To expect more than 0.5 pound weight loss?

I keep reading this but I’m baffled. What in the what now?

I’m not on the jabs but have been using an App to help me lose weight. According to the App I can eat 1200 calories per day to lose the weight I need to lose. But unless I eat under 1000 calories per day I don’t lose weight. If I eat 1200 I maintain. It seems to me that the calories I’ve been ‘told’ I can eat aren’t right for me. Probably works for others but not for me. I understand your frustration but if I was you, I’d cut down to 1000 calories per day and see what happens. I also agree with others that you should weigh yourself every day to see any weight loss/gain patterns. I know it’s disheartening when you’re trying so so hard, but at least you haven’t gained. Keep going!

Have you looked at tou thyroid this happens to me when my levels are not optimal. Put on 2 stone over Xmas last year and had levels checked and I was extremely underactive

Op what I'm going to share is known as 'bro science', so make of it what you will... I have friends who do bodybuilding, as in competition level. They do aggressive low (relatively, for them) calorie high protein diets in the lead up to competitions. The general view amongst them is if they do these for too long, they will plateau, any accidental additional calories quickly seem to go on as fat, and they find it harder and harder to lose because their body has adapted to the low calories. It's similar to what people used to refer to as starvation mode. And whilst I get that starvation mode isn't a thing in the way it used to be used (because starve anyone enough and they will lose weight and die) I do think there's something in it, that your body finds ways to adapt to scarcity.

I wonder if it's worth working with a coach for a little while who could support you through a slight increase in calories, with some strength training, to get your metabolism higher and then trying again for the last bit of fat loss. I suggest a coach not because it's complicated but because it's scary to eat more after losing a lot of weight and working with someone with experience of this could help you to trust the process.

Ok, I can guarantee you’ll look and feel better about yourself if you try a month of strength training. It doesn’t have to be scary! Just consistent. I would recommend a Sydney Cummings programme - something like Ignite - or just pick a random 30 minute one from her channel. She’s so encouraging and gentle!

There's still a lot we are learning about generic influences on diet and exercise and weight management.

I don't believe there have been any studies that looked at genetic influences on weight AND the "starvation mode" effect together?

They've relatively recently become aware that starvation of near ancestors (e.g. the rationing/Twiggy generation) can reprogram the genes of descendents to hold onto fat.

I certainly broke a plateau before by eating more and exercising less!

I have excellent muscle mass, I’m lifting heavy consistently. My height adjusted FFMI number (19.5) indicates that my muscle mass is at bodybuilder / powerlifter levels.

However my BMI is 21.5. From this I conclude that for women, a BMI over 25 indicates carrying excess fat.

This is interesting OP. I have a friend on MJ who’s also hit a plateau, so you’re not the only one. I’ve been trying to lose since the summer (not on MJ, I’m just doing the 5-2) and it’s painfully slow. About 20g/day since mid-Aug. I read Ultra-processed People a while back and it mentioned some studies that demonstrated that when you eat fewer calories, your body responds by reducing the energy expended on some functions, and by resting more. This depressed me at the time because it suggests that calorie restriction can never result in weight loss even if you stick to it religiously. However, I don’t think it can be as black and white as that because people can and do lose weight, so I think it must just be that as you reduce calorie intake the body tends to use fewer calories, rather than it actually exactly matching energy expended to calorie intake. But it does mean that you might not get as much of a result as you might expect. People seem to think it’s simple (eat less and the weight should fall off!!) but it isn’t.

i know that’s not that helpful but it might explain why you’re not seeing the results any more. I really would suggest you try some weight training, especially since they have said MJ tends to result in quite a lot of muscle loss in women. I am thinking of joining a gym to do this, because as I age (late 50s now), I definitely feel I’m losing muscle. I think as you lose muscle it’s definitely even harder to shift the weight because your body needs less energy to tick over. My BMI is under 25 now but my waist measurement is still more than half my height so I still need to do more (there is diabetes on both sides of the family).

Unfortunately you are likely the same as me.

I maintain weight at eating 1200 calories per day. If I want to lose 1-2lbs a week I need to eat 800-1000 calories per day. I bloody love food and it’s so unfair 😂 but if I want to stay slim then I have to be very very careful what I eat.

The NHS guidelines are just an average calorie recommendation for the average person. But we aren’t all average. If I ate the NHS recommended 2000 cals a day I would pile on weight.

