New Weight Loss Drug SAXENDA

Joe Sixpack on 11/02/2018 - 08:56
Last edited 17/02/2018 - 08:08

I'm taking the new weight loss drug Saxenda. Already down 7kg after 1.5 months. Is anyone else taking it, and what are your experiences?

Note: this is a focused thread about Saxenda, not about:

How you think Saxenda is a scam
How you lost weight using a low carb diet
How you think this is a MLM effort
What you feel about obesity and dieting generally.

Thanks!

Edit: please note, I am not affiliated with any drug or drug company and I do not receive payment for discussing my weight or Saxenda (I wish I did!)

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • onetwothreefour on 11/02/2018 - 09:33
    +110

    There are no shortcuts to a healthy body.

    • gimli on 11/02/2018 - 11:01
      +8

      This isn't a short cut. It actually is FDA approved for treatment of obesity. Most people get modest weight loss 2.5-5% but there are non-responders and super-responders to this medication.

      Obesity is a real disease. Sure part of it is lifestyle but clearly some people eat the same food as me and end up much much bigger.

      When you think that there are obesity clinics, many people having bariatric surgery surely you shouldn't be surprised to find drugs to treat obesity.

      • [Deactivated] on 11/02/2018 - 11:10
        +40

        That's because you don't exercise. While it's true that everyone has different metabolisms, weight is a pretty simple formula. Calories in/calories burnt.

        IF you struggle with weight, a quick fix drug wont do shit. You'll lose your weight and then put it back on as soon as you stop using it or develop a tolerance. Do gastric bands fix people? Long term they just maintain the same habits and put all the weight back on.

        Change your lifestyle, change your diet, exercise everyday and you will lose weight. Stop blaming your weight on bullshit external factors (this is clearly your biggest issue).

        • gimli on 11/02/2018 - 11:15
          +42

          FYI I'm not talking about myself.

          Genetic contribution to weight is undeniable.

          And unless you are exercising more than 1 hour per day it generally won't help with weight loss. Exercise does help prevent weight gain.

          Don't get me wrong. I agree most people who are overweight just need to eat better and be active. But there are many people who clearly gain much more weight than others. Gastric bands are not the best surgical option. There are other options. I used to be like you and just think people were obese because of bad lifestyle alone but if you read the obesity literature this is clearly not the case.

          https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/life/health/article/2017/08/28…

        • Joe Sixpack on 11/02/2018 - 13:21
          +7

          @Gimli:

          I used to be like you and just think people were obese because of bad lifestyle alone but if you read the obesity literature this is clearly not the case.

          It gets worse. Fat people who lose weight need fewer calories to maintain the new lower weight than people who were the same lower weight all along. Not fair, is it?
          https://www.livescience.com/61703-weight-loss-hunger.html

        • gimli on 11/02/2018 - 13:26
          +2

          @Joe Sixpack: Exactly and the reality is for many obese people without medications like saxenda or bariatric surgery it will be hard to maintain the weight loss long term.

          Having said that what's your take on how long you can use saxenda?

        • Joe Sixpack on 11/02/2018 - 13:30

          @Gimli:

          It's expensive ($400 per box of 5 syringes), but I'm dosing myself at less than the manufacturer's recommended level, so will last me longer than the typical month. I reckon I'll only need to buy 2 boxes to get down to my goal weight, maybe 3, so $800-1200 investment to get slim again … very much worth it to me!

        • Joe Sixpack on 11/02/2018 - 13:34

          @Gimli:

          Regarding maintaining weight loss long term, about 50% of people who use Saxenda do achieve that.

          Over 50% of Saxenda® 3-mg patients who achieved clinically meaningful weight loss at year 1, maintained it at 3 years.

        • gimli on 11/02/2018 - 13:35

          @Joe Sixpack:
          Definitely worth it IMO.
          I think you will save on health costs long term!

        • Joe Sixpack on 11/02/2018 - 13:36
          +6

          @Gimli:

          Yes, and save my joints. Extra weight damages joints, and mine are starting to go south. Eeep!

        • [Deactivated] on 11/02/2018 - 14:06
          +11

          @Gimli: That’s bullshit. If you do a solid hour every day of cardio, and maintain a healthy calorie deficit diet, you will lose weight.

        • knk on 11/02/2018 - 18:43
          -2

          dupe

        • knk on 11/02/2018 - 18:45
          +32

          @Burnertoasty:
          You're a savage and you're absolutely 100% correct. There are very, very few fringe cases where people are obese due to reasons other than eating too much.

