Ozempic and suchlike...know anybody on 'em?

[cheb]

Now comes the fun of trying to keep the weight off. As I mentioned before, in the course of a year I've lost over 25kgs, that's about a 1lb per week. A changed diet and lots of physical work, stress helps quite early on too. I haven't been this light since the late 1980s,

[Trinity765]

I've tried Mounjaro three times now. Each time for two months with six months in between. Each time I do that I lose about a stone and in the six months between, I put half of that back on, though this time, I have only put 2lbs on. My last dose was in February.

A couple of weeks ago I read an article about effects of GLP-1 analogues and agonists on gut microbiota which said that there is an increase gut microbe, one in particular - lactobacillus bulgaricus, when people take these injections. That is a common bacteria and used to make yoghurt. It was first isolated in Bulgarian yoghurt, hence it's name. It is credited with all kinds of health benefits, such as stimulating immune responses, helping to manage lactose intolerance, linked to reduced inflammation and allergy symptoms, increased mood and life expectancy.

I've always fancied making yoghurt so I started experimenting. It's very easy and very cheap as you can use the last batch as a starter for the next. I started with shop bought yoghurt but then bought some lactobacillus bulgaricus starter from Amazon. Every batch I've made has been a success. I heat up milk, cool it to 44c, mix in the starter, put it in a vacuum flask for 6 to 12 hours and it's done.

After a week of eating homemade yoghurt for breakfast I realised that I felt fantastic! No inflammation - I feel "slim", I have a lot more energy and I'm in a great mood. Because I'm in a better mood and have more energy, I'm eating less.

Give it a go and do your own research. Making yoghurt is very cheap and easy. I use normal, full fat milk but if you're concerned about fat you can make it with semi-skimmed and maybe even skimmed It will give you something to do if you're coming off the injections.

I feel really healthy right now.

[Noggin]

I started with shop bought yoghurt but then bought some lactobacillus bulgaricus starter from Amazon. Every batch I've made has been a success. I heat up milk, cool it to 44c, mix in the starter, put it in a vacuum flask for 6 to 12 hours and it's done.

Sounds aces; I've made a fair bit of plain yoghurt but not used a starter (pressure cooker, made using UHT milk )

Soooo, now I want to try making it properly (since I'm home a fair bit right now!!) - any chance of a link to the starter ? I've found something that might be it on amazon fr, but not sure it's the right one

I'm happy to buy a load of milk instead of loads of yoghurts!! And I have loads of the little yoghurts jars in a bag in the shed - obviously had this in mind when I rescued those from wherever I rescued them

[Trinity765]

@Noggin

Here's a link and a picture of the back of the packet. Please let me know how you get on and more importantly, if you feel better for it

I heat my milk until it's simmering, not boiling. Some recipes say to do that for a minute, but I don't as had already made several successful batches before I read that. I use a food thermometer to get the temperature right. I put it in a thermos, wrap it in a towel and put it in the warmest place in the house (airing cupboard).

Regarding using your current yoghurt as a starter - each time you make a batch the culture gets weaker so it's better to make your first batch, take portions of it to use as a starters - I freeze mine. You need about two table spoons per litre for a starter.

If your yoghurt doesn't work it's because the temperature was too high, too low or there wasn't enough culture to start off with.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KUAYYKM? ... asin_title

[Horse]

https://www.itv.com/thismorning/article ... -loss-jabs

Interesting item

[Taipan]

I've tried Mounjaro three times now. Each time for two months with six months in between. Each time I do that I lose about a stone and in the six months between, I put half of that back on, though this time, I have only put 2lbs on. My last dose was in February.

A couple of weeks ago I read an article about effects of GLP-1 analogues and agonists on gut microbiota which said that there is an increase gut microbe, one in particular - lactobacillus bulgaricus, when people take these injections. That is a common bacteria and used to make yoghurt. It was first isolated in Bulgarian yoghurt, hence it's name. It is credited with all kinds of health benefits, such as stimulating immune responses, helping to manage lactose intolerance, linked to reduced inflammation and allergy symptoms, increased mood and life expectancy.

