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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Wegovy vs comfort/reward eating

7 replies

trulyunruly01 · 05/01/2024 10:05

I'm 56, 5ft3, 12st12.
I comfort snack a lot, and reward myself with 'treats' a lot.
Started Wegovy on Tuesday, side effects aren't too bad at all. I'm certainly not physiologically hungry, nothing telling me that blood sugar's too low. I'm fine.
I wasn't expecting to lose weight without a certain amount of willpower.
But any tips on how I can avoid reaching for the biscuits "because that's the ironing done" or grabbing a chocolate to steel myself for making that awkward phone call?
I'm still fighting the urges. Am I just not in the right headspace to lose the weight? But I have to be, every aspect of my life is now being affected by this excess weight.

OP posts:
Nootkah · 05/01/2024 10:38

I am a psychologist (not in weight mamagement) and was discussing my experiences of wegovy with my colleague, who is a psychologist in a weight management service.

We both felt that these types of medication would be less helpful (but not totally unhelpful) for comfort/reward/emotional eating, because the pathways there are not about appetite/hunger/fancying a snack, they're about habit and beliefs and feelings.

Wegovy and similar make you feel fuller for longer, feel fuller faster when eating, and reduce food "noise" - none of those have a big impact on choice of reward or comfort.

I've noticed I'm a bored eater, a food-is-calling eater, and a finish-your-serving eater. Wegovy has helped me with all of these.

I'd suggest finding different rewards/comforts, preferably non food, to break that cycle you have. It may be that Wegovy helps you not need the food, but you still need to find a different reward/comfort to replace it with.

Some alternative reward/comfort ideas... Perhaps nice herbal teas (like teapigs, so much nucer than supermarket and actually feel like a treat), a hot water bottle on your lap for the difficult phone call, putting on a nice smelling hand cream or lip balm, 5 minutes mindfulness/breathing, 5 minute walk outside.

Do any of those sound appealing? What else can you think of to reward or comfort yourself? It should be immediate, not a saving up for some point in the future, otherwise it wont replace the eating.

Good luck.

hamstersarse · 05/01/2024 10:42

IMO the cravings for a snack are mostly real physical responses not psychological habits.

Many people are physically addicted to sugary foods, and after 1-2 hours, blood sugar goes down and you physically crave some more. The best thing is to go cold turkey on sugar/ processed carbs and these cravings will literally disappear after about a week and you’ll be surprised that it was a physical response all along and not your lack of willpower that you’ve been berating yourself for for years

waistchallenge · 05/01/2024 12:08

Don't keep chocolate/sweets/crisps in the house so you cannot just reach for them.

AhBiscuits · 05/01/2024 12:37

It is very early days on Wegovy. In time and once the strength of doses goes up you'll likely find that the desire to snack disappears. It certainly has for me anyway.

Doggymummar · 05/01/2024 12:40

The best way is not to have them in the house. If you don't eat clean I can only speak for myself, I get very sick, vomiting heartburn that feels like an ulcer. I have to eat little fat and as healthy as possible. Pigged out over Christmas, gained ten pounds and was really unwell. It's not worth it.

Bebabelouba · 05/01/2024 12:56

Some times I think about treat foods differently, so rather than chocolate something that I'll really fancy later, ( obv v individual) say soup and cheese on toast. I'll then max out on the veg in the soup and have a smaller portion of the cheese on toast . I this way I have lost weight while still hitting a craving/ getting a reward, not denying myself, thinking about looking after myself and eating smaller portions. I just hope it continues to work when I come off if the meds...

trulyunruly01 · 05/01/2024 13:28

Thanks everyone, interesting insights.
I haven't given in at all, just trying to eat 3 small/medium meals a day. I knew Wegovy wouldn't address my emotional eating - I just hope that as the process continues the urges lessen. But the urges aren't driven by hunger, I don't think they ever were.
I'll just have to build up the list of non-food treats.

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