Weight loss drug and "My 600-lb Life" show stinkin thinkin about obesity

You may have read that the FDA approved a new weight loss drug, one of the pharmaceutical appetite suppressants called Wegovy. USA Today shared how one trial user was able to lose weight on these diet pills. Her frankly disturbing comments echo "My 600-lb Life" participants and show "stinkin thinkin" (thank you Al-Anon) about obesity. 

The Wegovy weight loss drug user said it's unrealistic to expect someone with chronic obesity to lose weight on "this or that diet." She said she's tried many diets and realized weight loss wasn't about willpower and that she had "something physical" that made her unable to lose weight. Very overweight gastric bypass patients on "My 600-lb Life" exhibit the same stinkin thinkin. What's stinkin thinkin? That's the Al-Anon term for disordered, self-destructive thought patterns. 

There's 3-prong stinkin thinkin going on here. First, the fatalistic notion that obesity is a genetic condition that requires diet pills. Obesity is nothing more than being very overweight. Unlike Prader-Willi Syndrome (a condition that causes people to feel constant hunger) obesity is not a disease of its own, only in that it leads to diseases like diabetes. Obesity doesn't cause you to overeat; you get obese by overeating. 

 "My 600-lb Life" participants often trot out Prader-Willi Syndrome to justify their failure to control eating. First, Prader-Willi is extremely rare. Dr. Now is always quick to set gastric bypass patients straight. It's not that they can't curb hunger, it's that they won't control eating. Also, even if you have Prader-Willi, appetite suppressants alone won't curb hunger. You have to learn new behaviors. 

Which leads to stinkin thinkin prong 2: The "special exemptions" claim to be unable to lose weight no matter what or how hard they try. I lost 100 pounds on a 1200 calorie diet. There is some meal plan that will work and if it doesn't it's the dieter's fault, not the diet. Which leads to stinkin thinkin prong 3, that obesity is inherited. 

"Fat families" doesn't mean people are predisposed to obesity. Generational obesity is down to nurture, not nature. "My 600-lb Life" shows overweight people in family settings and how they eat (terribly, too much, junk and fast food, etc.). It also shows how quickly they lose weight without any magic weight loss drug, on Dr. Now's gastric bypass 1200 calorie diet. 

Which disproves the Wegovy user's comment that willpower and self-control aren't involved. One more time for the people in the back: weight loss is ALL about learning self-control. A diet pill may help you curb hunger and lose weight but it won't help you keep pounds off. Lasting weight loss requires changing stinkin thinkin, eating habits and destructive patterns. 

I realize that all this sounds a little Draconian. I wish there was an easier way to beat obesity, but maybe it's for the best. At the bottom of food addiction (Al-Anon says with any addiction) are mental health issues which shortcuts won't address. So I'll end with the good news: I'm not the most put-together person and I lost 100 pounds without gastric bypass or prescribed appetite suppressants. You can too! 

How I lost 100 pounds without weight loss drugs: Mind over Platter tips to curb hunger

I just wrote a blog post on the newly FDA-approved weight loss drug, Wegovy. It's a chemical appetite suppressant used to treat obesity. This blog is devoted to sharing how I lost 100 pounds without gastric bypass or diet pills. I'm concerned that chemical weight loss drugs curb hunger but at what health cost? The "My 600-lb Life" reality TV show hears the many excuses folks make to avoid following the 1200 calorie diet. I'm predicting that Wegovy will be used as just another diet cheat. But happily, you can lose weight without them. 

We don't need "My 600-lb Life" to prove that obesity is a huge problem. Just look around. I looked in the mirror and didn't like how overweight I was. Here's how lost 100 pounds, 10 BMI points and 9 dress sizes. I curb hunger without weight loss drugs with natural plant-based appetite suppressants and fat burners (raspberry ketones, green tea, garcinia cambogia and cinnamon). 

But most of my weight loss was down to learning self-control and exercising willpower. I use what I call "mind over platter" or Jedi mind tricks. (LOL). These emotional (spiritual) health resets help me not only curb hunger but also stinkin thinkin (thank you Al-Anon). 

"My 600-lb Life" proves patients need more than just gastric bypass. They struggle as much with the emotional as the physical struggle of being overweight. They confuse wanting food with needing it. Part of how I lost 100 pounds was to sort out my relationship with food. Hunger and cravings were constant. Along with the weight loss supplements, my "mind over platter" tricks help me psych myself full and curb hunger. Here are my psychological appetite suppressants. 

Get used to feeling a little hungry all the time. The truth is there's no magic bean that will completely curb hunger plus make you lose weight. Green tea helps--caffeine products are good appetite suppressants but they can also increase hunger so use with caution. 

