Continuing Mounjaro...part 7

[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. Also below you can plot the effect of your doses.
https://glp1plotter.com/

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.

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
further 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 2.5mg and 5mg. £149.99. 7.5mg £169. Use code STARTNOW. Ask for other codes if that doesn't work.
• The Family Chemist 2.5mg and 5mg -£149. 7.5mg £169.
• Simple online pharmacy - £159 2.5mg £179 5mg
• Bolt pharmacy 2.5mg £125, 5mg £179. 7.5mg £189
• Asda 2.5mg and 5mg £184. 7.5mg £189
• Boots £219 +
• Chemist4U £179 +
• Superdrugs

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

6th thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5057916-continuing-mounjaropart-6?page=1

Thread for newbies just starting out:

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

I've just checked again, 76.1kg (11 stone 9) woohoo! I'm thrilled to ribbons 😃😃😃

Have I calculated that correctly as Google is confusing me? My weight is 76.1kg and I'm getting 11 stone 9? (11.984 stones to be exact)

That's right, or at least google converts the kg's to 11.9 ish stone. I'm a metric baby so I'm always converting all of your stones and pounds to understand better lol. For pounds it's divided by 2.2 for kg but I always have to google stones.

Huge congratulations, so pleased for you. Whoosh! 🙌🏻

The .984 had to be multiplied by 14 to get the pounds.

So it’s 11st 13

on the plus side it starts with 11.

Can you change your scales to stones and lbs to get that measurement?

Well done for getting under 12 stone but it isn't 11st 9.

Here's a conversion chart

www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Weight-Conversion-Chart.pdf

Alternatively 76.1kg x 2.2 = 167.4lbs

167.4 divided by 14 lbs = 11.959 so 11 stone with almost another stone left over.

11stone x 14lbs = 154lbs. So there's 167.4 - 154 = 13.4lbs leftover.

You are now 11stone 13.4lbs.

Thanks for the corrections, I didn't realise the .984 had to be divided and will bare that in mind going forward. I have never tracked my weight before starting the MJ, as you can probably tell. I do get confused with all the different ones, stones, lbs, kg etc.

Still, I'm very happy to be back in the 11's 😃

It's one of the things I hate when I try to convert @BlackFriYay. That table Choux shared is very handy! I track my weight in Nutracheck and it lets you easily toggle between kg, stones and lbs and just lbs which has saved me a lot of maths.

It's still a milestone. Well done for getting in the next stone bracket! 😀

Well done on the milestone! It’s the one I’m looking at too. I’ve been stalled/putting on/losing around 12.4 for two weeks now!

Well done everyone on your continued losses

I finally watched the Cardiff Uni lecture video shared by someone in a previous thread. It is excellent at explaining the science and implications- I now more fully understand how it all works (and doesn’t- ie no effect on metabolic system).

The expert concluded that you need to stay on these drugs for life to correct ‘faulty’ biological processes. He compared them to Statins. He was bemused as to why the NHS has set a 2 year limit for treatment- he said weight gain would then be inevitable because your body will drive you to eat and it will be near impossible to control in our obesegenic environment. Hormones in your body will drive you to overeat to get back to an obese weight.

I need to get my head around this- I thought this would be a short term intervention to get me to a healthy weight which I could maintain with calorie counting. But the evidence suggests otherwise and this needs to be taken for life. It’s near impossible to overcome a biological process.

This is going to be really expensive- hopefully Eli Lilly develops cheaper tablets which are easier to administer. But thank god for the NHS- without its purchasing power we’d probably be paying 4 times as much, as the Americans do.

Link to video would help!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WW3IfIxUjE8&feature=youtu.be

I enjoyed that lecture too @WannabeHealthier

It was very informative.

I already had a feeling we would need this for life to keep our losses. I just hope the UK changes their mind on the 2 year thing and let's stay on a maintenance dose when we get to goal. I think the will power needed to not eat will be in immense if we come off the drug. I am not sure I could do it. In preparing for it if it happens, I am doing calorie control diet but still eating carbs. Because I don't want to do keto /low carb and not be able to maintain that once I am off the drug(if I have to be off the drug)

Also price wise, im finding it a lot cheaper than I thought it would be since moving to med express. So I think financially I am prepared to keep buying MJ if I can.

@ObsidianTree I’m the same as you, I decided against Keto for the same reason. I also eat carbs in moderation as I think a more normal diet is more sustainable- I’m also in the habit of calorie counting and it’s no biggie… I’ve had a 69 day streak of logging on MFP.

I guess my diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet- although I do need to increase beans and pulses. I could also switch to more whole meal options.

I do think I’m saving money on snacks/ food out. I am spending very little on extra food beyond the weekly shop… so this partly offsets the cost of MJ!

Hi all

just wondering if anyone who has swapped from wegovy to mounjaro would be willing to share their experience?

