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As you know, I have been helping people to lose weight for a very long time and over that time I have met so many different types of dieters.
Some are 100% focussed, follow the eating plan to the letter, and enjoy enormous success. Others take it slowly and work out how they can manage to cut down their food intake and increase their activity to fit in with their lifestyle and ultimately reach their goal. And I have also learned so much from people who desperately want to lose weight who, for whatever reason, just seem unable to do so.
What must it feel like to be very, very overweight and the prospect of restricting their food intake for a very long time seems just too daunting? Or maybe they are suffering from external issues – health, family, relationship, even issues from childhood – that seem to prevent them from being able to stick to any kind of eating plan for any length of time. Despite them desperately wanting to be slim it just seems hopeless.
It is really important that we don’t judge anyone who is morbidly obese because we never know the full story of that person’s life, their genes or their circumstances, any more than we should judge someone who is drastically underweight. The solutions is never as simple as it appears.
We do, however, have a serious obesity problem in the UK. Recent data from the latest Health Survey for England in 2023 revealed that 64% of adults in the UK are classified as overweight or obese. The same data shows that 26% of the UK population is classified as obese. Sadly, I believe the figures are even greater now. The risks to our health from being very overweight or obese are significant, including increased chances of suffering heart disease, some cancers, Type 2 Diabetes or a stroke, plus lack of mobility in older age and inevitable joint problems from carrying excessive weight everywhere we go. All of these lead to mind-blowing additional costs to the NHS, just because we are carrying so much extra weight.
It is no wonder, then, that the NHS are now offering weight-loss injections in the hope of helping those in greatest need to lose weight. But as with all drugs, it is never that straightforward and not everyone is eligible and some people are choosing to go privately. In any event, the drug is only prescribed for a maximum of two years and unless you have changed your attitude to food, your lifestyle, and are determined to maintain the changes you made whilst on the programme, the chances are you will regain the weight you lose. So careful consideration must be made before embarking on such a plan of action.
The first thing to understand is that your GP is unlikely to prescribe it. You will most likely be referred to a specialist weight management practitioner where the treatment, if prescribed, will be offered alongside a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. If your GP decides that you do not qualify, then you may decide to go privately. But the ‘million-dollar key’ to anyone’s success is your own attitude to embarking on this journey. If you are prepared to work with it as a tool, not a solution, and are prepared to make every effort to change your eating habits and increase your activity levels, then it could work for you.
Julie, one of my own class members, decided she would invest in the treatment and pay for it herself as her GP would not put her forward on the NHS. Julie has struggled with her weight for years. Thankfully, she has always felt comfortable in our class and the members have always been supportive as she has shared her struggles with us but last year she felt the time had now come when enough was enough and she decided to take action.
She found a medical practitioner online, who was very thorough in investigating her case. Julie had to submit an up-to-date photograph supported by photographic i/d in the form of her passport, before they would supply the drug. She was prescribed Mounjaro. Julie is required to give regular updates, supported by photographic evidence of progress, before the dose is increased over an appropriate period.
I am delighted to report that the results for Julie have been extraordinary. In 10½ months, Julie has lost 8st. Her BMI has gone from 62.1 and is now 42.9! She has been a model patient, using Mounjaro as a tool to help her on her weight loss journey. Yes, it reduces her appetite but she is also eating healthily and skipping any treats or temptations. We are all so proud of her and she is feeling so much healthier and now able to go for walks, despite her bad knee.
There is not a magic drug that will miraculously help you to shed those unwanted lbs. It is really important to realise that the drug is only a tool that works alongside your own personal efforts to lose weight and become fitter.
So, what are the drugs and how do they work?
Wegovy (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) are injectable medications used for weight loss and diabetes management. They work by mimicking the hormones that regulate appetite and blood sugar levels and here are the key benefits and risks of these medications:
Benefits:
- Significant Weight Loss – Clinical trials show that people can lose 15-25% of their body weight over time.
- Appetite Suppression – Reduces hunger and cravings, helping with portion control.
- Improved Blood Sugar Control – Beneficial for people with Type 2 Diabetes.
- Cardiovascular Benefits – May lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Potential for Long-Term Use – Can be part of a sustainable weight loss plan when combined with diet and exercise.
