If you had around £100pcm to spend on weight loss what would you do?

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Hello- I am looking for ideas here. I'm early 50s and have put on 7 stone in the last few years 😳

I am thinking about coaching or a nutritional therapist?

I eat well and generally cook from scratch. I'm pretty knowledgeable about nutrition but I eat way too much.

I can see this is due to many reasons- I was raised by a recovering annorexic and nutrition was the way to tackle it. I have some odd ideas. Like I must eat all the healthy stuff or I will run out of energy or become ill.

I am disabled (I cant walk or cycle) but I exercise daily for lots of reasons not really related to weight loss.

I have also had some quite extreme stress in the last few years. But I meditate, do yoga, and make a massive effort to do things I enjoy.

I really don't want injections as I am quite sensitive to medications and I absolutely won't have surgery (scaredy-cat)

So...due to a change in budget I have around £100pxm for a limited time. I am thinking about something like therapy, coaching (except I happen to know some life coaches and they are quite irritating). I know two nutritional therapists that I really trust as people.

But I just don't know what to do. Eat less move more, calorie counting, keto, IF etc isn't on its own sustainable for me. Nor SW or WW etc. The solution is in my brain.

Any ideas? What would you try. Has anyone tried any of these kinds of methods?

Rather than forking out any cash for now could you speak with your gp about any 'health group' type things in your area ? They should help you and may point you in the right direction.

Ah so a peer support kind of thing? That's a good idea. I do also hold a belief that I should be able to do this without paying. But I think I need to lose this extra before I get older.

And now I am thinking I don't think I need basic nutrition advice. Banging on about protein etc. I feel I need to dig a bit deeper- but maybe I'm wrong!

Would you consider one of those supervised very low calorie programmes, to lose most of your surplus weight, and then switch to something more long-term when you only have, say, two stones left to lose?

Dietician

I'll happily go to the gym and eat what I'm told, it's just knowing what to eat that I struggle with!

You have admitted that you eat too much so possibly check your portion sizes and the types of foods that you eat. Cooking from scratch is good but if, for example, you have a calorie loaded sauce with something then its going to add to your problems. Keep it simple, lots of fruit and veg and basic ' rustic ' foods / recipes.

Mounjaro. Costs me about £150 a month but jas changed my life

I'd pay for a Rebelfit mission and a counsellor to address the issues around my weight gain. Then I'd put the rest towards something physical that I enjoy e.g. some personal training sessions/ yoga or Pilates.

Stop eating "snacks". You don't need them and cost you a fortune.

Mounjaro injections. Around £150 pm but you will save more than £50pm buying/eating less food. I’ve been doing it a month and I’ve already lost over a stone. I feel full all the time and have to force myself to eat 1000 cals a day.

I would spend £30 a month for 3 months on Slimpod, you then have it for life. It's a 9 minute recording that you listen to everyday and there are coaching videos to watch. There's no actual diet involved, it rewires your brain to think/eat like a slim person. It's not a quick fix but I've found I've needed no will power to lose a stone. I rarely stay awake while I'm listening and it still seems to work.

Personally, I'd spend it on high quality meat, cheese and fish, and go low carb. I find it an enjoyable way to lose weight (after the first couple of weeks, anyway). I'm thinking roast duck, juicy steak, fresh tuna, that sort of thing. Not for everyone, but it works for me :)

Mounjaro every single time.
Life changing.

Wegovy / mounjaro - no question. it's life-changing in the best way.

Another vote for Mounjaro here.

@Inextremis I'm veggie and was vegan for around 20 years. But I can easily translate what you're saying.@Neveranynamesleft I like rustic food it's my preference. I keep thinking I need to make it simpler.

My absolute resistance to v low calorie, or indeed calorie counting is part of my problem.

I go food shopping and then eat a massive salad. Sounds healthy but with avocado, nuts and seeds, then maybe they need to be roasted in coconut oil. Now I eat cheese I probably need some good quality cheese on top etc etc etc.

@Ifailed I agree I don't need snacks and again that's a problem. I use them to make sure I'm getting nutrition and to keep me going. But it's too much.

This is very helpful because it's making me see that I am ruling out a lot of possible solutions based on some notions that were once helpful to keep eating disorders at bay but now have become unhelpful. If I can dial that down I can probably lean into my cooking skills and palate to make some changes. This amount of excess is not helping my mobility- it just can't be,

@fluffytail my god yes! Something I enjoy. I love exercise even though I can no longer run. Anything at all that is enjoyable could help.

I have been following Hannah Watkins on TikTok if anyone has seen her.

This. And only this.

The Mounjaro is interesting. I know a few people taking this and one (who is prescribed it for non weight reasons) looks so well now. I'm not anti it - I just know I'm terrible with side effects.

And again it doesn't seem healthy to me (in terms of nutrition). Because you are essentially restricting by having a fairly heavy appetite suppressant.

I'm so glad I asked for opinions because I see I need to really reconsider what I think is healthy. I think I have really fixed ideas and it's not doing me any favours.

I went to a 5 day bootcamp earlier this year - I lost 2 kilos whilst eating way more than I usually do. They adapted the exercises to the relative fitness of each person there and it was really varied with exercise in the morning and outdoor activities in the afternoon. They spent a lot of time talking about nutrition and i realised that my OMAD high veg diet wasn't working. I now eat twice a day and have a lot of protein (so more meat fish and eggs and beans) and feel full.I've lost a further 10 kilos since Easter. It also changed my exercise from a lot of running to less running but adding in seated weights and longer sessions with gentle cardio (e walking on an incline treadmill or cross trainer etc). Last week I was away and did some long cliff path runs and was really surprised at how much easier I found the inclines than I previously did when running more.

SO if you could afford to go away for a total reset for a few days it might be worth a try?

Is your weight gain medically caused? I can't see how anyone can put on 7 stone if they eat healthily and exercise daily, unless it's a medical problem in which case it would be hard to treat without medical intervention. And I don;t think 100pcm pays even for a low dose of one of the wonder drugs that kill appetite.

I'd buy as many sessions as possible with a PT or at a bootcamp. PT might be good for you as they come to your home and are trained to work around any disabilities/ injuries and still help you tone up and lose weight.

Maybe book a fortnightly session with a therapist who specialises in weight loss

Join a gym and ask for a personalised fitness programme and coach

Do you have a link to the bootcamp you went to? I booked one years ago but it was cancelled due to lockdown and then a new PT started up in our village and I decided to book with her instead, as I wanted to get into good habits in ordinary life, not in some perfectly equipped separate place. But now I'd love an intensive.

I'd just download my fitness pal free and track like crazy and save the money for a treat at the end of each month

@Autumnweddingguest - its this one - the location is fabulous and the staff are really lovely. https://northernbootcamp.co.uk/

How can you do yoga but can’t walk?