        • TeslaFan on 11/02/2018 - 21:28
          +21

          @Burnertoasty: People look for all types of reasons as to why they're fat but ignore the fact they overeat.

          I wonder if all the downvoters are overweight people.

        • Frost2468 on 12/02/2018 - 09:30
          +4

          @Burnertoasty: 100% correct. Don't know why you got negged. Problem is people don't know what excercise and eat right means anymore.

        • elgrande on 12/02/2018 - 12:22
          +1

          @Joe Sixpack:

          Hi Joe,

          Are there any nasty side effects?

        • Joe Sixpack on 12/02/2018 - 12:24
          +2

          @elgrande: Yes. Especially when you start taking it: headaches, feeling sick, burping and more.

        • elgrande on 12/02/2018 - 12:30

          @Joe Sixpack:

          What would you typically consume in an average day now that your using this medicine?

        • Plug on 12/02/2018 - 12:30
          +1

          @Joe Sixpack: How is that unfair? You should eat to live, not live to eat.

        • Joe Sixpack on 12/02/2018 - 12:33

          @elgrande: As I've stated on this page already, about 1500 cals. Way less than I used to be able to.

        • Joe Sixpack on 12/02/2018 - 12:34
          +2

          @Skexis: You miss the point. Thin people who used to be fat have to eat LESS calories than same-weight always-thin people. Sorry, if you don't get this READ THE LINKED ARTICLE.

        • wallet72 on 12/02/2018 - 13:38
          +8

          mate you are over generalizing, what you say is technically correct but for some people there are circumstances that mean they put on weight and have trouble losing it.

          I'm one of them.

          I put on 30 kg because of a drug treatment to tackle a disorder I have, even while exercising and eating well. Later when I came off the drug I got hit with another disease which means moving and exercising is incredibly painful.

          I would love a drug like this, it would help move the weight with the limited movement I have. Until even walking from bed to the bathroom causes you pain, you really can't understand how hard it is to exercise.

        • MementoMori on 12/02/2018 - 14:07
          +3

          @knk: Agreed - and that's not to be 'mean', that's to be helpful. It's a very real mental trap to think otherwise.

          I've tried 5.4, Keto, intermittent fasting, low carb/high fat, my fitness pal etc etc… the only thing that worked for me was just to get VERY serious about eating way less and drop calories, like 1000-1200 per day (BMR 1800-2000), which isn't too hard if you cut a whole meal out per day (perhaps replace with a low carb protein shake). It was nice and simple and worked - 1 - 1.5kg per week loss without any other thinking/adjustments.

          Obviously I never drink soft drink, etc etc.

          Yes, I know it's not supposed to be healthy (metabolism, etc), but it's simple and works - and trust me, two 'regular Australia/Western' meals (with/without + a shake) is more than enough to prevent starvation / metabolic slowdown.

        • chartparker on 12/02/2018 - 14:29
          +5

          @TeslaFan: When people think of over-eating they imagine cutting down on the quantity of food they eat. But what I've found is it's the quality of the food that affects me most. I've struggled with weight for years now, and reducing intake of high calorie processed foods never worked for me (basically starving yourself).

          Since getting diagnosed with issues with acid reflux I've been on a low acid diet, which basically means I only white meat (in limited quantity), but the bulk of my diet is leafy veg, nuts, seeds and fruits plus some yoghurt. I'm always eating, never hungry and I lost 7 kg in a month.

          TLDR: High quantities of low calorie food is a much better way to lose weight than low quantities of high calorie food.

        • elgrande on 12/02/2018 - 14:41

          @wallet72:

          Hope all improves for you.

        • Xastros on 12/02/2018 - 18:00
          +1

          @Joe Sixpack: Assuming that's true it is still possible to lose weight and maintain weight loss, just that it's harder. So you have to eat 1500 cals and others can eat 1900 cals.

          Yes it's not fair but life is not fair. Similar to how a person who is born without the ability to walk will have more trouble exercising but it won't be impossible to maintain a healthy weight.

          I'm not saying I'm against Saxenda. If it works for you and only costs $1200 for the course then why not? I'm just saying it is in fact possible for almost all people to lose weight and maintain it. I've seen plenty of people do it. Yes it's harder for some than others.

        • Joe Sixpack on 12/02/2018 - 18:03

          @Xastros: I agree with the points you raise.