Risks & Side Effects:
- Gastrointestinal Issues – Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, and bloating are common, especially when starting the medication.
- Risk of Pancreatitis – Increased risk of inflammation in the pancreas.
- Gallbladder Issues – Higher likelihood of gallstones due to rapid weight loss.
- Thyroid Concerns – Semaglutide (Wegovy) has been linked to thyroid tumours in animal studies (not yet confirmed in humans).
- Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar) – More common in people with diabetes using insulin or sulfonylureas which works by helping our pancreas to make more insulin.
- Muscle Loss – Some weight loss may come from muscle rather than fat.
NB: Patients should always consult with their healthcare professional to thoroughly understand the potential risks and benefits before starting or continuing these or similar treatments.
As with all weight loss systems, there needs to be commitment and control in our behaviour if we are going to achieve long term success. Being offered a tool such as one of these drugs, is a tremendous help for some people but always remember, it is a joint enterprise between you and the medication.
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MINCED BEEF AND QUORN STEAKS
Serves 4
Per serving 182 calories, 4.6% fat (excluding accompaniments)
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
300g extra lean minced beef
100g Quorn mince
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 courgette, grated
1 tsp grain mustard or horseradish sauce
1 tsp vegetable stock powder
Black pepper, to taste
- Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and season with black pepper. Divide the mixture into 4 portions and then, using your hands, mould each portion into a ball. Place them on a board and use a palette knife to shape each ball into a teardrop shape. Chill for 10 minutes.
- Preheat a non-stick griddle pan, then when the steaks are chilled, dry-fry them for 10 minutes on each side.
- Serve with 175g boiled new potatoes (with skins) and 1 grilled tomato and dry-fried mushrooms plus unlimited additional vegetables
Chef's Tip: Choose mustard or horseradish to flavour these simple steaks
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Don't forget, you can download and print a copy of all our recipes if you click on the image to go to the recipe's page on the website.
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Fun, Facts & Fitness from Mary Morris MSc.
I was delighted to read about Rosemary's member Julie who has turned her life around (and I mean truly turned it around) with the use of the weight loss drug Mounjaro. For a long time now I have kept my eye on what is happening with this exciting area of new drugs that have taken the world by storm, and which have the potential to make a significant difference in the treatment of this most complex condition called obesity.
Rosemary and I have been part of that long journey in trying to educate people to break the habit of over-eating, combined with very little exercise, for over 50 years, and we have both been passionate about trying to make a difference. And for many, many people we have succeeded, I think, but what we had to realise was that some people cannot be helped by simply telling them to eat less and move more! It is far more complicated than that.
Last October I saved an article from the Daily Telegraph where one of their regular contributors, Allison Pearson, had been on Mounjaro, with considerable effect. She stated:
'After 8 weeks on ‘fatty's little helper’, I have lost 18lbs. Some may call it weakness, but I couldn't do it on my own. Judge me if you will, but a slender handrail to hold onto while I break the addiction of over-eating for half a century has been invaluable. I believe my habits have been changed and I intend to hold on to the losses'.
That last sentence for me is so important. That her usual habits have been changed and she is determined to hold onto all the good that has come out of using the drug. This is my only concern, that Rosemary also alluded to, that for it to work into the future, it must be combined with making long-term changes to the way you live your life.
Professor Giles Yeo, an obesity geneticist at the University of Cambridge, says that as well as weight loss, these medicines also reduce blood pressure, the risk of cardiovascular disease and several cancers, however, the benefits only last while you are taking the drugs. Once you stop, your appetite returns to normal in a week and there is then the risk that you will put all the weight back on again.
He thinks it's essential that people are supported with nutrition and physical exercise advice. When you lose weight quickly you lose 50% fat and 50% muscle mass! Nobody wants to lose muscle, so it is vital that you combine this drug with an effective programme of strength exercise to maintain muscle mass, and especially if you are in the older age group.
Making Changes
If you are very overweight then doing any kind of exercise is extremely difficult, and it is not surprising that it leads to a more sedentary life. Rosemary has often mentioned the ‘fat suits’ that we used to make our 'slim' trainee teachers wear whilst learning to teach exercise to an overweight group, to help them understand just how difficult it is to exercise when carrying a lot of excess weight.
