Considering weight loss injections at BMI 25 with raised cholesterol and blood pressure

[suki1964]

Im after successfully losing weight , and have maintained for two years through diet and exercise

However Im still top of BMI and I have not been able to drop any lower

Now there are some pharmacies offering to prescribe off label , for my BMI - 25 with High Cholestrol and high blood pressure

I seriously would look and feel a lot healthier with another 10lb off

For the past year Ive been saying to myself Im happy to be where I am. But truth is Im not. Im now getting to the point where Im getting a bit disordered around food , because the minute I take my eye of the ball, I gain, so then Im working twice as hard to get that gain off and stay the same

Has anyone had any experience of starting at a lower BMI with not a lot to lose ?

Am I even mad to think about it ?

See you do lots of steps but have you considered weight training? That really helped me when loosing weight previously. I actually don’t loose loads but my fat percentage decreased. I was on WLI part way through my weight loss but due to being on 10mg (low doses had zero effect on me) I could not justify the cost I am now 4lbs shy of my starting weight. It is hard to come off and maintain especially as I wasn’t at my ideal weight I had 1st one to go. So I’m back on having to do it through will power and lost pretty much all progress o made and £££’s

Only if you can afford it long term, as sure the weight will come off. But you will need to eat even less cals to maintain it, the heavier you are the more you need to eat to maintain it. so unless you can afford it long term then I’d be happy at your current weight,

otherwise you’re going to be utterly miserable when you come off and realise how much less you can now eat to maintain it.

I don’t use WLI as my bmi is 25 so not eligible however I must admit I am intrigued now that some pharmacies are selling at BMI 25. I don’t understand why they are so dangerous for someone bmi 25 to start but if you are on them you can continue using them when your bmi is much less. Presumably there is going to be a lot of people on them for life with a bmi much lower than 25. Surely it’s no more risky if you start at a lower bmi?

Its a valid point so it indicates yes it is very safe, as you say people in much lower take it, and As so many are now doing it and publicly so, it’s private doctors and a couple of pharmacies, so the mhra and rhe manufacturer will know, plus they are very legit ones, so assume they’ve sought advice.

people say it’s dangerous but they’ve no evidence, the evidence does exist lots of people lie to get it, and there’s only been about 200 deaths globally out of over 50 million on it. So it’s significantly safer fhan say nurofen, and of those 200 all were either due to fakes or incorrect usage ie massive dose and starving yourself. Not one person, since the meds first came available decades ago, has died due to incorrect usage of the drugs.

remember also glp’s have been in use for a long time, and also in the USA well before us.

i am on them legit and started at 32 bmi, but id take them at bmi 25.

@Wildgoat that’s interesting. I don’t have high cholesterol like the op but I’m in a similar place. Endless dieting and feeling like I’m not getting anywhere, tested for everything (thyroid, cortisol, hormones, iron etc) but no reason why, it’s basically HRT/peri and put up with it). I exercise regularly, walking daily and running and doing strength training. Takes me a month to lose a pound and I can gain 4 in a weekend 🤷‍♀️ I would never buy WLI’s illegally or lie for them, but if a pharmacy is allowed to sell them off licence I would consider it and will be doing my research.

I don’t think that risk should be conflated with danger. The medication is not risk free. That doesn’t mean OP would be in danger. It means know the risks. By mixing them up It is peddling misinformation to go around saying no one is in danger through medication as proven ‘safe’, because none are entirely risk free. GLP1 is tested to not be actively hazardous but it has known risks attached to it

At 5ft 1, 1500 is likely too many calories if you’re trying to lose more weight.

I've lost 50lbs on WLI. I now have a BMI of 23 and am 3lbs from my goal. I will be maintaining initially on the same dose (5mg) and see how I get on with gradually increasing calories.

There's some evidence that stretching the time between doses is more effective than lowering the dose so I may try that method. I know it will be trial and error.

I wouldn't have tried WLI with just 10lbs to lose due to what could well be a high financial cost for the rest of my life and I'm not young.

@Theverylastone i thought titrating down in very small increments weekly lessened the withdrawal spikes,? but I could be wrong.
My own personal experience is that I'm probably never coming off now,despite trying the above, if you would have told me this a year ago I would have laughed in your face, but many more pounds down than I initially targeted and trying to get off, I'm on for life I think.
I didn't really have much to lose in the first place, it's just that the bit I did want to lose wouldn't shift, not really sure how I feel at this point, but I certainly didn't think I'd be looking at still being on them now,

Ditto!! I’ve used it to lose ten stone. Not a chance would I take it for that little.
up your exercise. Sign up for a half marathon and start running!

