I need to but I’m struggling.

[All3DogsandMe]

I’m 47, size 18 and uncomfortably fat.
I’m quite fit and strong, but I ache horribly, know I have gallstones and raised cholesterol. I run with a lovely, slow, supportive running club and have started to lift weights in a beginners class.
My husband has a very life limiting disease, I have two teen boys and I’m a SENCO in a big mainstream secondary school. My job is stressful. Every day I see children struggling and I have very little resource to help them. I’m seeing a therapist and I’m working on myself.
I eat and eat because I’m exhausted. It comforts me too.
I know I have to change my eating habits but I find food so lovely and I just need the energy.
Please tell me how you started. How did you lose weight when everything in your life pushed you towards food and eating? I feel utterly ashamed of myself.

Crying now too. Ugh.

Have you considered ozempic or Mounjaro? I am/was the same as you - eat and eat because of various reasons. Have been on the jab since May and it's just so weird because my brain / body just actually doesn't want food now. I eat if and when I'm hungry, and if I don't get hungry then I eat because I need to. I still fancy stuff sometimes - chocolate etc and have what I want, but it is very limited amounts.
Never thought it would work for me but it has. 2 stones so far, and another 3 to go.

I was also worried about the cost but I can't even tell you the amount I have saved on foods - snacks / take aways / actual quantity of food.

The desire is just so longer there.

I've tired for years - different things.
Slimming world (did work once for me), Cambridge diet, weight watchers etc.

This will be life changing for me.

It sounds like life if pretty tough for you every day. I'm sorry.

I think you should listen to this Zoe podcast. https://pca.st/episode/b55a3abc-ea7f-4d0e-9d85-f9564b777ddd. The person being interviewed is an expert in obesity. He is very clear that obesity is due to physical changes in the body and not lack of willpower or some kind of moral failing.

I had not considered it to be honest. But maybe it would be what gives me a leg up to getting into good habits.
I’m so pleased it’s worked for you. So, so well done too! Good to hear it’s the mental side of eating that goes as well.

I've lost 3.5 stone on mounjaro, it's been absolutely life changing for me.
Not without challenges but 100% worth it, it's absolutely broken my emotional eating habits.

Sometimes we need help, especially of we're insulin resistant.

Recent studies have shown that people gain back 2/3rds of the weight in a year when they come off weight loss injections. They aren't the silver bullet people claim that they are. You can't take them forever and they do have side effects.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240521-what-happens-when-you-stop-taking-ozempic#:~:text=After%2068%20weeks%20of%20semaglutide,prior%20weight%20loss%20on%20average.

Thank you. I don’t know what else to say.
I will listen.

I do need help! Something must change.

@All3DogsandMe life sounds very hard for you. I've been a senco in a large mainstream secondary school and never again! I found myself in your position earlier this year as I'd piled on 3 stone thanks to peri/hrt and exhaustion eating. I started mounjaro in March with an obese BMI and am now BMI 23 and feeling a million times better in so many ways. This includes coping at work so much better as it's made me much calmer and more focussed. This is just one option though but worth investigating. Take care.

That does worry me.

@Puffinlamb23 you can take them long term. It's true, there's a high risk of weight gain once you stop but I plan on staying on it forever due to the other health benefits and the fact my body seems to lack glp1 since hitting perimenopause. I view it like HRT.

Before running straight to the injections what have you tried before?

Great that you are strong and fit and also that you are taking care of your mental health.

The job is hideous but I’m a bit trapped to be honest as the only earner. I’m looking, a lot, for alternatives but the jump has to be the right one.
Good to hear that it has impacted your thinking too. I’m so pleased things are better.

It really is the most soul destroying/physically and mentally exhausting job with unreasonable demands from all levels and you can never switch off. I switched to DSL in AP. On paper, this sounds as bad but it really isn't. There are lots of options. I know this is about weight loss, but please do not run yourself into the ground. Look at smaller settings.