        • Xastros on 12/02/2018 - 18:09

          @Joe Sixpack:

          Be careful. Did you read the paper?I haven't read all of them but the two that I found relating to maintenance of weight loss involved participants CONTINUING on Saxenda during the weight maintenance period (2 years). I didn't find any studies that tracked the weight of participants after they came off the drug. Maybe you have seen different?

        • kasp on 13/02/2018 - 07:09
          +1

          @Joe Sixpack:
          I went on holidays stopped exercising ate a tonne and drank a shitload and I gain a bit of weight.

          Came back from holidays started eating healthy again nd exercising daily and the weight is dropping off.

          Must be genetics.

        • MikeKulls on 13/02/2018 - 07:13

          @Joe Sixpack: if you can reach your goal weight with 3 months of drugs you could easily exercise that off. You can get a decent push bike for that and it will last you years. Be warned they can be highly addictive :)

        • knk on 13/02/2018 - 08:00
          +3

          @domcc1:
          Dropping a meal is fine mate, as long as your getting the right amount of calories from mostly the right places you'll be fine. Even if you ate once a day.

          Don't listen to half the crap you hear, the fitness industry peddles a lot of bullshit and it's hard to separate the good from the bad.

        • knk on 13/02/2018 - 08:29
          +2

          @Joe Sixpack:

          By a very small percentage calorie wise perhaps, fact of the matter is you should toughen up and eat less.

        • Joe Sixpack on 13/02/2018 - 08:32
          +1

          @knk: I can toughen up, but can you grow a brain?

        • Joe Sixpack on 13/02/2018 - 08:33

          @MikeKulls:

          you could easily exercise that off

          Pass the sick bag, Alice

        • knk on 13/02/2018 - 08:40
          +1

          @Joe Sixpack:
          Excuses are all I see, with my brain (pregrown FYI). Eat 2000 calories a day and see what happens.

        • Xastros on 13/02/2018 - 08:41

          @Joe Sixpack:

          Both those studies appear to be weight maintenance WITH continued use of Saxenda.

        • Zenyatta on 13/02/2018 - 08:41
          +2

          the thing about "calories in/calories out" is that the only part of that which you can control (outside of exercise) is "calories in" (and even then, exercise can burn very little for some). There are a large variety of factors that can vary how your body actually uses energy, and a range of hormones that can interact and influence that, and chronic disease is certainly one of those factors. I'm absolutely not defending poor habits and lifestyle, I'm just wanting to make sure you understand that calories out is certainly not constant between individuals.

          Do gastric bands fix people? Long term they just maintain the same habits and put all the weight back on.

          Do you have any evidence for this? As a biochemistry graduate I was told during my lectures by academics that patients keep the weight off in many cases. They actually don't maintain the same habits - their brain chemistry profoundly changes after surgery and those studying this phenomenon think it may be something to do with the gut microbiome (which strongly influences brain chemistry) being dramatically changed after surgery. There are many cases of patients who did not respond to medication recovering from chronic lifestyle disease very quickly after bariatric surgery. It's not known exactly why this occurs. If we did understand why, we might be able to develop therapies that give us the same effect without the invasive surgery.

        • Zenyatta on 13/02/2018 - 08:47
          +3

          @Joe Sixpack:

          I have to leave in a moment for work so I won't look for sources, but this effect is temporary. If you can maintain the lower weight for a sufficient amount of time (depending on how much weight you've lost and how quickly), eventually your metabolism will recover. The problem is, most people can't maintain the extremely low calorie intake for months at a time. It's called resetting your weight set-point and I'd encourage you to read about it. I've done it myself. I easily maintain at a weight about 5kg lower than I did several years ago, I had to work to maintain it for a few months first but then it stuck.

        • knk on 13/02/2018 - 08:51

          @Zenyatta:

          Anecdotal evidence regarding the set point, but in my experience after holding it for quite a while I got used to a lower overall weight as-well.

          I'm sitting about 10kgs lower than previously and don't have cravings or an urge to eat the bad foods I used to crave. I'm gradually notching the weight back (do they call it a recomp?) with the aim of maintaining around 12% bodyfat all year round (15% now). Definitely works, although it isn't easy.

        • Zenyatta on 13/02/2018 - 08:55

          @knk: I think it's important to say so because people feel quite hopeless when they realise their metabolism isn't what it used to be, and they don't need to feel that way.

        • matt1234 on 13/02/2018 - 10:17
          +2

          I cycle to and from work every day and go to the gym 5 times a week for an hour - I also monitor my kj making sure that i am under 8700 each day, and yet i would be considered overweight. Not everyone who is fat isn't living a healthy lifestyle so don't assume.

