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.

A little visualisation tip for us all!

One 2 litre bottle of Pepsi Max weighs 2kg or 4.4lbs

I’ve now lost a total of 46lbs, which means I carried over 10 bottles of Pepsi Max around on me before I started my MJ journey in May. Bonkers 🤪

@Pinkbendyman I had to go and weigh a bottle myself as I couldn't believe it. I have lost 6 bottles of Pepsi Max in 12 weeks. I'm not sure I could carry that. No wonder my knees hurt less when walking down the stairs.

Just checking in - I'm on week 5 and down another 4lbs despite being on holiday last week!

My starting weight at the beginning of this journey was 12 stone 13/82kg, my BMI had just tipped over 30. I lost a few lbs with diet and exercise before I ordered and started to use the MJ (had it sat in my fridge for a good couple weeks before cracking it open!) When I actually started taking it I was at around 12 and a half stone.

I'm now 11 stone 9. I haven't been under 12 stone in YEARS. This is some heckin sorcery.

I have lost exactly the same, and knees hurt less too!! No wonder, how have I carried that round for so long

I’m a bit of a lurker on these threads, but I worked out when I went on holiday, that I have lost three quarters of my suitcase weight, and given that I couldn’t lift it onto the scales at the airport, I am apalled, and amazed equally, and I am only half way through this journey, so hopefully I will be losing a suitcase and a half eventually

😁 I'm just less than 5 subway sandwiches tall and my ultimate goal weight is roughly 25 bottles of Pepsi.

This is how I will measure all of my units from now on.

I took my first 7.5 last week and didn't react very well to it. Stomach cramps, loose stool, and weirdly couldn't sleep. I had to take a day off work. I've taken my second dose tonight instead of tomorrow morning, hoping the extra 12 hours might let me get over any side effects before going to work on Wednesday.

Happily I'm in the 80s kg-wise now. 89.6 at last weigh-in. Hope it's worth it.

Thank you

7.5 didn't agree with me either. I still take 7.5mg in a week but I split it so I take 5mg on a Monday and 2.5mg on a Friday.

It's been a lot more manageable for the side effects and the serum levels still build up in your body.

You could try splitting your dose if you felt you still needed 7.5, or you could take somewhere less than 7.5 and build up your tolerance for a few weeks too.

You do need to buy more hairline pin heads or use an insulin syringe though as they don't send extras in the packaging.

I’ve come for a moan! Forgive me please.
I’m stttaaaalllllllllllllllled.
it’s not a long stall (2 weeks) but it’s so frustrating after months of steady losses.
I slowed massively from 2lb a week ave loss to under 1lb as I approached my first target weight of 2 st down (my low weight of 40s and 30s) and thought it was never going to arrive. It finally did and I was so pleased. I’ve not been able to get under this weight for so long (it’s normally the bottom of a curve on any diet if the last 15 years - you know the one - not your target weight but the point at which your diet fails and you rapidly regain from). So I guess I’m pretty nervous of it.
I figured there might be a bit of a time sitting here whilst my body caught up that shifting the fat is a good plan but honestly I really had hoped I’d just smash through it and leave it in the rear view mirror.
I made my plan for my next target (another st down and thought hopefully I’ll make it by Christmas)
I dropped another lb.
And thought “way hey set point shmet point. Off I go again!”
But no. I’ve been sat at the same weight for 2 weeks.
I know logically that it’ll eventually start to move again and to just keep on eating in my good calorie deficit, mind my protein and enjoy my exercise.

But can someone tell me “it’s okay. The stall will break! It did for me!”

Please?

@VioletsHeart it will pass! I had a couple of weeks where I didn’t lose and then whoosh. Two off. One thing I found useful was to not track the micro gains. Where we gain a pound or two for period or not having a poo.

I never thought I’d get below 13. Then 12. Then 11? 10??? No way. I’m now 9.6 and maintaining. It WILL happen.

@VioletsHeart the good news is that it does happen and it will start tracking down again. The bad news is that there may well be another stall further down the line.
I stalled at exactly the same point as you (the point at which diets all seem to stall and the hunger and constant food noise without the reward of seeing the scales move leads to abandoning the diet). The great thing about mj is that the hunger and food noise is much reduced so you're less likely to have the 'fuck it' response. That stall lasted about 3 weeks but, a stone later, my current stall has been nearly a month long. I also go on holiday for a week on Friday, so assume the stall won't be ending any time soon!
However, even when stalling, if you are still eating healthily and exercising, your health and body are changing for the better.
I'm a slow loser and my original assumption about approaching a healthy BMI by Christmas (based on starting early May and an average weekly loss of 1.25 lbs a week) turns out to have been a fantasy. BUT I'm still at a lower weight than I've been for years and I'm hoping the slow loss might make maintaining more sustainable. Also, I've told no one I'm on mj and the slow loss has meant nobody has suspected!
Good luck and keep the faith.

I love the weighing in Pepsi Max bottles 😆I have lost 8 so far! I have lost 17kg, which is almost a large suitcase too. My mind is blown by this, no wonder I ached so much.

@VioletsHeart the stall will pass. I had a long stall in summer and have now powered past it. The change in humidity, hormones constipation can all be blamed. You will get there.

