To consider Mounjaro?

[Itsanewyear26]

My BMI is 25.4. I’m 11.5 stone.

I used to be slimmer and maintained it for a long time, fluctuating between 10 stone 4 and 10 stone 8. If I got to the top of that range I’d pull back and the weight would shift. I was eating about 1200-1400 calories then.

Since DC2 (who is now 8), I haven’t lost all the weight and have rarely seen under 11 stone. I’m active with 10k steps most days, I do 30-45 minutes of aerobic exercise (mixture between running, HIIT classes or weight) 4 times a week as well.

I don’t drink often, and meals are 90% home cooked and healthy. Snacking and picking is my downfall, and the constant food noise. I’ll have breakfast and wait for lunch with no issues, and then some days (approximately 2 weeks out of 4, I’d say) the food noise from lunch onwards is constant. I end up snacking too much, just picking on anything. I don’t buy biscuits but anything that is in for the DC I will eat, or I’ll just find something or go and buy something (live in London so there are Little Waitrose every where I turn for a quick fix!).

I track my calories but I struggle to get by on 1500 a day. I feel hungry and dissatisfied constantly. I drink loads of water and other drinks to try and keep full.

I just can’t lose the weight. I only want to lose a stone, I know I’ll find it much easier to maintain if I could get to 10 stone 7. I’ve been trying for over 8 years. I’m sure it looks like I haven’t been trying hard as I’m hopeless and only last about a week. I find the idea of weekends with no treats depressing.

Is anyone else in a similar situation?

You don’t qualify at that weight so it’s not an option for you to have the injections, although I do understand the desire.

You have to weigh up (poor pun!) the health risks and financial costs of Moujaro against the risks of being a bit over weight (If you are a healthy active BMI 25 you aren't really an unhealthy weight) and it's more of a body image / vanity thing.

Do you have a spare £150-300 a month? If you do I'd be tempted to spend that on 3-6 months of a personal trainer/ nutritionist / hypnosis to reduce snacking as the benefits of those will probably last far longer than 3 months on Mounjaro!

Intermittent fasting really helps me manage my eating. I track on an app and I like the little dopamine hit when it tells me I've reached certain milestones.

I can easily wait a few hours to eat when I see I'm almost there and I don't want to break my streak of consecutive days. It's also really good at stopping me from snacking late at night as after dinner I click 'start fast' and mentally know that's me done for the day!

I have upped my protein and this definitely helps me feel fuller for longer and has reduced my carbs so I'm getting less of a sugar craving to drive my snacking.

You need to have a BMI of 30 to start on Monjaro and the pharmacies are quite strict now.

Think @AltitudeCheck is absolutely right.

Oh @AltitudeCheck that app sounds good, would you mind sharing the name pls? Thanks

@GoldGold it's called Easy Fast, it's free :)

Thank you all. It’s absolutely a vanity/body image thing rather than health, I feel pretty healthy although I know the amount of UPFs I eat in snack form aren’t great.

@AltitudeCheck I did IF for a while, about 18 months ago I started. It works for a few days, but I can’t stick to it and found it aggravated my IBS on days I ran. I also found I was more prone to over eating in the afternoon to get as much as possible in my eating window.

I have also tried a hard and fast rule of no snacking between lunch and dinner. Works for a few days then I cave.

I’m just a bit hopeless and shit. But I’ve been fighting the same battle for so long, I’ll have a mindset shift for a few days/week or two then the cravings/hunger/boredom or dopamine seeking eating kick in.

I would absolutely love some sort of eating coach who keeps me really accountable. They all seem to come in the form of PTs though and I don’t want that, I’ve had PTs session blocks in the past and it’s not something I need now, I read up a lot and am happy with my workout regime. It’s all diet for me and I know what I should be eating, it’s just about the willpower/poor habits I’m in. I have a tendency to binge and I’ve always been greedy.

I could spare £150-300 a month for the time it would take me to lose a stone. If I knew I would foolproof lose 1-2lbs per week for say 12 weeks, I could do it.

Can I ask what app you use for monitoring intermittent fasting? I want to start doing it properly (rather than just not eating on work shifts!!) and could do with something to monitor/motivate me.

Edited - sorry, I see you've already replied to someone about this!

If its for vanity and not health then I'd say its a pretty extreme measure to take. There are a lot of reported potential side effects and downsides to taking mounjaro. I absolutely understand why people who are very overweight (myself included) take it as the positives can massively out weight the negatives, however if you are just a bit overweight then I'm sorry but I think it is ridiculous.

