These weight loss drugs are not cheap. Each pen is designed to be used for four doses lasting four weeks (more on that later) and cost anything from about £130 upwards depending on the dose (stronger dose pens are more expensive). In the UK, Mounjaro is not currently available on the NHS unless you have type-2 diabetes, though this will shortly change for people with a BMI over 40 and three weight related health conditions. So how can it be made more affordable?  Currently all of the GLP-1 weight loss drugs can only be manufactured by the companies that developed them as they are protected by patent which generally lasts for 20 years. It will sadly be a long time before generic versions become available which will make them hugely cheaper. These drugs have been thoroughly tested over many years, but there is a very slim risk that other effects may still be discovered. Assuming this not to be the case, the impact of truly affordable weight loss medication is very exciting. The lives...

Suddenly not feeling hungry is a bizarre feeling. People in support groups and forums are calling it a supression of 'Food Noise', and for me in the past that noise was loud and clear! Although Mounjaro/Zepbound does alter the way that food transits through your body and the way your body uses energy, the mechanism to lose weight for most people is to eat less calories. If you can add exercise into the equation then it's certainly going to help, but to burn off a Mars bar you have to run at a decent pace for 23 minutes!  I think in the past, part of the problem for losing weight is motivation. All too often I have felt that I am putting in a huge effort trying to shift the pounds and after weeks of concerted effort the dial on the scales hardly moves and I have given up. Sometimes it is important to also monitor what people are calling Non-Scale Victories (NSV's). I passed a string around the largest part of my torso and cut it to length. Other NSV's are dropping a ...

So, I've never been a fan of injections. I mean, I can't understand who would be really! Although I've got better in later years, the thought of giving myself an injection filled me with horror, but it was just going to have to be done. I plumped for Saturday morning and it soon came round. I watched the video tutorial on YouTube and also several other videos but the time had come. I was 'cacking it'!  Take the pen and wipe the tip with an alcohol swab, then remove the paper seal from the needle. Ok, fine, I can cope with that. Carefully screw the needle onto the pen taking care not to do it wonkily (I apologise if I'm not using the exact wording!). Yep, not a problem. Take the outer and then inner lid off the needle. Oh my god, there it is... Gosh it isn't very big ant there's a drop of liquid at the end. Prime the needle by turning the knob a couple of clicks and depressing it. Ooh, I can skip this one as there's already a drop of fluid at the end,...

Although friends may disagree, I'm kinda careful about what goes into my body. So having made the decision to use Mounjaro/Zepbound to lose weight, the next choice as where to get it from.  Now I'm writing this in the UK where we are lucky to have the National Health Service (NHS) which most people use for their general healthcare. It's free to use, though if a doctor decides to prescribe drugs then the prescription charge is currently £9.90 ($12.85/€11.88) which is all you pay for the course of treatment (usually up to two months supply if necessary). This is incredible value, but it does mean that not all drugs are available. Major illness drugs such as cancer treatments, heart medication, insulin, epipens etc are all covered, but currently this does not extend to Ozempic/Wegovy or Mounjaro/Zepbound (though there are signs that in the future this will change). The magic jabs can be prescribed if you have a BMI of over 30 with no other health issues or 27 if you have any w...

Welcome to my weight loss journey. In June '24 I decided to cut right back on the amount I work and move much closer to retirement. Looking forward to having much greater freedom and spare time also carried the hidden danger of putting on weight as, like many people, it had gradually increased since my mid-thirties. Coming back from a wonderful 10 days all-inclusive in Turkey, I tipped the scales at a shade over 112kg making my BMI 35 - right at the crossover of obesity class 1 and obesity class 2. Eek! Something had to be done. For the past few months the news has been full of reports about Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro/Zepbound... The new miracle weight loss injections, about how they are revolutionary, how they are a cheat, how they are transforming lives, how the demand is stopping people with diabetes accessing them... I wanted to know, could one be right for me. As a fiftysomething male, gaining weight has never been a problem, but losing it has always been a challenge. Huge a...