Slow losers club! (Ozempic, wegovy, mountjaro etc)

[LeafUsAlone]

There are so many weight loss injection threads, but I thought I'd start this for anyone feeling a bit deflated by their slower than average loses. It can be disheartening to see others losing multiple lbs per week when it is a slower process for some.

I thought it was worth mentioning, having read through recent posts on this thread, that Mounjaro (and, indeed, Wegovy) are not just about suppressing appetite and allowing you to eat fewer calories to lose weight. They also have an effect on insulin which can help you lose weight. So increasing the dose could potentially lead to increased weight loss. I believe this has happened with me, although it is anecdotal.

From: https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/mounjaro-for-insulin-resistance#weight-loss-effects (you can also find it written about elsewhere)

"Mounjaro stimulates insulin production, helping to improve insulin resistance. It acts on GLP-1 and GIP, both of which are in low concentration in a fasting state. Once someone eats, GLP-1 and GIP act on pancreatic cells to create an insulin response.
In an insulin resistant person, glucose is not being well absorbed, so the pancreas will try to make more insulin to compensate even though the body can’t use it well. If the body can’t use glucose, then one feels hungry."

My personal strategy remains to keep on a low a dose as possible while still losing to minimise side effects.

Thanks @Striving4Better that was my understanding of how it works.

I've taken my bonus dose today which was 0.8 so 3.33mg apparently and will see how that goes this week. Will move up to 5mg next week.

@Striving4Better which I think (although I’m no expert) still comes back to hunger being a prime indicator for needing to increase the dose. Less hunger = less insulin resistance = no need to go up yet. There are other contributory factors including slower digestion, of course, but my primary point was that Mj isn’t like, for instance, amphetamine based weight loss products where there is a direct correlation between more medication and greater calorie burn. Thank heavens; can you imagine the side effects of those?!

I'm hoping this 7.5 is beginning to ware off a little ready for work tomorrow, thank god I took it Friday.
No more dizzy spells today, @Ifyounevergiveup are you feeling any better
Ive been left feeling absolutely shattered

I am suddenly feeling better and I’m glad you are too. The Imodium really settled everything down and to be absolutely fair, I’m not hungry! I did have a snooze this afternoon but that was kind of slide off in front of the tv rather than feeling specifically tired. Have a good week and keep us posted!

Officially for lost 1.8lb since last Monday. However in reality, I “lost” that Tuesday and the scales have been the same now for 7 days in a row. Can’t work out why but feeling rather fed up. I know I need to trust the process etc etc but that's not helping today!

I absolutely felt like this too - 2 months in and I had lost about 3 kgs.
I also thought I was in a calorie deficit, based on what you’re always told of 2000 calories a day for a woman.

I then bought a fitness tracker - and it tells me how much I burn per day. It’s 1400 calories. I didn’t believe that so looked it up on a TDEE calculator, that confirmed that my base metabolic calories requirement is between 1400-1500 a day. I am 5’7 and 44 so I would have thought it would have been a lot higher.

I then thought I’d walk 15000 steps in a day, the calorie expenditure went up by only 200 calories!

So I think working out what your true BMR calorie burn is will help you work out if you are actually in deficit or not. I certainly wasn’t as was eating around 1200 calories a day (so a deficit of only 200 a day) which explained the slow loss

Since starting I’ve now lost a total of just over 2 stone. It’s made me realise that when I stop MJ next month, I need to really calorie count as my base calorie allowance is so low.

Maybe something to think about, calculating exactly what calorie deficit you are in?

@Mounjaroattheend I have. I track everything. My maintenance calories are about 1550 and I know what I burn every day as I fitness track and I'm doing 10000 steps+. I'm averaging about 1000 calories a day. Rarely over. I'm 💯 in a calorie deficit.

It’s pretty demotivating isn’t it! My scales don’t seem to move for a week to 10 days then I’ll drop a pound in 2 days or something.
Keep on pushing on. It’s been a tough 5 months for me but I genuinely don’t think I’d lost the 2 stone on my own. Now the harder work starts of maintaining it!

Hi everyone

not checked in for a while but just wanted to update that I’m now on 10mg and finally getting decent appetite surpression, so for those who didn’t find it effective at the lower doses it’s definitely worth persevering as long as you can afford it/not getting unmanageable side effects.

I’ve now lost 20lbs in 4 months (might be a bit more now as I only weigh myself when I’m re-ordering pens) so still slow but most of that has been in the last 2 months and will hopefully continue at a reasonable pace now I’m on the higher doses. Side effects are minimal, bit of indigestion and nausea first thing in the morning but wears off after about an hour and I can’t eat till after midday but I’ve never been much of a breakfast person so no big deal there.

