Mounjaro / Wegovy with > 5st / 30kg to lose: Thread 3

[VelociraptorsVelociRapping]

Thread 3!

Anyone using weight-loss injections to lose more than 5 stone / 30 kg is very welcome to come and chat in this supportive space.

And yes despite the big loss I still feel and look fat ☹️

I started with 100lb to lose to get to healthy BMI 18 months ago, march 23. I lost 40lb really quick. By August 23 and now it's taken me a year to lose 10lb. Can't believe this will be my second Christmas on this drug. It really is a long haul

Are any of you taking or aware of gallstones and prevention? I'm wondering about asking the GP or pharmacy to prescribe ursodiol, which is used after weight loss surgery.

@Millymollymine. Meh! sounds about right. I started the same month as you and have lost a similar amount. I think it is a combination of the novelty of focusing on MJ, food planning, vitamins etc is wearing off and the dark nights.

I need a new focus for November.....I was thinking about setting myself a (achievable) walking target (in and outdoors) to reach by the end of November to give me something daily to do.

Has anyone struggled with a change in their periods on MJ? Mine used to be only 4 days really, with a heavy and dull pain on day 1, but otherwise fine.

Now they are a little heavier, 5-7 days long and a lot more painful! Struggling today and it is jab evening so been real hungry! I’m also very aware of ovulation which I was less so previously!

@Orangesandlemons77 aware as in I don't have a gallbladder any more. It got taken out earlier this year as an emergency after the damn thing tried to kill me. Seriously. One of the 50+ stones I didn't know about got properly stuck and I ended up with sepsis and in HDU.This is fairly rare though and I do have pre-existing autoimmune disease that's wrecked my immune system so I tend to go from 0-100 pretty quick.
From what I was told at the time, Urso can be used as a preventative however it's not the cheapest drug and the side effects can be pretty unpleasant. They're not dissimilar to MJ side effects. If you already have gallstones (lots of people do asymptomatically) then it's not going to do much to get rid of what you already have, it just stops new ones forming. However there's no harm in asking and sering what happens.

@Darlinghag something similar happened to me. Longer, heavier and period cramps like I was a teenager again. I'm almost certainly peri though so that might have a lot to do with it as well.

Has anyone found their tastes have totally changed? I'm totally not interested in anything sweet any more but even some savoury stuff doesn't appeal any more. DH did a ploughman's for lunch and stuck some Branston's pickle on my plate. Previously I would have eaten the stuff off the spoon, however this time he might as well have stuck battery acid on my plate because it tasted vile. It was a fresh jar as well.

@Darlinghag I've not had any change in duration or flow but have been a lot more 'wobbly' and lightheaded during TOTM and needed to sit down a few times when out and about. But I put that down to probably having not eaten enough. I'm due in a couple of days and will set some phone reminders to make sure I eat and see if it makes a difference.

Hi hope its OK to join in? Just wanted to add my bit towards having lost a fair chunk but still having a lot to go.

I started ozempic in April at 18st. I felt awful and disliked all the extra weight I carried and the impact t was having no my health as I creep past Middle-age. Almost 7 months later and I've 49 pounds off.
I'm in Ireland so ozempic is my only option from my gp. Its costing me €135 a month but I feel this is well offset by a decrease in eating out/takeaways, snacks, food in general and less wine.
On one hand I feel my losses have been slow enough on the other I feel like I've suddenly woken up feeling and looking much better. I've at least 40 more to lose and ideally 50ish.
I had been getting bogged down thinking of how overweight I still am and how much more I still have to go. Then I remembered how I felt last April starting off if I was given a glimpse of this future I would be really disappointed in myself for not been happier.
Back then this would have been like a dream came true. I've resolved to stop comparing myself to my ideal weight or to other women who are slimmer than me or to those on similar medication who lose quicker. Realistically I realise I will probably never allow myself to be happy with my weight and shape if I don't start changing my mindset now. It's going to be hard to stop those intrusive critical thoughts just popping in but I'm determined to put an end to them rather than entertaining them and bringing myself and what I've achieved down to nothing. I will focus on what I've lost not what's left to go. The parts of my body I like better now, not that they still could be smaller. My health and energy improvements. The smaller sizes I am and not the one I hope to be.
Who knows what will happen after this, I'm still losing slowly but I want to see every pound lost after this as a bonus because even at 14+ stone I'm living a much more happier life than I was when I hovered between 18+19 stone.

@Orangesandlemons77 having just come out of hospital after suffering an inflamed gallbladder this question is close to my heart. It's so good you're thinking about this.

I've never had any issues with my gallbladder before so this was a shock to go through.

I worry the gallbladder isn't being talked about enough by MJ providers. It's not at all uncommon to run into problems with fast weight loss. I've been losing at a rate of 1.8lbs a week (which isn't even that fast) but I guess a total weight loss of 4.7 stone in seven months does have an impact.

Symptoms to look out for (these were mine at least): severe vomiting, constant pain in the upper centre of the abdomen that does not get better after being sick, pain moving to the upper right of abdomen and radiating to back and shoulder.

Fasting apparently can be bad for the gallbladder as can eating high fat foods. I often skip meals.

Things that help prevent issues: regular small meals, vitamin C, peanut butter, avoid heavily processed foods or greasy food, fibre. Would love to hear more if anyone has ideas.

Ironically being obese can cause gallstones but losing weight can also cause gallstones...damned if you do, damned if you don't.

The Dr at the hospital was keen to stress you need to stay on the lowest effective dose possible for as long as possible. Apparently 12.5mg and 15mg over long periods of time may cause issues (haven't been able to research this yet and I was in such agony at the time I didn't ask many questions).