        • Joe Sixpack on 13/02/2018 - 10:39
          -1

          @Zenyatta: Interesting comment, thanks. I hope you are right about being able to reset to a lower weight, because the science says you cannot.
          https://www.livescience.com/61703-weight-loss-hunger.html

        • doodo477 on 13/02/2018 - 12:27

          @Zenyatta: Evidence says otherwise [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990627/]

        • Joe Sixpack on 13/02/2018 - 13:22

          @doodo477: That study does not contradict the long term findings with Saxenda, which is that weight loss is maintained in 50% of patients.

        • Xastros on 13/02/2018 - 14:07
          +2

          @Joe Sixpack:

          Please read those links carefully. They both actually say the trials over a 3 year period involved participants using Saxenda for the duration of the trial (the whole 3 years). In fact the links you just posted are just website summaries that reference the articles you linked in your preceding post. They did not do a study monitoring participants after coming off the drug.

          In fact the first link you posted https://www.saxendapro.com/efficacy/sustained-weight-loss-re… actually says (text within a picture) “Upon discontinuation of treatment, patients are likely to regain weight”. This is on their own website.

          I am not trying to be a d*ck here. I do just want you and everyone in this thread to know what you're getting into and be fully informed.

          Key points:
          - Even with continued use of Saxenda after the initial 1 year weight loss period, 50% of people put the weight back on after 3 years.
          - If you want to keep the weight off after losing it with Saxenda, you will have to continue taking the drug, I assume forever. Even then, 50% chance you will put weight back on.
          - No studies showing this point, but by the company's own forecasts, you are likely to regain weight if you come off the drug.
          - The dose used in the trial (3mg) costs about $400 per month or $5k per year. If you have been struggling with weight for a long time and are willing to go on this drug forever, the cost could be well worth it (assuming you aren't tight for money).

          Good luck with the weight loss and hope it sticks. Would be interested in future updates on how you go if you're willing.

        • Joe Sixpack on 13/02/2018 - 15:49

          @Xastros: You're right, which is why speed reading and skimming headlines is not good. The way their page was written, one could be forgiven for thinking the patients used it for a year and maintained loss for 3 years, but as you say, they kept taking it, which I shall certainly NOT be doing.

          The best study is probably this review: Liraglutide for weight management: a critical review of the evidence

          I guess it will be up to me to maintain the weight loss. As I've said elsewhere in this thread, I've kept my weight low for most of my life, only gaining this weight for a specific reason, which no longer pertains, so I see no reason why I'll gain it again. We'll see.

          But yes, an update down the track as to my progress will be in order! :¬)

          Oh, and thanks for your diligence. I appreciate it.

        • ItsMeAgro on 13/02/2018 - 19:21

          @knk:

          There are very, very few fringe cases where people are obese due to reasons other than eating too much.

          Nah, people also get obese by eating modest portions of the typical Australian 90% junk food diet.

        • ItsMeAgro on 13/02/2018 - 19:30

          @TeslaFan:

          People look for all types of reasons as to why they're fat but ignore the fact they overeat.

          I've never been overweight, but I can sympathise with why this is difficult for people - look at the huge portions restaurants serve; can you blame people for not realising that the "standard" meal size is about double a healthy meal size?

          Don't get me started on the nasty tricks processed food companies play… low fat yoghurt that's more calories than normal yoghurt? Sneaking sugar into savoury foods?

        • apey2000 on 13/02/2018 - 20:09

          @domcc1: I couldn't agree more. The only thing that worked for me was to cut calories. I was down to one meal a day on weekdays, two meals a day on weekends. Lost 15 kilos in about 3 months without any exercise.

          Right now I am pretty loose with my calorie intake. I thought my 1hr of hard cycling per day would offset lack of discipline with eating, but nope.

          Call it whatever you want, but the body is dumb. Less in, less belly. Yes of course eating 1500 calories of veg per day is much healthier than 1500 calories of chocolate per day, but if we are purely talking about weight loss, cutting calorie intake is what matters the most, IMO.

        • volcanoeqcycle on 13/02/2018 - 20:19
          +2

          Whatever happened to good old fashioned willpower. Eat less and exercise more!

        • knk on 13/02/2018 - 20:27

          @ItsMeAgro:

          Sorry, I should have specified I consider too much to be specified in calories not volume.

        • Dylicious on 14/02/2018 - 02:48
          +2

          It is much more about your intake than the exercise you do.

