Weight loss aids?

[L0309]

Evening all,

I seem to have hit 40 and gained some weight and I’m really struggling to lose it.

my BMI is not high enough to get weight loss injections but is there anything else that could help?

I need to lost about 3 stone and I’m really struggling and feeling really bad about myself.

What is your BMI? If you are 3 stone overweight are you sure your BMI is not 30 or higher?

This. Unless you're particularly tall, 3 stone to lose would surely imply a BMI over 30. I'm 5ft 8 and just over 5 stone to lose gave me a BMI of nearly 37 when I started.

I wondered if you'd been looking at the NHS qualifications for mounjaro rather than the prescribing guidelines which pharmacies follow for private prescriptions, which applies to most of us on here.

Wanting to lose 3 stone doesn't necessarily mean a person is 3 stone above the top of a healthy weight. The healthy weight range for my height is 8stone8 to 10stone10 - I could be 11st 8 and want to lose 3 stone but my BMI would only be about 27

But that would take her to the very bottom of a healthy bmi.

op, can you post your height and weight ?

Yes, but for some people that might be their goal. It certainly isn't mine, I'm just making the point that there are people out there who might feel they 'need' to lose 3 stone even if medically speaking they don't.

It’s worth an ask just to check, especially as there is a lot of confusion around the NHS prescribing guidelines and the MHRA prescribing guidelines. Also the 27 BMI starting point for certain ethnicities or if you have a weight related health condition.

Or you could just trust OP when she says her BMI is not high enough. Why does she need to post evidence.

For some people, their healthy weight is towards the bottom of the BMI chart, just as some people are healthiest at the top. I'm losing weight at the same time as a close friend. She has broad shoulders and hips, an hourglass figure, and puts on muscle quickly whenever she lifts a weight. I have a narrow frame, a flat chest and have to work very hard and eat vast amounts of protein to get any noticeable muscle gains. Our target BMIs are very different.

I was about to explain this too. I’m 5’6 and currently exactly 3stone below the threshold for obese. I am still BMI 23. If my goal was BMI 21, at 3 stone above that I would not meet the criteria - I would be just above the middle of the overweight range. Taller people have even wider ranges. OP is probably 3 stone over her normal happy weight which can reasonably still be well short of BMI 30. OP if this is the case you may want to consider checking if you have any history of any of the other qualifying conditions for prescribing at bmi 27. I do wish prescribers could legitimately prescribe to people like you where you are clearly not underweight but they absolutely won’t be able to make an exception when you share real weight and height unless over 27 with high blood pressure or PCOS etc.

To answer your question @L0309 you can get Alli tablets which are an over the counter version of Orlistat/Xenical as a medical approach with some evidence behind it. This kind of medication can produce some modest weight loss, and can have some unpleasant side effects. But it is available to you.

Then, there’s the unproven supplement approach. Some people feel that berberine can help with weight loss, there’s no good evidence for it but it’s available to try.

High protein 3x a day.., 5 hrs between meals… eat in a calorie deficit… do weights… drink loads of water… cut out alcohol … get enough sleep… cut out UPFs / sugar.

Double check your bmi - 3st over weight sounds like you might qualify for WLDs

My BMI is 29.2 I have been through the consultation to get injections and they say I don’t meet the criteria.

im 5.9 and 14st2lb

thank you x

i thought the same! Why would I lie x

I would be happy to lose just 1 stone to be fair but even that is a struggle x

I will look into this thank you x

@L0309 I certainly wasn’t intending to suggest that you were lying. I have seen many times here that people don’t always have accurate information about the qualifying criteria, so thought it was worth asking to check.

The best way I’ve found for myself to loose weight is to eat in a calorie deficit. Drink plenty of water, 2-3 litres a day. Up your exercise. I’ve realised I was eating double what I should have been so now eat within my deficit, and I swim twice a week. I have a very sedentary job so struggle to get my steps in but have upped my walking a bit. I’ve lost just over a stone in 2 months. I loose about 1-2lbs a week. You could also try intermittent fasting.

I fund the who bmi system silly to be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever been a healthy weight according to them!

At 29,2 I think I’d be tempted to add 3 lbs or something and make myself eligible. I understand ifs lying, but you’re so close. And if you weigh yourself after a meal in the evening and some water you probably are 30. And it’s 27 if you’ve some health conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc,

Huh? It’s not about trust, I asked for a reason. And the reason is now apparent, she’s right on the cusp. Grow up.

Also prediabetes, sleep apnoea and pcos is on the list of qualifying conditions with some pharmacies, along with high BP and cholesterol PP mentioned. Most ask for a photo of the weight and quite a few do video consultations.
If you want to try losing without WLI, there are free exercise youtubers like growwithjo and Lucy Wyndham-Reed and many others like Joe wicks body coach. High protein, low carb and plenty of water at least 2L will make a difference with fat burning and slow down muscle loss. Aim for at least 1g protein per kg body weight, if you can do 1.5g that's even better.
I'm using liquid berberine which helps curb hunger and lowers blood sugar, so maybe look into that if you aren't on any meds that lower blood sugar already.

I would double check my height if I were you. With age we all shrink slightly (and during the day). Are you sure you might not measure at 5’8” at the end of the day? If you were to then you would likely qualify. Do a consult with another provider. We absolutely can’t recommend giving false info on here, but you are extremely close to the qualifying bmi and without intervention will likely reach it in the next year if you’ve been gradually increasing. It’s been lifechanging for me , in April I was around the same weight as you, just slightly shorter and now I’m under 10.5 stone and so much more active, healthy and happy.

If I had another try what would people recommend?

I don’t know anything about the jabs to be honest I’m a bit scared to try.

With your BMI being so close to 30 I would just shave an inch of your height and go for WLI. They are a godsend.

Sometimes it seems like people just come on this forum for an argument. It makes it a very unpleasant place at times.

@L0309 it seems to me you’re a big dinner away from qualifying. If it were me I'd be getting weighed after a meal, then applying to the pharmacy. Is your height accurate, you haven’t over-measured?