I've always fancied making yoghurt so I started experimenting. It's very easy and very cheap as you can use the last batch as a starter for the next. I started with shop bought yoghurt but then bought some lactobacillus bulgaricus starter from Amazon. Every batch I've made has been a success. I heat up milk, cool it to 44c, mix in the starter, put it in a vacuum flask for 6 to 12 hours and it's done.

After a week of eating homemade yoghurt for breakfast I realised that I felt fantastic! No inflammation - I feel "slim", I have a lot more energy and I'm in a great mood. Because I'm in a better mood and have more energy, I'm eating less.

Give it a go and do your own research. Making yoghurt is very cheap and easy. I use normal, full fat milk but if you're concerned about fat you can make it with semi-skimmed and maybe even skimmed It will give you something to do if you're coming off the injections.

I feel really healthy right now.

I only eat and drink full fat everything. One thing I learned recently, is if they took the fat out, they've put some worse crap in to replace it! I'll look into that as my wife loves yoghurt, albeit crap ones!

[ZRX61]

I've tried Mounjaro three times now....

The side effect warnings that come with that stuff (which includes *death*) makes me wonder how it hasn't been banned.

[Noggin]

@Noggin

Here's a link and a picture of the back of the packet. Please let me know how you get on and more importantly, if you feel better for it

I heat my milk until it's simmering, not boiling. Some recipes say to do that for a minute, but I don't as had already made several successful batches before I read that. I use a food thermometer to get the temperature right. I put it in a thermos, wrap it in a towel and put it in the warmest place in the house (airing cupboard).

Regarding using your current yoghurt as a starter - each time you make a batch the culture gets weaker so it's better to make your first batch, take portions of it to use as a starters - I freeze mine. You need about two table spoons per litre for a starter.

If your yoghurt doesn't work it's because the temperature was too high, too low or there wasn't enough culture to start off with.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KUAYYKM? ... asin_title

Thanx loads, will update when I try it I know stress is a big block for me at the mo (cortisol etc) so anything to help the gut and I should be able to shift at least what I gained in rehab!!

I only eat and drink full fat everything. One thing I learned recently, is if they took the fat out, they've put some worse crap in to replace it! I'll look into that as my wife loves yoghurt, albeit crap ones!

The only thing I don't is full fat milk, but that's cos I usd to have skimmed in tea and full fat makes the tea greasy (to me!!) - but I get semi skimmed here and that's ok

I'm with you on the low fat shit - I also avoid seed oils now, they are not processed in a good way and so are more manufactured "something" than food. Along with products that say they have olive oil in - usually a tiny percentage of olive oil and a ton of manufactured shit/seed oil!!

[Docca]

I’m week 9 of the ‘Total Diet Replacement’ diet.

20kgs down so far. Blood sugar normal and blood pressure down.

Family friend on the jabs and has gallstones- on list for surgery.

I go out Friday, Saturday and sometimes Sunday. Plus I eat plain chicken as a snack every now and again.

I’m down to a 36” waist and on my way to a 34”.

Feel good, plus ( without going into detail) my stamina and, erm, sustainability is similar to when I was in my 20s.

[weeksy]

I’m week 9 of the ‘Total Diet Replacement’ diet.

20kgs down so far. Blood sugar normal and blood pressure down.

Family friend on the jabs and has gallstones- on list for surgery.

I go out Friday, Saturday and sometimes Sunday. Plus I eat plain chicken as a snack every now and again.

I’m down to a 36” waist and on my way to a 34”.

Feel good, plus ( without going into detail) my stamina and, erm, sustainability is similar to when I was in my 20s.

What's that then?

[Noggin]

I’m week 9 of the ‘Total Diet Replacement’ diet.

20kgs down so far. Blood sugar normal and blood pressure down.

Family friend on the jabs and has gallstones- on list for surgery.

I go out Friday, Saturday and sometimes Sunday. Plus I eat plain chicken as a snack every now and again.

I’m down to a 36” waist and on my way to a 34”.

Feel good, plus ( without going into detail) my stamina and, erm, sustainability is similar to when I was in my 20s.

Gallstones was a risk when I did the Cambridge diet (no one mentioned it, found out later!!). It seemed then that if you Only did meal replacement there was a good chance of gall stones, but if you ate actual food (but within the guides of the no/low carbs) you were far less likely

I did two meals a day replacement and one chicken or tuna with an approved veg!! My best mate then lost half her body weight and didn’t eat actual food until she hit the goal weight and had to have her gallbladder out

Gotta be a bit kind to yr insides!!

