Should I do it

[slet]

I am seeing more and more people round about me just losing weight looking amazing and I’m wondering what’s holding me back from going for it. I am a size 16-18. I do loads of exercise but just can’t get it right with food. I had a significant bereavement earlier this year which meant I stopped exercising and I’ve just started again but I’ve put on half a stone in the meantime and I was already overweight.

the things that are worrying me are:

awful side effects

what if some long terms effects are discovered in years time?

• I hate most things about my appearance except for my hair- hairdressers always comment on how thick and shiny it is and how it’s in lovely condition and is a lovely natural colour,I’ve never died it and I am 42 with no grey. I’ve seen influencers who I follow have really noticeable hair loss on weight loss injections.

also I do enjoy food, going to restaurants with dh, etc. and I’m worried it will remove that enjoyment from me.

also, I had my gallbladder removed last year, and my ve heard some providers wont prescribe it.

can anyone reassure me on any of the above?

Is your BMI 30 or higher, or 27+ with a weight related health condition, or 27+ and your ethnicity is one where obese is defined as starting from 27? If not, then this is all moot.

Side effects - well, some people get them, some of the time. Some don't get much or any at all. It tends to be associated with moving up a dose, or sometimes if you eat things that are harder to digest with the slower digestion that WLI can produce. Wegovy tends to have more side effects than Mounjaro, but it obviously is individual. The reason that WLI have been approved for obesity treatment is that the health benefits of losing weight outweigh the possible risks.

Long term effects - well, I knew the long term effects of remaining morbidly obese, so I was prepared to take the chance on WLI. This type of medication has been around for decades, no long term effects that merit any warnings have yet to be found. Modern medication is thoroughly tested and monitored, these medications are no different to other relatively new drugs.

Hair loss - it can happen. It happens with weight loss, it's called telogen effluvium and is usually self limiting and self resolving. I had some hair loss, it has now stopped and my hair is fine. I'd take that every day of the week in return for sustained weight loss.

Enjoying food - I still enjoy food. I really enjoy having a normal relationship with food, much much more than I ever "enjoyed" overeating and eating lots of highly calorific foods. I go to restaurants, I have a great time. I try a bit of everything that I fancy, I just don't over eat.

Gallbladder - I have no direct experience of this, but I know that there are some providers that will prescribe. There have been several threads about this here, so an advanced search might turn up some useful info for you.

@SilenceInsidethank you.
yes my bmi is over 30, just. It was hovering around 30 but recent weight gain means it will be over now.

I’ve stayed on 2.5mg a day and eaten over 120g protein a day (and collagen supplements) and no impact on hair and minimal side effects. I’ve been able to enjoy meals out, just find it easier not to snack.

re: long term implications - well there are long term risks of carrying extra fat.

Any hair loss is not due to the drug, it’s simply due to weight loss and temporary, so unless you wish to stay overweight for ever, I’d not consider that a reason to not do it, hair loss is temporary

side effects 80 percent have no side effects, the rest minor, tiny amount have issues with things like pancreatitis, but that comes from weight gain or loss anyway,

as for do they find something in thr future, do you feel like this about all prescription drugs? These drugs have been in general use for over 20 years, trials 15 years, the peptides first discovered in thr 1950s. With a precursor in the 20s. How long do you need when a doctor normally prescribes to you?

obesity on the other hand is the biggest killer we have, cancer, diabetes, heart conditions, stroke, skeleton impacts, joints.

are you ok with the obesity risks but not prescription meds and temp hair shedding?

as for enjoying food, I’ve always enjoyed my food throughout, I went up to 10g, been on them over a year, now on 5mg as maintenance, which I will stay on. I’ve lost over 6 stone, am a size 8-10 and feel fab, I have always continued to cook , socialise, go to restaurants, I just make healthier choices, don’t stuff myself, and eat healthy portions and stop.

I have lost 4 stone, gone from a size 18/20 to a size 12/14 so far, had a BMI of 34.8 now it's 25.4 and I'm still losing. I started in May on 2.5 mg, upped it to 5 mg a month ago. I have not had any side effects and no hair loss. I have changed my diet to a very healthy diet of clean food, almost no alcohol, and much less and smaller portions. I feel that I now have a healthy, sensible diet whereas before I ate out all the time, ate fish and chips once a week, drank wine most evenings. My body ached, I was sluggish and everything is so much better now. These drugs have been well tested and yes there may be something cropping up in the future but by going on Mounjaro I have decreased my chances of illness due to obesity which I think are worth it. It has been life changing for me. I can't give any advice as the gallstones though.

Is 120gs the recommended amount?

re: protein, there are many views. As I was interested in maintaining muscle mass whilst in a deficit I went for the top end eg 2g per kg of ideal body weight.