What lifestyle changes have you made while on MJ?

[MooFroo]

Hi all

I’m in week 5 and due to start 5mg on next jab. Only lost a few pounds so far, am eating better but not tracking, started swimming and will be joining gym for weights once school restarts next week
I had been walking more but not doen as much in the last couple of weeks so September is definitely a reset for me.

I know MJ is going to be more effective long term with proper changes implemented and not just sit back and wait for injections to do all the work!

Be great to hear what lifestyle changes you made since starting Mounjaro- exercise, food, sleep or anything else.

Thanks for sharing :)

I'm the same as you @MooFroo I know I need to add something in. I am thinking of weights to help tone as the weight comes off and prevent muscle loss. I also love swimming as it feels like cardio and resistance training at same time.

Would also love to do Pilates but only have some much spare time.

I have been a member of a (amasing) fitness group for about 18 months, had to take some time away from it since I started MJ as I managed to cracked/break a/some rib(s) about the same time but when its healed I will be back there, so I guess thats not a lifestyle change but something I could easily fall out the habit of doing.

I also used to walk most lunchtimes and stopped doing that regularly earlier in the year, so I am going to start that again. Both for fitness and for my mental well being as its time away from my desk (I WFH most of the time)

Diet: I have been eating very clean (protein and veg/fruit heavy); lots of water; daily supplements; cutting out alcohol and greatly reducing sugary foods

Exercise: daily morning 5K walk and more natural movement throughout the day (minimum 10K steps); I do cardio class once a week; weights once a week and aim for Pilates/Yoga once a week

Sleep: I have a toddler; but I aim for 7-8 hours of sleep (sometimes it means going to bed at 9 pm)

Other: I do infrared sauna 3-4 times a week which I find amazing, it feels so relaxing to me and I sweat so much, it’s great to detox. I also found some great wellness focused podcasts and YouTubes that I listen and feel they give me that extra motivation too.

I’ve been on MJ for 3 months and have lost 3 stone so far. 17% of my body weight.

I’ve been taking creatine in the morning I will work out. I took advantage of an offer and class pass and am doing 3xF45 workouts a week. Also stopped buying sweet treats etc so not been tempted and just been eating clean.
also taking some more vitamins and committing to 2litres of water a day.
I’ve lost one stone on 4 weeks of 2.5mg about to start 5mg today.

Calorie-counting, increasing protein, reducing carbs, drinking more water and less alcohol, going to bed earlier. I was doing some weights but it’s been very hard to find the time over the summer holidays, so I intend to be more regimented with that from next week onwards!

Are we talking conscious changes or the ones brought about by Mounjaro?

Conscious:
7am spinning classes 2x a week (who the hell am I?!)
Weekly Pilates class - would love to do more but the leisure centre don't offer them at times I can make so would have to pay somewhere else 😬)
On my return from holiday and getting back into the new term routine (work in education), I want to start at least one body pump style class too

Am also taking collagen to hopefully help my skin but was thinking of that before mj already

Conscious

• Counting macros/protein
• Increasing protein and water intake, taking electrolytes
• Reducing carbs, alcohol and sugar
• Weight training (was already doing this but intend to do more) + long walks

Unconscious

• Not buying/eating snacks and pudding; not seeing this as an active decision bc I just don't want them - a month ago, I could get through 2 bags of crisps and bar of chocolate in the evening, just as a 'treat' to myself :/
• Caffeine intake is way down, usually only 1 coffee per day now.

I calorie counted for the first few weeks but just to get a sense of what I'd need to eat to be around 1200-1400; have stopped now bc I don't want to replace food noise with that.

@3wDavid wow! That’s amazing and a lot of commitment! Well done

I started strong but fizzled out with extra walking and swimming so back on it from this week.

the responses are what I needed to hear tbh as I’ve not made as many changes as so many of you. Still not drinking enough water, taking vitamins and started sneaking the treats back in bit by bit

need to start tracking!

Thank you :) was looking for the conscious changes like the examples you’ve shared.

ive done a couple of yoga classess and will be going in tomorrow morning, and back to swimming this week. Have been using the infrared sauna at the gym too which is great :) need to book induction session for weights and start adding that in!

