weight loss medication: negatives, positives and deciding whether it’s the route for you!
We know it’s that time of year where everyone turns towards their diet and lifestyle. Having over indulged over Christmas and New Year it’s no wonder it’s one of the most popular times to make positive changes.
I can say to myself that I have thoroughly enjoyed the festivities and have subsequently gained weight! I have tried most diets, from fasting, cabbage soup, shakes etc and to be honest they all work, if…and it’s a big IF, you can stay consistent and stick to out. It is simple really calories in vs calories out. Except it’s not really, is it? We live in such a fast-paced, high stress world that for most of us adding in that additional constant thought process of what to eat, factoring in exercise and prepping, is actually quite hard.
I have zero will power, and I love food. Exercise isn’t my issue, I enjoy keeping active through horse riding and walking. Plus, I’m a busy business owner and mum, so I’m always on the go. Where I fall short is food, not necessarily choices but portion size and grabbing food on the go with no time to prep. For this reason alone around 4 years ago I started taking Ozempic which is now known as wegovy. My results were incredible, losing around 2.5 stone in under 8 weeks. I felt amazing! BUT life has slowly crept back in for me, and with Christmas and a bad bout of flu I know that I need to get back to a healthier version of me. I’ve gained around 2.5 stone!!
So I’ve started back on a low dose of wegovy, it holds me accountable and I really find it a supportive tool like no other.
For me the positives of using wegovy far outweigh the negatives. I myself experience the following:
reduced appetite
more energy
clearer skin
more focus
weight loss
inch loss
helps me make better choices
reduced my cardiovascular health risks
may hep contribute towards better brain health (studies ongoing)
reduced chances of type 2 diabetes
Negatives
nausea (for the first week or 2)
constipation (if I don’t drink enough)
bad stomach (if I eat high fat foods)
tiredness (just after the second week then I feel much more energised)
dizzy spells (if I haven’t eaten or drank enough)
that’s my own experience of taking wegovy, some of our patients have headaches in the first few weeks, acid reflux can occur, and very rarely abdominal discomfort usually associated with pre existing gall stones (if you female, over forty, fair skinned and overweight you’re at higher risk)
now there is so much bad press about weight loss medications, and we absolutely agree that like any medication they aren’t for everyone and should be prescribed by fully insured, CQC registered health providers ONLY. There will always be people out there selling medication illegally, for next to nothing. But ask yourself is the cost of losing weight worth your long term health? We recommend always seeking out a registered provider. These medications are expensive and to be able to offer them costs us a lot in terms of insurance, CQC registration and on going education. When you buy wegovy or mounjaro in syringes or in a vial that you have to mix yourself for £80 - ask yourself why it’s so cheap and ask yourself what your family would think if you, in the worst case died due to injecting counterfeit, out of date products which have been illegally sourced.
Be safe. weight loss programmes work out about £55 per week which when you think about it isn’t bad at all. You will reduce your food costs, cut out takeaways, and the last time I fed us 4 in MacDonalds it was £52!
Heading to the right provider will ensure you are supported, monitored and have access to support when ever you need it. And that’s any provider that’s medical, we aren’t saying you have to use us, just be sensible, due your homework and ask lots of questions!
Anyway! I’ll keep you all posted with my own journey. I gave myself a 0.5mg dose last night and have around 2 stone to lose so watch this space! I’m a little offended as my Renpho scales have said I’m 4 years older than I actually am so losing weight and being healthier will help me reverse this asap!!
If you are considering weightloss support and are worried about side effects, many of our patients get on much better with mounjaro - with less side effects and up to 3 times more effective losses. I just get on okay with wegovy so will stick to that for now as it works so well for me.
If you have any questions at all please feel free to reach out, we’d be happy to help.