AIBU to consider Mounjaro at BMI 27 to lose two stone?

[Lorrrrrre]

With the likes of MedExpress now offering mounjaro to anyone with a BMI of 25+, WIBU to take it? I am 5ft 6, 12 stone, so not hugely overweight. I’d like to lose 2 stone so I can be comfortably in the healthy category for BMI. I also want to get a handle on it before it spirals out of control. I had my baby 3 years ago and just can’t shift the weight, finding time to exercise etc is really difficult and I find I have no willpower and snack a lot on bad food as I’m always rushing around. I’m hoping mounjaro will kick start better habits for me.

My family and partner are firmly against it, saying it’s lazy to use it and should only be for very obese people. My friends who have used it themselves are much more supportive. I’d have to hide it from everyone apart from a select few friends if I did take it as everyone would be so judgemental.

I started mounjaro last July with a BMI of 27 aiming to lose 2 stone. I had lost the weight by December. I stayed on the lower doses. Came off in January and have maintained at my target weight since. It was the best thing I've ever done. I'm a size 10 and feel so much better about myself. I recently rejoined the gym. It's the first time in my life going to the gym and the focus not being weight loss!

I didn’t lose muscle or strength loss despite weight loss on mounjaro. I made sure I ate upward of 120g protein a day and 6 days weight lifting with heavy weight. Any deficit without enough protein and no resistance training will result in muscle loss.

I took 2.5mg - I lost around 12kg in 3 months. I was very careful to stick to 120+g protein and I lifted heavy every day (on a push pull legs split).

I’m 5ft 5. My bmi was the same. I weighed 11st 11. Went on jabs. I now weigh 9st 7lb. I feel so much better. I’ve only don’t really low doses. Started at 0.15 the. After 4 weeks 0.25. I only take it every 10 days.

It has calmed down my cravings. And it has made me more mindful of what I am eating since I can’t eat a full portion at once.

No 'everyone' doesn't.

'Everyone' should know there is no such thing as 'bad foods' and 'bad meals'.

Unless its poorly cooked or they simply don't like it.

How long did it take you to lose? Would you advise I start on the 2.5mg or less as you did?

About 10 weeks.
I found the initial side effects a bit much at 0.25 which is why I dropped down. The complete lack of hunger was a big shock. I wasn’t even drinking as I didn’t feel thirsty.

It wouldn’t hurt to try a half dose the first time, and if you feel it is working stick to that for 4 weeks. Also works out a bit cheaper as it will last longer.

Absolutely no judgement on you whatsoever if you decide to use a weight loss drug to help you. Life is hard sometimes; eating unhealthily is easy; you've got to do what is right for you.

To share a personal story... I was in far worse straights than you. I'm slightly taller but was 15 stone by the time my DD got to the age of 2. Obese, completely devoid of physical confidence, and eating junk food a lot whilst always rushing about and stressed. I had previously always had a healthy BMI and done a lot of exercise so I wasn't used to it. Got really down.

I was able to make the change I needed to without using drugs to help but this wasn't some triumph of amazing willpower on my part. I decided to join Slimming World because I know I'm more easily motivated by a sense of accountability in front of others by any accountability to myself. Went religiously every week even if I knew I'd had a bad week. I don't think its the specific programme that has helped necessarily (although I quite like it) - more the amazing people I've met and the ritual of the weekly weigh-in. I've also basically decided on the rule that I won't eat anything 'unhealthy' (by which I mean calorific and snacky - we know what we mean by this I think, although I don't love to use the term in general) until the evening when I'm in my house. If I didn't organise myself a healthy lunch or snack or whatever, I go without. No munching anything other than fruit or healthy pre-cooked meals in my car or in my lunch break at work. I still have treats but they're pre planned and shared with my DH. Mindless eating has almost disappeared from my life.

I can't claim to have some magical elixir because there isn't one, and I can happily admit that I struggled for a long long time before finding the lifestyle formula that has helped me. But I'm now 5 months in and not far off 4 stone down (a lot of that was rapid at the start.. have been fairly stable and losing very slowly and gently for the last month). Not feeling hungry or deprived or grumpy. Not doing much more exercise than I used to - still working a stressful full time job whilst being, I hope, a vaguely decent mum and wife, still having the odd takeaway and boozy might, but feeling a lot better about myself.

Of course, this wouldn't have been possible for me without a DH willing to support me and able to take our DD when I'm out at groups, and it was made a lot easier for me by my physically having the time and money to spend on my SW membership and on at least sometimes preparing healthy home-cooked meals. Your own lifestyle and support network might look different. That said, if you do take MJ or similar but still don't have time to prepare healthy food etc, you won't automatically lose a lot of weight or transition to better habits, so that's something to consider too.

Hope I've not come across as too smug - I have so much empathy for anyone who puts on more weight than they would like and for how hard even 2 stone can be to lose, and frankly if it were simple to address without help, everyone would be slim. Whatever you choose, I hope you don't judge yourself or get judged by the people around you. Whether you pay for the drugs or not, you won't lose weight without giving it some thought and time and energy, which your family need to appreciate!