TMI question - has anyone suddenly started getting diarrhea after a few weeks on a dose? I've been on 7.5mg for 5 weeks now (I think) and suddenly have it. Not sure if it's the MJ or a bug.

Thank you all @FlappyFish , @Fromthesidelines and @BellaCriesAndThatsAlright for your kind responses!
I feel better knowing others have had similar stalls. Logically I do already know this isn’t like last time. The fact that I’m in a stall not a rapid upward tick is progress in itself.
@FlappyFish your progress is phenomenal and I’m following your maintenance updates keenly. The losing weight is one battle I have won in the past, maintenance is the war I’ve never yet won but intend to this time.
@Fromthesidelines back at you you will get there! And have a brilliant holiday.
@BellaCriesAndThatsAlright Sorry you’ve got diarrhoea at the moment. Hope either way if bug or the MJ it passes soon.

I promise you'll get past the stall. I've had stalls go on for months then suddenly out of no where I've dropped.

Try increasing your fluids and make sure you're prioritising fibre in your diet to keep regular.

I can't remember which thread it was or who said it but there was some really helpful information about refeeding and (forgive me if I'm wrong to whoever wrote about it), I think it said that a couple of days of being slightly over on calories helped get past the stall of the body thinking it's in shock.

Whoever posted about that, if you see this can you post your links again so I can quote them and get them added to the See All.

I think I'm going to start compiling peer advice for thread 23 to put in the first post.

@FlappyFish omg thanks for the update, you're amazing and it's brilliant to read this as it spurs me on. It can be done! I know we are all different but having this helping hand to change eating habits is the best thing ever. X

Has anyone had an issue with Asda delivery recently? Put my order in last week. Got an email on Monday saying they needed updated pictures including a piece of paper showing the date. Did that immediately and haven’t heard back since. I’ve been on MJ with them for 7 months and am still in the obese category for bmi so no idea what’s happening. I’m due to inject on Friday and then go away for the week so panicking that I’ve not heard if/when it’ll arrive?

I know I've already asked but I didn't get any advice. Has anyone had any issues with hair loss? And can recommend a product to help? 🙏

I've had a lot of hair loss even though I've not had quick weight loss. No advice as nothing seems to stop it. I'm just praying to get to goal weight before I go bald

No, I ordered from them last Thursday and the pen was delivered the next day. Fastest ever! Its probably because the photos need checking by someone else, not just a pen being approved by Dr. Fingers crossed your pen will arrive in good time.

I empathise as I'm I the same boat, despite slow weight loss.
I'm trying the plantar 39 caffeine shampoo and scalp tonic and I've also started taking biotin in top of my usual vitamins/supplements. Too early to know if any of it is helping but the hair is still coming out ☹️
I've bought some of the L'Oréal root touch up spray to help hide the thin areas when I tie my hair back.
I've had this with every weight loss attempt in the pass so I'm just holding onto the knowledge it will sort itself out eventually, it's just not much fun while it's happening!

Wondering if anyone is struggling to eat on 2.5mg?

I've been on 5mg after my initial week of 2.5mg, for months.
My side effect throughout since upping to 5 has been no hunger whatsoever, nausea 24/7 which stops me eating, fatigue (though this is a big one, it's obviously made worse by me being unable to eat)

The losses have been steady but I've had to skip a week here and there specially when I've come down with a bug so I could get some sort of hunger back and get better.

I keep gaslighting myself about it and as the side effects lighten towards the end of the week I convince myself it's fine and carry on the following week

So anyway. The last 3 weeks I've actually been taking half a dose of my 5mg pen to try see if that helps but still quite strong side effects

I've had to actually turn to weed some evenings to make the nausea stop for long enough to get some food in but I don't really want to continue doing this.

Clearly I'm not wasting away and I'm keeping up with my vitamins and drinking protein shakes when I can but beginning to think it's not really sustainable

So if 5mg is too much, and so too the half dose of 2.5mg, should I go back to buying the 2.5mg pen and then half that dose to 1.25mg??

You could try doing 1.25mg on your current pen, it would be 15 clicks.

You could also try taking 2.5mg but spreading it out by injecting every 9 or 10 days.

I'm sorry if this sounds negative but I wonder if you should take a break from it. The 2.5mg is not clinically effective according to the manufacturer and is just a priming dose so reducing to 1.25mg is fairly pointless
If you are struggling to this point on it you must be incredibly sensitive and may have to accept it is not good for you.
Also remember that any pen expires 30 days after first use so using half doses is an expensive way to do things

I would suggest you stop MJ when this current pen finishes and let your symptoms settle completely then decide whether to try 2.5mg again. In the time after stopping you could try to get your eating habits back on track, take probiotics, vitamins, etc to get your body in the best place for if you try again.
Good luck

The 2.5mg is not clinically effective according to the manufacturer and is just a priming dose so reducing to 1.25mg is fairly pointless

There is NO evidence that 2.5mg is not an effective dose.

Many people on the main American Mounjaro Reddit forum who started on Mounjaro in 2023 well before it was available here, have stayed on 2.5mg for their entire weightloss journey and have lost massive amounts in some cases.

There is PLENTY of evidence that for many people 2.5mg is an extremely effective dose. It therefore makes sense that for a few people 1.25 would be an effective dose, just as some people have no weight loss until they are on 15mg (which means that for them, all doses below 15mg are apparently 'ineffective'). We are all different.