I help people lose weight for a living. This is why fat jabs won’t work

‘You can’t outsource discipline to a drug,’ says Kate Whale, founder of The Body Camp fitness retreat

When her party lifestyle and a bad break-up left Kate Whale, 46, feeling overweight and burned out, she turned her rock bottom into a business idea and founded The Body Camp – Europe’s leading holistic retreat with global camps and pop-ups. She lives between the locations and Bath.

There’s no doubt the rise of Ozempic and other GLP-1 weight-loss drugs has shaken up the entire wellness industry. As the collapse of Weight Watchers shows, many traditional dieting companies are scrambling to adapt.

Swapping your annual “no carbs before Marbs” willpower for something rather… effortless, well, that’s appealing, isn’t it? I get it, and certainly don’t judge anyone using the injections – some of my clients arrive at The Body Camp when they’re taking them.

Before my own lifestyle overhaul 15 years ago I was three stone overweight and miserable. But the truth is, if you don’t learn the fundamentals of how to eat well, move your body, and build a life you love, you’ll be stuck in a cycle of quick fixes with a shaky foundation. Critics say it’s “cheating,” and I do believe you’re cheating yourself, somewhat, of a healthier future.

I’ve always set out to help people transform their lives and – for over a decade now – we’ve always taken a different approach. Thankfully, business is booming. We turned away from calorie-counting and scales years ago, instead focusing on creating lasting sustainable change for mind, body and spirit. So, I know what works in the long-term.

Clients exercise at The Body Camp

Here’s precisely what fat jabs can’t teach you. And the habits I believe will change your attitude to food for your entire life.

Eat like a grown-up

Quick fixes have always existed. Before GLP-1 drugs, there were amphetamine-like diet drugs that killed hunger (and sent heart rates racing) and those lipase inhibitor pills which promised to trap fat before your body absorbed it (which resulted in diarrohea). We’ve always chased shortcuts.

Yet appetite suppression isn’t education. Eating is something we all have to do every day, for the rest of our lives. If you haven’t learned how to fuel yourself properly, you’re on borrowed time. We teach people how to enjoy eating not just less, but better: proper portions, regular meals. No guilt, no fads, no apps.

Most of us know instinctively exactly what foods are good and bad for us. But there’s other tips people don’t know, such as not to drink coffee on an empty stomach (it spikes your cortisol, stresses your system and sets your blood sugar up for chaos all day). Mornings need to be about hydration, light movement and a proper breakfast. It’s about setting the tone not just for the morning, but for the whole day.

Hunger isn’t your enemy – not understanding it is.

‘Appetite suppression isn’t education,’ says Whale - Marisa Sakura

Routine beats willpower every time

You can’t outsource discipline to a drug. Ozempic may crush your appetite, but it won’t make you get up for a walk when it’s raining, or help you shop for a fridge full of vegetables when you’re knackered. That comes from routine, not restraint.

Willpower is wildly overrated. Instead, the people who succeed are the ones with good systems: daily movement, regular meals, decent sleep, and repeat. Once a good routine is cemented, I promise it becomes almost as effortless as a jab. These small, consistent habits do what no jab ever will – they make the healthy choice the easy one.

You can’t inject self-esteem

After years of poor body image and emotional eating, shrinking your body doesn’t magically resolve how you feel about it. In fact, some guests say they feel worse after losing weight: more exposed and judged and, more confused about who they are now.

We work just as much on mindset as movement. Through coaching, self-reflection, and a massive amount of support, our guests get reconnected with their own bodies, often with pride for the first time in years. Once you’ve grown that kind of confidence, everything changes in life in ways you might not even predict, such as work and relationships improvements.

Exercise should be a pleasure, not a penance

I’m always telling people, you don’t need to “burn off” your breakfast, which implies exercise is a punishment needed for doing something “bad” – i.e. eating. If that’s your mentality, then weight-loss jabs seem a bonus, because they do the job without bothering with working out. But movement isn’t a penance, it’s a privilege! We should celebrate having a body that’s able to exercise.

We introduce all kinds of joyful movement: strength, dance, boxing, hiking, even laughter workouts. The point is not to shrink your body, but to actually use it. That mindset shift matters.

Whale introduces Body Camp guests to ‘joyful movement’, including hiking

GLP-1 drugs don’t teach you to move and, worse, often result in muscle loss. You might get lighter, but you’re also getting weaker. Being strong, I promise, feels amazing.

Being thin isn’t the same as being healthy

For diabetics – who the drugs were designed for originally – Ozempic-style drugs can be life-saving. And yes, studies show obesity also exacerbates many chronic illnesses, so I’m not trying to put these people off. But, for those who see it as easier than traditional methods of getting in shape, I have some opinions!

Let’s be honest: the Ozempic glow isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. Nausea, bloating, fatigue, constipation (or the opposite) and that chemical sour breath some people suffer? Hardly the picture of wellness.

Some guests check in and they’re pale, sluggish and still obsessed with the scales. They might be lighter, but they’re not thriving. Health, energy, and strength aren’t just the things you see – it’s what you feel.

Weight loss is a side effect of getting healthier, not the definition of it. Energy levels, strength, and emotional stability are more important than whatever number the scale says. Because when you’re genuinely well, those stones and pounds tend to take care of themselves.

Mental health is half the journey

No injection in the world can untangle emotional eating, stress, boredom, grief, heartbreak or loneliness, nor the deep-rooted reasons why we reach for food (or booze, or both). At camp, we go there – kindly, but clearly, encouraging guests to dig into the “why” behind their habits. It’s not therapy per se, but it can be life-changing.

Understanding the ‘why’ behind unhealthy habits can be life-changing, says Whale

People often say the real breakthrough wasn’t in the workouts, but in the so-called “inner work”. That might sound “woo-woo” but if you don’t understand your patterns, you’ll keep repeating them, no matter what’s in your bloodstream.

Quick fixes don’t lead to lasting change

Most people regain the weight when they stop the jab. Fact. Why? Because nothing underneath has changed. That’s not a moral failure, it’s biology. You didn’t fix the system, you just paused it. We’re not interested in the temporary here. We want you to leave with the tools, knowledge and trust in yourself to stay healthy for life – with or without a weekly injection. If you can walk out of camp knowing how to take care of yourself we’ve done our job.

Jabs don’t teach you how to moderate alcohol

This one matters. Because for many people, it’s alcohol – not carbs – that’s the real roadblock to wellness. Whether it’s mindless weekend drinking, social pressure or using wine as a coping tool, the effects are the same: disrupted sleep, poor food choices when hungover and a downer the next day. I’m not being judgemental, I’m speaking from experience – I used to work in the clubbing industry.

Yes, many people on injections report less appetite for booze as well as food. But not all and, again, that’s not getting to the root of the issue. We help guests examine their relationship with alcohol in a non-shaming way. Some quit. Some cut back. Some just get clear about why they drink and know to stop before it ruins the next morning. Whatever the decision, it’s intentional, not habitual. That kind of awareness is priceless and you won’t find it in a pen. I haven’t gone tee-total myself, but I drink mindfully now.

Final thoughts

The jabs can be a brilliant kick-start to a new lifestyle, but they won’t finish your journey. Nor will they do the real work for you – the daily, grounded, often unglamorous process of becoming well. That’s where the transformation happens. Not in the needle, but in the choices you make every day afterwards.

As told to Susanna Galton

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