Weight loss jabs v low calorie shakes

[Up2date]

Just looking for a bit of info and thoughts on weight loss jabs. Do they basically work as an appetite suppressant and what are people's average daily calorie intake when on them? I've been trying to decide whether to go with the jabs or weight loss shakes, which I have done before with reasonable success. Need to lose around 4 stone ☹️. Finding it really difficult since menopause, not that it was easy before, don't think I have particularly big appetite just eat the wrong things. TIA

Weight loss injections support you to eat a healthy balanced diet. Low calorie shakes are an unsustainable gimmick.

How exactly do they support you to eat healthier. I can understand how they make you eat less but not what you eat

They reduce your appetite, increase your feeling of fullness after eating and regulate your blood sugar and insulin so you don't crave sugary or carby food. They make it easy to stick to a calorie controlled diet. Shakes are basically the opposite of that.

You need to do that bit yourself, but making healthy choices is so much easier without all the food noise in the background. A lot of people do just eat less of what they normally eat, they chase full suppression and tbh lose weight really unhealthily. You can make better choices and the GLP 1 will make that easier.

Amongst the plethora of diets I have tried to over 25 years to lose weight..

calorie counting
Atkins
Keto
Mediterranean
weight watchers x 7
Slimming world x 5
Cambridge. (V low cal shakes ) x 3
Fast 800 with 16:8 fast..
Bariatric surgery. Sleeve Gastrectomy
Mountjaro.

From that list I managed to lose with each one. BUT and it’s an enormous BUT..

with the exception of the bariatric surgery I put what ever loss I achieved straight back on as the diets are simply not sustainable.

The bariatric surgery definitely helped and took me from 19st (5ft 6) to 15 st. Which is where I stayed for three years Despite taking up the gym with a vengeance.

5 x a week (sometimes twice) weights and cardio .plus a PT once a week. but after 8 months had not lost a lb.. however my body shape did change .. then MJ..

Nothing short of a miracle drug for me. My problem is not a sweet tooth. Nor is it lack of nutritional understanding - I am a Zoe advocate and believe the gut biome plays a huge part . Every meal is cooked from scratch-( luckily I enjoy cooking )..I simply ate too much !

MJ suppressed my appetite . You have to keep going up the strengths 4/5 weekly until it almost stops your desire for anything . For me this was the top whack at 15mg. So although I started in April 24.. I didn’t really see any real loss until June ..

I am now 8st 11 . Have been since December . I then titrated down to the point where I can eat a sufficient amount of calories to keep my weight steady without loss or gain .. for me , this is 7.5 mg where I expect to stay . For as long as I possibly can. At the moment maintenance is legally permitted - no reason why it should t be but you never know.

cost : £159 every 5 weeks. I save money on absolutely no snacks or coffees or pastries during my commute.. and any other place I would usually have just a packet of crisps or a mars bar. - or most normally . Just picking at food on the See-food diet .. 🙄..

so I’m answer to your question. If you want to loose and SUSTAIN that loss then nothing works like MJ - to me it is like injectable ‘will power’

@Up2dateive been at target for 6 months now and have reduced my bmi from 36 to 22 ish. I’ve always eaten around 1500 cals a day and continue to do so - maybe up to 1700 cals some days.

you’ll find your appetite is blunted so you can reduce portion sizes and - crucially - it does something to you blood sugar and insulin so you just process food more efficiently. So both things go hand in hand - it is not just suppression of appetite

that’s a very non scientific explanation I know!

I did shakes before this and it was a struggle. I put everything back on as soon as I as I finished.

I’m eating normally on WLI’s but just a lot less.

They suppress your appetite. It’s up to you to make sure you’re eating healthily and in a calorie deficit so you lose weight.

You could do both. I am drinking the Huel drinks for protein along with MJ

Can you not just use food?

I have found that some days I don't really feel like food (I have especially gone off most meat) but I always like a protein shake like Huel. I keep my protein up that way.

Chalk and cheese. I’ve done both. Go for the jabs. No question.

They don't really, they just reduce your appetite.

I'm peri meno, or probably meno, I don't know. I'm on HRT and quit smoking around the same time I started on WlIs.
I'm on 10mg now, it's been 5 months and I'm 1 stone down - which considering age (50), giving up smoking (I was told I could gain a third of my body weight) and being on HRT plus extra progesterone due to issues is a win in my book.

I lost weight quite quickly then put 9lbs back on trying to find what would work for me.
I've never been a water or squash drinker... I ended up drinking 4-8 pints of skimmed milk a day for sation! Then I decided slim fast was the answer and my word was I loving those banana shakes - not surprising at 40g a sugar a pop!

I just drink calorie free squash now - tonnes of it. I have litres made up in the fridge ready to pour.

I have Morrisons 90p protein yoghurts, maybe one a day (20g protein) I drink MyProtein Clear Protein - like squash but with another 20g protein.

I don't have a family meal to fit round but I'll do something like roasted peppers, onions and tomatoes to go with marinaded chicken breast or, sourdough, roasted tomatoes, feta and herbs.

I say that, I had 2 sausage sandwiches yesterday - white bread with ketchup 😂 it was my injection day.

I'm happy with my protein finds filling me up. Especially Clear Protein. But - I have the jab to back me up.

I guess you could try that route and no WLI. I think I would have found it difficult if cooking for family. It can be done though, just make sure you research what you are 'shaking'. I did 2 tubs of Slimfast on good faith - I was a bloody idiot 😭🤣

Clear Protein, 20mg, with 2 healthy meals (it's low cal, low carb, low sugar) could be fine.