          Change your eating habits to healthy food and less calories.
          Drink no soda/wine/beer.

          Exercise to be healthier, for sure, but to lose weight, you gotta lessen the input drastically.

        • Xastros on 14/02/2018 - 08:59

          @Joe Sixpack: No worries and good luck.

        • Xastros on 14/02/2018 - 09:21
          +2

          @matt1234: That just means you need less calories. 8700 is an average value and it varies from person to person. If you are overweight on that amount of food, your body is telling you that 8700 kj is too much. Yes I know it sucks but maybe you only need 6500 kj who knows.

        • Beansbeansbeans on 14/02/2018 - 10:10

          @wallet72: this so much. I gained about 50kg over 5+ years on a drug I was prescribed as a young teenager. I have a genetic connective tissue disorder, even though I have an active job and don’t eat very much I still struggle to lose weight properly because I did lose those 50kg, but I was still heavy before that and my metabolism is pretty much ruined now. People suggesting “just do an hour of cardio a day” in this thread can get (profanity) honestly, I regularly throw up from being in pain. I’m not going to jump on the treadmill for an hour after I’ve been walking around at work all day. The ableism here is so real.

        • matt1234 on 14/02/2018 - 10:10

          @Xastros: Many days are well under 8700, and that doesn't include the extra burn off from gym sessions and cycling. I am well aware of the fact that 8700 is an average value, in fact for someone of my age/weight/height i am supposed to be consuming more than 8700. You need to understand that people have different body builds and different metabolisms, and that just because someone appears overweight doesn't mean they aren't eating properly or not exercising.

        • Zenyatta on 14/02/2018 - 10:18
          +1

          @Joe Sixpack: My biochemistry professor, an academic in the field, believes that it can recover. I guess there will always be disagreements in the field and maybe it depends on the person. I've done it myself and others have too, so it's definitely possible - perhaps not for everyone in every circumstance.

        • Zenyatta on 14/02/2018 - 10:19
          +1

          @doodo477: I'll copy my comment to someone else: My biochemistry professor, an academic in the field, believes that it can recover. I guess there will always be disagreements in the field and maybe it depends on the person. I've done it myself and others have too, so it's definitely possible - perhaps not for everyone in every circumstance.

          edit: I'm sorry - thinking back, I now can remember that he said that there were some conditions: you may need to lose a limited amount of weight and maintain that for some time, around 10% or so, for a few months, before attempting to lose more. If you go ahead and lose 50% of your body weight all at once then yes that could be too much for your body to adjust to. This lecture series was a while ago now. It was absolutely fascinating though.

        • samfisher5986 on 14/02/2018 - 11:40

          @domcc1:

          There is a very high chance that you did keto/low carb wrong, by the way they are generally regarded as the same thing.

          If you don't know much about food nutrition values its very easy to mess up your macro goals for keto.

          Its great you've found something that works though.

        • Xastros on 14/02/2018 - 12:53

          @matt1234: I am well aware that people have vastly different metabolisms. That's why some people can sleep in beds of pizza and swim in pools of chocolate milk but remain skinny while others eat relatively healthy diets, exercise regularlyl and are overweight.

          My point isn't that overweight people are lazy slobs. My point is that if eating 8700 still results in you being overweight then you need less because your metabolism is slower than that of others. It's not fair and it sucks but it's the reality. Online calculators or formulae for energy expenditure based on age/weight/height are only an estimate based on averages. The real values vary wildly between individuals and can only be determined by tracking your own calorie intake and resulting weight. If you put on weight, you have consumed more energy than you have expended.

        • ozzpete on 15/02/2018 - 05:58

          Lol, easy to say, but not so easy for every and any person to actually do.

        • Stakka on 27/08/2018 - 23:53

          @Gimli: Would you be willing to sell me a script for saxenda ? Email me [email protected] or find me on Facebook stacey Michelle cox. Would love to try this !!!

      • dufflover on 12/02/2018 - 08:59
        +1

        Being short must be a real disease too then

        • Joe Sixpack on 12/02/2018 - 12:33
          -4

          You're arguing with medical science, not me. It's a disease, get over it.

        • MementoMori on 12/02/2018 - 14:09
          +4

          @Joe Sixpack: It's a mental disease to think it's a disease. A disease gives people an excuse, which is a terrible mindset.

          How come this 'disease' doesn't exist in Japan?