I’m currently on a break from wegovy, I’d got up to 1mg but wasn’t getting much in the way of appetite reduction and when I did eat I got terrible acid reflux. I ended up pretty much living off bland carby stuff and unsurprisingly wasn’t losing much weight.

I’m trying to decide whether to go back on Wegovy and see if the higher doses work better in terms of appetite reduction or give it up as a bad job and see if Mounjaro suits me better, was wondering if anyone else found wegovy didn’t suit them but has had success with Mounjaro?

Really interesting @WannabeHealthier but I wonder why my hormones should drive me to eat my way back to an obese weight rather than the healthy weight I was for most of my adult life.
I've been reading other research and the consensus seems to be that one can maintain weight loss after Mounjara provided that healthy eating and exercise is maintained. A return to former lifestyle/eating habits will of course cause weight to be regained.

I prob shouldn't do this, but I am scared of the sharp finish from from however milligrams I'm on to nothing when they decide I'm thin enough. Worried about my appetite soaring. I will buy an extra pen to titrate down to soften the blow.

Simply tracking calories on nutracheck has been a revelation though. I was probably eating about 1200 cals for my evening meal alone! This should help me maintain. My cooking is an issue. I live in a house of boys and I cook some decent food from scratch, but it is of the more filling variety. I need to work on healthier alternatives.

I have jabbed a bit early this week and gone for stomach again. The shit side effects help my appetite suppression. Sulphury burps here i come....when I start whinging in a few days you can laugh. I think 5mg is wearing off on me anyway.

@WannabeHealthier. I think calorie counting is something I definitely need to continue after coming off the drug. So I see what I am eating etc. I am hoping once I get to goal weight I can eat a bit more calories and maintain. But I do worry our body biology isn't going to help us maintain!

I am losing and eating a normal diet with a bit of carbs. I actually think I am eating less carbs anyway as they fill me up too much, so I try and eat my protein and veg first before having the carb part of a meal. So I end up eating less of it. I just like the way MJ helps me to eat healthily and don't want to give that up really! Hope it doesn't happen!

I am also saving money on snacks etc. Usually would buy some bits for kids and I would end up eating them and replacing them faster. Now they are still there and last for the kids! Also if we go out I know I can't eat much so other something small or share with my husband. Plus I can't drink like I used to... So saving there!

Hey, there might be a few on here that have swapped, so hopefully they will answer.

But from reading on Facebook groups etc, it seems the people that have swapped generally don't feel the effects of MJ at the lower doses and seem to want to go up to 5mg and above to start feeling the benefits.

I think as you've had a break, if you start MJ you might be ok and feel the effects straight away. But you also might need to build up doses to feel its effects.

I think you should get MJ a go as it is better than Wegovy. Less side effects and more reported weight loss.

Good luck with your decision.

@Soukmyfalafel I also don't want to just be cut off. I think once I start getting to goal I might try and get a few pens to titrate down slowly.

Just hope we aren't cut off!

Hello al

What a lovely sunny day! Definately walking later.

I’ve had a wonderful, but poor diet wise few days! Friends for dinner on Saturday- cooked a vegetarian meal but it was still quite high in calories due to ghee. Had 1 large glass of wine. Then went away for a day/night with my adult Daughter which was a last minute decision but such rare treat I couldn’t say no. Didn’t eat particularly poorly except had dessert after dinner and had 2 cocktails and 1 wine! Weighed myself today- gained 2 pounds 😭😭.. It is what is but I goal is below 10 by end of May so I’ve just made this a bit harder.

Im also taking my mum to Spain on Thursday for a couple of days. It won’t be boozy but I’m not sure if I should take MJ dose 3 on tomorrow or take it when I get back on Saturday and just almost reset from there?

Joining the thread! Did my first jab on Sunday evening. I slightly ballsed it though, managed to accidentally lose my grip so the pen came out partway through injecting. Quickly put it back in another spot for the rest of the dose but noticed the needle was slightly bent afterwards, presumably because of my fannying about? Hopefully I still got a decent dose, I’ve definitely felt the “food noise” and sugar cravings have been noticeably quieter.

My daughter is a bit under the weather so not sleeping great at the moment, I'm not binging or snacking as I usually would especially when so tired but I'm not as meal prepped as usual so not getting my proteins etc and also neglecting my water intake!

Just take it!

I am with you on seeing the 11 on the scales. I had that thrill yesterday!

Sadly I think we may be. I saw a post on a FB group yesterday about a lady who had reached a BMI of 25 on wegovy and boots have now stopped prescribing even though she still has a stone to get goal.

Seems there are two options once we get close to goal ... Not being entirely truthful about losses e.g. inflate your weight by a lb or 2 or start to titrate yourself down once you get close to your healthy BMI so it's not such a hard stop.

I think I will be asking for more info from Asda once I get into the overweight category but at the moment I've still got almost 5 stone to get to a healthy BMI so I've got time to work it out