Mounjaro September Support (3)

[doodleschnoodle]

Another gathering of losers! 💪

Previous thread here: Mounjaro September Support (2) www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight-loss-injections/5170252-mounjaro-september-support-2

@EJA24 I have also not really felt much suppression so am glad to see someone else mention that. I can eat all I want to and quite often make bad choices. The difference for me is not having the devil sit on my shoulder all day shouting at me so I'm able to think more clearly and make better choices for the most part. When I don't, I don't make a big deal of it and move on to a better choice next time. So freeing. But I definitely don't stop eating mid meal because I'm full.

I feel the same @85reasons. I don’t know, I feel quite strange about it all. I can see when I look in the mirror that I am loads thinner but I still feel the same as I did before I started this. I think it’s because of my apron. It is still massive!

I have 5lb to lose to get to my first goal, then another 2lb after that to get to my second goal (BMI of 25). My third goal was to get to 10 and a half stone. That seemed so impossible for the last 2-3 years but now it seems do-able.

As an aside, i saw a post on insta that said ‘I wish I was as fat as I was when I first thought I was fat’. God, that touched a nerve! I am currently 5lb over my starting weight when I first went to WW aged 23!

@85reasons Oh yes... I think that in all diets there is a 'high' of losing 4/5/6/7/ pounds in the first week. Then of course there is an accommodation to some 1 or 2 or 3 pounds per week - mostly towards the lower end. We are all enticed by someone who lost 4 pounds. But we forget that they'd lost nothing for the previous 3 weeks.

And on MJ our dopamine response is less. That is great in reducing our desire for alcohol or crisps, but it might also reduce libido or simply our zest for life.

I've noticed I'm spending more time/energy on skincare and other little things, although it's not somehow translating into making me feel like I look great overall. I think partly I'm still in mostly my old clothes and want to hold off buying g much till I reach my goal, and partly yes feeling a bit flat generally.

But I've started tretinoin, had a Botox topup and for the first time fillers in my marionette lines (I don't want to go any further then that but it's made a huge difference to my face) so I'm hoping by the time this flat period ends I'll feel great!

I think there's something about having always lived in a larger body - it becomes a part of your identity - both the being bigger aspect and the aspect of being constantly engaged in a battle to sort it out - and both of those things have been challenged with MJ.

Week 15, It might be time to go up a few clicks, maybe to 50 out of my 5ml pen. I'm 100g's off an Elephant's heart.

30/08/2024 - 122.5kg
03/09/2024 - 120.9kg, first dose 2.5 of MJ
10/09/2024 - 118.3kg, second dose 2.5 of MJ
17/09/2024 - 116.2kg, third dose 2.5 of MJ
24/09/2024 - 112.4kg, fourth dose 2.5 of MJ
01/10/2024 - 112.4kg, fifth dose 2.5 of MJ
08/10/2024 - 111.0kg, sixth dose 2.5 of MJ
15/10/2024 - 109.8kg, seventh dose 2.5 of MJ
22/10/2024 - 108.5kg, eighth dose 3.75 of MJ
29/10/2024 - 105.9kg, ninth dose 3 of MJ
05/11/2024 - 107.3kg, tenth dose 3 of MJ
12/11/2024 - 105.9kg, 11th dose 3.75 of MJ
19/11/2024 - 104.2kg, 12th dose 3.75 of MJ
26/11/2024 - 104.3kg, 13th dose 3.75 of MJ
03/12/2024 - 103kg, 14th dose 3.75 of MJ
10/12/2014 - 102.6kg, 15th dose 3.75 of MJ

Loss - 19.9kg … an average human leg 🦵 & 1 human brain 🧠, a guinea pig 🐹 and half a blueberry muffin🍪.
Goal - to be in the healthy BMI range (70.3kg)

Hi everyone,

I've been reading the thread daily but not posting, mostly because I ve been feeling a bit flat as there isn't much to report! No loss for the past 2 weeks (1.5kg for the past month) and suppression is waning. Im a little worried though because if this is what I need to eat to maintain my WL it's going to be quite tricky going forward. Regardless, I'm going to try and up my dose to 2.5mg after Xmas as it made me feel SO ill last time and I'm nervous to do it beforehand to see if I can get things going again.

