The fear of stopping

[Forevafatty]

I've done a couple of weeks of MJ and can already tell that it could be life-changing for me. My BMI is over 40 and I felt completely helpless about it before, whereas now real change feels possible for the first time in my life.

BUT I can't stop reading and obsessing about maintenance, and how unlikely it is to maintain the weight loss after stopping. I've read study after study, and it's making me a bit depressed. I've even read that after regaining, people are metabolically worse off because they've lost muscle / gained fat.

But what's the alternative? Stay morbidly obese? This drug feels like a miracle, but is anybody else worried about the long term regain?

Can you just keep taking it forever? I lost a load through intermittent fasting and I'm afraid I put it back on in two years when I stopped fasting every weekday 7-6. But I definitely kept it off for longer than I thought as I had changed my eating habits.

I know it's hard but we have to live for the day.
It's possible that, by the time you need a maintenance dose, guidance may have changed so ongoing use is possible.

I do also think there will be a difference in long term results between those who use the drugs as a tool while eating well and exercising to maintain muscle and metabolism and those who simply rely on the appetite suppression to consume minimal calories for fast weight loss
There are also some very positive stories coming from the US on Reddit, etc of people who feel that it has reset their internal systems and they have maintained after withdrawing from the medication.

I have heard that if you can maintain your weight for about 18 months to 2 years, then your body resets it's chosen weight to that weight. So it will try and keep you at that weight. You are currently allowed to say on Mounjaro for up to 2 years and certain pescribers let you stay on it for that long. So if the reset thing is true, then that's my aim if I can't stay on Mounjaro forever.

I want to stay on it forever. I hope in time a maintenance pill will be developed that you can take for life / as long as you want.

I think there are also studies that show as long as you actively try to maintain/gain muscle while loosing through strength training then you are more likely to succeed in maintaining the loss.

The drugs don't cause muscle loss per say it's the weight loss that does so if you were to loose same amount of weight without the drug then you would loose same muscle (if same habits).

Muscle loss appears higher on the drugs looking from outside as there are lots of people who take them without concentrating on healthy habits such as protein intake and strength training. So the key to maintenance success is bedding in these habits along your journey.

(Hope that makes sense)

Keep going for now OP. It may take 1-2 years to get to goal and by then who knows what the advise will be or what might be available? Give it a go.

Thank you all for reassuring me. You're right that I've got so far to go that I've got tome for things to change. I just feel hope for the first time ever, and for some reason I can't stop worrying about it!

The most important thing is to focus on not loosing muscle whist you are on it, do some form of weight/resistance training and prioritise protein in your diet. Then the weight loss will be much more sustainable long term.

It's definitely something that worries most of us. Finding this medication that solves a lot of our problems and then not being able to stay on it for as long as you want is scary for sure.

Try not to worry. Use your time on the drug to overhaul your lifestyle, fall in love with healthy food, increasing activity. By the time you get to goal it will be second nature and you'll be able to continue doing the same thing. It's early days for me, I've only been off it a month, but so far it's been fine. Yes I feel hungry sometimes now but it's totally manageable and there's no way I'm slipping back I LOVE being slim. Three small healthy meals, no snacks ever. I know as long as I stick to this the weight will stay off.

It’s so important for women to focus on keeping muscle as they age so this should definitely be an area you need to focus on as time progresses. If you eat too little you will lose muscle on any diet, this is the risk so make sure your diet is healthy and that you are getting some regular exercise. I am metabolically never been healthier as although I was thinner at 20 I was not fit and healthy. Set point theory is only a theory, if you go back to ‘intuitive eating’ aka eating what you like whenever you like then it’s likely you will regain weight to a certain point which is why it’s important that the changes you make are life long, you do get used to them and they become the new normal. Going back to a set weight happens when you live a lifestyle of not taking notice of what you are eating. I have a set weight my body tends to revert to when I am not taking any notice. Now I am taking notice and lost 4st 7lbs (2st of this on ozempic) and have not regained any weight. However I still take notice of what I eat and regularly exercise and this is what I will have to do forever

It's a worry. I've been on ozempic and wegovy for 6 months each and both times I stopped the appetite came back and I gained some weight. No idea if I would have gained it all back as each time I went back on, this time I'm on Mounjaro. I'm committing to 2 years and hoping that in that time I've genuinely changed my habits and hormonal issues, the price goes down and that it becomes licences for long term use. It's so wonderful to feel like a normal human not obsessed with food. Going back to before is shit. But it's better to have the chance even temporarily than not at all.

Also if you continue to eat well and exercise you shouldn't be losing muscle.

Fixating on maintenance when you're not near maintenance can be a form of self sabotage. It's a little like when people stress about the loose skin they might have after weight loss when they still have many stones to go.

It's better to try and focus on the here and now and work towards achieving a healthy weight. You can't control (yet) maintenance so if you can't get a handle on it, you'll find yourself at a stall