Use any appetite suppressants with not instead of portion control. Weight loss drugs and diet pills like Wegovy don't teach new eating habits like a 1200 calorie diet does.  

Think of hunger as an ally instead of enemy. When you feel hungry, use it as an alarm clock. Perhaps you're working too hard and need a break. Get some fresh air to take your mind off food cravings. Maybe you really do need to eat. Starving yourself doesn't make you lose weight. Food deprivation borks your metabolism and can make you gain weight. Maybe you're just thirsty (the body confuses hunger and thirst). 

Mind over platter or, what's really the matter?  Are you lonely and "hungry" for companionship, love, human interaction or a hug. Bypass the comfort food (junk food) which doesn't satisfy for time with loved ones. It's not as simple as finding foods to fill you up. You have to change how you think about yourself, what you eat, how you eat and what role food fills in your life.

Mind over platter: cravings too shall pass. I was very overweight (clearly if I lost 100 pounds). And I promise you, don't despair. In early obesity, you may think you'll never get full on the 1200 calorie diet. But you will as your stomach shrinks with weight loss.  

Lose weight by learning to be satisfied with less. Redefine "feeling full."  Don't eat till you are full, or beyond, just satisfied. Weight loss happens when you stop eating when you are still a little hungry. Plus you'll feel fuller if you let your food settle instead of diving right into that second (third, 26th) helping. 

Curb hunger by appreciating what you have. When you feel hungry, consider the many who know real starvation. Keep their photos on the fridge and offer up your hunger for them. Send money you saved eating less, to missions. 

Put food in its proper place as nourishment, not solace, a friend or lover. No gastric bypass or weight loss drug or diet pill can replace this "mind over platter" trick. Practice portion control Talk yourself out of eating junk, rather than convincing yourself you deserve it. Rethink treats. Junk food is no treat if it makes you overweight, sick and tired.

Fill up your fun tank to fight obesity. Do something active, not passive (texting, video games or watching TV). You get hungrier staring at a screen and it's easier to mindlessly eat. Get outside, Garden. Volunteer, Walk the dog, kids and husband. Do housework. Make crafts with the children. Go out with friends for coffee. Romp with the kids in a pile of leaves. Take a nap or start a project. Run a tub of hot water and read. 

These are awesomely therapeutic psychological appetite suppressants lick diet pills any day!  

Weight loss drug concerns: Wegovy appetite suppressant no diet shortcut to treat obesity

The FDA just approved a new weight loss drug, Wegovy which joins Semaglutide (Ozempic, Rybelsus) to treat obesity. Should you try it for treating obesity? Please read this before you do. A quote in recent USA Today article has me concerned that overweight folks may see this appetite suppressant drug as a shortcut to diet. The participants on "My 600-lb Life" are going to party like it's 1999! They already think that bariatric surgery will magically make them lose weight. Diet pills that lets them (in their mind) change nothing and lose weight? Yikes! 

As I expected, right off the bat, a woman in the Wegovy trial said that the weight loss drug made her realize that [diet] isn't about willpower. She was one of those "tried every diet and nothing worked" folks. This always sends up red flags for me. If you can't lose weight on any meal plant, it's not the diets that have failed. Either you haven't worked it long enough or you've cheated.  Dr. Now of "My 600-lb Life" his "special exemptions" it's not CAN'T but WON'T follow the diet. 

Perhaps the Wegovy participant meant weight loss is not just about willpower. But she also said there's something "physical" about not being about to control hunger. Which to me reads like"My 600-lb Life" type excuses about having some sort of medical reason why she can't control hunger without diet pills. It also doesn't sound like they worked any better than just diet. It took her 68 weeks to lose 63 pounds. Good she's not losing weight super-fast and she will keep it off, more likely. But it still sounds like there's some reliance on the drug to fix overeating. 

I lost 100 pounds without gastric bypass, with good old calorie counting, portion control and some natural appetite suppressants (cinnamon, green tea) and let me just say that whether you use them or not, weight loss is still very much about willpower and self-control. And it should be! Any weight loss drug that curbs hunger and makes you lose weight without any effort should treated very suspiciously.  

Part of how I lost 100 pounds was with appetite suppressants. But there's a world of difference between fruit based supplements and chemicals that kill your appetite. That's a common side effect of street drugs like cocaine! Remember Dexatrim diet pills? They contained an ingredient that was strongly linked with stroke and heart trouble. 

I know I sound a bit harsh. Yes, it sucks to be overweight. It's hard to curb hunger and cravings. Obesity is challenging to manage. But it can be done safely and without diet pills. Keep reading for healthy weight loss tips.