Continuing Mounjaro... Part 22

[Jimmyneutronsforehead]

It's thread 22 time! As usual please fill up the previous thread before we make a start on this one.

Huge congratulations to every one who has made losses, and well done to those who have graduated the mounjaro club! We would love you to come back and share your tips for maintenance so we can all continue to learn and grow from each other.

Pointers for newbies:
Please note: Mounjaro will only be be prescribed initially if your BMI is above 30. If you have additional health conditions you can get the medication with a BMI 27. (Prediabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart problems)
Mumsnet does not allow promo codes. Please do not post any. If you want one, ask and someone will PM you a code or there are now threads on the promo page that have codes for Mounjaro link below:
Promo codes :
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/promo-codes-bargains
Linking Wallywobbles site, as theyve very kindly compiled all threads so far, pointers for newbies, weightloss tracker, links to discount codes, tips and tricks and high protein recipes.
Site with all the info :
https://wattnext.notion.site/e880d9342b7a4bab94c244b34e0e5841?v=cc1edc3f1c2b41dab3011c8d9063df0a

Miss Mounjaro UK has the most up to date price comparison charts: https://www.missmounjarouk.com/

This one's the most recent I will also post the image.

Just to copy from the previous thread as it's highly useful information:
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/carbohydrates-and-diabetes/carbs-and-cooking
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cooling-resistant-starch#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6

MabelSpan:
For those who love their carbs, I grow my own veg, including lots of potatoes so eat them most days. You can dramatically increase the amount of resistant starch, a type of fibre, in your potatoes, rice and pasta and bread simply by cooking then cooling, ideally overnight or freezing in the case of bread and then reheating or toasting in the case of bread.

Please remember to do this safely if this is something you would like to do.

In light of being in close proximity to someone who has had complications from Mounjaro, I just want to say for any newbies: We are a wonderful community of Mounjaro users with a wealth of knowledge between us, but we're not a medical service. We are all people who have acknowledged the risk to benefit ratio, and are following our clinicians advice. If you do have any serious side effects listed on the information sheet that comes with your medication, please seek medical advice.

There are no questions too silly, no loss too small to celebrate, no hurdle not worth the challenge and huge congratulations to everyone who has made it this far in their journey and once again, welcome to thread 22.

@Scarletstenfeettall @KrankyKumquat You both sound like you have what my husband does, idiopathic chronic spontaneous urticaria. He's had it for years, been through rounds and rounds of allergy testing, and tried what feels like every single antihistamine and steroid available on prescription. If you're under a dermatologist, it might be worth asking about Omalizumab, which is the only thing that controls his symptoms. Unfortunately, it's hugely expensive (it costs the NHS almost £4k for a 6 week course) so you might have a couple of years ahead of trying various different treatments before that becomes an option.

@QueenOfHiraeth I think I'm similar to you. Apart from one instance in the last 5 months when I had a very rich/fatty meal out, I have been fine but my portion sizes have been much smaller and that seems to work for me.

Also worth considering if you are at an age where perimenopause may be playing a part. Oestrogen peaks in peri, stimulates the release of histamine and reduces the breakdown of it so can lead to all sorts of symptoms
It's known as Histamine Intolerance

I've never heard of this but every few years DP randomly comes out in hives, and has once gone into full anaphylaxis. His face completely changed texture, and he grew jowels like a basset hound. He is a very safe eater and doesn't really go out anywhere so is low risk for experiencing allergens in the wild.

Very stubbornly though he refuses to ask for a referral to an allergy specialist. DS had what we thought was an egg allergy but has also passed all his egg challenges with flying colours and still randomly comes out in hives and then eczema flares too, but he is under an allergist so hoping to get some answers for him soon.

I had wondered if it's some sort of MCAS but I'll admit I don't know enough about it, I've just heard passive things and thought "that sounds so familiar" so I could be wrong.

Also I'm jealous of any one that can still eat Mexican. That burrito was heavy. I only ate half but it became a food baby.

