Why are you NOT taking a weight loss drug?

[Carowe]

I’ve lost nearly 20 pounds by intermittent fasting and cutting calories right down to 1300. Plus I’ve upped the exercise.

I made the decision not to use a weight loss drug as the side effects of nausea,
abdomen pain, vomiting and diarrhoea sound horrific. I had a friend who said she shot the bed. That is just not something I could tolerate or risk as a germphobe.

Plus there have been a few people who said it made their anxiety worse which is not something I can play around with due to generalised anxiety disorder.

However, I have my weak moments like now where my brain is just obsessing over food (god I want a jam doughnut). And my goal seems so far away.

What are your reasons?

Don’t want to take drugs for anything really if there’s an alternative.

Don’t you basically have to take them for life once you start or the problem comes right back?

Would rather get on top of it myself with discipline if it were necessary.

I've done what I had to do with keto and running so currently wouldn't need them.

However, it's very important to realise that any drug with effects, has side effects. Big effect, big side effects. A magic pill to solve the obesity crisis is going to have very major side effects. I don't think we will know all of them for a really long time. We know how dangerous and damaging excess weight can be, but people taking them when they aren't significantly overweight sounds like a terrible idea.

Me too!

I don’t think I would ever take them because the long term effects aren’t yet known.

I want to work on the reasons why I overeat first. Started therapy.
Also, side effects, long term risks and wondering what happens when I come off it.
But maybe I'll try at some point.

I don't judge anyone and have several friends who've had sleeve surgery in Turkey and one in Latvia

I've another colleague on injections

The reason I go to slimming world and add a bit of IF is that I am a rebel

I don't want to spend money like that if I don't need to

I want to make a permanent lifestyle change and develop new habits that will become the norm

I'm unsure of the long term affects of these interventions

I hate feeling nauseous, dizzy , different ?

I'm doing well on SW so will carry on for now

I was very tempted to buy online and got ask far as checkout but the long term unknown effects and known such as possible thyroid cancer. I know being overweight has long term effects too but I decided to manage my diet and up my activity instead.

the majority of people regain the weight after a big loss. but that's going to be true whether that method is semaglutides, logging everything on my fitness pal, doing keto, going to slimming world, or doing the cambridge diet. so yes, people definitely need to address the psychological reasons behind over eating, but that applies to all slimmers.

there's definitely an attitude towards these drugs that people are somehow cheating. i'm sure many people who berate fat people for being fat will now berate them for not losing weight via their approved method.

Liz Earle has recently done a podcast with Johann Hari talking about his experiences with Ozempic. He’s really honest about why he’s taking it, how he weighed up the risks etc. I knew nothing about them so found it really interesting. Won’t be taking them myself, though I can understand why many people would and do.

Cost 100%. Plus the side effects and the fact we don’t have any long/term safety data.

I think it’s fine for people to openly discuss what’s putting them off or their reasons for not taking it but as usual the thread gets dragged on by people defending their choices to take it and trying to convince people to change their minds.

Everyone can do their own research and find out what’s best for them, they don’t need to be sold or convinced the needles don’t hurt or they won’t get sick (they might). It’s not cheating and no one has said that it is that I’ve seen. They just are choosing not to take it

@MadameDePompityPomp there is no support that comes with this drug apart from if you sign up to one of the more expensive companies who offer it, with many of the other diets you listed most of them come with coaching resources as part of the programme. That’s the difference

I'm not taking these drugs. I'm just pointing out the sad reality that the vast majority of slimmers will put the weight back on, whichever method they've used. That's just a fact I'm afraid. So maybe Weight Watchers, or whoever, gives coaching in their group meetings, but it doesn't seem to change the outcome 5 years post weight loss.

It's up to everyone to do their own research and decide what's best for them, as @Menora says.

