Mounjaro / Wegovy with > 5st / 30kg to lose

[VelociraptorsVelociRapping]

I know, yet another Mounjaro / Wegovy thread, but I wondered if anyone else with a lot to lose would be interested in a safe space to chat. The other threads (both the long-runner and the newbies) are great but I can’t believe how relatively little some people have to lose. I know it’s all relative, and two stone can be a lot of extra weight on a small frame, and it’s great that they are doing something for their health before they end up in the same position as me… but in my more ungenerous moments I think about what a dream it would be to be ‘only’ two stone overweight, and wonder how many posters I will see come and go while I plod along.

So, if any of that resonates and you don’t think I’m an utter cow for having these thoughts, come and chat! I will start. I don’t feel comfortable sharing my current weight but am happy to say that my starting BMI is over 40 and I have 7.5 stone / 47 kg to lose. I’m very tall but there’s no kidding myself that my current situation isn't very unhealthy indeed.

I’m halfway through my second week on 2.5mg Mounjaro and so far I have lost 8lb. I have not really had many side effects apart from occasional loose stools, but I am also not experiencing the significant appetite suppression that others describe. Right now I am finding MJ a useful tool to take the edge off while I count calories and keep an eye on my macros to keep my protein intake up. A very welcome effect is that it has completely removed any desire to drink alcohol, which is helpful as a fondness for wine is part of how I got so fat in the first place. Nevertheless I am looking forward to moving up to 5mg and hopefully experiencing more appetite suppression.

Anyone else?

Is there something else ypu could do for a dopamine hit - I saw something on social media about dopamine breaks and doing them regularly throughout the day can help keep that feeling of needing food at bay. Ive not tried it so cannot attest to its effectiveness though!
You're doing brilliantly for weight loss, well done. I dont think there's a need to go up if you're losing weight steadily, and I would question this with them if they insist on you increasing!

@RMNofTikTok if your appetite is really suppressed I would also question them on the need to go up. That's really not a lot of food at all, are you on 2.5 currently?

I have found that sometimes forcing myself to eat makes me feel better, a bit like morning sickness!

@VanellopeVonSchweetz99

well done on your weight loss. Interested to know if you are still taking a maintenance dose or how you weaned off?

Great losses - well done! 👏 @ClonedSquare @RMNofTikTok - sorry to hear you’re struggling not getting a dopamine hit from food. I think these drugs are supposed to work on the reward centres to help reduce cravings - I was addicted to chocolate and fizzy drinks before and now I just don’t crave them like I used to. It sounds like it is working differently if you have ADHD?

Well I took the first dose this morning . I don’t know why I was so worried it was easy to do and no pain at all.
Dont feel anything yet !

After a miserable time last week I have been relieved to have a better time of it with my second dose of 5mg. I have been able to eat at a sensible calorie deficit this week in comparison to last week, when I barely ate anything at all.

I weighed this morning and haven't lost anything further since my ridiculous 9lb loss last week, but my body fat percentage has reduced. I injected a day earlier on Monday as I'm going to a very naice restaurant for a special occasion on Saturday and wanted to be able to eat at least something!

@Dogsbreath7 I'm still on 1.7 Wegovy and was thinking cold turkey over maintenance dose. I'm 5-7 lbs from what I thought would be my target weight. Debating with myself when to come off and how to manage increased cravings. I was 5lbs from my target last month but tbh I felt a bit scrawny, something I'd never thought I'd say. Now I have put on 2 lbs due to a lovely 10 day work trip where I didn't calorie count that carefully and had more carbs than normal - I know it's mostly water weight ie 1g of carbohydrate holds on to 3g of water. Waist increase nearly 2 inches. Still feel absolutely fantastic, so maybe this is where I say enough? I did walk lots every day though and felt strong.

I want to find a balance going forward. The idea of not tracking at all scares me; potentially gaining lots and getting that horrible feeling of losing control. But its pretty boring yes. I don't want to get obsessed with tracking (which I have done in that past year) as it does flirt with disordered eating. But it's also been 'well worth it' iykwim.
But a s a PP said, I feel that many slim people DO track and adjust their daily energy intake, be it conscious or not. I also think people get more or less anxious as a response to hunger. Dopamine hits, self medication and all that. There is so much we don't know.