Id suggest upping your calories and eating more filling stuff like protein so you're not hungry.

For the eligibility I could easily just lie and say I’m a few lbs heavier. I know it’s not right but some sites seem to only need a BMI of 27. I weigh first thing every morning, if I were to weigh at the end of the day I could easily be a few lbs heavier!

@twomorecats ive only ever successfully lost weight on 1200 calories a day, max 1400 but not every day. That was 15 years ago too pre DC.

At that BMI, no way, not unless you have other weight-related medical issues such as high lipids or prediabetes, or a family history of metabolic syndrome or similar. It’s not worth it and I think you’d really struggle to get it prescribed. When you stop the GLP1’s evidence suggests the weight goes back on without sustained, effective lifestyle and dietary changes being made.

I started Wegovy with a BMI of 29. I don’t overeat, have no “food noise” (genuinely didn’t even know what that was) but have 4 stone of baby weight to lose, prediabetes and high cholesterol as I have hereditary metabolic syndrome. As these drugs are cardioprotective for me the benefit definitely outweighs the risks. This side effects…… not great. I’m hoping they improve. It’s not a quick fix that’s all I can say.

I worked with a fat loss coach when I lost about three stone a year or so ago, training and movement was is there but it was far more
about nutrition and mindset. Happy to share the name but the approach I took was to follow a few on Instagram (there’s plenty out there that aren’t PT focussed) and figure out the one I felt I could work with.

Have you read up about UPFs, e.g., reading Ultra Processed people? It's completely put me off snacking except for healthy stuff like nuts. Separately ,I'm going to try that app - thanks!

If you don't fix the problem of eating the UPFs/snacking/whatever else is making it difficult to lose the weight now, then once you stop taking the drugs the chances are you'll put back on whatever you've lost. It's not a short term or cheap fix that you take for a few months and then everything's magically better - it's quite well described that people gain the weight back after stopping. Surely it'd be better to spend the £150-300/month on support with managing the cause of the problem?

WLI aren't a quick fix to loose a few lbs. It needs sustained lifestyle changes as well.

Besides you won't be eligible with a bmi of 25.4.

Increase your protein, up your steps and cut out processed foods.

@AltitudeCheck Are you able to share a screenshot of the icon for the Easy Fast app you’re using please? I have at least 4 options on the apple apps store, so wasn’t sure which one to try. Thank you.

Blossomleaves if you’re happy to share I’d be interested, thanks. I follow a lot of those on instagram. I’m always put off when they get in touch straight away to ask about my goals etc, even though I know it’s their business and they have to.

@Lottie6712 started reading it but gave up. I have watched the Joe Wicks doc as well as other similar and it always makes me think for a while…then I’m right back to where I was!

Stop eating carbs and the weight will melt off

I'd say, if you're prepared to stay on a dose for life go for it, if not you will lose the weight easily whilst on it, but it will come back and more once you come off, I'm staying on a small dose and it's working, but I thought like you, I'll take it lose the bit of weight, and come off hey presto! It doesn't work like that.
Lots of people do lose and stay on, but be mindful of what the end game will be.
If it's just snacking that's your problem, instead of grabbing the kids stuff out of desperation, buy in stuff that won't jeopardise your cal intake, like cut up veg or fruit, and factor it in, might be a better road to go down than the mounjaro, I do regret it now, but it's too late.

I am on MJ and short but was 12 stone.
so my BMI was 30 before anyone comes at me!
when I bought online, I had to send a video of myself in tight fitting clothes, while weighing myself and then stepping of the scales and to a full mirror. It’s not as easy as lying.

but I would say after 4 weeks, I’m down to 11,2 so to me, it’s been absolutely worth it.

I would if I were you.

Are you really asking if you should consider lying about your bmi in order to be prescribed mounjaro ?
I know 3 people who have done this with mixed results 1. got down to their goal weight (bmi 17) and then was rumbled by gp being informed by online prescriber,gained the weight to a normal bmi 24 afterwards. 2. Didnt lose much weight,Had severe pancreatitis side effect but did lose weight/felt it wasnt worth it due to health issues 3. lost weight and has successfully kept it off,shes happy .
I think if you know you would have to lie to get it you are taking a risk ,its up to you ,but with a small amount of weight to lose try other options.