Dear readers, almost a year ago we interviewed Svea about weight-loss injections (read the interview here). She had been overweight for 25 years, eventually reaching a peak weight of 105 kg at a height of 1.76 m. Svea told us that she was an emotional eater and that her whole day used to revolve around her next meal or snack. That’s why she decided to have the weight-loss injection back then. Now here’s an update:
Dear Svea, it’s been almost a year since our last interview. Back then, you had the weight-loss injection &n Why don’t you tell us again what your starting weight was and why you decided to go for the injections.
I weighed over 100 kilos back then and had tried every diet – always without success. And even when I did lose some weight, I couldn’t keep it off. It was very demoralising and I didn’t know what to do anymore. That’s why I decided to go for the weight-loss injection back then.
Now, of course, the interesting question is: are you still having the injections?
No, I stopped last December. I wasn’t losing weight as I’d hoped, and I have to say that you also have to be able to afford the injections…
How do you feel now without the injections?
The food noise came back relatively quickly and the hunger is back too. That was very strange and I hadn’t expected all of that to come back so suddenly. The peace of mind the injections gave me was really lovely. Now there are days when I really struggle with food cravings. Sometimes the food cravings win, sometimes I do.
What do you weigh at the moment and are you happy with your weight?
I now weigh 78–80 kilos, which is fine; I feel comfortable. But of course I’d have been happy to be 10 kilos lighter…
What are you doing now to maintain your weight?
I’m now doing 16:8 fasting and I’m coping well with it. I try to eat as balanced and healthily as possible. That mostly works well because I always cook fresh meals for the children too. I don’t do any extra exercise now, but I try to get plenty of movement in my daily life, such as cycling and going for walks.
What are the typical situations where you fall back into old habits?
Stress is my worst enemy. I’ve noticed that it works best when I plan my meals for the week. I work shifts in care; if I don’t have anything with me or haven’t prepared anything, it ends up with lots of unnecessary snacks. Generally, structure and preparation help me a lot.
When would you start injecting again?
I think if the scales showed a weight gain of more than 5 kilos again and I couldn’t get it under control any other way. Or if the food cravings take over again.
Looking back with some hindsight, how would you view your experience with the weight-loss injections?
For me, apart from the financial burden, it actually had nothing but benefits. My weight went down continuously and steadily, and I haven’t experienced any yo-yo effect so far.
I started with a relatively high dose. My mental health reacted to that amount; my anxiety disorder got worse at the time. So I wouldn’t go for such a high dose again. Otherwise, it really is a good way for people who are overweight – and especially those who are severely overweight – to stay motivated to lose weight and change their diet. Because that’s what many people forget: you have to change your diet, otherwise the pounds won’t come off!