Thank you @lookathatbookcase - are you using my fitness pal to track?

what are you hq in my as electrolytes and why?

i hear you on the crisps and chocolates evening treats - was my nightly treat and lots of early morning biccies! I have been still
having some crisps (wotsits) and very few chocolates in the last few months - but I’ve not had the strong suppression that other people have talked about

it’s amazing how it affects us all differently!

@MooFroo Honestly I just have a big list of things on my Notes app of the most frequent things I eat, there's not much variation - each day I note what I've eaten / drunk, and then calculate from there, Googling for any extra stuff.

Electrolytes - currently taking Phizz. It's similar to why I have protein puddings and clear whey - because the amount of food I'm consuming is so reduced that, even if it's healthy, I still need to make up for the electrolytes I'm missing by not being at capacity. Also I've found they really help with the headaches and stomach-feeling-a-bit-strange that I get on days 1 and 2 after injections.

Conscious - started batch cooking so that I have a really healthy lunch each day. Mainly grilled chicken, steamed greens/broccoli/cavolo nero, and either lentils or a little bit of cous cous with spices and lemon. It stops me reverting to old habits of a huge tuna & mayo bread roll or nutrition-less ramen noodles, if I have all my food already cooked in the fridge, and it just needs heating up.

I've always been to the gym a lot - between 4 and 7 cardio and strength classes a week - and have now incorporated an hour's treadmill walking each weekday.

Evening meals - I love meals with my family, so haven't really changed these massively, but I eat about half of what I would usually have eaten. And I'm swerving away from pasta meals, to things that have a carbohydrate on the side, so I can really regulate how much carb intake I have.

Unconscious changes - I'm not tempted to snack between meals which is great. I have two kids and used to hoover up any leftover chips etc. from their plates, adding up those calories without feeling as though I'd eaten anything.

I am loving this thread! Tend to stick to boiled eggs for snacks. Plate is half full of whatever salad is on offer for lunch that day plus protein. Have given up pasta/bread and occasionally will have a small tablespoon rice but very rarely.

Whoops, pressed send too quickly. Rarely have dinner as am tired on an evening. Do yoga twice a week, Pilates once a week and swimming twice a week. Hoping to keep this up and add some weights training too. Let's see...

The biggest change for me has been a conscious decision to eat 3 meals per day, every day. I used to be terrible for skipping meals and I need to make sure that I'm eating regularly, and prioritising good nutrition.

Lots of positive healthy changes - thank you so much for sharing!

Really highlights that we need to make those changes now to make this work long term

@MooFroo I'm early days but so far upping protein, reducing refined sugar and carbs. Broadly following the guidance in Michael Mosley's blood sugar diet which is low carb Mediterranean and a type of diet I think I could follow long term. The only successful weight loss I've ever had was when I did a Paleo diet alongside regular HIIT and I did a lot of cycling.

Mosley's book suggests 800 cals a day for 8 weeks, but for me that's too low for my activity levels. I go to the gym 3-4 times a week, walk the dog and look after the goats, sometimes swimming on the weekends. I'm trying to make sure I get to 1500, as recommended by my PT at the gym. Slower loss is ok as I don't want to lose too much muscle. It's weigh in at the gym today - clothes feel a bit looser, so we shall see!

Tracking on MFP to make sure I eat enough is a VERY new thing for me 😂

Those who use electrolytes, what brands are you using? Any that don't taste absolutely rank?!

@CrazyGoatLady At home (currently away on holiday!) I tend to follow the fast800 as I find the food tasty, I lose well and have loads of energy!

I use Anxient and Brave electrolytes. I tend to dissolve them in much life water than they say but they still have a 'salty/soluble aspirin' taste😬

I've used 2.5mg to get myself used to it, made slightly healthier choices but not massively different.

I'm about to step up to 5, and I'm going to be starting to make some radical changes. Focussing on whole foods, nothing processed, moving away from the protein shakes etc

@CrazyGoatLady I Iike ViDrate, the only ones that (to me) don't taste too salty. I can only tolerate the tropical or apple & mango flavours though, the others taste way too sweet since I've been on Mounjaro.

Tracking calories has been the biggest eye opener for me

I haven’t made as many lifestyle changes as I wanted to partly due to being tired but I have swam once a week and done tennis once a fortnight. I am fairly sedentary but have managed to lose 3.5 stone ( 20 % body weight) in 6 months .
I hardly drink alcohol now and go out for food much less because I don’t feel like it. I guess these have been the main changes. I do need to do more research xercise to maintain the new weight once I stop.