Secret diary of a yo-yo dieter on a weight loss drug trial…Part 3

Anna-Louise Dearden | Last update: 14th November 2025

A change to the routine

It has been an interesting month with a change to the routine in the trial.

I have had a dose increase (if I am on the active treatment, which I suspect I am), but now I only have the injection once a month.

Although I am losing weight, it’s not as dramatic as all of these media stories of losing ‘eight dress sizes in three months’.

This is not the experience I am having. The nutritionist is really pleased with my progress though, and describes it as more sustainable than quick weight loss. Which means I’m less likely to put the weight back on. 

The mental struggle

So far I am struggling mentally with the concept of what is happening, as it is so very different to any other weight loss programme. I would like to think that I am an intelligent person, and I know that I need to reduce the amount I eat, move more and reduce the amount of processed, high fat foods that I eat. But essentially I’ve always known this and I’m trying to undo years of habits where i’ve not managed it, so I’m questioning my ability. 

Once a food addict…

I have always said that I am a food addict and you can’t just undo years of bad habits in a few weeks, but because this is so different to any other diet, I am finding it challenging to get my head around.

I have found myself slipping into eating the wrong things, almost testing my ability to still lose weight and eat what I want.

And let me tell you, it doesn’t work; and I don’t feel particularly great. In the first few weeks when I was eating well, I was feeling really good (well I was after the constipation subsided). On speaking to my nutritionist (she is a Godsend), she said this is not unusual behaviour. The thought that you can eat what you want and still lose weight, is still the dream for many people. But if you remember from my first diary, this whole journey wasn’t about what I look like, but about my health and eating poorly. So trying to hack the system will not yield the health benefits that I am looking for. 

Letting myself down?

I am still not drinking as much fluid as I should and there’s not much exercise (I am out of the house at work 12 hours each day), so I really feel like I am letting myself down. This then triggers unhappiness and a great excuse for eating unhealthily. 

After a few days of feeling this way, I gave myself a talking to after a colleague at work asked if I had lost weight. THIS was the boost I needed.

I thought about it and realised I hadn’t weighed myself since my appointment and that is extraordinary for me. Any of you reading this on your own journey will recognise the incessant need to weigh yourself and see that you are making progress. My next appointment was due soon so I persevered with not weighing myself until the next appointment and was pleasantly surprised to see that I had lost weight. 

Slow and steady

My progress is 16 lbs to date, so a steady 2lbs a week but more surprisingly I have lost 8cms in total from my waist. So the message from me is keep going and don’t expect a miracle, but take all of the wins, even if they feel small. Collectively it adds up and I am starting to see the difference in my clothes and the way my body looks. I am on this trial for 30 months and there is no expectation to lose weight quickly, just sustainably.

I am still in 100% and ready for another month of understanding my relationship with food!

Did you miss the previous installments? Read Part 1 and Part 2.