My story is that I didn't take them for a long time as I was determined that I could lose weight by overhauling my lifestyle. I thought that taking the drugs was like a failure and admitting that I coudn't do it myself, so I pushed and pushed and I did have some minor successes by spending a lot of money on personal training, but I was still basically overweight.

The truth is that my body just does not regulate my appetite properly - probably because of a childhood diet filled with processed, UPF, high sugar foods, which has basically f*ed my appetite for life.

I relented in the end and decided to take mounjaro and honestly, it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I've lost loads of weight and appetite just isn't a problem anymore. I just don't feel hungry. It's revolutionary.

It feels like a miracle drug and I'm just not seeing a downside yet. Maybe there will be one but at the moment, this seems amazing.

I'm not saying everyone should take it - everyone should decide for themselves - but for me, after years of trying on my own and I mean really trying hard - this has been a game changer.

oh another reason for me is I’ve heard you lose more muscle mass with weight loss via semaglutides than with normal weight loss. I’m very untoned so seriously concerned I would lose the ability to walk if my core got much weaker

Do you have a long-term plan for how to come off it and not regain the weight? For me, that's the biggest issue - that if I don't address the underlying causes of my overeating, it would end up being a very expensive waste of time. And yes, you can regain weight after any diet, but none cost as much as injectables do.

Because of if I really wanted to lose weight I would walk to work and back and give up certain food and wine drink. If I can't make the effort to do that, which would make me healthier, why would I give my body crap just to lose weight - it wouldn't be for health reasons as my BMI isn't that high. It would be to be able to fit into a little black dress.

Because fasting and keto works and I don’t need injections. I don’t want them and their side effects scare me. If i put a few pounds on, I go back on keto for a bit and get it off

It isn't necessary for me. I have lost 2 stone in weight the old fashioned way and kept it off,give or take 4lbs, depending on how healthily I'm eating and how much exercise I'm doing. Others might feel it's their only chance.
It's expensive.
My BMI wasn't high enough at 26.
The long term effects aren't known.
I take enough medication with side effects without adding more.
I accept that hunger is normal.
I like knowing I've achieved something through hard work.
The amount of good people say they eat when on it wouldn't fuel my active lifestyle.
It's being pushed aggressively on social media with regular and frequent adverts urging me to sign up for it.
I did the online quiz with two companies out of curiosity and was told I qualified for the drugs despite having a BMI of 21.
I believe online companies are not interested in patient safety and are exploiting vulnerable and desperate people, usually women, in order to make huge profits.
The current research states that most people put most of the weight back on quickly. Long term losses are money not weight.

1. I am way too afraid of nausea, vomiting and sulphur burps.
2. I don't think about food all the time and I'm not a big eater - I graze on the "wrong" foods because they make me feel safe and in control. I also use food to procrastinate and self-soothe, not because I'm hungry. I don't think the drugs can help that.

My fear of slowly slipping into Alzheimer's and living out my days in a care home, partly makes me want to stay fat and die of something else before that can happen.

Can I ask, when you are on the drug and eating low calories do you feel light headed? That is my big issue. Admittedly I’m on a very low calorie diet (800-1000) but it’s very unpleasant.

@JiraffDeSaki

My fear of slowly slipping into Alzheimer's and living out my days in a care home, partly makes me want to stay fat and die of something else before that can happen.

😂😂😂

So much truth that I can relate to in this sentiment!

Im not taking it as I have tried it previously and my head wasn’t in the right space so I was able to ignore the fact that I wasn’t hungry and just eat anyway.

No gallbladder, and terrified of the risk of pancreatitis. So waiting a few years to see how it goes for everyone else and then will decide

I am overweight now, but when younger got such a kick out of the lifestyle that meant I was slim. For me it requires ongoing healthy eating and exercise that has so many benefits beyond weight loss. I just don’t think I’d feel like that if it was down to drugs. I’d probably be slim but unwell, which isn’t the same thing at all.

@user1471522343 mine is too low as well- 27. I also can't afford it. I'd take them in a heartbeat if I could.