Just taken injection number 4, still trying to decide whether to move to 5 next week, or to try and extract my bonus dose of 2.5!

Genuinely gobsmacked at the effects so far - only lost 5 or so kilos, but the total lack of cravings is going to be a game changer.

Also finding myself full so much quicker than before! Hugely optimistic for the coming weeks

It's my birthday next week though, and I'm struggling for ideas of what to do to celebrate that isn't going out for a meal! Don't think I'd enjoy that at the moment

@VelociraptorsVelociRapping glad to hear you’re feeling better! 💪

@OldGreyBoots I took my bonus dose from my 2.5mg pen and it came to 0.8ml so about 3.33mg, which was perfect for me as a bridging dose.

I felt super suppressed and did another week at 3.33mg from my 5mg pen but this Friday I will be moving up to 4mg as my weight loss has stalled this week and since Tuesday I’ve been hungry 🤤

As for suggestions for your birthday next week how about bowling/cinema/theatre/crazy golf or even a lovely walk with a small picnic if the weather is nice?

First week check in. Loss of 2kg, now weighing 106kg at the height of 5'7. Will be doing my 2nd dose of MJ 2.5mg later today.
More than happy with the loss, but not happy with the food noise. I found myself to be as hungry as I normally am when on a diet and without MJ. The only thing that kept me going was the price I paid for MJ, just got to make it worth it.

Well done on the loss @oreo2024. It's not unusual not to have much effect from the 2.5 dose. It's an introductory dose and while some people respond very quickly, not everyone dose. It will build in your body as the weeks go on so you might see the impact increasing. But really it's not until the higher doses that the studies show it properly working. Unfortunately we have to start small though or the side effects would be too much.

Thanks @KeepingUndercover
Well at least I am blessed in that I have not have any side effects.

Thanks to those that mentioned clear whey. I ordered some and just blended some to try, Orange and mango. Saving mojito for the weekend 😂

Hi all.

Started last night and I am cautiously wondering if I may be a hyper responder. Woke up feeling nauseous and couldn’t contemplate food even if I wanted to eat (which I don’t). It’s now 1.30pm and I’ve not feel remotely hungry. Not nauseous any longer but I seem to be just going about my day without constantly thinking about food…which is so weird to me. I feel like I need to force myself to eat at some point. Any tips?

Most posts I've read suggest that 2.5mg either does nothing or works immediately for most people. I don't think it makes you a "hyper responder" to feel the effects a day after you take it.

Super responder is a thing, some people feel quite rough very quickly and therefore can’t face eating a lot earlier on and some people it takes longer to feel the effects in a build up. Been here over a year it is often one camp or the other and both sides get upset for different reasons! The super responders usually lose faster but feel worse, the slower responders still lose but feel less grim

Eat little and often and keep hydrated. You are at risk of low blood sugar if you do not eat enough and can get dizzy. You must eat, yes.

Thank you, this is helpful. :)

Hi @ShiftySandDune , welcome to the club!

I've just taken dose 4 and I thought in week 1 that I was a super-responder for sure - really reduced appetite, no cravings, pretty much instantly from the jab...

But I've had some weird health stuff this month (absent period, allergic reaction needing steroid treatment) and the scale numbers haven't moved...

So for that reason I did 3.75 today instead of 2.5, taking an extra 0.3 mls from the extra bit in the pen. I'm going to keep monitoring but might well titrate up faster now than I first thought, so that I can hopefully get the weight loss benefit from the insulin-affecting higher doses.

I'm always a slooooooooow loser due to underactive thyroid, sedentary job, perimenopause, so didn't expect it to melt off me or anything! Just am eating so much better (relatively effortlessly!) than before, so it would be nice to see some loss.

I have a lot of weight to lose and it's a marathon for me not a sprint. I'll be on this medicine for as long as I can get it, and hope that eventually the scales will come down - but even if they don't I'm enjoying the lack of food noise, the feeling of control and willpower, and of course the recent study showed cardiovascular benefits...

