I've lost 5 stone, but I feel rubbish!

[Bingbongsingalong]

As the title says, I have lost 5 stone (four stone since January and a stone last year). I have gone from a size 18 to a size 10 (I am 5ft 4 for context, my BMI is now 24.5, just so you know I am by no means underweight!) I am happy with my weight loss, my body is unrecognisable and I have never been anywhere close to this weight before, even when I got married!

My main reason for doing this was because I am self employed and have a very physical job and I was really struggling and was contemplating closing my business. My knees, back and shoulders were all suffering every day and I was fed up with being in pain all of the time. However, while mentally I am happy because I like my new body shape and the new clothes I have been able to buy, I actually feel horrible most of the time. My knees are better, but my back and shoulders are exactly the same, no improvement at all. I feel tired all of the time and have such a lack of energy and getting up in the morning is impossible. I am always freezing cold. My stomach is now so sensitive to so many things. I can't even really describe it, but I just generally feel pretty icky. I had to have a blood test a couple of weeks ago because I saw the doctor about this and my liver function isn't right and i've had to have another blood test to check what is going on so currently waiting for the results from that.

I have lost the weight by eating much smaller portions and a lot of fresh fruit, salad, low fat options where possible, lean protein. I also run a fair amount and aim to do 10km a 2 times a week and another shorter run (although a recent injury has somewhat thwarted my running efforts over the past few weeks!).

Does my body just need time to adjust to itself or something?! I'm so sick of being so tired and feeling rubbish. I don't want to be fat again, but I can't help but wish I still felt the same as I did when I was fat. I was looking forward to being slimmer giving me a new lease of life, but honestly I feel fed up and down. I spend my life now focusing on maintaining this new weight, it doesn't come naturally to me after a lifetime of being fat (i'm 38 and been overweight since I was 13), and i'm paranoid about gaining the weight back again, and this coupled with just feeling gross is just a bit crap!

Not really sure what i'm looking for with this post to be honest! Sympathy?! Tales from other people who have lost a fair amount of weight?! Advice?! No idea..!

You should not feel like this. I think this is nothing to do with losing weight but has to be an underlying medical issue. Hope you get to the bottom of it

Weight training has helped my back and shoulders. I used to get terrible pain; even carrying a small bag would cause discomfort. I also take quite a few vitamins, which have increased my energy.

Could it be a vitamin deficiency? If you are eating significantly less you could be not consuming enough to get the right vitamins in or enough fat soluble ones maybe? GP could check thyroid, vitamin d and iron to take a look?

I feel this is health related rather than weight loss. On top of waiting on blood results could you also ask for a referral for physiotherapy? And I know I’m biased as I’m a yoga teacher but I really would recommend yoga.

What are you eating? It sounds like you’ve lost a lot of weight very quickly and I wonder if your body is crying out for some calories and good fats as well as all the vitamins and minerals you might not have been getting when dieting so heavily.

Vitamin d deficiency can causes joint pain, or peri menopause?

Quite possibly! I am a bit alarmed by the liver concern, so i'm anxious to get the results back from that. I should probably go back to the GP again.

I did used to do a lot of weight training, but I just find it dull and much prefer running! I should probably get back into it though, it's worth a try! I don't currently take any vitamins so that's also a good idea!

Could be! I don't take any vitamins or supplements. I'll see if I can get a more comprehensive blood test!

Offering sympathy OP and hope someone will come along soon with advice.
You've done absolutely amazing and it must be gutting to feel worse. I hope your GP gets to the bottom of it soon.
I'm also on Mounjaro but only since June, weight loss is slow and now stalling. I'm short and menopausal and work long hours in a sedentary job.
Apparently my body needs very little calories my TDEE is about 1600, and to lose 1lb a week I need to eat 500 calories less than my TDEE.
It's brutal and I feel more tired and sometimes a bit crap, I've only lost 1.5 stone, so haven't lost a huge amount of weight, perhaps I do look a bit better but I dont feel better, I don't have the energy I used to have. So can relate that weight loss doesn't always make you feel better and
I've still got another 2 stone to lose:(

I am slim. I’m about 5ft 1ish and weigh 7st.

