Continuing Mounjaro...part 6

[ObsidianTree]

Please note: Mounjaro can only be taken if your BMI is above 30.

Pointers for newbies:

1 - For taking your first dose you need to twist the pen a lot to get to 1! The instructions say prime each time you take a dose, but actually Eli Lilly have confirmed you only need to prime for the first ever use of a pen. (The video posted says every use, but this isn't true!)

2 - When injecting, hold down the button until the number goes back to 0. Once at 0, keep holding down the button and count to 5 with the needle still in so no medication is lost!

3 - Your first dose may not have an immediate effect. For some people the effects build slowly. It could take 3 or 4 days to notice anything, it could take a few weeks. Some people don't feel the meds working until they get to 5mg. See titration chart which shows how the medication builds up in your system.

4 - 2.5mg isn't a therapeutic dose, meaning you aren’t meant to lose on 2.5mg. You need to start on 2.5mg to get your body used to the drug and gradually introduce it into your system and get used to any side effects.

5 - Not everyone loses a lot in the first few weeks. Don't feel discouraged if you don't lose a lot initially. Again, you might need a higher dose to start losing. Also, inches can be lost without anything showing on the scales. Start your journey by taking measurements and check them as you go along.

6 - If you do lose a lot in the first few weeks, please don't assume you will continue losing at this rate. The first few weeks it is usually water weight that is lost, after than a good weight loss is about 2lbs a week. Some weeks you might not lose anything, but this is ok too…again, taking measurements might show inches lost instead.

7 - Constipation, coldness, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, aches, are side effects. There may be be other side effects also. Read info here :

www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/15481/pil#about-medicine

8 - Once you take your first dose you can choose to keep your pen in the fridge or somewhere else. It's up to you.

9 - Don't reuse any needles as this could risk infection. If you damage a needle or one isn't working, you can buy a pack of about 100 spares. https://www.chemist-4-u.com/carepoint-pen-needles-31g-4mm-pack-of-100?gclid=Cj0KCQjwiYOxBhC5ARIsAIvdH51rLZBVFQxuvS7mDJooegtK8BMiyT0PwREMRHhH_1atfQIo8TEbsmkaAkA0EALw_wcB

10 - Protein is important as eating less protein can cause muscle wastage and hair loss. Try to have at least 100g a day. There are protein supplements you can take. Myprotein have a good range. Ask for a referral code if you want to buy some.

11 - Some natural sources of protein:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/best-sources-protein
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321522#high-protein-foods

12 - You can use supplements, some that people use are magnesium(for sleep and constipation), protein(to reduce muscle wastage), collagen (skin elasticity), aloe vera(for constipation), electrolytes.

13 - Drink lota of water. Water helps with the weight loss. Drink at least 2ltrs a day. Preferably 3ltrs.

14 - Don't be afraid to feel hungry. It is entirely normal and healthy to feel hungry. Just eat something. Treat it as an opportunity to start good habits around hunger. Eat a nice balanced snack or a meal if it's a meal time. It's ok.

15 - Does it makes any difference where you inject? yes it does! Drugs get absorbed at different rates depending on injection site

In order of fastest absorption, it goes:
• Tummy
• Arms
• Thighs
furthet reading about injection sites and the effects: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316618

16 - Abdominal side-effects are much easier to control with smaller meals. For example, having 4 small meals in the day vs 2 big meals can have an improvement in nausea and burps.

17 - You can track your calories / protein on apps such as My fitnessPal, Carb Manager or Nutracheck. Nutracheck is quite useful and easy to find foods /build recipes.

18 - Some of the places you can order from are:

• MedExpress £149.99 - Sometimes there are codes that can be used for a discount. Ask for a code on here or do a Google search to try and find one.
• Voy - £114.99 for first month then £229 after. Need a referral code (ask on here for one if needed)
• The Family Chemist -£149
• Simple online pharmacy - £159 2.5mg £179 for 5mg
• Bolt pharmacy 2.5mg £125, 5mg £179. Or starter pack with 2.5mg and 5mg pen £319
• Asda £184
• Boots £219
• Chemist4U £179

19 - If you want to switch suppliers, make sure you have pics of your Mounjaro box with your name and dose. This will come in useful when other suppliers ask for evidence.

