How bad is the rebound in terms of weight when you get off the weight-loss shots?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op - I think I do have pretty decent habits - I’ve been on noom for awhile and track my eating pretty religiously and it’s not hard for me to stay at the bottom range of my calorie requirements and rarely exceed them.

I dont have a sweet tooth and am not much interested in desserts, I rarely drink, I don’t drink soda, eat fast food only occasionally, etc My problem has always been portion size and not going for seconds.

13 years ago, I had a bit of an issue with my heart and I very successfully lost 20-30lbs… and when I stopped being vigilant it crept back up, and since the pandemic I haven’t been able to make a dent. I’m more vigilant than I was 12 years ago, and like I said I struggle to lose 5-7 and last time I would lose 5-7 over the course of 7-8 weeks, have a few weeks of plateau and then go on to lose another 5, plateau, etc… this time the plateau is brief and is followed by an increase and I wind up back at square one.

I’m convinced my body chemistry has just changed as I’ve aged. I am fairly active - I do believe there is a difference between being fat and being unhealthy - I ride a bike to work several days a week, I hike, I never get less than 11k steps a day, etc and aside from slightly high blood pressure my heart is healthy - no cholesterol, no sign of diabetes etc My parents and grandparents were extremely long lived… But my ankles and knees hurt, I have apnea and as active as I am, my weight is definitely keeping me from being more active - I don’t want to be walking with a cane by the time I’m 55.

I feel like I could be healthier if I lost the weight, but I worry about the cost, shortages and the sense of being tied to something. I actually sleep like a baby with my cpap but that obligation to always have it and feel like I can’t travel or camp or visit friends or go overseas without it drives me crazy. The shot would probably allow me to ditch the cpap (my doctor has pretty confidently said losing 40 pounds would take care of the apnea symptoms) but it just sucks to think I’d be replacing it with another obligation.

It would also just be so demoralizing to lose the weight, feel great and then get slammed with a rapid increase. Especially if the reason I have to stop is beyond my control (shortages, cost, rfk jr)

I’m a guy and I also wonder if there’s a difference between men and women.

Have you tried strength training? You have the same reservations that I do about taking a drug for weight loss. I'm not saying it's bad for everyone, but I am trying diet cleanup and strength training first. Having a solid muscle mass foundation will supposedly help one lost weight, but more importantly it will definitely help you as you age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op - I think I do have pretty decent habits - I’ve been on noom for awhile and track my eating pretty religiously and it’s not hard for me to stay at the bottom range of my calorie requirements and rarely exceed them.

I dont have a sweet tooth and am not much interested in desserts, I rarely drink, I don’t drink soda, eat fast food only occasionally, etc My problem has always been portion size and not going for seconds.

13 years ago, I had a bit of an issue with my heart and I very successfully lost 20-30lbs… and when I stopped being vigilant it crept back up, and since the pandemic I haven’t been able to make a dent. I’m more vigilant than I was 12 years ago, and like I said I struggle to lose 5-7 and last time I would lose 5-7 over the course of 7-8 weeks, have a few weeks of plateau and then go on to lose another 5, plateau, etc… this time the plateau is brief and is followed by an increase and I wind up back at square one.

I’m convinced my body chemistry has just changed as I’ve aged. I am fairly active - I do believe there is a difference between being fat and being unhealthy - I ride a bike to work several days a week, I hike, I never get less than 11k steps a day, etc and aside from slightly high blood pressure my heart is healthy - no cholesterol, no sign of diabetes etc My parents and grandparents were extremely long lived… But my ankles and knees hurt, I have apnea and as active as I am, my weight is definitely keeping me from being more active - I don’t want to be walking with a cane by the time I’m 55.

I feel like I could be healthier if I lost the weight, but I worry about the cost, shortages and the sense of being tied to something. I actually sleep like a baby with my cpap but that obligation to always have it and feel like I can’t travel or camp or visit friends or go overseas without it drives me crazy. The shot would probably allow me to ditch the cpap (my doctor has pretty confidently said losing 40 pounds would take care of the apnea symptoms) but it just sucks to think I’d be replacing it with another obligation.

It would also just be so demoralizing to lose the weight, feel great and then get slammed with a rapid increase. Especially if the reason I have to stop is beyond my control (shortages, cost, rfk jr)

I’m a guy and I also wonder if there’s a difference between men and women.

