It’s only day 2 and I could eat my own arm I’m so hungry.

[ThewrathofBethDutton]

I’m 5 fucking stone overweight.

Huge, uncomfortable, feel disgusting, look disgusting, it’s make or break now.

Ive made up my mind.

im almost through the menopause, the 5 stone has attached itself throughout perimeno over the last 4-5 years.

I have tried I have failed multiple times. I can starve, weight watchers, slimming world, MFP, fasting, vegan, vegetarian, meal plan, walk more, move more… I’ve done them all, everyone of them over the last 30 years. I’m still huge.

Peri meno has proven impossible, utterly utterly impossible.
I could drop a stone doing any of the above over 4-5 months before hormones fucked off. Now with very careful changes, the weight WILL NOT BUDGE at all no matter what I do. Not even one LB.

MFP is a great little APP, I get on with it well because I like the nutritional information that it gives.
I like to track my nutritional intake, cholesterol etc, calories & fat secondary. I have 1200 cals a day,

I went to bed last night starving, I’m hungry now, feel like shit.

Pffftt and GAHHHHHH! I hate being so overweight and overwhelmed with the mammoth challenge ahead of me every single day.

What can I do??????

What are the long term health issues with being obese for the rest of your life?

12 months of taking a drug that people with diabetes take lifelong (and have done for years) vs being chronically obese for life and all thw heath risks that are highly documented alongside obesity?

Have you done intermittent fasting? The less I eat the less hungry I feel..its really weird but I can go from.8pm - 2pm without wanting food. Mind you the moment I think 'mmm not eaten in 18 hours I do feel immediately sick. I don't think of it as fasting, I'm just letting my blood sugars drop. The moment I think about 'diet' I become obsessed with food. If I go for a walk and have a cup of tea if I feel sick it goes again.

Have you tried the FAST 800 Op, and really stuck to it - you can do for twelve weeks & move to 5/2. I did it after colossal meno weight gain and lost three stones that way. So it does work even if your hormones aren't playing ball - and it is very difficult to KEEP weight off.

I did it plant based btw, so you don't necessarily have to eat mountains of flesh. Though what you've described eating today sounds pretty low in protein so may be contributing to your hunger.

The drug has been used for many years with no known long term effects.
The effects of being obese are widely known and researched. An increased risk of cancer and heart attack for a start. You need to weigh up the risks and make your choice.

Millions of people who have always struggled to lose weight have found that can do it with Mounjaro. It's definitely worth considering.

The apps all recommend 1000 calories for me. My TDEE is 1500.

That would not be sustainable for me so I allow up to 1200 a day. I am actually not often hungry on my diet of boiled eggs (although I do miss them scrambled) home made soups and veg heavy main meals.

I used to never gain weight pre menopause whatever I ate but that is no longer true. My calorie requirements seem to have plummeted.

I know it's shit op but you're not eating enough. 1200 is far too low. You will end up starving and binging. I'm also 5 stone overweight and eating 2000 cals and losing (down a stone in 3 months). Sure it's slow, but I eat right, and eat enough so I'm not starving and binging everyday.

Come join us on the mounjaro threads and see if its for you.

They are life changing jabs. Well worth the money.

What do you eat on an average day?

Watermelon, black coffee and soup sounds very light and not remotely satiating

Happy to send you the video I made of someone who was in a very, very similar situation to you. She isn't any more :)

Happy to send you the video I made of someone who was in a very, very similar situation to you. She isn't any more :)

did you kill her @Eyesopenwideawake

I've lost 4 stone OP, and have the same to go but I'm type 2 diabetic so haven't gone down the weight loss jab road. I've had to cut out most carbs and up my protein intake.
Typical day is:
Purition protein shake with soya milk + 1 tablespoon frozen berries
Soup (pref homemade like butternut squash or tomato) with a few cubes of cheese and handful of nuts
Homemade veggie chilli with cauliflower rice
Few squares of dark chocolate as a treat

Honestly, once you get used to eating less it's easier. Protein fills you up way more than carbs especially processed ones. Hang on in there.

You aren’t eating enough. That’s why you are starving!

Protein,protein,protein

Try the low carb boot camp that is just starting. And Mounjaro. Personally it's still painfully slow.

Have you had a blood test OP? I struggled to lose weight (not a lot to lose but it upset me) and put on weight very easily. I was certain I must have an underactive thyroid but it turned out I was heading towards type 2 diabetes.
Fortunately I never got to T2 and after cutting out most sugars - including in white bread, white rice etc I got it under control.
I saw you said that you ate watermelon after a fast - that's a high glycemic index food and will cause a spike that will then make you hungrier later.
I have done my best over the years to stay on top of what foods trigger sugar spikes for me (high glycemic index food) but a huge help was signing up for Zoe which included some tests - they get you to eat certain things and check how your body reacts and that confirmed that anything with high glycemic index is no good for me as my blood spikes are drastic. You can opt for a blood sugar monitor - they teach you how to flatten the spikes which is important as they cause fat storage. Things like cheese are fine as my body copes well with fats. I only did the plan for 3 months to get educated on what I could and couldn't eat and found it hugely helpful. It confirmed what I already knew but gave me a lot more info on how to manage spikes that interfered with weight loss

That's a good point about sugar spike. An egg or chicken breast might be better after a fast.

I have found these tablets in conjunction with Mounjaro very helpful. I take them before every meal, or if I can't get to Boots I will have this stuff called Slim Sip. I think they work in the same way, ie swelling up in your stomach so it feels full.
I think that what I have always found really difficult is my stomach feeling empty. These stop that. Good luck x

Edited - you’ve already low carbed and tried fasting!

