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?

I would avoid shakes, if you stop taking them you gain all the weight back and then some.

my fitness pal is a better approach to see what you are eating plus move around a bit more. I understand people have conditions and all sorts but it isnt difficult to do. And in time the weight will fall off, you have to change your mindset. And be strict for weight loss to work.

failing that the jabs seem to work also but theres the expense and its probably longterm required to be sustainable.

With love, your current issues are probably much higher risk than just taking mounjaro. Best of luck. Make sure you start making good habits once you start.

We all do, it’s bloody hard work, life gets in the way and for many of us, frankly it’s the way we soothe our feelings!

As OP was obviously assessed and prescribed the one she has sitting in her fridge, she was obviously assessed as being suitable, as both NHS and private prescriptions require assessment first Whether or not it works for her she won't know until she tries, will she...?

I cut out pretty much all saturated fat because of my high cholesterol. I relax when I go to restaurants and peoples homes but otherwise pretty close to zero most days.
I didn’t find it that difficult and I lost two stone.

The shakes as part of this supervised plan are designed to produce a sudden weight loss that reduces liver and pancreatic fat to improve function of both and reduce blood sugar levels. There is a lot of scientific evidence/research behind this “Newcastle diet” that is why it is offered by the NHS

If you are thinking about going on GLP-1s you really do need to go and do some thorough research on how they work first because it doesnt sound like you know much about them. Its not just about food noise its about the hormones they mimic and their effect on the brain. All I'm hearing are preconceived ideas rather than facts. AI is a good place to start. Its a good idea to know exactly how they work on people with metabolic problems like yourself and me. Ive tried gastric band, low calorie shakes, every kind of diet over the years. Maybe lost a couple of stone then put it all back on. Then hit menopause and stuck fast. Nothing worked any more. You need to understand the reason why. I paid to speak to a bariatric consultant to get the best advice in the end and it was worth every penny.

I want to reassure you about a few things re WLIs from my experience--

1. I do find it stops the food noise. Food noise is not the same thing as "being hungry", I still get hungry and I need to eat. And I can finish my dinner (I might not have seconds). I still snack on fruit etc. If you've never had food noise then you won't know what this is. What we mean by food noise is the drive to seek out food even when you know you are not really hungry. (I do not think you will starve.)

2. The needle is small, and short, and the requirement for the injections are "subcutaneous". That means just under the skin, not in a vein, so you do not have to target it particularly strictly. You are not going to hit anything you shouldn't, if you follow the instructions. The shot does not need to be in a very narrowly targeted area and you have a wide variety of safe injection sites across belly, thighs and upper arms. It really is just stick it, press it, count to ten (depending on your type of pen) and go. I appreciate that you value your son's opinion, but you don't say anything about his level of medical training. Presumably that means he has none, and I'd thank him for his concern and treat it with the same consideration as other uninformed opinion.

3. GLP-1s are not new. The obesity treatment is, but the components are not. They have in fact been around for decades already and have been in use as a diabetes treatment for quite a long time. With the incredibly high numbers of people who are and have been using these for the last few years, we are discovering that actually when used at large scale, it's showing what we already knew - there are some side effects in a small percentage of the population, mostly small effects and very rarely something else, and these are vastly outweighed by the benefits to health from a reduction in obesity. There is no giant future health crisis waiting to be discovered.

4. This isn't a one-way door, OP. You can always try it for a few weeks, decide it's not for you and never take it again. You're not going to destroy your health in that time. You have time to experiment and consider your next steps. Taking it doesn't mean you are locked-in and can never take another path in the future. I find it much easier to exercise at a lower weight because everything hurts less and I don't get injured - if I had more time I think this would be easier to maintain.

I cannot agree more with everyone who is saying take the weight loss medication.
you will be on other drugs for life if you don’t lose the weight. I was the same- could not lose the 4stones. Walked swam no fried food or takeaways.
then came the health problems - very serious ones.
I took the mounjaro and my gosh I have a new lease of life. I actually struggle to understand why you are so afraid because if you have high levels of visceral fat you are going to be in trouble.

I pay less now on food and booze . Savings are way less than cost of jabs. Also less on clothes purely because being skinny is the outfit. I’ve realised that for me I was constantly buying new clothes, make up, hairdos because I felt I’d feel better about myself in those new things. Truth is that now I can wear a bin liner and look a million times better than I did before. Being thin IS. the outfit. It’s not a PC opinion but it is true. I get complimented all the time and it’s simply that I’m thinner.

OP do you have a friend taking weight loss drugs who would be willing to show you how they inject? My partner was on them before me and I found it really useful being guided by him as to what to do. If not, I imagine there are lots of videos online about exactly what to do. If you follow the instructions it is not difficult, I have never worried that I've done it wrong. It is also really not painful at all, the needle is tiny. If you've had a flu jab or other vaccination, it's significantly less painful than that. More "this is slightly uncomfortable" rather than "yow".

I was also worried about side effects - I have had a few but nothing worrying and the weight loss has been worth the very minor impact. If you can afford it, it is money well spent in my opinion, especially when weight is presenting significant health issues.