        • Joe Sixpack on 12/02/2018 - 15:41
          +6

          @domcc1: About 4% of Japs are obese. But remember, Japan requires citizens between the ages of 45 and 74 to have their waists measured once a year. If the individual is at risk of being overweight, they are encouraged to seek medical attention. This law, called the “Metabo Law” was passed in January 2008.And if you are fat, they shame you. Strong social pressure. Plus lots of bicycling. Plus different genetic makeup.

        • MikeKulls on 13/02/2018 - 07:14
          +8

          @Joe Sixpack: so they look after themselves, exercise more and watch what they eat. If only we could adopt such a system here. :)

        • Dylicious on 14/02/2018 - 02:53
          +1

          they also have the healthiest average diet of any populace studied.

          They eat basically a lot of raw foods and fish and rice in small portions.

          Almost no processed foods, no dairy, very little sugary excesses.

          It is not so much their genetic makeup as it is the societal differences.

          (also gene variance has been scientifically proven to have about, at the maximum, the same effect as eating one more bite of an apple a day, it really is not significant)

          Dude, go for it, but tbh, I have not seen you post anything about your diet and daily activity and that is the the actual area that will help you in regards to weight loss.

        • Xastros on 14/02/2018 - 09:24
          +2

          @Dylicious: Where is this scientific proof you speak of that says the maximum effect of genetics is one bite of an apple a day at most. I find that highly unlikely just based on anecdotal observation. I eat 3000 calories a day including a decent amount of fast food and am very skinny. I know someone else who eats 1600 per day and is overweight. Yes i exercise more but not more to the tune of 1400 calories per day.

      • dust on 12/02/2018 - 09:12
        +7

        A doctor once told me that weight loss can be summarised in four words. Eat less, move more.

        Sure genetics plays a part in it, but if you're expending more than you're ingesting, you'll lose weight!

        • Geryatric on 12/02/2018 - 10:43
          -4

          That works for 80% of people, so yes its a good slogan for the masses.
          It's not going to cut it for the other 20%

        • infinite on 12/02/2018 - 17:10
          +6

          @Geryatric: It will if they eat less and move more. It's pure physics.

        • Xastros on 12/02/2018 - 17:31
          +10

          @Geryatric: More like works for 99% of people. Most overweight people could achieve and maintain weigh loss with diet/exercise but because there is the 1% that have a genuine medical condition like thyroid issues or physical injury, everyone seems to think there is nothing they can do about being overweight.

        • Joe Sixpack on 12/02/2018 - 22:13
          -3

          @Xastros: It's pointless going on about how people just need to be stronger, have more willpower etc etc. I am strong, I have willpower, but I also have a genetically determined high hunger level that works to undermine my dieting efforts. Saxenda overcomes this.

        • knk on 13/02/2018 - 08:05
          +4

          @Joe Sixpack:

          Try a proper caloric deficit, using non calorie dense foods. You'll be full in no time and taking in a healthy amount of calories.

          Think fibrous veggies etc.

          Over time your hunger will fade.

          Also stop making excuses and just diet, you're only hurting yourself.

        • Joe Sixpack on 13/02/2018 - 08:33
          -1

          @knk: OMFG, is this forum really this dense?

        • knk on 13/02/2018 - 08:39
          +10

          @Joe Sixpack:

          Honestly mate, if you really did have some sort of extreme condition that caused you to remain overweight despite your best efforts I think everyone would be very sympathetic.

          But when you throw terms around like 'genetically determined high hunger level' it looks like you're just making excuses. There are plenty of ways to get around high hunger, for one don't be around foods that don't further your goals. If you theoretically had no access to calorie dense foods you'd have no choice but to lose weight. An exaggerated example,If you ate a kilo of green veggies with every meal I'm sure you would overall end up with a lower amount of calories for said meal.

          I know it isn't easy, I've lost a reasonable amount of weight myself and have seen a friend go through the struggle of dropping 60kgs. No doubt it was hard, but if you want it all you have to do is make informed choices about what you put in your body.

          Good luck

        • Joe Sixpack on 13/02/2018 - 10:51

          @knk:

          But when you throw terms around like 'genetically determined high hunger level' it looks like you're just making excuses.