Only somewhat. But if you have time for weight training, why not just do that and see how you go? How long have your friends been off the jabs? Have you looked up the long term side effects? What made it an absolute no for me was the hair loss. We also have some thyroid issues in the family, so that was a consideration. You'll get conformation bias on the WLI threads. Like alcoholics who convince each other that they can't stop drinking.

Is hair loss directly related to the mounjaro or rapid weight loss??

You would just put it back on again when you stopped.

Like most diets then?

I’m usually pro WLI, but not in your case. You really CAN do this with a bit of self discipline OP. Come on! 💪🏻

just can’t shift the weight, finding time to exercise etc is really difficult and I find I have no willpower and snack a lot on bad food as I’m always rushing around.

YABU because you’re not even trying to loose weight. It doesn’t sound like it’s right for you. You can’t find the time to exercise so how do you plan to keep the weight of if you did use them and loose weight? You have no willpower and snack a lot, yes the jab may stop that but what about when you stop taking them? You’ll probably go back to having no willpower. For the jabs to work you need to change habits so you can maintain weightloss.

So you can loose weight? You put it back on because you stop trying

I think if you want to do it. I am with med express. Started at 17 stone in Jan 25 and now 9 stone 12 and a size 8 and feeling fab! Sign up and smash it 💪💪

FFS. This is the wrong place to ask about this. The uneducated judgement is ridiculous.

I am a Mounjaro user and am now micro dosing as I have reached a BMI of 23.7. I have lost almost 4 stone over 18 months. My hair hasn’t fallen out, I don’t look skeletal, I’m not obsessed, I never went above 5mg, never felt ill, haven’t got loads of saggy skin etc. I did it the right way.

It is not a quick fix. You still have to change how you think about your new lifestyle and how you want your future to look.

You have to exercise- losing weight makes this easier
Strength training- this increases your muscle mass and means your body burns more calories at rest.
Take supplements- a good multivitamin and bovine collagen supplement will help you ensure you get the right nutrients
Count your macros- you have to stay in calorie deficit whilst eating enough protein and fibre. Use an App such as Nutracheck.
Eat small amounts more regularly rather than one big meal.

It is absolutely possible to stay healthy and use GLP1s. You just need to be sensible.

My bmi has hovered around 26 nearly my whole life . I would consider taking it but I don’t want to thin my face out too much. I know some people who have taken it who lost loads of weight but it aged them big time . I’m so short than even half a stone makes a huge difference to my bmi . People love to be all preachy and say things like “you’ll put it straight back on “ but I find with slimming world or calorie counting I put weight back on after I stop so I don’t really see the difference .

My only regret is that I didn’t start on it sooner.
Very similar weight/BMI to you and I’ve tried every weight loss programme going, most of which just led to disordered eating.
I’ve lost 10lbs in 5 weeks and it’s honestly so easy. The food noise and cravings are gone and I only want to eat healthy food.
Yes, you’ve got to eat much more protein and lift weights regularly but it’s do-able.
Do it for yourself and ignore the naysayers. It’s your body.

I went on it with a lower BMI than you, I’m choosing to stay on it microdosing. I’ve lost 20lb, I don’t think about snacks much at all which tbh is in itself worth it not constantly bargaining with myself but the unexpected benefits for me has been the huge improvement to my IBS and the reduction in alcohol cravings too.

It feels like every week a new good story is coming out, I can’t see any reason to not continue as I can afford it? I strength train so haven’t noticed any muscle loss, I haven’t had enough weight to lose to worry about things like pancreatitis.

It feels like acceptance of WLI is increasing constantly, I feel no shame, I think they’re fantastic things and I only wish they were more affordable for more people. I think we’re only going to see their use increase, beyond obesity.

Genuine question, why? Why do you think the OP should do it a harder way when there is an easier way?

I've taken wegovy to lose 1.5 stone. My BMI was 27 and I have PCOS and high cholesterol. It's worked very well and I've lost it slowly over 6 months, and have weight trained and increased my protein significantly. I just couldn't lose weight on my own. I'm not shit, lazy or unable to plan. I just had a bad relationship with food. I've been able to develop new habits that I've been maintaining since I came off it and I have not regained the weight.

Just do it. It's a drug that helps you lose the weight by making you crave less food. It's easier to fight the urges. You still have to do the work with diet and exercise, it doesn't change that. It just makes it easier. So much judgement around it. I did it in total secret.

I think it’s fine! My BMI is 27 and I’ve on it for 4 weeks

Whatever you decide to do, good luck and tell your family and partner to get knotted. Unless they happen to be medics with up to date relevant knowledge, obviously.

If they invented a jab that would stop me being addicted to nicotine so I would stop vaping then I would absolutely take it. I don’t see why this is any different. I’ve no skin in the game, always been in the healthy weight range myself but if it’ll make you happy, your body and your money. Go for it.