Have you tried strength training? You have the same reservations that I do about taking a drug for weight loss. I'm not saying it's bad for everyone, but I am trying diet cleanup and strength training first. Having a solid muscle mass foundation will supposedly help one lost weight, but more importantly it will definitely help you as you age.

Yup and I enjoy it. Core too. My concern with the training is that I’m actually building mass and upping my calorie requirements which makes it harder to figure out the right balance for weight loss. So I try to stick to body weight training instead of lifting, and try to improve my vo2max. And I think I’m a very muscular person who has coated himself in fat - I’m quite strong, and I think I have to be to drag around all this weight doing the stuff I want to do. I guess my goal is to be lighter and smaller, so I can be as active as I want - my knees really can’t deal with any more weight, even if it’s more muscle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 44 and my body has just shut down on weight loss. I can spend weeks carefully counting calories and I'll slowly, slowly, slowly drop weight... but after about six pounds, the trend reverses itself. If I'm ever not extremely vigilant, it comes back in a hurry.

I've read a lot about how being overweight for an extended period of time will program your body to try and maintain that weight, and the older you are the more your body will resist weight loss, and I feel like the poster child for that.

The injections seem appealing, but I dont' want to lose 40-50 pounds and then have it all come back or increase. Also, being on an injection for the rest of my life just doesn't seem realistic.

Not so much.

The thing is once you gain a fat cell, you never lose it without surgery.

You can shrink a fat cell, but not get rid of it, so it is always there ready to swell up again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started at age 60 when I gained a ton after being put on an SSRI. All I can say is this: The shots work, you lose weight slowly and effortlessly, and I’ll never look back. Go to a reputable weight clinic (my obgyn maintains one in her office) so you have real support and a long-term plan. Don’t wait! It’s truly a miracle drug.

But have you stopped the shots? What happens after?

WHY would you stop the shots? Just keep ... taking the drug that you need. Beyond weight, there are cardiovascular benefits, insulin resistance benefits, probably dementia-avoidance benefits (still under study), anti-inflammatory benefits and much more.

Certain drugs for certain afflictions are likely to be taken for a lifetime - statins, anticoagulants, aspirin, asthma/COPD inhalers, synthroid, claritin, glaucoma eyedrops, and many, many more.

If you have a medically indicated reason -- ie, you have obesity -- then you take the GLP-1 agonist to regulate the GI - endocrine system forever.

[Anonymous]

OP, get bloodwork. If you have other signs of heart disease or diabetes, you qualify. Take a blank pre authorization with you to appt. Insurance covers and my copay is under $20 a month.

[Anonymous]

Lost 50 pounds, went off the drugs
Did great for 6 months and then went off the rails. Gained 35 pounds
Back on the drugs and the weight is coming off much slower but it is coming off (18 so far)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started at age 60 when I gained a ton after being put on an SSRI. All I can say is this: The shots work, you lose weight slowly and effortlessly, and I’ll never look back. Go to a reputable weight clinic (my obgyn maintains one in her office) so you have real support and a long-term plan. Don’t wait! It’s truly a miracle drug.

An obgyn is not a reputable weight clinic.

What are you talking about? It's great that an actual MD is running the clinic. I wish mine did something like that.

Maybe she can inject your botox and filler, too? Dummy.

[Anonymous]

I regained, but because of bad eating and stress. In retrospect I should have stayed on longer because it was the wrong time to stop. I am back on and losing a bit more slowly this time, less nausea, not upping the dose. It feels less miraculous but more sustainable. My plan is to eventually stop but once habits have been perfect and mental health good for a long time.

[Anonymous]

My endo said he doesn't know anyone who hasn't gained it back after stopping.

[Anonymous]

My two best friends and I all did it to lose 50-60 lbs. Two of the three of us did, one lost more like 40. We all gained some back after stopping and are back on it.

[Anonymous]

Stay on it, smallest dosage. People get rid of many medications thanks to the weight loss. It’s a metabolic hormone, if your body needs it why stop?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op - I think I do have pretty decent habits - I’ve been on noom for awhile and track my eating pretty religiously and it’s not hard for me to stay at the bottom range of my calorie requirements and rarely exceed them.