@OrlandointheWilderness for someone who was obese that’s very dismissive. You should know better than anyone that weight gain and loss is a lot more complex than just signing up for a half marathon.

Yes. Say you go on it and lose 10lb, what then? Chances are you’ll come off the WLI and put it back on again. Are you willing to be on it for life for the sake of 10lb? It’s really not worth messing with your metabolism.

My advice would be to forget calorie counting and focus on what you are eating. Is there too much sugar/carbs in your diet? Try to increase your fibre where possible, make sure you are getting enough protein, and exercise. If you control your insulin you will lose weight.

I'm 44, sedentary office job 5ft 3" and I have to go as low as 1000 cals for my deficit, try www.tdeecalculator.net to work out yours. Maybe try cutting down to 1300? Focus on higher protein lower carb diet, that works for me.
The reason why someone who was originally on WLI can stay on it at a lower bmi to maintain is because their body is already used to it and also many of us have obesity-related metabolic conditions like prediabetes, insulin resistance, pcos, hypothyroid or inflammatory conditions like ibs, arthritis etc so we need to stay on them long term as the conditions don't just vanish, so we need the extra GLP and insulin and anti-inflammatory action.

There is no evidence that WLI wreck metabolism. Any kind of weight loss changes your metabolism due to changing body size and TDEE. Whatever anyone does for weight loss has to be permanent in some way, you can’t expect to be overweight, lose it, and go back to previous habits. Some people settle that by accepting WLI for life, others use it for support when making lifestyle changes. Some will succeed, many won’t. I suspect some people with lower BMIs could have a higher chance of keeping it off than someone who was morbidly obese because the lifestyle shift likely isn’t as dramatic.

Yes I do - sorry I was being flippant. Possibly because at 24 stone the thought of anyone weighing 9 stone 6 suffering with weight gain would’ve been absurd. And I know what it’s like being on the injections - it’s not a quick easy fix.

I understand, but I promise even at a lower BMI living in this world diet and food can still be overwhelming. I am TIRED of being obsessed with my body and my diet, and I refuse to accept that as my fault, it’s the world I have been raised in. WLI have transformed my mental health, and freed up my mind for the first time in decades from obsessing about food and my body. That has been worth the side effects for me.

Go for it - I managed to get it privately when I would not have got it otherwise - I was borderline but the medic that prescribed it understood that I'd lost a shedload on my own but needed a little help to get over the line and stay there. I am so much happier in terms of my MH having lost that bit more with help that I would not have lost without it.

Fair enough @kiki847- that was bad of me. I apologise. I hate people judging me for using it, so much so that I don’t tell people. I shouldn’t have judged someone just because they were lighter than obviously falls into what I think of as a problem. I’ll have a look at myself!

@OrlandointheWilderness no need to apologise! I appreciate you listening to my perspective. We each can only draw on our own experiences. I’m just grateful they’re here and helping people, but I understand the concern too.

It’s been almost miraculous for me. I’ve gone from dreading having a heart attack, so much so I made arrangements who would get guardianship on my DD, to being an avid runner. I’ve got a 60 mile multi stage in the Brecon Beacons in a few weeks. Insane. Tbh I suspect that is why I said too flippantly about running, because it has given me so much! Not just fitness but peace and self worth.

That’s brilliant, I think I’m spiky about running because I’ve always longed to be that woman that suddenly discovers running and transforms her life but no matter how many times I try I just hate it 😂

What do you mean by disordered? I'm short and used to be overweight and I will track my food, using a food scale, for the rest of my life. 1500 is my maintenance and I don't feel starving on it. Sometimes I'm hungry, that's normal. We're supposed to be hungry sometimes. I suppose some people would say its disordered to track your food but our whole food system and environment is disordered, so unless you happen to be naturally thin, very tall, or a serious athlete, I think that's just reality for most people who want to stay slim. I'd rather this than have to lose a lot of weight again.

As a matter of interest - what exactly are the dangers of taking Mounjaro at BMI 27 as opposed to 30 if prescribed legitimately ?

Or BMI 25 I meant to say

OP weighs 9.2 stone and says she is already getting disordered around food. I would say the biggest danger here is a full blown ED.