Strength training is amazing to tone, protect your body as it ages, keep your metabolism in good shape etc. It’s super important especially for those on MJ (me also!) so as to avoid muscle wastage.

I’m sure you know this, but body composition is a much much better indicator of health than BMI - it’s just that BMI and the figure on our scales is so ingrained within us, it’s very difficult to shake I know.

@Epicentre are you doing lots of strength training? I lose size but not weight when I strength train.

I started taking my key body measurements as well as weight to monitor progress.

Eat more pulses - get both carbs and protein together. Tofu and can use protein shakes (I love the vegan Wondershake by the protein works).

I think you can move your set point down further if you focus on macros.

@Periperi2025 ha I’m the opposite! I have little in the way of appetite for actual food but I could peck away quite happily on sweets and bits of chocolate. I’m pretty sure that about 9 st 9 give or take a lb or 2 is my set weight as I’ve been here for a year now

it’s probably time to stop messing about and actually eat some proper food.

@MeridaBrave I do usually eat more nutritiously in my defence but wanted to be completely honest! As a vegan (the macaroni cheese and yogurt etc is dairy free obvs) I struggle so much with protein intake and it really something I need to concentrate on.

I also have an issue where come the evening, the last thing I usually want is a meal. I go through foods in my head and all I fancy as a rule is a bagel or maybe a yogurt or a handful of nuts. Not so much because I feel full but because I just don’t fancy much

I can fully uunderstand your frustrations as you say you’ve got suppression and I’d expect 15mg a week to bring you down another 10 lbs at least.

But i think this is part of the problem, everyone responds differently to mounjaro and to different doses, so any "expectations" are misplaced.

I haven't eaten the amount of processed sugar you ate yesterday in the entire 5 months since starting mounjaro, not because I'm a saint but because it has given me a near complete sugar aversion. Thus I've lost 3 stone on 1.25mg & 1.875mg.

OP has done great on mounjaro, but it appears 15mg is her maintenance level, which from a financial point of view must be frustrating, but mounjaro's has worked it's magic and OP is now 4st down and a healthy weight.

I think the issue is the OP is too on the ball for the advice posters on Mn want to give.

generally the advice is aimed at some dilbert eating 3000 calories a day who thinks that’s fine, and is full of things that are iffy weight loss wise but sound good
eat more protein
don't drink coke zero
lift weights

Any OP who knows this is duff advice just triggers the posters and they start attacking.

Have a look at your protein intake - looks very low, so risk of muscle loss as body canbalises muscle for amino acids. Aim for 30g protein with each meal.

I think you are at the “set point” based on a low protein high carb processed diet, even if the number of calories indicates it’s a deficit

@Epicentre I suspect I know the reason my loss stopped 12 months ago and that’s because I’m probably veering more towards eating at maintenance level. I used to use Nutracheck and log absolutely everything and found it really helpful but now I don’t bother and just est to appetite which varies from day to day.

id have to ‘dig deeper’ to start losing again and I’m a bit diet fatigued tbh.

I also know I don’t overeat either and MJ is definitely keeping my appetite in check

Yesterday for example , I had ..:

A hotel chocolat Velvetiser hot chocolate

two heaped tablespoons of granola, same again of greek yogurt and some berry compote

piece of cheese
bag of frazzles (it’s all about balance here!)

satsuma

macaroni cheese (could only manage half)

5 Quality street

so not a particularly inspiring or healthy day really and I’d guess I came in at 1500 calories . As I’m short, I could probably stand to shave around 300 cals off that to kickstart loss again but like I said, I’m a bit ground down with it all.

my BMI is 23.9 so let’s call that 24. I wonder if my body is just wanting this to be my ‘set’ weight as I’ve genuinely not shifted in weight for a year now?

next year I’m going to focus more on strength based training and eating a little less processed foods and reducing MJ to 5mg a week.

I can fully uunderstand your frustrations as you say you’ve got suppression and I’d expect 15mg a week to bring you down another 10 lbs at least. And it would not be unrealistic to expect this loss to be at maybe a pound or 2 a week. As you’re sure of your calories (and I’m not going to patronise you and tell you you can’t possibly be including the giant cake you ate etc etc) then I’d try ‘surprising’ your body by eating different foods or at differing times of the day.