Basically regardless of my response level, I'm a lifer! 😅

@WoolyMammoth55

Thanks for sharing your experience. I don’t think I necessarily equated being a super responder with rapid weight loss as opposed to a hyper sensitivity to the drug. I definitely see it as a longer term thing; I don’t expect a quick fix. I’m usually sensitive to medication so this doesn’t surprise me. If anything, I’m now worrying if this continues that I will struggle to meet calorific needs, which I’ve had experience of before on meds (not for weight loss), so I definitely don’t see it as a pro.

I'm interested in your comments about selecting inbetween doses. I’m reading that’s quite common with some people and I think it’s great that’s something that can be done. Learning loads here! ☺️

I needed to read some reassurance about it not working straight away so thanks for those.
I definitely feel different but my food compulsion is stronger, even feeling full the food noise is still there and I’ve caved a few times, hopefully not too much and I maintain or loose a little in the time before I can go up to 5mg I’m trying to not get disheartened that I need to stay at 2.5 for another 3 doses with it not working. Eye on the long picture!

They are delicious aren’t they!?

First time trying and the raspberry mojito is lovely ☺️

Oh dear I'm really feeling the effects of 5mg today. I didn't have too many side effects with 2.5 and lost a stone just having smaller portions of my normal meals but I don't think I can do that on 5 can I?
Just had a tiny portion of enchiladas and I have stomach ache, feeling so ill, my stomach is so bloated. Horrible.
My own fault I didn't heed the advice on here. Also not convinced I'm getting enough calories, I have no energy, I've taken myself off to bed already

Hi all, just discovered this thread and hope I can join you all. I’ve been on the main MJ thread since I started and it’s so helpful but I do feel like I have so much more to lose than most on there.

starring weight on 13 April was 15st 13.8
current weight is 14st 11.2

my target weight is about 10st 4 but honestly I’d be so happy to get into the 11 stone bracket as it’s been 10 years

so far I’m on week 2 of my 5mg pen but haven’t been up to the full 5 yet. Did 3.75 and was SO ILL! I was too scared to do that again so I did 3mg in my thigh - usually do tummy - and I’ve felt no suppression at all this week.

My weigh in day is tomorrow but not holding out much hope for this week since I’ve had no suppression and also had DHs 40th so we’ve had quite a few celebrations.

really torn on my next jab. Not sure if I should go up to 3.5mg or keep it a smaller increase, maybe 3.25. I’m terrified of being as ill as I was last week again but also would quite like it to work or I’m wasting my time!

Super responder is totally a thing. I suspect I had started to develop insulin resistance (scary!) and that might be why it worked so well and fast for me.

Leaning into the added pressure of the investment isn't necessarily a bad thing imo. I gave this my absolute all because so expensive, was lucky to experience a pretty extreme appetite suppression, but still not easy.

@Eminybob I feel your pain. It's trial and error with food. Have you worked out what your TDEE is? I have been under or around 1000 kcal/day for 80% of the time for the past year with no major side effects, sort of mimicking the diet of a bariatric patient. Let's not dick about, it's an aggressive cut; essentially semi starvation, and I could not have done it with young kids, a physically demanding job or doing any other exercise than gentle dog walks. Make sure what you do manage to eat has good macros ie low carb high protein. I'm all about convenience and I like small portions of kvarg or protein yoghurt (lindahls or arla), babybel cheese, pepperami chicken bites, thin turkey slices, smoked salmon, prawns. Chopped up veg + protein with a low cal dressing or mayo.
It's a new way of eating; not for pleasure but for good fuel.
Mind you I've still made space for treats in my allowance and enjoyed lovely holidays, parties and work trips. Just much, much less of the richer foods.

Thank you @VanellopeVonSchweetz99 that's good advice.

Honestly I've never been more sick than I was all through the night last night. Threw up what little I ate, couldn't sleep with the pain.
I'm going to have a protein shake this morning as I can't face real food, and start planning some meals going forward.