[MrLongbeard]

Sod it with a cherry on top.

I've always considered this to be cheating, I didn't fancy the side effects and I already take enough meds as it is, but I can't get this weight shifted, so I've signed up for the Wegovy pill, now to wait and see if the consult will be approved.

[gremlin]

The issue with 'diets' is that, yes they work, you lose [insert goal] weight, so you congratulate yourself, get down the pub to celebrate and resume your pre-diet lifestyle. Ditto the jabs. They'll work, notwithstanding the side effects, but stop them and your appetite returns and you're back in the fridge as before.

I found out the hard way that you need to take a look at what you're eating and doing. I was never huuuuge, but the other day I saw a photo me 30 years ago and I had more than the regulation number of chins.

In no particular order, my musings on staying healthy.

Make protein and fibre your food goals. They fill you up and help with muscle repair. For example, my brekkie this morning was overnight chia seeds soaked in almond milk, fat free yogurt, some nut butter and roasted strawberries mixed in. That will keep me full til lunch.

Batch cook. The breakfast above was served in a rinsed-out yogurt pot, one of half-a-dozen in our fridge that Mrs. G has made. If you have a healthy option readily available you'll go for that rather than an unhealthy alternative, or grabbing something from a takeaway place that is full of shit.

Sound obvious, but move. I walk 15 minutes either side of train journey when I go into London. I walk past people waiting at bus stops who I know take the same train as me. Why not get the steps in? Join a gym, but book in for classes and/or rope in a friend. You're less likely to bail if you're letting people down.

Mix up the training. Do classes where you jump around and get your heart rate up, but also do resistance (applies to ladies just as much). Weight training strengthens bones and helps stability which reduces the risk of injury. You lose muscle mass as you age, so do your utmost to keep it.

UPF is addictive. It releases dopamine into the brain so you crave more. Avoid it like the plague.

Fruit is great. Full of fibre, vitamins and lots of healthy stuff. However, modern fruit has been cultivated to be bigger, juicier, sweeter and full of deliciousness. As a result, it is rather full of sugar, in the form of fructose. I know people who snack on a few bananas a day. Each banana comes in at c. 120 calories. You do the maths given that to lose weight you need to be in calorie deficit. Protein snacks are preferable, IMO. Keep you fuller, longer and help maintain muscle.

There is a theory (I'm open minded on this one) that eating sugary food on an empty stomach gives a sugar rush that sets the pancreas on a mission to throw out insulin to 'trap' the excess glucose and store it for later, which means fat. Some people advocate eating fibrous food or protein before any sugary food to slow the absorption of sugar. Try it for a few weeks.


I should point out that, although I do try to lead a healthy lifestyle and exercise regularly, I'm on pills for cholesterol and blood pressure. Make of that what you will.

[Noggin]

@gremlin love all of this except the low fat yoghurt !! I'd want to look at the ingredients to see how they make it taste nice after they remove the fat? In the old days they used to chuck a ton of sugar in!! Or is it made with skimmed milk?

I don't think that healthy animal fats are the evil we were taught. What I've read suggests the same. Seed oils (factory produced) are not good and anything created in a factory - but fat in it's natural state is very useful in the body

I can't remember if I've shared this before but this guy is a bit extreme for himself (eats one meal a day), but what he writes about food and what food does is bloody brilliant - https://www.facebook.com/ian.callaghan.official


Also, weight training is very important for women as well as men - excellent to help bone strength (and I 'think' ligaments etc!!)



I do eat really well, very little manufactured etc, decent protein but I'm a bit lacking on fibre. I no longer crave sugary foods which is awesome doesn't mean I don't like them sometimes, but it's not a craving any more

Downside is that other things are stopping me losing what I put on in rehab, and that plus the extra I had anyway (that was going down nice and slowly with no pressure, just general eating habit changes).