1st thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5007744-mourjano-starting-soon?page=1

2nd thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5028495-continuing-murnjaropart-2?page=1

3rd thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5037623-continuing-mounjaropart-3?page=1

4th thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5044316-continuing-mounjaropart-4?page=1

5th thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5048290-continuing-mounjaropart-5?page=1

Thread for newbies just starting out:

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_chat/5057475-mounjaro-and-wegovy-newbies-april-2024

I don’t know about the Mumsnet chicken story but I’m off to find it 😂..
When I say I roast a chicken, we’re probably not also having for dinner that day. And it last for a long as it lasts. We’re a couple, no kids at home so it certainly goes further but no it doesn’t feed us for a week 😂
I salute your Saturday roast!

It's the idiots buying these, and then taking 5 times recommended dose, who've ended up in hospital. And they often turn out to be relabelled insulin, so may pass out and not be found before it's too late. It's really rife on the American boards.

Jeez. I’d assume they are all insulin. Madness

MN chicken is just a normal chicken that mysteriously feeds a family of four for five days. Saying that, we can make a chicken last a bit longer than some people on here!

I was spurred to read the Economist article and it is exciting stuff. Lots of talk of the drugs currently under development including monthly treatment that can be used long term for example. Enjoy!

https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/03/30/could-weight-loss-drugs-eat-the-world

Lots of food threads on main boards are competitive under eaters and the two in jokes a chicken can feed a family for a week and full all day from a massive salad.
Cooking a chicken to use in week is a great idea (an American lady who has lost 100lb I follow does one in slow cooker each week) then you have lots of chicken for healthy meals in week.
It’s a great idea I might do it this week.

We regularly live off leftovers from a Sunday roast. It’s what people used to do! It’s the main reason we have the roast in the first place to be honest.

@Wonkypictureframe honestly try and let it wash over you. Most of these people are sad f*** sitting at home making negative comments about all subjects.

I was at a conference this week, 99% women who would fall into the peri/meno category & 85% were overweight. It doesn’t happen overnight, it’s incremental weight gain for most, over years. A few pounds/half a stone a year. For me when I was younger I could lose that easily but as I’ve got older it sticks. It’s so easy to gain & so hard to lose. Eg I could go on holiday and gain 5 pounds and then when I get home I’d lose in a couple of weeks just being strict, now it could take months- to lose 5 pounds gained in a week 🤷‍♀️..

like you I have a hormonal issue (under active thyroid). But also l love food! I’m a good cook & it’s my passion, but I’m so unhappy with the way I look and also I have some health issue that I’m sure would be helped by weighing less.

Feel proud of yourself for taking control of this. If you smoked and were using patches no one would bat an eyelid!

Hello new thread, hadn't got round to posting yet. Well done to those achieving milestones like the next BMI category. I have a long way to go to that but I'm inching closer to getting to the 30s at least.

After my initial few days of feeling hellish I feel much better now and can actually eat my meals. Really hoping my third dose of 5mg on Monday doesn't tip me back again.

I very much avoid public comments on these weight loss injections, people are awful.

You are wise, @LifeisHard73 , and I usually stay well clear of that sort of stuff on MN. Clicking on that thread was an act of self harm!

And I’m very like you. I love cooking and eating really good food. Not takeaway pizzas but lovely recipes that you can spend a day putting together. It feels like it should be a harmless hobby.

Now I’m menopausal nothing at all was shifting the weight and it was just piling on. My GP just told me that was life basically. I’d got to the point where I was on a strict exclusion low calorie diet to absolutely no effect and I felt desperate. Now I’m eating what I think is a far healthier diet and it’s enjoyable to eat nice food again. I am worried about what happens when I stop though of course.

Yes very similar. One of my favourite things to do on a Saturday is just potter about and cook lovely things from scratch. I’m going to continue this but lower fat/carb- today is a Thai green fish curry. And PORTION control!

Im only week one but I too think about what happens when I reach my goal weight. My thinking is don’t let myself go more than 3 pounds above this before I dial back on what I’m eating. Stick with smaller portions, increased activity ( I feel wfh has contributed, you don’t need as many calories when you’re in the house all day)!

So true. Inertia strikes so quickly. I might just take to walking an imaginary dog.

Hi!