It is a difficult and a complex challenge to make these essential lifestyle changes, and if one of your bad habits has been to eat too much, then that side of your weight problem is taken care of by using the drug. Your appetite drops... a lot! The hope is that if you use the drug for long enough, then hopefully eating less will become a habit that is likely to be sustained, even when you are not using the drug. But there is more you can do to help keep that weight off and that is to move more. Here are a few top tips for adding more movement into your everyday activity:
- Avoid sitting for long periods of time. Initially you may need to set an alarm every hour – then get up and move!
- Park your car further away from where you need to be. The furthest corner in the supermarket car park!
- Walk and talk. If you are meeting a friend for a catch up, combine it with a walk in the park.
- View your housework as an opportunity to move more.
- Take a daily walk outside. Start with only 5 minutes and by the end of a week you will manage 10 minutes. You will be amazed at how good the body is at progressing!
- Chatting on the phone? Stand up and walk around as you chat.
- Dance around to your favourite music tracks on the radio.
The hope is that as the weight drops away movement will become easier and you will be inspired to move into more formal exercise such as the 28 day Amazing Inch Loss Exercise Plan workouts or The 28-Day Immunity Plan workout videos. These are both progressive programmes spread over 4 weeks, helping you maintain your muscle mass as you lose the weight.
If you use this medication and sit around waiting for it work then you are doing a great disservice to your body and to your general health. Making significant changes to how active you are is not easy – it is taking you out of your comfort zone, but as you lose the weight with the significant help of these new drugs, hopefully you will be encouraged by the change happening to your size and shape. As you see the pounds coming off, your self-esteem will rise significantly and the motivation to get moving more will be a natural consequence. Your goal must be that when you eventually stop using the drug you have transformed your lifestyle and find yourself with all the tools in your 'life' toolbox to manage very well without it! If you do, your life will be transformed for ever!
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 Mary mentioned the 'Fat Suits' used to help trainee diet & fitness class leaders understand the challenges faced by larger people exercising.
In 2013 Rosemary took it one step further and spent a day walking around Leicester wearing prosthetic make up on her face and neck and an oversized body suit. Here's the story of how she got on and what she learned.
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This Week's Fitness Challenge
- Go for your daily 30+ minute walk and look out for inclines for the opportunity to get your heart pumping and lungs breathing more deeply.
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- For an all-round strength programme follow the Amazing Inch Loss Exercise Plan. When you have completed the 28 days of the programme, if you enjoyed it go back to Day 15 and continue repeating those 14 days of exercises. When you feel ready, progress to The 28-Day Immunity Plan workouts and start at the level that is appropriate for you.
- If you have completed The 28-Day Immunity Plan workout videos, progress to the The Advanced Whole Body Strength Programme and do it 3 times this week.
- Always remember your Post Walk Stretches when you return from your daily walk. Also, try to do the Whole Body Stretch Programme 3 times this week.
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Did you know... 
If you have watched the video of Rosemary spending a day as an overweight person shopping in Leicester you will have seen how the make-up artists changed the shape of her face and body using prosthetics and padding. Prosthetic make up has come a long way since the days when the monsters in Doctor Who looked like actors with a cardboard box on their head.
Now, from the gory reality of the injuries in Casualty, to the likes of Ant and Dec being able to fool their close friend Simon Cowell as to their identity in a talent contest, can you really believe everything you see?
In prosthetic makeup silicone, foam latex, and gelatin are used to create pieces which can be stuck to a person's face and body to completely change their shape and appearance. Coupled with cosmetic make up to mask the join, the transformation is complete and, if it is done well, undetectable.
Photos of Roddy McDowall's makeup work for the television series Planet of the Apes
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And finally...
Losing weight is never easy and I remember only too well my own struggles back in the day, but I never gave up trying. In the end, I cracked it by cutting down on fat and increasing my activity. I recall a wonderful quote from a nutrition scientist many years ago which is still valid today:
'Obesity is not a curable disease but it is a manageable one’.
Yes, we can learn to manage our weight if we put in the effort to exercise more to burn extra calories and tone up, and eat more healthily and stop snacking.
Now, I want to be slim more than I want that biscuit or bar of chocolate.
Have a great week.
With love and best wishes,
Rosemary Conley CBE DL
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LIVE LONGER | LIVE HEALTHIER | LIVE HAPPIER
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