I dont have a sweet tooth and am not much interested in desserts, I rarely drink, I don’t drink soda, eat fast food only occasionally, etc My problem has always been portion size and not going for seconds.

13 years ago, I had a bit of an issue with my heart and I very successfully lost 20-30lbs… and when I stopped being vigilant it crept back up, and since the pandemic I haven’t been able to make a dent. I’m more vigilant than I was 12 years ago, and like I said I struggle to lose 5-7 and last time I would lose 5-7 over the course of 7-8 weeks, have a few weeks of plateau and then go on to lose another 5, plateau, etc… this time the plateau is brief and is followed by an increase and I wind up back at square one.

I’m convinced my body chemistry has just changed as I’ve aged. I am fairly active - I do believe there is a difference between being fat and being unhealthy - I ride a bike to work several days a week, I hike, I never get less than 11k steps a day, etc and aside from slightly high blood pressure my heart is healthy - no cholesterol, no sign of diabetes etc My parents and grandparents were extremely long lived… But my ankles and knees hurt, I have apnea and as active as I am, my weight is definitely keeping me from being more active - I don’t want to be walking with a cane by the time I’m 55.

I feel like I could be healthier if I lost the weight, but I worry about the cost, shortages and the sense of being tied to something. I actually sleep like a baby with my cpap but that obligation to always have it and feel like I can’t travel or camp or visit friends or go overseas without it drives me crazy. The shot would probably allow me to ditch the cpap (my doctor has pretty confidently said losing 40 pounds would take care of the apnea symptoms) but it just sucks to think I’d be replacing it with another obligation.

It would also just be so demoralizing to lose the weight, feel great and then get slammed with a rapid increase. Especially if the reason I have to stop is beyond my control (shortages, cost, rfk jr)

I’m a guy and I also wonder if there’s a difference between men and women.

Have you tried strength training? You have the same reservations that I do about taking a drug for weight loss. I'm not saying it's bad for everyone, but I am trying diet cleanup and strength training first. Having a solid muscle mass foundation will supposedly help one lost weight, but more importantly it will definitely help you as you age.

Yup and I enjoy it. Core too. My concern with the training is that I’m actually building mass and upping my calorie requirements which makes it harder to figure out the right balance for weight loss. So I try to stick to body weight training instead of lifting, and try to improve my vo2max. And I think I’m a very muscular person who has coated himself in fat - I’m quite strong, and I think I have to be to drag around all this weight doing the stuff I want to do. I guess my goal is to be lighter and smaller, so I can be as active as I want - my knees really can’t deal with any more weight, even if it’s more muscle.

I don't understand what you're saying. If you weight train and lose weight, you have a higher chance of losing fat and retaining muscle. If you have bad knees, then you probably lack muscle around your quads and hamstrings. And if you don't weight train and lose what little muscle you have in your legs, then your knees don't stand a chance to all the cardio you're doing.

[Anonymous]

I started Mounjaro in Nov 2022 and stayed on 9 months or so and lost 30 lbs. I gained 5 back over the course of 18 months-- it was mostly water weight. I have just gone back on recently to lose my final 25 lbs hopefully. I don't like the way I feel on it so intend the meds to be temporary. My doctor is okay with me going off and on.

[Anonymous]

Is the regain from the medication itself, or the return to old food habits?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 44 and my body has just shut down on weight loss. I can spend weeks carefully counting calories and I'll slowly, slowly, slowly drop weight... but after about six pounds, the trend reverses itself. If I'm ever not extremely vigilant, it comes back in a hurry.

I've read a lot about how being overweight for an extended period of time will program your body to try and maintain that weight, and the older you are the more your body will resist weight loss, and I feel like the poster child for that.

The injections seem appealing, but I dont' want to lose 40-50 pounds and then have it all come back or increase. Also, being on an injection for the rest of my life just doesn't seem realistic.

Not so much.

The thing is once you gain a fat cell, you never lose it without surgery.

You can shrink a fat cell, but not get rid of it, so it is always there ready to swell up again.

I never knew this. Conversely, do you gain fat cells when you gain weight, or do the ones you already have just expand? If it’s the latter, then this statement seems nbd. If it’s the former, then holy h-ll, how do people who have gained weight ever really slim back down for good?
- NP