No diarrhoea here either. I too am okay no matter what I eat, but my portions are half of what they used to be.

@katinthehattt @morbidcuriosity @3wDavid @Ellepff thank you all so much for you advice! We ended up ordering an Indian, enough for about 20 people not 6, and I went for grilled paneer and vegetables. It was lovely, and I also had a spoonful of korma and tikka masala sauce and a spoon of rice and some naan. Nice to have a taste but I couldn’t have eaten more. My DH knows I’m doing MJ but my pals don’t and one of them is very judgey about Ozempic etc being cheating/lazy so I’m not going to raise it. This week I can barely eat anything so it was quite hard to pretend I was eating my usual amount but I managed it. Feel pretty grim now though, come to bed while the guys play FIFA and eat the leftovers (do men ever stop being teenagers when left alone their mates?).

I've never had MJ cause diarrhoea but I also don't eat anywhere near as much of those fatty foods anymore.

I actually reinforced how much of a change this is last night when we ordered from my daughter's favourite takeaway (they're very rare for us now, we haven't had it in a long time.)

Prior to GLP1s, I would have had a full 9" pepperoni pizza (eight slices) a stacked chicken burger, and chips. Yesterday I had two slices of the pizza, half the burger and a few chips. Yes it's not an amazing choice nutritionally, but it's nowhere near as bad as I once was. Previously I would have had this meal 2-3 times a week. 😬

I have just 5lbs to go to goal now and I need to accept that sometimes we will have food like this, but I can moderate myself with MJs help.

My plan is to be on a GLP1 forever if needs be. I'll pay and take a low dose for the rest of my life if I have to. I may actually go back to ozempic for maintenance as it's slightly cheaper.

To be honest I never ate much fatty food anyway, my issue was always just too large portion sizes (and too much wine). Take aways were never more often than once a month, and only ever Indian because we have a really good one nearby. That hasn’t changed, I just eat less of it now.
I said above that I can still eat burritos etc but that’s homemade ones, I’ve never actually had a takeaway one! And the ones we make at home aren’t particularly unhealthy.
I had a slice of Dominos at a friend’s house recently and that didn’t agree with me, but it may be that it wouldn’t have agreed with me pre MJ, I’m not sure!

Anyone else bored now? I think I’m having a low week.

We have had friends to stay and been to a lovely couple of restaurants with amazing food which I just didn’t enjoy, nor did I enjoy the wine at dinner. I have just felt slightly sick all weekend.

I am over three stone down now and only a few pounds to target so I think I am going to start reducing the dose down over the next few weeks to see how I manage.

Anyone seen a thread for those at target? I am looking for guidance on next steps.

There's a thread for February to April starters and most on there are at, or almost at, target I think.

I know what you mean @TerfTalking it does suck the fun out of it.

I'm about 12lb from goal now and thinking about weaning myself off now. Today is bonus does from 5mg pen. I have another 5mg pen in the fridge but might do lower doses.

5mg has been strong on suppression but in the past 9 days I've lost nothing at all, despite maintaining same calorie deficit.

Out for a pub lunch today and I really want a pizza but I know I'll only manage a slice. I think I am ready to lose the last bit on my own now.

Try hone made, it's probably just the grease causing that rather than the ingredients!

I tell people I'm having gallbladder issues so have a very restricted diet at present (in my case, it's not really a lie, but I would happily make it up anyway if necessary)

Tbh the last few posts have got me pondering again about maintenance.

I've told my story here before, but basically I lost about 9 stone in 2008ish. I dropped to BMI 24 and couldn't maintain that, it was very light for my build (5 foot 8, was size 8). So let myself gain about a stone which allowed my periods to return, which had stopped.

Next few years saw me undergoing IVF, retraining in a new career and finally having a baby.

My weight did eventually creep up and by 2019, I had regained the lot. The following year, I got COVID and was hospitalised. It scared the absolute crap out of me so I got back on the weightloss bandwagon

I got down to BMI 28 (my exact weight now,no matter what I did then, I couldn't lose anymore). I stayed there for 3 years until an injury and stressful life event a year ago caused me to stop calorie counting and exercise - and I gained a few stone rapidly.