5 stone lost exactly today 🎉

SW - 15st 11lb 25/4/24
CW - 10st 11lb
GW - 10st

Only 11lb to go. I never thought it was possible to get this far.
Maintenance is weighing heavily on my mind now though...

@UserNameOfShame wow and congratulations.

First jab of Wegovy done. Hoorah.

Wow the food noise came back big style overnight!

Thanks for the messages about the gallstones. I have sent in an e-consult to the GPs this morning so I'll let you know what they say.

To explain further, I need to be really careful about trying to avoid abdominal surgery in future as I have had lots of open surgery in the past and have extensive adhesions- been told it would be complicated and possibly only done in a life saving situation (e.g. another bowel obstruction). So not be some simple keyhole procedure. Anyway we'll see.

Yes I am finding the same with food. Not fancying the same stuff as before. MIL wanted a curry on Saturday and I also found ti a struggle to cook it, the smell etc. I'm finding bland stuff easier and supplementing with e.g. Huel protein shakes, but even they are making me feel a bit nauseous.

Well I have had some excellent news this morning! I have been flip flopping between 111kg & 112kg for about a month, travelling, having family stay etc - all out of my proper gym/exercise routies, but also doing lots more steps that I usually do.

I was getting a little dispirited with the lack of weight loss whilst telling myself to relax & keep going. My eating has been OK but I was having a bit of alcohol.

This morning after my gym class I weighed myself on my trusty fancy gym machine, and I am 108.8kg - that is 2.4 kilos down from when I weighed last (4 days ago but on different scales).

SW 124kg 24/7/24
CW 108.8 4/11/24
Loss to date 15.2 kilos - this is what my large suitcase weighed last time the kids and I went away.

BMI has changed from 41 to 35.9

I had purchased a 3rd 5mcg pen but I haven't been feeling much of an effect -food noise and urges to eat creeping back, and portion sizes creeping up. So I'm taking 7.5mcg by counting clicks on the 5mcg pen.

My obsession with pomegranates continues and I have stocked up as the ones Tesco have right now are sublime.

I have started taking another (unrelated) medication which has "constipation" as a side effect. It is creating a bit of a double whammy with the MJ.

I am able to address this with fruit - so after not being a very regular fruit eater I am now eating kiwis & pomegrantes every day to keep regular - it mostly works.

Interesting what other posters are saying about body image & expectations etc. I "gave up dieting" years ago and focused on body acceptance etc. So while I continuted to gain weight I liked myself more. I came to terms with my larger size and stopped all the self loathing that so many overweight people seem to be afflicted with. I mostly eat quite a healthy diet, but with a few bad habits and too big portions.

So now losing weight is a bit disconnected from how I look. My goal isn't to look thin. In fact that is a bit of a struggle for me to overcome - being OK (or not OK) with being a smaller size is something that has often tripped me up before. I am pleased to see my face looking slimmer, and clothes being looser or fitting better is a delight. But the things I am really pleased with is my increase in movement, feeling stronger, less "oofs" getting up & down, joints feeling less strained and I can feel the progress in my gym classes. I still usually want to throw up halfway through a class, but I always can move through this and leave feeling top notch.

I still have a long way to go - and I am focusing on just being OK with myself.

Hi, can I join please? Iv been reading along but haven’t posted yet.

I started on the 11th October on MJ.

SW: 16st 10lbs
CW: 15st 5lbs
GW: 9st 7lbs

Iv lost 19lbs (1st 5lbs) in 3 weeks so far and Im still on 2.5mg.

I have a 5mg pen to stay go up to after I take my bonus dose.

Thanks for the those who mentioned periods! i am on day 2 of it and its rough!

interesting gallbladder talk - i don’t think anyone or any weightloss regime talks about it enough! I had mine out in 2015 and things became acute very quickly - i became jaundiced and malnutrioned and lost a lot of hair! But the consequences after have also been difficult with dumping syndrome - mj has helped a lot though!

i do wonder if its less spoken about because often women who’ve dieted on and off their whole lives don’t often still have their gallbladder by the time they get to the MJ stage of life!

Oh and I also have lost since Saturday! I knew that would be a low number as I was just due my period, but I weighed today and have lost 1.6lbs since saturday! I am now 2.6lbs away from getting under 17st, which feels like a dream!! My aim is to get to 17st by the 17th Nov, which means two months exactly to have lost a stone. A pace I am most happy with. I would love to be at 16.7 stone by Christmas!

@Darlinghag I am 2 pounds away from getting below 17 stone so I will join in your challenge to be below 17 stone by 17th November if that's OK?

I've just looked on MFP and I haven't been 108 kilos or less since MAY 2013!!!!

This is approx my post birth baby #2 weight. That baby is now 13.

That's great, a change from over 40 to 35.9BMI will be a real difference, although my weight is a bit different mine has changed similarly and feeling the difference, keep going!

Yes!! Lets do it! 💪🏽 just catching up in your losses - fab stuff, well done!!

i wish i had kept track of my weight more over the years - I think i was last this weight during 2015 when i was ill with my gallbladder! Or the loint where it quickly crept back on after removal!

I only know my weight history back to 2012 as I've logged weight erratically on My Fitness Pal over the years & still have that account.

Funnily enough the last time I successfully lost anymore than 10 kilos was after the birth of DD2, simply using MFP to log & track food - this was huge change for me as for years I had been brainwashed by Weight Watchers/SW & well lets face it, pratically EVERYONE on how "counting calories" was boring/harmful/not needed/etc (amend accoring to current "fashion" & trends). Turns out counting calories was the most successful method for me.