I'm wondering though if I'm also at a bit of a weight "set point". I weighed this weight for years before having kids and that's where I'm plateauing. Still a distance to getting to normal BMI -grrr- but im out of the obese category and that's great. I've booked a couple of exercise classes next week and am going to brave the gym for the first time in many years. I've booked a pay as you go class before committing to a monthly membership. Let's see how it goes.

It's lovely to hear from other posters who are spending more time and effort on themselves (would love a tretinoin review please). Something to think about!

I'm in the sandwich bit of having teenage DC and elderly parents and finding mounjaro a way of doing a bit of something for myself.

Ooh me me! I've been starting to take care of my appearance more. I've just booked in to get my nails done every three weeks for the next while, I'm getting my lashes curled and tinted in January, I've got a massage booked, I've been taking more time on my hair and wearing make-up every day.

When I was 'fat' it felt kind of like 'who am I kidding doing all this stuff for myself when I look like this?' Which I know is a toxic mindset to have about myself but that's how I felt. But now that my weight isn't a 'thing', I feel more like I want to do this stuff and feel pleased about how I look. I want to look into Skin & Me or similar too.

I've got my work do this Saturday and I'm going in to get party lashes done that morning!

Bad news is that it all costs a lot of money!

I packed in my gym membership to afford mounjaro and am quite enjoying being free of the guilt of not going, now I just e.g. have a nice bath and go for a walk instead. I might do some of the free yoga online as well.

I totally get what people are saying about feeling a bit flat. I wonder if we are just at that point in the process where is is feeling a bit boring and tedious. I have been feeling a bit sicky recently, I think mainly from not eating enough/not eating the right things. My suppression level is about right, but I just don’t know what to eat as I don’t really fancy anything. Going to try and make a concerted effort to up the fruit and veg and see if that helps.

The one thing that helps is buying myself a few new clothes. I haven’t gone all out as I am hoping to lose at least one more dress size, but I have bought a few in between things so I don’t look like a sack in the meantime. I think it really helps show how MJ is changing my body for the better and gives me a bit more self confidence. I’m getting my hair coloured every 6-7 weeks to keep the greys at bay, and swapping my wine and chocolate treat for a face mask. It’s the small things that help!

Great to hear about the things we’re all doing to tackle how we’re feeling..!

Re tretinoin - I have to say I am LOVING it. I will NEVER buy an expensive face cream again. I bought it to help with texture really - am 54 and just felt like my face was starting to look “leathery” (😱) - in just three months it looks so much smoother. As I say I’ve also had a bit of ‘extra’ help but I feel like I look 10 years younger! I’m using Dermatica and you get the first three months half price (from memory).

It sounds like the flat feeling is commonplace and probably arising from a few different factors. @mimosa1 I know that feeling of the scales seeming like they’re refusing to budge but they DO eventually. I had the exact same feeling a couple of weeks ago but lo and behold they’re on the move again - although as I say I seem to be steadily averaging a pound a week so nothing drastic.

I went and told a (thin, non MJ) friend about feeling a bit low and she immediately said it could be the MJ and it has side effects that are difficult to tolerate.

I don't think it is that though, more the perimenopause here and the weather. Possibly missing enjoying some foods though although overall still a blessed relief to not have cravings / food noise etc.

It annoyed me a bit the immediate blaming on the meds though.

Exactly this! X

Ah, there’s nothing quite like the annoying “knowing everything despite having no clue” thin friend to let you know what’s what!

I have only told one thin non MJ friend and decided it would be my last after she squealed excitedly to congratulate me on how great I looked and… “you’ve got Ozempic face!”. 😆 Er… thanks for that.

I think it's just tedium setting in and needing to find new ways to reward or lift ourselves.

In the past when having a shitty day at work, or surviving the 800th day in a row of grey dreary drizzly dismal weather or managing to not snap when being talked back to by your delightful 10 going on 15 year old who's discovered sarcasm and eye rolling......... you could swing by Morrisons and buy one of their fresh cream profiterole, caramel and chocolate mousse cups and shovel it in while sat in the car and feel just a bit less blah. A hard boiled egg just doesn't have the same effect 😂

Haha very true @InfoSecInTheCity :)

Good to hear you're pleased with Dermertica @85 reasons, I shall check it out and yay for feeling good in new clothes @sylv165 :)

Off to listen to a Carol concert which I've been looking forward to. Hope everyone has a nice evening.