          You don't know what you are talking about. It's as simple as that. I really suggest you do some research

          Evidence for genetic contributions to body weight
          comes from family, twin, and adoption studies, which
          cumulatively demonstrate that the heritability (fraction
          of the total phenotypic variance of a quantitative trait
          attributable to genes in a specified environment) of
          BMI is between 0.71 and 0.86 (Silventoinen, K. 2008)

          Melbourne researchers have successfully blocked in
          laboratory rats a gene believed to be a major regulator
          of hunger, causing the rats to eat less and lose weight.
          They hope the process can be replicated in humans
          and become a treatment for obesity. Using DNA to
          block a gene in the brain known as FIT, researchers
          from biotech company AGT Biosciences and Deakin
          University found that, in four days, the rats were
          eating 40 per cent less food, and had lost 5 to 8 per
          cent in body weight. …. Dr Campbell said that a
          predisposition to obesity was unlikely to be caused
          by a single gene, Dr Campbell said, "but FIT may
          lead to a treatment that will work for some people.
          …. some people had genes that made them more
          likely to be obese".

          Obesity genes affect how hungry you feel, how your
          body processes food, how much you can eat and how
          much you subconsciously move. As such, one of
          Australia’s leading bariatric clinics and research
          institutes, Austin Health (where much of The Obesity
          Myth is filmed) now take a different approach by
          treating obesity as a chronic genetic disease.
          Patients are told, often for the first time in their
          life, their weight problems are not their fault,
          but a result of a genetic predisposition.
          https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2017/09/04/yes-your-gene…

          Genes give the body instructions for responding to
          changes in its environment. Studies of resemblances
          and differences among family members, twins, and
          adoptees offer indirect scientific evidence that a
          sizable portion of the variation in weight among
          adults is due to genetic factors. Other studies have
          compared obese and non-obese people for
          variation in genes that could influence behaviors
          (such as a drive to overeat, or a tendency to be
          sedentary) or metabolism (such as a diminished
          capacity to use dietary fats as fuel, or an increased
          tendency to store body fat). These studies have
          identified variants in several genes that may
          contribute to obesity by increasing hunger
          and food intake.
          https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/resources/diseases/obesity/

          More:
          http://www.discoverymedicine.com/Mingming-Gao/2014/06/gene-t…
          https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2017/09/04/yes-your-gene…

        • Xastros on 13/02/2018 - 16:20
          +4

          @Joe Sixpack:

          Even in the links you provided, all of them say that obesity is a result of a combination of genetics and environment. "our genes load the gun and our environment pulls the trigger".

          The trap is that obese people say to themselves that it's not their fault and there is nothing they can do about it.

          Genes can predispose you to being obese by stacking the odds against you but it doesn't mean that you can't be a normal weight with the right lifestyle changes.

          It's much easier to just accept it's not your fault and be over weight than to accept that you drew the short straw and have to make serious and difficult lifestyle changes that you have to continue for the rest of your life. After all, other people scoff down burgers and pizzas and remain thin while you can't do the same. So genes must mean you can't be a normal weight right? It is much easier to believe that. Acknowledging that genes play a big role in your weight is good but citing these studies and saying that genes make you hopelessly obese is not a great message to others.

          Like I said acknowledging the role genes play is good so you don't beat yourself up over being overweight. It's not that you are a terribly weak person. It's that it is much harder for you than some others because you are hungrier and have a slower metabolism etc. But we are humans. We have the ability to control our actions. No matter how badly your boss angers you, you don't punch him in the face. Just like no matter how hungry you are, you can choose not to put that piece of food in your mouth. If someone offered you a billion dollars to abstain from eating food for 48 hours you would magically develop the willpower to do it. You can do it. It's whether you will or you won't.

          The other thing that complicates matters is that losing large amounts of weight and keeping it off is actually much more complex than just eat less move more. Many people say just subtract 500 calories from your diet and boom, 1 pound of weight loss a week. Sure that works for a while… until it doesn't. Need to invest the money to get a good diet and exercise coach if you have a lot of weight to lose.

        • chartparker on 13/02/2018 - 16:28

          @Joe Sixpack: What's an average day's food intake for you, out of curiosity? Like type of food, quantity etc.

        • Joe Sixpack on 13/02/2018 - 16:45

          @Xastros:

          After all, other people scoff down burgers and pizzas and remain thin while you can't do the same. So genes must mean you can't be a normal weight right?

          No, not quite. Genes can make you hungrier in general than another person, as twin studies show. Or be slower to respond to the 'stop eating' signal. Or utilize cals more effectively. Or need less cals than a thin person to maintain a certain weight. Genes do matter. And to that extent yes, it's not my fault or anyone's fault.

          But yes, you can fight your genes. My wife is effortlessly thin, but I have to work hard to be thin (count calories every day for instance). No need to be sad about it; that's life.

          BTW, I find maintaining a weight much easier than losing weight (although many people will say it's the other way around for them).

