Obese but not interested In Mounjaro, I’m genuinely interested to know why.

[Vatsallfolks]

I have struggled with my weight since my last baby 23 years ago.. prior to that I was a standard size 10 and never really thought about weight.. but last pregnancy at 39 saw me develop an underactive thyroid AND an autoimmune disorder that required an astonishing amount of steroids .. long story short.. I went from 10st to 22 stone in 4 years.. I hated it. I lost my sense of balance , self confidence, health… blood pressure meds , cholesterol meds, knee injections, chronic IBS .. because of the steroids I was extremely lucky to get a gastric sleeve on the NHS . Took me from 22 stone to 16 stone and there I stayed until this miracle drug came along.

I did my research. I looked at the pros and cons . The cons of being obese FAR outweighed the cons and so I began. Financially I thought it would be a terrible struggle but in reality I save money . No more latte and a croissant for breakfast at the station . It’s taught me to be mindful of what I need to eat to be healthy by prioritising protein, good carbs and fibre..

Im now BMI 22 and 9st 5 and size 10 again .. since end of November.. I remain on a small maintenance dose of 5mg and after a I had a chat with my GP yesterday, I am happy to be there for life .

so my question is .. if you are obese with all the associated health risks AND you have the funds to prioritise your health but are not interested.. ( earring in mind these drugs have been around since trials in 1992) why would you not ?

I don't think morbidly obese people look healthy either.

However, the people I know to be on it look ill. It's my personal observation. If it's because they aren't eating well or if it is the outcome of prolonged use, I don't know. I'm just saying I've noticed a look that people using this medication get.

I briefly scrolled past click bait that showed Sharon Osbourne looking frail. That's the same look I've noticed in people using Ozempic.

You don't have to agree with me. You can tell me you've observed 100 people in real life who this hasn't happened to. That's fine. However, I won't be taking it, because of my observations and feelings about it. I'm focusing on improving my lifestyle and diet. I appreciate some people would rather use a medication for personal reasons/circumstances.

I have been on it for weight loss since April 24 starting at 2.5mg which is a non therapeutic dose (although most people get some appetite suppression.) This is to ease your body into getting used to the drug. From there you increase by 2.5mg every 4 weeks until you are at a place where your appetite is sufficiently suppressed to cause a calorie deficit. For me this was the top dose of 15mg. It took me 7 months to lose 4 stone. I take a maintenance dose of 7mg per 10 days.

Cons :
I’ve had a little nausea between 5-7.5mg
A bit of constipation between 7.5 - 10mg
Thats it.

Pros
I no longer take meds for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and jabs in my knee. I can fit in a plane seat. Clothe shopping is now a pleasure rather than a grim obligation to be got through.

The reality is that there MAY be side effects in the long term. Despite the drugs being in use since 1992 ! (It’s not new ) not sure how long people need to wait for. ??. however - what is known for sure is that one of the side effects of obesity is stroke, heart disease, cardiac arrest, diabetes, joint problems, depression and death .

To my mind it’s a complete no-brainer. Known side effects vs potential side effects from a drug type that has been around over 30 years.

Like all drugs from Aspirin to Zinc there are side effects. Some people will not be able to take it. Thyroid cancer in the family for example. (Underactive thyroid is not a problem - I have that) .. some people can’t take Aspirin. Doesn’t mean it’s not a great drug for those who can .

On the enjoying food front, my weight loss via MJ has mean I enjoy food more than I rver have, because it’s not wrapped in any guilt. I don’t know about others but being fat and then ‘enjoying’ food (which quite often was code for overeating frequently) just made me often confront feelings of guilt or self-loathing about it all. Whereas now I really do enjoy food because it doesn’t come with all the other feelings. I enjoy being able to eat enough and stop.

There’s also no need to eat salad. If you’re eating healthy meals anyway then you just eat less of them. Even when I was still on MJ, past the initial month or two where I wasn’t very hungry and just didn’t really think about food much, I enjoyed food. Just less of it and better stuff.

I still enjoy food. I still enjoy having a drink. I eat the same food as everyone else, but probably smaller portions. I'm far less motivated by food now but I view that as a liberation not a loss, just like when I gave up smoking.

I was morbidly obese BMI 45. I started Mounjaro and my tastes in food almost immediately changed (I was lucky, some get different effects), food noise shut down, no longer obsessively craving pepsi max, choc, snacking, carbs, sweet or salty things etc which was a huge part of my issues.

I calorie tracked for first couple of months, firstly to make sure I was getting enough calories, then to get a base line of daily food portion sizes. I haven't calorie tracked since now 11 months into Mounjaro and consistently losing (BMI < 30 in overweight category now). Over that time my TDEE has reduced by over 550 calories a day, but I still haven't had to go back to tracking and still losing (not as fast but still 1-1.5lbs a week).

The change in tastes and lack of cravings means my diet has changed and I enjoy it - high protein/low carb/lots of veg/lots of water. The satiety means portion sizes are control (if I am mindful eating).

Mounjaro helps me to keep to these changes longer term, it doesn't do it for you but it does make it easier to stick to.

I’m allergic to all kinds of injectable drugs (Covid jab, contrast dye, iron infusion, epidural are some of them). I’ve had anaphylaxis lots of times, but they’ve never worked out which is the common ingredient so I only have injections if I’m going to die without it. I have dental treatment with no anaesthetic and I’ve even had to have things like a colonoscopy with no drugs. I’m not that overweight that I’d risk my life for it. Similarly for Botox, which I really would love!

@Drangea I am another who still enjoys food. I enjoy cooking, we eat as a family, I eat spag bol just a smaller portion and more of the bolognaise than the pasta. You can do all those activities you describe and either eat/drink a smaller amount or compensate by having less food for the rest of the week. Just like you'd have to do if you were on any kind of a calorie deficit diet.