Swimming world, I didn’t like much- I did do the six pack revolution for about six months but it wasn’t sustainable for me and absolutely didn’t help the emotional side of my eating! I lost weight well but when other stresses happened in life the food happened again and I piled weight on even more than before!
Its carbs I love: bread, bread bread.

Ah bless you. I taught in AP for 3 years and there’s a lot more support built in around you there. There’s enough work for 3 SENCO’s where I am.
You are so right, it’s burnout. I’m applying for a teaching job in an SEN school this weekend: I’ll see what happens!

@All3DogsandMe yes it sounds like you are very close to burnout as I was. Get yourself with some agencies and find some interim work. I took an interim senco job before I took this one. You will be in very high demand. Also, please look consider glp1s. It has been life changing for me. I've been trying to lose weight for most of my adult life and I've finally managed to at age 51 without the mental/physical grip diets have over you.

The running and the weights sound great!
Amazing that you are fitting that in with your full on job and home life.

be kind to yourself x

Things to try might be the low carb way of eating, when I’ve done this properly cravings have gone away and my blood sugar has levelled. The low carb bootcamp on here is really worth a try.

also the Brain over Binge podcast I found helpful to reframe how I was thinking about my overeating

and yes, ultimately know there are now meds out there which can help but it’s not an easy option as side effects can interfere with normal life for many people and be a bit unpredictable plus there’s obviously the question of maintenance. But it might bring you comfort to know there’s a last resort!

I like the sound of that podcast and the board here. I listen in the car so that’ll go on the playlist.
Thank you.

Its carbs I love: bread, bread bread.

Same! Sadly bread doesn’t like me! I try to eat low carb, high protein and intermittent fasting which help.

Low carb doesn't necessarily mean carb free either. Unfortunately we live in a country which really overdoes carbs. I wouldn't cut out higher carb fruit but I'm careful to have a much lower portion of pasta than many would. A handful amongst the veg and protein.

Gosh definitely. My successful times losing weight have always been in summer, lots of ‘lighter’ food around.
A handful is good advice and to stop snacking for me.

This article was from May 2024. A lot has moved on since then.

It is possible to remain on a maintenance dose of Mounjaro.
Some will scream that they don't want to be in medication 'for life' .. but this is a bizarre way of thinking .

Obesity is a serious disease with extremely well documented co morbidities . From High blood pressure to Heart disease and diabetes. ALL of which require medication. 'for life' .

To my mind . I had a choice. I could be morbidly obese taking metformin , bp meds, high cholesterol, a statin thyroxine 200mg. 3 monthly injection for knee pain. .. and really fucking miserable. Unable to move my body as I wished, feeling continually self conscious and embarrassed of my size.

Or

Pay for Mounjaro. Which at £149 per month was a bit of a stretch - but felt it was an investment in my health.
I started in April. At 18st and BMI 41. I am now BMI 28 having lost over 6 stone.

I chose the latter.

The benefits to my MH are immeasurable. The benefits to my physical health are quantifiable. My blood pressure is now in the normal range so no bp tablets. I no longer have pre diabetes. My thyroxine dose has halved . My knees no longer hurts and don't require injections . My cholesterol is bang smack in the middle of normal.

The cost is actually not the struggle I thought it would be . I honestly had not realised how much I spent on 'snacks/coffee etc' It actually saves me money .
I get 5 doses out of each pen. Which averages out at £4.20 a day.

Pre MJ I would buy at least 1 coffee a day and a cake/savoury which was over a fiver . not to mention much more food in general - especially of the wrong type . I now eat a lot of veg and a source of protein which is mostly fish or chicken . Two meals a day and feel amazing.

If this means swapping all those obesity meds for this one that can stop me going there again. Then for me it's a no brainer.

I think when a poster comes on asking about weight loss it’s not that helpful when there are loads of posts pointing them to the injections.

yes it’s great they are there as a last resort but there’s other stuff to try first.

i say that as someone who is on them and grateful for them but wish I didn’t have to be!

I feel pleased my binging is under control and I’m slowly losing weight as a result, but don’t feel amazing about putting chemicals in my body and feeling quite wiped out a day or two a week