It's all about not being hungry.

I'm veggie and struggling to get enough protein- they work for me

OP. I think the thing is - that until you are actually taking this drug - at a dose that suppresses your appetite - it is virtually impossible to understand its effectiveness. The only way I can describe it is by telling you about before and after behaviour, just to give you an idea.

Before.

At supermarket shop. Having had lunch and probably numerous biscuits from office kitchen.. I would do the shop and pick up numerous snacky bits . Along with normal food for the week (which always has been pointedly healthy based on trying to improve whole families gut health) .. so along with the virtuous Pulses, Seeds Green veg and ‘good’ protein such as oily fish , pork , tofu & chicken - I would stash some sausage rolls, scotch eggs, squeezy cheese.. and pack them on top for easy access on the way home. Then secrete them in the back of the fridge for no one else but me to indulge in between healthy meals.

After reaching a good suppression on MJ (for me this was 7.5-10mg).
I could go to the supermarket having just about having managed a weetabix with 4 raspberries for breakfast and struggled through half a pitta with cucumber, onion and Tuna for lunch and just buy what we would eat for the week. Even this was sometimes a struggle, such was my complete disinterest in food. (Also saved about £30 per week on the shop).

It’s just weird. I have never had to calorie count . I save my appetite for things that are good for me . My only real rule is not to put anything in my mouth that contains ingredients not easily found in the larder.

Previously if there was food left out.. regardless of hunger - I would just automatically put it in my mouth. The ‘see-food’ diet . This simply no longer happens.

I haven't tried huel but it seems quite expensive (?).

I was veggie for 20 years and completely understand about not getting enough protein, only on MJ though as you cannot eat that amount if protein in pulses etc daily.

I mix My Protein juice drinks accordingly by adding a scoop to a folded piece of card and pouring that in to a 1 ltr empty squash bottle. Add 400ml water, give a good shake. Repeat so that I have 800ml...

Leave in fridge, serve chilled and non lumpy for whenever you fancy.

It's been my game changer.

Jabs = the ability to eat small, healthy meals that allow you to nourish your body and have a normal life.

Shakes = drinking UPFs not eating real food. Short time might work for dropping a few pounds.

It’s a no brainer! There’s just no comparison I’m afraid and the fact you are asking shows you need to do some research. MJ enables you to eat properly and fuel yourself for life, to exercise and socialise and make long term life changes. Shakes…don’t.

This made me smile but only because I was the opposite at work - I don't crave your reduced cream éclair or one of your 4 pack chocolate bars.

Tempt me with savouries - mainly marmite on toast, bovril on toast, both with pure salted butter, lots of. Butter on toast. Toast on toast! 🤣
Of course it was cheap white bread. Best for toasting 🤔.

I thought I was being good, no sugary treats for me thank you. I'll take the full fat lardy ones!
Onions bhajis reduced at lunchtime? A 6 pack? Goodness me, low on sugar, I'll have the lot!

Then I'd come home and cook from scratch for DD. Whilst a healthy meal, I'd probably doubled my calorie limit that day before tucking in to the pasta or rice based dinner.

As well as Huel I like the Purition shakes and the Fast 800 ones are OK too

Has anyone read the book by Michael Mosey's son "Food Noise" it basically recommends mixing a lowish card Mediterranean diet with the jabs

@Up2date i would say my average calorie intake is less than 1,000 per day tbh. It doesn’t stop the cravings for me, I still have chocolate but I’m satisfied with 1 or 2 squares as opposed to the full sharing bar. I still go to Starbucks but can never finish a small drink. I still enjoy takeaways or meals out but I get full very quick so have a starter-sized portion. I don’t think my stomach has rumbled since being on Mounjaro. When I first take the jab the suppression is unreal, and there are days where I can’t eat more than 500 calories, but later on in the week I eat more so it averages out. Majority of the time I make sure my calories are nutritious, but still being able to have treats makes it far more realistic and sustainable for me. It’s hard to describe really so I would just say to go for it. For reference I’ve lost 2.5 stone in 10 weeks

I will use the analogy used by a guest speaker on the What's Up Doc's podcast. She was talking about will power and how will power is like being the adult driving a car with a toddler in the back.

Adult Self:We are going to the gym
Inner Toddler: I don't wanna! I don't wanna!
Adult Self: I know dear, but we are going.
Inner Toddler: No! No! No!
Adult Self: Here we are!

Pre Mounjaro, my Inner Toddler was driving the car straight to the supermarket and my Adult Self was tied up on the back seat with a sack over its head.

After reading all the advice shakes definitely seem to be a no-no and I'm leaning more towards the jabs my only reservation is I suffer with acid reflux and I've read they can make it worse. I think a word with my Dr is in order. Thanks for all your useful advice, much appreciated

Yeah I wouldn’t do shakes.
I think they have a place as part of a very low calorie diet under medical supervision when the person has a gigantic amount of weight to lose.
I did slim fast out of desperation once leading up to a holiday. Of course the weight comes straight back on after.

I tried to go back on them again but couldn’t take the hunger.
Nothing like a holiday dangling in front of your face like a carrot on a stick for motivation.

Jabs got rid of my reflux, so it can go either way.

My reflux is better. Will reduce my Omepraxole dose soon. Just occasionally I have a day when I want a rennie or two. But that’s nothing compared to correcting whatever chemical imbalance I’ve had all my life and getting to a healthy weight in 6 months.