Shame - The Fear We Are Not Good Enough
There’s a weird kind of shame that comes with weight loss medication — like you’ve cheated the system. Like you’ve bought your way into a result other people had to earn through sweat and suffering.
One of the biggest NZ Wegovy Facebook groups encourages anonymity, and honestly… that says everything. People are doing something life-changing, and still feel like they need to hide their name to be allowed support.
When times are uncertain, money is tight, obesity hits harder in lower-income communities with complex health challenges, medication can feel privileged. Like Botox. Meanwhile I’ve got friends doing extreme things — trips to Mexico for gastric sleeve surgery, 5am hardcore gym missions — while juggling work, family, and life. So when medication helps, guilt creeps in: this doesn’t count.
But here’s the part I'm holding tight to like a life-ring: confidence can shift fast. At 66 years old, I was no longer condemned to 'dressing my age' I started dressing for fun. Around the 10 kgs down mark people started to comment.
A colleague told me - "You're pretty funky for an old duck!". I took my time on hair and makeup seriously. My hairdresser told me my confidence was huge — then texted me: “Be proud ya looking soo good xxx.” It felt amazing. A short-term boost.
Long term? This journey isn’t about being skinny. It’s about being free — from shame, from hiding, from the belief that you only deserve change if you suffer for it. It may be a lifetime or a short time but there are lessons here to learn and until I have them squared away, Im not going anywhere.