The point of my story; I still wasn't eating any takeaways or drinking any alcohol as I've no desire for those things. I was honestly just eating a few extra biscuits, the odd slice of cheese in the evening, going out for cake now and again. People above are discussing eating a large pizza etc but that's not what I did yet very rapidly gained three stone. Maintenance is fucking hard and your body holds on to every calorie it can. Personally, I have to calorie count to manage it (which doesn't bother me) and I need a lot of intense exercise.

I guess my point is be careful, have a good maintenance plan and consider continuing on MJ long-term. Because your body will be fighting hard against you.

You will never be able to just eat like your slim friends without gaining weight, your metabolism will never be like theirs.

Thanks for sharing that site, it is really interesting. Looking back to when my peri experience began in my late 30s early 40s one of things that drove me mad was that I started becoming allegeric to every moisturiser that I had ever used. I wish there had been more info about the hell of peri all those years ago.

I have had occasional constipation on MJ but a dose of prunes or some inulin powder soon sorts that out. Also, it is quite normal not to go as regularly as you used to, not just because of the slowed stomach emptying but if we arent taking in as much, we wont be expelling as much😊
I havent had an upset tummy, my body likes to hold on to everything it can for as long as it can, sadly😄

Absolutely all of this 💯 - as someone who has never been able to maintain a "normal" BMI without either illness or hard work, it all resonates.

The thing about my slim friends is they can have a few bites of something very rich or sweet and leave it. I've never been able to do that, aside from either times when I've been unwell or training for serious sport (and therefore had a compelling reason not to be eating pizza, because of an activity that delivered more dopamine than eating pizza or cake!)

I wish I was closer to maintenance but I really want to get down to BMI 22/23 and still have about 35lbs to go to get there. I have stalled for a couple of weeks which is very frustrating. Currently 178lbs. My wine consumption has been higher as I have guests and that is definitely what is causing the stall. Back off it again tomorrow when I get my house back.

I have no idea how maintenance is going to go for me. I usually pile the weight back on but it isn't sugary things for me, it's snacking (usually cheese) and huge portions. I think I have got good control of my snacking habit now but it remains to be seen if I can continue to eat smaller portions. I am scared of going back to that awful climbing the walls hunger that I used to get when I cut back. If I have to continue MJ for the long term, that is ok.

The thing about my slim friends is they can have a few bites of something very rich or sweet and leave it. I've never been able to do that

@CrazyGoatLady that's me with alcohol. I'd love to be a person who can moderate with ease but the more I read/listen the more I realise some people (including me) just can't. MJ is helping me so much with that because I'm not having the wine cravings any more and so I am able to resist, and am getting to really appreciate how much better my life is without it.

It's just not that straightforward with food though, is it? Because we can't cut it out completely, for people with addictive tendencies (and I'm not speaking for everyone here, but def for myself!) we have to learn to moderate food intake despite the cravings. Gah.

I'm really interested to hear all the conversations that are (definitely) being had in medical science about GLP1 meds and addiction. I think it could be transformative for lots of people.

I’m 2lbs from goal now and don’t think I can face another 7.5mg, the nausea has just become too strong. I’m due a dose today but I’m going to leave it a few days to get some appetite back, then drop down to 5mg.

I hear you. I do this losing and regaining a couple of times at least each decade. I'm not reckless. I have only ever maintained on quite a hardcore low carb regime, whilst eating 500 calories one day a week for maintenance.

Hair loss! I lost 2 stone May-Aug and not a lot since but I’m happy at the moment, I haven’t been trying too hard and know I need to go up a dose. I’m now 11st at 5’4 and although I’d love to be less this is okay for me. My hair however, isn’t great. It’s coming out in what seems like clumps. I’m 43 so have bought perimenopause supplement from Boots, what else would be good to support hair regrowth? Has anyone else had this recently, Mounjaro can cause on 5% of people.