Right now with the stress of a not-properly-healing bone I feel the need to try something drastic whilst I'm not working and so can eat as I want without time or work restrictions (pretty sure stress and meno is also partly a cause of lack of shifting the gain from rehab - cortisol is a bastard )

My SDad eats a keto diet which I know works really well for him (along with his outdoor work in the HUGE allotment and the weight training twice a day). So I'm going to try and plan a month of keto to see how it goes. TBF, I barely eat carbs anyway I just don't have a rule - so in theory I think I could manage it for a month *cross fingers* and see what happens from there


The Mounjaro and (I think) Ozempic) have been included in the health system here (so now they are reimbursable) - I do have the relevant BMI, just not sure if a broken knee counts as a comorbidity!! But I'd prefer to try with diet first if I can. Got a call planned with my SDad tomorrow to chat about it and make a plan

[Yorick]

UPF is addictive. It releases dopamine into the brain so you crave more. Avoid it like the plague.

Wassat???

[MrLongbeard]

UPF is addictive. It releases dopamine into the brain so you crave more. Avoid it like the plague.

Wassat???

ultra processed foods

[Count Steer]

UPF is addictive. It releases dopamine into the brain so you crave more. Avoid it like the plague.

Wassat???

ultra processed foods

Like Spanish lager?

[gremlin]

My SDad eats a keto diet which I know works really well for him (along with his outdoor work in the HUGE allotment and the weight training twice a day). So I'm going to try and plan a month of keto to see how it goes.

Ketogentic comes with it's own downsides. Kidney function, increased cholesterol and halitosis*. Why go to extremes for a month and then revert? Change your daily intake a little each week by increasing protein and fibre, and not just animal-based, which is high in fat. Pulses are high in protein, so think lentils, chickpeas, etc. Fat free Greek yogurt, eggs and overnight oats made with protein powder. Or a slice of sourdough with ricotta, some berries and a dollop of Greek yogurt. All high in protein and fibre. Mash a banana with egg whites and make a sweet omelet (serve with a blueberry compote made out of frozen blueberries, chia seeds, drop of vanilla and a bit of sweetener/honey if needed. It can be refrozen in those little pots and microwaved in seconds) and yogurt. All high protein/fibre.

Try to get out of the mindset of 'diet' as this encourages short-term thinking rather than long-term change.

Soz - sounds a bit life-coach preachy.


*And 'rabbit starvation' in the extreme - Google it.

[MrLongbeard]

lentils, chickpeas, etc. Fat free Greek yogurt, eggs and overnight oats made with protein powder. Or a slice of sourdough with ricotta, some berries and a dollop of Greek yogurt. All high in protein and fibre. Mash a banana with egg whites and make a sweet omelet (serve with a blueberry compote made out of frozen blueberries, chia seeds, drop of vanilla and a bit of sweetener/honey if needed.

Yeah this is where I struggle as I really do not like the 'healthy' alternatives, sourdough, yogurt, sprouts, cabbage, chickpeas, yeah but nah.

I can't even eat an omelette without gagging, give me fried or boiled (hot mind not cold) eggs or nowt.

I've tried near keto, low sugar, fasting (5/2, 4/3 & 18/6) and the NHS prediabetic program, all work to a point and then I get stuck after dropping 10 - 15 kgs, I'm reasonably happy with my main meals so will give the pill a go to wean me off snacks and go from there.

Neither diet or pharmaceutical weight loss is the complete answer, both need long term lifestyle changes to work.

[gremlin]

Yeah this is where I struggle as I really do not like the 'healthy' alternatives, sourdough, yogurt, sprouts, cabbage, chickpeas, yeah but nah.

I can't even eat an omelette without gagging, give me fried or boiled (hot mind not cold) eggs or nowt.

My mate is the opposite: professes to hate eggs, but will eat an omelet every morning.

Boiled eggs are a brilliant snack, sprinkled with chipotle (no salt for me: blood pressure ). Love 'em soft-ish boiled, so the yolk is still a bit runny.

What's your take on peas and avo? Mash or blend avo and peas with some chopped mint to make a puree, serve it on toast of your choosing, brown is better, obvs. Crumble on some feta and then add a couple of soft boiled eggs on top. Add chipotle for a kick. (There's a shit-ton of protein in eggs and feta, peas have fibre, avo is good to boost your HDL cholesterol (that's the good one)). Healthy and it'll keep you going and not snacking.