Just injected my first 2.5 dose of Mounjaro. I ordered from Voy. I only received 1 needle head, does anyone know if that’s correct?? I think I was expecting 4, 1 for each weekly dose?

Hope someone can help!

Hi,
First time posting and have found these threads really helpful.

Finishing my second week on 2.5mg. Had a big weight loss the first week but looks like weight has spiked this week.

Not taking things too seriously. Focused on eating healthily and my appetite has dropped, so all in the right direction.

I’ve never ordered from Voy but yes, you should have received a minimum of four needles. I’d get in touch and they will hopefully send you some out.

So after yesterday’s official weigh in trying to suggest I’d gained 2lbs last week, I have weighed again this morning and I’m 3lbs lighter than yesterday 🙌🏻 so it was just a random bodily fluctuation as the rest of the week I was on track to maintain.

I’m very pleased with my little pound off this week as it puts me in the next stone bracket.

Total 12lb loss in just over three weeks.

Onwards and downwards!

That FB group is not the same as our MN one. Mounjaro Community UK. There’s a few FB groups and I’m on the one you mentioned too. But our MN group is being monitored carefully. We are declining anyone who doesn’t answer the questions and I’m cross referencing MN names given. I won’t hesitate to boot anyone posting crap in our thread group.

Yippee @Rainbowl. I know the feeling. This morning I was 3lbs up from yesterday. Again. Not eating anything crazy. I’m just rolling my eyes at it now. Weight loss has really slowed now. The first few weeks of this weight fluctuations didn’t happen. I’d stay the same, but never up.

If this is the new pattern I will accept it and it shows this is not going to be an easy whoosh with calorie control. The honeymoon is truly over.

I'm aware, and snap.

Wonkypictureframe I have seen some people say that. We are probably at the start of these drugs being rolled out a bit more systematically to help the obesity epidemic. If dieting was easy there would not be an obesity issue globally.

I've been thin pretty much all my adult life until about 39/40, where a very busy job, two children (one with complex needs) and peri and other stressors made it all go to pot and I found my appetite soared. I needed a reset and couldn't do it without MJ. I didn't have the headspace to do it. I just needed to eat a lot less of what I normally eat and found it hard to manage my appetite to make this happen.

I am not really someone who gorges on cakes, biscuits and burgers and always home cooks, and I found it really bloody hard to find time to make separate meals (even just think what I wanted to have), but at the same time was starving if I cut calories to how I am now. I think a lot of people's unhealthy choices are down to lack of time, finances or education. I think the issue with weight loss meds is it creates a two tier system of those that can afford it or not. I think if it was cheaper we would have less of the 'it's cheating' talk as it would be like going to the chemist and treating other ailments.

@MelissaLouRocks ha I just checked the fb group and they’re infiltrating us I see.

It doesn’t take much to confuse me with different names in different places. Doh!

I refuse to be shamed for taking mounjaro. If my friends/family wouldn’t openly be judgemental when I’ve binge ate 5000 calories because I got a shitty work email then they shouldn’t judge me for doing something to try and make healthier choices. People don’t understand being a binge eater is expensive! I spend so much money on food, so the cost doesn’t really bother me as much. I’d rather invest in myself.

I’ve just read the thread about weight loss injections being sinister.

I think people who haven’t struggled with obesity will just never get it. It’s ridiculous really - obesity is clearly a societal problem not an individual one. But slim people love to make sure us fatties know it’s all our fault we are so fat.

Well done @ObsidianTree on your losses!

Weigh in day for me, week 8, and only 1lb lost in 2 weeks. Ah well, next week will be my week. Forced the bonus dose out of the pen so I'll be starting my 2nd 5mg pen next week.

SW Jan 2023 249lbs
SW MJ Feb 2024 212lbs
CW 8 weeks in 199lbs

So, I will take the positives: into the elusive 100's and 50lbs lost since I started (with several months from Oct 23- Feb 24 of on-off dieting and putting on some lbs)

I've been for a long walk this morning and done some cleaning so I'm feeling virtuous

Happy Saturday everyone!

That thread pissed me off. The ignorance!

Happy for you that the scales have reflected your efforts this week! Mine are down a little this morning too. It's definitely slower than the first week, but an average of just over 3lbs a week for me is better than it has been in years!
I'm hoping the higher doses will help a bit more.

Which thread? Dare I ask! Was it in the weight loss forum?