I am very deficient in iron, and get regular transfusions - but I am always cold and I’m tired.

I work full time, have two children. I am fairly healthy aside from the iron issue, with regular periods, long healthy hair and strong nails. But I understand completely. Some days I’d like to weigh about 9st to see if I feel any better, but unfortunately I’m quite anxious about my weight and if I gain a couple of pounds it absolutely consumes me. That element of my health is not good, and I recognise that.

I actually saw an NHS physio a few weeks ago, and I was with him for less than 7 minutes, he didn't do any sort of assessment or even ask me to take off my massively baggy jumper so he could look at my shoulder. He basically asked a few questions and then printed off some exercises for me to do that have made no difference. I have seen private physios in addition to this, but I can't really afford to keep paying £60 a week!

I was actually looking at doing reformer pilates, so maybe I should bite the bullet and actually book it. I struggle with yoga!

I would definitely recommend vitamins. I felt sooo tired (partly job related) but someone recommended vitamins. I got some Well woman max (I know nothing about vitamins and they were on special offer). They were so good I bought some for my sister - who is very anti ‘woo’ and sceptical, but even she now swears by them! Thoroughly recommend them. And well done on the weight loss. Wish I had that willpower!

In all honesty, I know I don't eat enough! It's just hard as I have a slow metabolism and I put weight back on so quickly and i'm so paranoid about not doing that this time. I rarely eat 3 meals a day, generally 2 with no snacks. Very low carbs, mostly a lot of lean meat, oily fish, salad and veg. It's boring! It has taken me 9.5 months to lose 4 stone, which I feel is relatively slow given the amount I eat, and I have had a few periods where my weight has stayed the same for weeks at a time! My body doesn't let go of it very easily!

Oh that's interesting, I hadn't considered either of those! I don't take any vitamins so that could be a good place to start!

Find a really good and authentic Thai massage place and see if that helps your back and shoulders.

But I agree that it sounds like a medical issue not a weight one. Did they test your TSH? Check the actual level, don't assume it's okay because it's in the reference range, as the NHS range is much higher than most countries.

Ah i'm sorry, it's gutting isn't it! I was really hoping that this would make me feel amazing. It's so hard to lose weight and it takes over your life, so for it to make you feel crap too is a double blow.

Get your b12, folate and ferritin checked. I have lost a considerable amount of weight myself and felt pretty awful at the start, could barely function. Found my b12 was seriously deficient, folate pretty low as was vit D.

Congrats on the weight loss, hope you get everything else sorted x

Well done on the weight loss!
Are you on weightoss injections?

The liver function could be fatty liver (I think most obese people have this - I do but losing weight and it's improving). I've lost a similar amount but am on Mounjaro and struggle with fatigue and wondered if it was the mounjaro oe just tbs weight loss itself.

Try getting your thyroid, d, b12 and iron tested at your Gp. Take a good quality multivitamin or a super b complex and 5000 iu D for about 3 months and get retested. Your protein levels may also be low, losing a lot of weight can lead to malnutrition ,try adding a high quality protein shake to your day. Well done on the weight loss.

I'm sorry, that sounds tough :-( Being cold all the time and having no energy is the thing that is bothering me the most I think! I understand the anxiety about putting on weight, I weigh myself daily now and if I weigh more than the day before, I get so upset about it, even though it will likely go back down the next day. It's a hard mindset to break and I know it isn't healthy!

Oh amazing, I will try those vitamins, definitely worth a try!

Thank you! It has taken years for me to finally find the willpower 😂

get full bloods done, at the doctors, including iron and thyroid function. Hope you are ok and eating enough protein and good fats.

Oh that's interesting! I will get those checked, thank you. :-)

Yes thyroid - the cold and no energy should have led your GP to test for under active thyroid, hopefully they have?