Mounjaro doesn't remove all of your basic human urges. In fact, I have more energy, more enthusiasm for life because my weight is not holding me back any more.

If you lose weight, by any method, you might end up with loose skin. Mounjaro doesn't make that any more or less likely to happen.

No one is going to be able to change your priorities for you, and you can absolutely lose weight without taking medication, if that's what you prefer. But I just wanted to give my perspective on the thoughts that you've raised.

You'll be kicked out of the fan club saying that. First person I've seen admitting it it though.
We're supposed to believe from most that you still have to diet and exercise and that it's not easy. Which leaves me wondering, why spend up to £200 a month then?

Eating the same of what you used to but less, is dieting. What else would you call it? And of course it makes it possible, easy for some, to stick to a diet - that's the whole point of the medication. When people object to the criticism of using WLI that it's "easy", it's to counteract the idea that somehow the medication makes you lose weight whilst continuing to overeat.

Well you do still have to diet in the sense that you need to eat reduced calories, like any way of losing weight. MJ just makes it a lot easier to stick to a calorie deficit as you don’t feel as hungry and food remains in your stomach longer. And the calorie deficit often comes naturally without counting due to the reduced appetite and increased fullness.

Exercise is neither here nor there in terms of the weight loss aspect of it really, but I think some people find themselves more inspired to exercise when taking it, or become more able to exercise due to the weight loss.

I don't know where you've picked this up from. Different people have different effects and different priorities. I've never counted calories and I'm happy to lose weight in a haphazard, slow way. I'll be on Mounjaro as long as I can be, including maintaining. I am not in a rush. Others want to lose weight in a more regular, predictable way, so they count calories and make an effort to stay within their allowance. Maybe they have a financial limit or a specific timeframe in mind, who knows.
The drug makes calorie restriction easy, however you do it. Some people respond very strongly and lose all their appetite for a while (that doesn't last forever for anyone) and others feel milder effects and have to be more mindful about what they eat. Either way almost everyone loses weight on it, whether they count calories or not. I've never counted calories and I've lost consistently, some months more than others, since July. I get hungry and enjoy food. People are all different.

the people I know to be on it look ill. It's my personal observation. If it's because they aren't eating well or if it is the outcome of prolonged use, I don't know. I'm just saying I've noticed a look that people using this medication get

it never ceases to amaze me the amount of people who claim to know people who are using WLI, especially when over the 9 months I’ve been using Mounjaro I’ve not come across anyone else who is using them.

And it’s even stranger when the people who claim to know multiple people who are on it, it’s never just one, say things like - the people I know to be on it look Ill.

Surely It can’t be only me who looks fabulously healthy on it?

Yes and all those people who know loads of people who stopped a year ago and put all the weight back on. 🙄

Nope!
I only know of one other person who is on them for sure, and we both look great. I know a number of people who have lost weight over the past year and I suspect they are probably on them but they haven't said and I'd never ask. They also look great too.
One problem with weight loss when you're middle aged is obviously the loss of fat in the face can make your face sag a bit. I think when people aren't used to that they may think you look worse, because it's a shock and also plump faces do tend to look younger. I've noticed though that plump faces in middle age do start to look doughy and blotchy so the idea that fat face = youthful is a bit silly.

Nope

@FortyElephants thank goodness for that. I was beginning to feel cheated!

Im 67 and glowing. 💃 🤸‍♂️🌟

Yes. That too 🤣

I am thinking about it but I don't eat because I am hungry I eat for a variety of other reasons so I am not sure it would work.
I am also scared of side effects and long term effects, which may not be known yet
I also think DH would not be happy - he isn't controlling so wouldn't stop me at all but he doesn't like medication in general.
DH's opinion wouldn't put me off on its own but combined with the other 2 reasons its enough for now.

For me it's killed emotional eating dead. It wasn't immediate, I did have a few goes at eating for comfort especially after my mum died but it didn't work and made me hungry for days after so I stopped that. Now I don't even have the urge.

I was the same. I used to eat out of boredom and depression mainly. It's killed that stone cold for me. I've lost almost six stone in the past 7 months, pretty much effortlessly. I feel happier, healthier and better able to tackle life. So, I think it could work for you if you want to give it a go.

I am obese but alcohol is my main problem, I don't overeat and I don't think it will help with my wine cravings?! I have asked my gp for support with that but haven't got very far.

I'm considering trying it though, you never know it could lessen the desire to drink?

It absolutely does. There are studies to potentially start using it for addiction.

because of the blindness risk, hth

Actually, a great many people on MJ have discovered that it lessens out even removes their desire for alcohol.

I used to have a couple of cocktails or glasses of sherry every evening.

Since starting on MJ I've very rarely fancied a drink, and only when out for dinner.

This was not deliberate on my part but just my experience. And a great navy people also report this.

I know the reason that I hesitated for a few months going on MJ & that was feeling that this will probably be a long term if not life long commitment & the costs associated with that.

People keep repeating this as if it's a fact. There is no evidence that WLI cause blindness. If you already have diabetic retinopathy then you may not be eligible for WLI or you may need to be closely monitored for eyesight change if weight loss is vital for you.

The recent review in the US that found that there was a possible increase in the risk of an already extremely rare condition called NAION which can cause blindness in the eye it happens in, is very very clear that there is no causative link found at all. Just a possible tiny increase in an already extremely rare condition, with absolutely no evidence that semaglutide is causing it over any other confounding factor.

So it's really odd to insist that there is a known blindness risk for anyone and everyone taking WLI as if it's listed on the patient information side effects.