Are Syringes the Solution?

Modern problems call for modern solutions. Enter the weight-loss injectables, Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro. These GLP-1 drugs were originally developed to help diabetics manage blood-sugar levels, but doctors noticed that some of the side effects were appetite suppression and weight loss. The results have been so remarkable that they can’t be ignored.

I prescribe these drugs on a regular basis to my patients too. They work. People can lose up to 15% of their body weight. For patients starting at 350 lbs. or more, this is not only incredible, but it is lifesaving. In this situation, the benefits of losing weight in this manner outweigh the risks associated with remaining obese. It’s easier to walk, climb up and down stairs, breathe and sleep. Removing pressure from their feet and joints makes it easier to contemplate starting an exercise program. Better sleep provides more energy to actually want to do things they couldn’t do before, and more than anything, it shows them that weight loss is possible. It motivates them to keep going.

For many, these drugs do feel like a miracle cure, because they eliminate “food noise.” For the first time in their lives, they aren’t obsessed with food, cravings, or frustrated by the way food controls them. I LOVE that for them. They get to practice noticing what full feels like without their addictive habits pulling them in an unhealthy direction. They get to practice new routines for exercise, meal planning, and portion sizes so they know exactly what needs to change without being bullied by the
unhealthy hungers. They get to see what weight loss feels like. And, it feels good.

The catch is that you can’t stay on these drugs forever. Well, I suppose you could, but you shouldn’t. These weight loss drugs are merely a tool. A tool that should be used in a way, much like other tools, to kickstart your weight loss. When you come off, your only hope of keeping the weight off is if you’ve used that time to re-set your mental and physical habits.

Time and again, people gain all the weight back the second they come off any of these weight loss drugs, because they didn’t change their diet or lifestyle. By simply injecting a drug to make them skinny without learning how to eat and exercise, isn’t a long-term solution. These drugs show you that weight loss is possible, when you may have felt that it wasn’t. They show you what it feels like to have control over your choices, how to regain your power over food, and how to silence the food noise. They may open your eyes to your mindless snacking, your unhealthy habits, or your over indulging.

The drug will carry your weight loss efforts for a short time…. but not your baggage around it. You’ve got to reconnect with your body so that you tell the difference between true hunger and unhealthy hunger.