Still not counting or tracking anything, I’d probably lose more if I was but I’ve a history of obsessive behaviour around this so for the sake of my mental health am happy to let MJ do the heavy lifting even if it makes the journey longer.

Had my first dose of 12.5mg yesterday. Still hungry today - agghhh

Did you notice that you got full on less food than pre Mounjaro or at previous doses? It can take 24-48 hours for the new dose to start working too I suppose.

This is true, I probably can't eat as much when I do eat. So maybe I will have 3/4 of a pizza rather than a full pizza!

Hi all - I've got my 12.5 pen arriving tomorrow. My experience so far is very few side effects, however no suppression really until I got to 7.5, and then only a tiny bit. Then I got the 10 pen, had the injection, and went the next day to the USA for 3 weeks. Definite appetite suppression from that point - even though we were eating out most meals I ate small portions, and lost 8lb while I was away! I made no effort at all to eat healthily either (as we were on holiday). I'm hoping the 12.5 pen will keep me continuing down the path, it's so nice to see it finally working after so long.

@Pinkyp22 how was your Monday? Have you got back to normal yet?

I feel ok I supose, but I was a bit surprised / worried to see my heart rate 115 when just going about daily stuff.
I have complete appetite suppression, completely forgot it was lunchtime, not even a slight pang of hunger so have eaten very little today. Just picked at some chicken in the fridge and a few babybels.
I have have had a bit of tummy symptoms today too nothing major but I have been the opposite untill now, relying on fybogel to keep me regular but let's just say I certainly don't require that today! As a result of it all I feel quite exhausted now
I felt so good the last few weeks, even with appetite suppression not 100%, so I feel quite deflated now. I not sure I will take my dose on Friday as usual, Im going to let this ware off a bit

How are you holding up?

@Pinkyp22 my pulse is doing exactly the same, but no palpitations or anything like that. The newest research is suggesting that meds like Mj increase metabolism, to which my answer (from my pulse) would be “no shit Sherlock”. So I think unless we have the biggest coincidence in the world here and we’re both terribly unwell without knowing it, we don’t have to worry over much.

I’m GOOD! I’m feeling like this is what we’ve been waiting for. I’ve had 600 calories today without feeling at all deprived. The side effects have gone. But of course my anxiety brain is already pondering what to do for my next jab, particularly since I’m out on Saturday and that’s when the worst of the side effects hit last week. So here’s my plan and tell me what you think. If I’m still feeling full suppression by Thursday, hold off injecting but still inject the full dose eventually. Conversely, if I’m experiencing bite my own arm off hunger again by Thursday, inject as usual but only 48 clicks, which will be 6mg. What do you think?

Do try Imodium for your tummy. I found its effects were both immediate and borderline magical ✨

The only thing I haven’t done since we were both felled at the weekend is get weighed! So I shall do that tomorrow. If the (now four week) stall is at an end on top of the sudden lack of hunger, I might believe this is going to work after all…!

Yes you are right as always.

I've toyed with the doing 6ml option, I will see how i feel going through the week.
If you have past the yuky side effects and suppression is good, I'd be inclined to inject the full dose after Saturday?

@Pinkyp22 good ideas for both of us, thank you! I also think you’re right to suspend judgement until later in the week, and see how you go on.

I’m 0.1kg heavier than I was a month ago 🙈😥

Okay, day 8 and the scales finally moved, down from 10st 10lb to 10st 8.6lb so I'll take that! I would like a smidge more to come off this week so fingers crossed I don't sit at this now for another 8 days 😆I am so close to a stone.

SW: 11st 7.8lb
CW: 10st 8.6lb
GW: 9st 4.0lb

Started on 12th August.

I got on the scales after a week in Berlin with all the beer/pretzels/currywurst/etc and I didn’t put on any weight - so that’s a win!! I’ve taken PP’s advice and got some electrolyte tablets to hopefully curb the salty crisp cravings and some protein powder for a sweet smoothie to curb the ridiculous sweet cravings I seem to have. Hopefully this will help!

I have put on and lost the same half pound every day this week. I’m growing fond of it 🤣
glad I’m moving up to 10 on Sat, I think that was the right decision, thanks all for helping me with that.

Down 0.7lbs this week. So still going down just at a snails pace.

In 24 weeks I've lost 28.9lbs

Interestingly I looked at my historical weight data and although I recognise 180 as a common weight stall for me over the years in actual fact the two lowest stalls I've had have both been at 174 which is where I am now.