        • Joe Sixpack on 13/02/2018 - 17:07
          +1

          @chartparker: Eggs, chickenm vegetables, a rice cake or two, a couple of biscuits. I eat a very healthy diet

        • ItsMeAgro on 13/02/2018 - 19:48

          @Joe Sixpack:

          I never liked salads as a kid, typical meat-and-carb-heavy aussie diet. I thought myself too old to change, but I tried some new foods and now my favourite meals are vietnamese noodle salad and japanese noodle salad with sesame dressing.

          I guess I'm saying keep taking the drug if it's working, but don't write off trying some weird new healthy foods. You never know what will stick.

        • chartparker on 13/02/2018 - 21:10
          +1

          @Joe Sixpack: That's pretty good. The only thing I can suggest is replacing the rice cakes and biscuits with fruit like apples, pears bananas or watermelon. I'm one of those people that basically put on 5kg if I even look at processed carbs or grains, but snacking on fruit, nuts and yoghurt seems to help lose weight even though I'm pretty sure fruit is still high in sugars.

        • Joe Sixpack on 13/02/2018 - 22:20
          -2

          @chartparker:

          Thanks for the input, but although I love fruit I find it gives me indigestion and a sore stomach. I have lots of food intolerances, had them all my life and they have gotten slightly worse as I've aged. I have to stick to a limited palette of foods to stay well.

        • Xastros on 14/02/2018 - 09:02

          @Joe Sixpack: If you have strong enough will power then no matter how hungry you feel you could overcome your body's signal to eath though? I'm not saying that it is easy or that I could do it but ultimately as humans we control our actions no matter what we 'feel'. We are not a slave to our feelings.

        • samfisher5986 on 14/02/2018 - 11:41
          +1

          @Geryatric:

          The other 20% are lying/wrong about their intake/energy consumption.

        • rover100 on 14/02/2018 - 18:27

          @Geryatric:

          It will work for 99.9% of people, only people with extreme conditions they will not be able to lose weight

        • haboutnnah on 17/02/2018 - 13:59

          @rover100:

          if you have those extreme conditions youd know

          gaining weight would be the least of your worries

        • haboutnnah on 17/02/2018 - 14:00

          @Joe Sixpack:

          the quantity is the main determinant.

          if you're actually eating under tdee and not losing weight, go to a university, the scientist that observes you would get a nobel prize for generating energy

      • Geryatric on 12/02/2018 - 10:40
        +3

        TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration)

      • Christy Bambi on 12/02/2018 - 23:09
        +3

        obesity is not a disease. If you want to lose weight, correct eating and exercise. I do it to lose weight gradually, but it takes commitment and hardwork. Most people are too lazy to do it

      • volcanoeqcycle on 13/02/2018 - 20:14

        Well if the FDA approved it then it must be safe, lol.

      • Msquared on 13/02/2018 - 23:16

        It actually is FDA approved for treatment of obesity.

        My understanding of FDA approval is more or less that the approved substance has no known or significant side effects at the recommended dose, nothing to with whether or not it performs as claimed…

      • freemoneyhunter on 17/02/2018 - 08:29

        People get fat because they eat the wrong foods. Cheese, meats, chips and general junk foods make everyone fat, sick and cause heart disease and other illnesses. If you eat a high carb low fat diet you will always lose weight.

        I saw a woman who was in hospital on a weight related disease, she was caught smuggling mcdonalds into the hospital. People are fat because they will not eat healthily and have little willpower to avoid fatty junk foods. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/02/19/25D6772100000578-2…

        Saxenda has side effects such as causing thyroid cancer. Getting a gastric bypass is even worse, because the person eats high calorie foods, it does not fill the stomach so they make the stomach smaller to match the high calorie food, but the person should just eat properly, ie rice, potatoes, whole breads and vegetables and fruits. Eating high calorie food with a bypassed stomach makes it very hard to get enough vitamins, minerals and fibre from natural sources and if they see the light and decide to eat natural foods, the stomach won't be large enough to digest and consume enough of these foods.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 11/02/2018 - 19:38
      +8

      There are no shortcuts to a healthy body.

      Agreed. Tummy tuck incisions are generally quite long.

    • ozzpete on 15/02/2018 - 05:55

      There are shortcuts, just it would be healthier, to not choose (or need) the shortcuts.
      I expect in future times, some simple and effective lyposuction will be commonly performed cheaply and quickly (or if it takes a considerable amount of time, it will happen while we sleep, or while watch tv, etc)

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