Yes indeed- visceral fat was the main worry for me and the health risks I was building up, hence going back on MJ fairly recently. Also a good point re clothes from another poster- I was about to buy yet more larger clothes! Then realised for the cost of that and the fact I have piles of nice clothes that will fit me with the weight loss, I'm already half way there with the cost of MJ....! Also, on MJ my desire for alcohol disappears (another plus) so again less cost as well as less calories. I never found a negative to MJ once I'd settled to it, I just paused because the cost and in the end this was completely false economy for me. And the feeling when I started to lose weight the first time was amazing- and just an added spur to want to do it. Again, regret stopping. Someone also on here has mentioned facial changes. Yes they can happen. A friend of mine who started MJ before me advised jumping on this straight away to minimise it . For me it was monitoring adequate protein and adding in collagen if I felt my protein was not quite enough as well as taking vitamin e, c and targeting skin care as a daily routine.

I’m sorry but if you eat a healthy diet you don’t put on weight! I’m not being judgmental, I am you 3 years ago. I went on a clinical trail with the weight loss jabs and lost 3 stone. I’ve still some to loose but feel so much better. Just start the Mournjaro, deal with the side effects ya and follow a strict plan. Your GP can also refer you to courses to manage being pre diabetic!

way up the risks v benefits in your current situation.
The risks of high cholesterol, high blood sugar,being obese v side effects of mounjaro.
You also talk about how upset you are about how you look but you dont talk about how you feel physically.
Your concerns about medical supervision are valid, do you have medical support from your online provider? does your GP know and could he support you?
As for the injecting process ,thats simple and you will be fine with that.
As for your "friends" opinion , i experienced that and did my own research and got medical supervision . The "friend" is now on mounjaro.
Its not for everyone and if you decide the you wish to try the shakes or any other method of dealing with your weight and health issues thats your prerogative.

I have found Slimpod very helpful to build better food and exercise habits. I lost 10kg and am much fitter. Works well alongside WLI or IF as well. It works on your mindset and habits rather than just relying on willpower.

Op, could you try weight loss pills as a compromise? I took Orlistat in 2024 and 2025 as I was about 3 stone overweight (not through a bad diet or lack of exercise - just hitting 40 and peri). I used to cry when I saw photos of myself.

Orlistat coupled with my already-decent diet (but with room for improvement) and workouts led to me losing around 3 or 4 stone by the end of 2025. Looking back at summer 2025 photos, I actually think I looked too gaunt - something I never thought I'd ever look! The peri weight had gone right onto my face, neck and tummy, so it was a real shock to see that my face looked too thin!

I weigh just slightly more than that now, but still much less than pre-2024.

I hardly touch Orlistat now, as you only take them with meals of about 15g of fat. If you're below that, you simply don't need it. Why don't you give it a go? Much less scary than injections.

*edited for spelling and clarity

Such a shame. I used it (and weygovy) to lose 6.5 stone a few years ago, and kept it all off. Was so impressed that arranged for my DS, who was still a teen to do the same, with similar results. Neither of us have looked back - more confidence, more active, sleep better, fewer migraines etc.

I really would explore it again as the 4 stone could be gone in 6m and without the agony of hunger and a shake diet.

"if you eat a healthy diet you don't put on weight".

Also

"I went on weight loss jabs".

So where was YOUR healthy diet? After all, you just said that's "all it takes", right?

And by the way, you're wrong. With me, certain gynaecological issues and peri made me put on weight rapidly at 40. My diet was just fine. I even ran and went to the gym x5 a week. Still put on 3 stone.

And that is what the MJ will prevent.
honestly, there’s an answer to your issue, so use it.

I was anxious about using Wegovy, in my mind it was an injection, it's tiny. It's a little stinging pain at worse. I can hardly feel it now when I do insert it slowly. It's brilliant, it'll help give you the willpower you don't have now. Before I was always struggling, obsessed with food and "starting again Monday", now I've lost two stones and I can easily go without all the things I used to obsess over. You could make a massive impact to your health and weight if you can do this. It's such a tiny needle, takes less than a minute. Afterwards you'll think what was a worried about, I promise you. You won't regret it.

I get it - I had a horrible moment catching sight of myself in a bathroom mirror and realising just how fat I was. It was the push that started me on yet another but more successful weight loss effort. It's not been quick by any means. I've lost 11lbs so far by eating a bigger, but healthier breakfast including more fruit, and cutting right down on biscuits, red wine, and too much beer. I will start calorie counting at some point because I think I'll need to; but I've kept the weight off this far and am determined to keep on going. I've been more active simply by doing a lot more housework (hate gyms). A friend once said it was attitude of mind that helps, she had a point!

Why has the Dr told you to reduce your dose? What is your TSH reading? I find a reading of close to 1 is optimal for me. You really need to understand your levels and where you feel best. You need a conversation with the Dr and I would suggest you subscribe to the British Thyroid Foundation who have very helpful advice.

OP has a thyroid condition that could mean she very well eats what would be a healthy and weight maintaining diet for one person but not for her. Thyroid issues affect energy metabolism. Not all bodies are the same.

Menopause was what caused my rapid weight gain- but WLI is the only solution that has worked for me.

I've used Orlistat in the past. It does have it's place but the downside for me was the toilet urgency which didn't work well with my job at the time.