Disgusted with what I look like.

[Keepingtimer]

I've just seen a video of myself and just honestly can't believe how awful I look.
Im four stones overweight with high cholesterol, high blood sugar , pre diabetes . I've had years and years of stress and it shows in my face and body.
I've had a underactive thyroid for over thirty years.

Im about to go on a low calorie shake diet through the NHS at the end of the month.

im just so upset and horrified by what I look like. I look like I'm dying.

if this shake diet doesn't work I don't know where there is to go. I can't seem to stick to a diet for more than about three weeks myself . I'm scared to take weight loss drugs.

I walk three or four miles several times a week and eat a healthy diet. It's just crept up on me over years.

Has anyone felt this desperate and turned it around?

What is it that frightens you about weight loss drugs? If you have pre-diabetes, you are exactly the kind of person who these drugs were initially designed for. Go and speak to your GP or practice nurse about how you feel, ask about the GLP drugs and anything else they could offer. Many practices have health coaches or similar roles (I've seen them called social prescribers, health coaches, health champions etc...), who could suggest things that could give you a bit of a boost. You definitely can turn around your health and come back from having pre-diabetes, which would make you feel amazing and massively benefit your health. Good luck!

I don’t see the point of going on a shakes diet if you already eat well and know a lot about nutrition and don’t overeat. How will it make a difference if you aren’t overeating?

And I’ve never understood how people can be overweight and not take the injections because they are frightened of the health implications but don’t seem to be as frightened of being obese.

Stop torturing yourself and overthinking everything - get on Mounjaro, life changing! Staying as you are (ovrweight!) is by far more dangerous.

And saying you don’t want to because after you have lost the weight you might be hungry is ridiculous.

I've lost over four stone on wegovy and am now a healthy weight. I was also terrified. Best thing I've ever done..only regret is not doing it sooner. It's changed my life

What I am saying is that weight loss drugs artificially restrict appetite. I don't want to take drugs to restrict my appetite and then find when the drugs stop I it messes with my natural responses to food. I don't have an issue with craving or binging in the first place.

Yes but you already DO have an issue or you wouldn’t be fat. So take the meds.

It’s like saying “I’ve got a chest infection. I don’t want to have a chest infection so I’m not taking the antibiotics.”

And before you say “yes but but but antibiotics CURE the chest infection” there are plenty of people who are on long term antibiotic use.

God yes, when you are in hospital from some weight related thing at least you won’t have an aged face. And you’ll still be a facially attractive corpse.

much more important how you look then whether you are healthy.

I can't weigh in on the mj issue, but why borrow future trouble? Would that be worse than where you are right now?

I don't have a weight problem but I am hypothyroid. Is there a chance you can get referred to an endocrinologist who specialises in thyroid issues? GPs are notoriously poor in understanding them. Finding an endocrinologist who understood that levothyroxine on its own, and that I needed some active T3 changed my life.

Do you overthink and dither like this about other things? CBT could really help before you drive yourself totally mad.

Injections do not have to be the answer! I have lost 6 kg since June. I walk loads more than I did, and try to eat high volume meals with low calories. So for example, a pasta dish would only be 50% pasta and the rest would be veg and meat. If I wanted cottage pie it would be small portion with loads of veg on the side. I still eat treats. I have been away on holiday for 4 weeks of time I have been dieting and simply didn't overeat as opposed to missing out.
I am not hungry and I am missing nothing!

I posted about this too before having read yours. When you say the right meds, do you mean something that also contained T3? I'm guessing the OP's problems stem from needing that. It's infuriating how poorly understood and managed thyroid issues often are.

But you’re going to have to be relying on some drug or other - either blood pressure medication or diabetes medication or weight loss medication.

From personal experience I can tell you that the side effects from weight loss medication is more tolerable than the side effects from blood pressure medication.

Mounjaro is injected into the skin, if you pinch a bit of skin around your abdomen and inject into that you don’t even feel it. The needle is tiny.

The constant food noise I live with, without Mounjaro, actually makes me anxious and affects my mental health. To live without it is so liberating.

Personally the only reliable way I have found to lose weight is to properly calorie count and exercise.

You're already exercising so maybe try doing some calorie counting to find out if you are over indulging or having portions that are too big etc.

4 stones overweight, I'd definitely seriously consider the weight loss drugs, even if they have dangers it will be nothing as against the wear and tear caused by being 4 stones overweight for years.

Honestly, it would be bloody hard to inject wrongly. If you don’t prime, it’s not the end of the world. If you don’t swab, it’s not the end of the world. I’m not saying not to do those things, I’m just saying it won’t really hurt you if you don’t.

I was worried that if you injected an air bubble, you could die. I now know that’s only if you’re injecting into a vein. There are no veins near your belly button. Are you worried you might slip and accidentally inject into your wrist without realising it? You won’t!

I’ve read loads of posts from people who injected for months without realising the advice was to prime first. Loads from people who never swab. I’ve occasionally read a post from someone who jabbed at an angle and got a bubble of liquid under the skin, or people who get little bruises from the injection. I think that’s the worst that can happen from the injection being done wrongly.

The difference between exercise and dieting, is that exercise releases endorphins and makes you happy, but dieting is just miserable. If you put some time and effort into finding exercise that works for you, you don’t even have to think about food or weight loss meds if you have a baseline healthy diet.

Exercise can be a way to make new friends, boost confidence, learn new skills and feel good about yourself having achieved something. You get none of that with diets and meds - both of which can attribute towards even more self loathing.

Yes I have done that for weeks then just fall off the waggon.

The injection is subcutaneous. That means that it goes into fat and so it’s pretty impossible to administer incorrectly. So long as you wipe the tip of the pen (before putting the needle on) with antiseptic and the injection site too then it won’t have any issues.

If you’re scared of injecting into a vein or something that’s pretty much Impossible with the pens. The fatty layer on your abdomen sits above the most vascular part. It just goes into the fat.

I find it weird that you haven't mentioned weight loss injections. You're a perfect candidate for them..

Weight loss shake diets and extreme approaches like that do not work..Firstly your brain will obsess about food in order to get you to eat. Secondly, it's extremely boring and hard to stick to. Thirdly as soon as you stop the shakes you will put the weight back on. Fourthly you will feel tired and could lose your hair from the nutritional shock..Fifty it is a short term measure that teaches you nothing about adjusting your lifestyle.

The eight loss drugs, while there may be potential side effects for some people, they carry far fewer of these risks and have multiple side benefits.

If your main concern is what happens when you stop the drugs, well what happens when you stop the shakes?

I definitely had the fear before my first injection but I now think Mounjaro is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. I lost over 3 stone, a quarter of my body weight and I fell and look amazing (comparatively, at least).

Don't let that one person put you off. Calmly re-do your research on reputable sources of information. Do what is right for you. If you follow the instructions the injecting is easy and very quick. Trust me you will thank yourself for it. Is the stored pen you have still in date?

Mounjaro.

Which is why WLI are the way to go for you. If it helps- I was on MJ last year and lost over a stone. I started for exactly the reasons you describe. I hated how I looked in my holiday photos and videos. I knew I needed to lose a significant amount of weight, I was miserable and had no self confidence. Unfortunately I had to stop when the prices rocketed, having not reached my goal. I realised a couple of months ago of course the lost weight is creeping back on and the money I had invested last year was going to be completely wasted, plus I was getting miserable again, clothes not looking good, self conscious etc etc. So I made some budgetary changes and am now, thankfully, back on MJ. It has changed a lot of people's lives.