@InfoSecInTheCity I also have lots of mini goals. I switch from metric to imperial to achieve 'magic numbers'. My final goal is likely to be the same weight in kg as I am in years (I'm quite old, this won't work if you're 35!) and it also allows me to gain 1kg every year . I had a mini magic number when my weight in pounds matched the day and month of my birth - dd/m.

@mimosa1 I agree, I look at what I am eating and think 'shit, life is going to be so limited in the future'. But actually, I know I can eat a bacon sandwich, if I really, really want it. I just can't eat a bacon sandwich every day. I can have cream in my coffee, but not with every cup. And actually some of that is good. I have found myself enjoying the treat of a (note one [1]) biscuit with cheese and a delicious pickle once a week, so much more than stuffing down multiple biscuits several times a week. I just need to learn some more about eating less and really enjoying every bite.

I had a bit of a weight loss stall for a couple of weeks (it felt like months) but when I look back the whole trend is so much in the same downward direction. Perspective.

@sylv165 I've been away for a few days with a friend and we've alternated cooking. I've rediscovered a lovely of salty citrus tastes - friend made smoked mackerel pate, and one evening cooked lemon, herb and chilli prawns. I'll remember to have all of those when I get back home. I was also inspired by cooking lunches for her and made sweet potato, coconut and chilli soup, then leek, pea and mint sauce soup.

@Orangesandlemons77 MJ does limit dopamine so it will possiby have some impact on mood, but YES, I feel low and flat like this every year when it is cold and dark. Chocolate and carbs as an anti-depressant contributed big time to my obesity. Your slender friend is fortunate not to have experienced this cycle - maybe low moods/less light depress their appetite? We are all different. Perhaps, in time, you can help educate your friend about the massive positive benefits of MJ. Or you could just ignore her.

What is tretinoin?

bit gutted this week as I’ve not lost anything. Been eating around 1200 calories or less every day and my maintenance is around 1600 o think (will double check now weight is lower). And not snacked, drank alcohol or eaten anything ‘bad’. So a bit annoyed to have maintained. I guess it’s been a stressful week at work and maybe without MJ I would have gained weight. So there’s that I guess.

@20bloodypounds tretinoin is a retinoid cream which is great for wrinkles, improving texture, hyperpigmentation, acne etc...

I am with you in that I don't feel like MJ is dulling my enjoyment of food and it's actually been really liberating to genuinely eat what I WANT to eat without any fear of bingeing or destroying my progress. The crazy difference is that most of the time when I'm faced with a menu of foods, I genuinely WANT the goats cheese salad rather than the pie (for example 😁). Last night I was at my teens school concert and hadn't eaten and everyone was having mince pies and hot chocolate - I had both, but it hasn't sparked a cycle of overeating - it's perfect!

I have weighed myself and have put 2.5lb on since Monday.

My weight loss is up and down over the week. I tend to lose over the week. I have been eating around 1200 calories. I am really trying to get down under the next stone milestone.

I went to Zumba today and noticed my own bingo wings. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Does saggy skin ever go away or is that it now? (Assuming I stay this sort of weight!).

Can report on a flat mood or no excitement for anything. A few of you have mentioned low dopamine on Mounjaro what does this mean? What does it mean in the long run for your dopamine levels?? Or is because food was such a big source of enjoyment in my life that im now just missing the dopamine it gave? Need to find other ways perhaps.

Anyway i started a new pen at 3.75 and feel awfully sluggish/constipated and i can feel the food noise creeping in here and there. Thinking i might jump to 5 this weekend or maybe 4.

I had to go to a work event this week and realised for the first time in quite a few years I can sit with my legs crossed again. It's amazing the things you can do without a huge stomach in the way.

Yes @OvaHere crossing legs AND sitting with both feet on the sofa

I’m also a bit low at the moment but I am having a very stressful time at work and the recent weather and cold dark mornings does nothing for me. I’m always down in the winter (possibly SADs) so I am trying not to read too much into it.

On the plus side I seem to have hit the sweet spot where my weight loss is noticeable and lots of lovely people have complimented me which has given me the boost to keep going.