My endo friend said it's a very safe drug that has been prescribed for years for other reasons. He's a physician researcher, internationally known as an obesity expert, and wouldn't tell me that if he weren't 100 percent sure. He's has no stake in profiting from it.

I am about 12kg overweight and debating, but what I really need to do is cut out Coca-cola, beer and wine first.

Agree. Low carb is the quickest most efficient way to lose weight and you wont get hungry. Look up keto or low carb diets. Calorie restriction doesnt work. You need to get your body to start using fat as fuel not sugar. Every time you eat carbs your insulin shuts down fat burning for 48 hours. Anything that isnt protein or fat is a carbohydrate. The only carbs you should be eating are vegetables. Even fruit spikes your insulin so best to stick to berries and steer clear of things like bananas which are very high in fructose.
Truat me, you can shift that weight if you stick to a low carb diet.

Was where you are for several years - starving, managing in 800-1200 cals, walking lots and still not losing so the hunger and irritability (and just plain sulking) was unbearable. Health down the toilet (pre diabetic, cholesterol and statins etc dreadful, liver function tests/scan showing early signs of fatty liver disease, joint pain, migraines almost daily, etc)

Not a total panacea, but I did start Wegovy and then mounjaro 18m ago. Lost 6stone and over that period (none of the 3st in 2m malarky) and weight in with a BMI of 24.8 before Christmas. Have just reached over the kitchen sink and closed the window, without using a kitchen implement because I can actually reach it without the huge belly. All the above medical issues reversed and well in the healthy range. Few/no side-ffects after the first couple of months.

I really would explore medicated routes. They may seem expensive but I saved money over all as my food and wine bill dropped by more than I paid for the meds. Friends who have since tried it had the similar results (all 45-60, post menopausal, struggled with weight and dieting for 2-5 years having been quite fit and healthy in our twenties). If it’s not for you after a month or so, you can try something else, but encourage exploring it.

ETA and yes, low carb is the way to go!!

Give yourself the New Year’s present that you deserve and get on the weight loss injections. I’m on Wegovy and I get it from Juniper. I’ve lost 3 stone and I feel better than I have in years. My weight gain was all menopause related. It costs about £200 a month but it is totally worth it.

Try building muscle. You can buy cheap resistance bands from amazon and check out some YouTube vids. Workout 2-3 sets 3 times a week targeting all muscles. You could even do 1 set a day. Whatever works for you.

Muscle weighs more than fat and helps to burn it off.

You can eat more than 1200 kcal a day, up to 1500. Eat little and often, for example: Half a rye bread (I eat biona), toasted with a tiny amount of choco spread with dehydrated banana chips on top x 2 a day. 1 slice keeps me going for an hour and a half.

Dr Kargs cracker with tomato paste (a small amount) and half a tin of mackerel + dried garlic. 1 of these keeps me going for 2-3 hours.

Low calorie/high protein yoghurt like Lindahls Kvar. Don't forget to count calories in drinks for example milk in coffee.

Other good low calorie snacks: Fitbakes, dehydrated banana (you can make this yourself if you have a dehydrator machine), salads with lighter than light mayo. You can bulk them up with lettuce and it'll take a while to eat it. I put mine in a tub and eat when I feel peckish, it can take an hour or more to eat a huge salad.

I went from 14.5 stone to 8.8 stone. I have to watch that I don't go above 1600kcal otherwise i'll put on weight.

Don't be discouraged if you start building muscle. It weighs more than fat. Take full body measurements to see progress.

Even when you really can't be arsed to workout, force yourself. And when you want to eat garbage, try and eat sweet fruit instead. Sugar is addictive and makes your brain happy, so the less you have the less you crave it.

It can take a few weeks to get into the groove, so start with 1800kcal and then slowly go down. If you have a little blip, it's ok. Get back on track asap.

It's hard and always a battle but you can do it. Just keep going for it and never give up. Always write down your daily calories in and if you exercised. Write down your weight. Then you can keep an eye on your progress and make adjustments if needed.

I found that weighing myself in kg helped because I could see weight fluctuations easier.

Mounjaro has worked for me, it's not a magic cure but it is the only thing that has curbed my huge appetite and quietened the constant food noise.

Firstly, do not give up. Start 2025 with a winner mindset. You have got over 360 days to lose weight and YOU WILL!!! Fight everyday! Make it a lifestyle, not a diet with a start and finish window.
I personally would not recommend Mounjaro/Wegovy or whatever the Big Pharma (BP) has invented now to make money...don't choose unnatural ways to lose your weight as there will be side-effects in the future to deal with (that the BP won't tell you). Yes you will lose weight with those injections but what else will you lose (or gain) ? Check out Dr. Robert Lustig, he has written books and is a very successful weight loss expert (without the meds), check out his books and watch 'Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett and Dr. Robert Lustig on Youtube, amazing guy.
It all starts in your mindset- a strong mindset will manage consistency. Put the past behind you and try it again! You can do this with the right knowledge by doing what's right for Your metabolism.

You don't have to go hungry. You have to eat the right foods (for your system-BG machine will show you), right portions at the right time. Buy a blood sugar/ketones machine and study your metabolism so you know the best foods to keep your insulin stable (we all have different metabolic rates). The Keto diet is the best to lose weight along with intermittent fasting (for the general population) along with increased activity throughout the day (only sit down to eat your meals) and allocated time to exercise (a mix of speedy walk every day including weekends and strength exercises). Don't take the car or a bus if all it takes is a 30-40 min walk, and walk faaaast , you need to feel it as if it was a workout. The Keto diet is the most successful for the general population, write a diet plan according to your weight goals and stick to it. Tackle mental health (stress releases cortisol , which in turns causes storage of fat in your belly) and environmental obesogens (plastics, canned foods, Teflon etc etc). Basically, every little helps :D