the people who can’t afford to continue with the meds for whatever reason won’t be able to continue.

So I've reached target weight about five months ago and am now taking very small doses to maintain. 2.5 per week prescribed but in actuality I only take it about every other week, so only if I have gained. I've kept at target weight or +1-2 lb since the beginning of the year. I'm more than happy to take such a tiny dose for the rest of my life if necessary. If I don't need it long term, I'll stop taking it.

This is really encouraging @Nevertrustacop can I ask how much you lost? Who are you with for maintenance?

It is NOT just willpower FFS. Mounjaro alters your brain so that you aren't constantly getting messages to eat. I know that when day 5 comes those messages start filtering through to eat that cake, scoff that leftover cheese, pick on that potato in the pan etc. plus the appetite for alcohol comes back. So when people say that ultimately it's willpower, it is sort of, but on mounjaro you're not constantly fighting with your brain. I can't afford to stay on this drug and that scares me because it hasn't only taken off the weight it's calmed my ADHD and dampened down inflammation, which I didn't realise would be an effect, these have almost been better than the losing weight. I wish I could get these drugs and it be affordable, it's been so so beneficial for me.

The micro dosing might be affordable given how much is saved not eating, and the price will come down as it’s used more widely and production is increased.

I don't think that can be what the poster I quoted meant though, not when read in conjunction with the rest of her post.

There may be people for whom it's not financially realistic, but it's not like she would have access to that kind of information, especially as it would have to be balanced against the costs of not being on WLI. Savings on food, potentially alcohol, less sick leave when there are associated health conditions.

My mum’s cardiologist told her that “depressingly only 5% of people keep off the weight they lose”. She wasn’t specific about the method. Probably the method doesn’t really matter. It’s depressing. I lost 2.5 stones through SW 2yrs ago and it’s a full time activity keeping the weight off despite eating healthy meals and running/walking etc a lot. The food noise doesn’t disappear. I would love to try the WLIs purely for that aspect.

This analysis of several studies was conducted by University of Oxford. I haven’t seen the publication to determine who it’s supported by but perhaps it should be taken at face value for now as it’s not exactly an unexpected conclusion.

I think you misunderstood my point. I was commenting on the propensity for people who have always been slim to throw scorn on people using wlis. First saying it will not work and that fat people just need to will themselves thin, and the implication is that they are thin because they are just naturally better than everyone else, which is nonsense. I believe the sucess of this medication really shows that the reasons for being obese are far more complicated than people generallt believe and doesn't stem from just being greedy and lazy and lacking willpower.

I have a chronic illness which requires daily medication and I'm not insulted. You don't get to speak for me and many others who feel that obesity is also a condition that needs to be treated.