I’ve finished Mounjaro - weekly update to report on what happens when you finish!

[NearingendofMJ]

I started taking MJ at the beginning of April. I’ve been a slow loser, and have lost 2 stone in the time I’ve been on MJ.

My starting weight was 84kg and I am now 71.5, I am 5’7.

I took my last injection last Sunday, so just over a week ago and it was around 6mg (counting clicks on a 12.5mg pen)

I have definitely noticed hunger today. However I am able to deal with that at the moment by reminding myself I had lunch an hour ago etc so I do not need to eat.

I think everyone on these meds worries what may happen when you stop. It’s like any diet, if there isn’t a lifestyle change, you will regain all the weight.

I thought I’d start a thread for some real life experience of what will happen - I’m aware I’ll still have MJ in my system for the next couple of weeks, but will be a good experiment to see if the hunger becomes unbearable or manageable with my new found knowledge of better food groups to eat!

Having been on MJ for 6 months I’m fairly sure I am able to make better choices now - famous last words 😂

@NearingendofMJ , as I’ve said previously, please don’t feel discouraged. Everyone’s weight gain and loss journey is different. There’s no one size fits all. Focus on yourself and your journey.

Because fibre, vegetables, fruit, are carbohydrates too.

OP, you have my full support. Thank you for starting this thread and for keeping it going and well done on your continued progress and success.

I'm fascinated and rooting for you too, OP. I think this is a subject that's top of a lot of people's minds right now, hence the discussion.

(Also hope you don't think my posting of Instagram link was to knock you - the opposite was the intention.)

OP don't be disheartened. Yes, many people do regain weight lost by dieting etc, but 'many' is not all and there's no reason to assume that you won't be successful in maintaining your weight loss, especially with ever-improving knowledge about how the human body works.

Have you seen these threads?
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight-loss-injections/5139829-coming-off-after-mounjaro?page=1
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/5029276-moving-on-from-wegovy?page=1

A few people in them have done really well at continuing to lose and/or maintaining their weight loss.

@NearingendofMJ so you have finished taking MJ, you're still losing weight. What are you eating? Do you have a meal plan you could share, or an exercise regime. Are you sticking to a regime that you started while on MJ, and if you ever struggle with it can you share how you mentally/emotionally get over it. For me it's the classic 'stop at the garage on the way home from work' when I'm hungry and tired. Do you have those moments and what tips and techniques can you suggest?

See this is what I started the thread for, so we could all share tips and experiences after MJ.

Thanks for being kind.

I’ve really tried to plan what I’m eating in advance , so mornings I’ll have weetabix, mid morning a protein shake and lunch will be hard boiled eggs and salad.

For dinner I’ll either have salmon or chicken breast with maybe stir fried vegetables or brown rice.

I know what you mean about the garage, I’m the same when I always will have popped in there on the way home. Now I try to think ‘I’m x minutes away from dinner, do I need to eat that’ and think of the empty calories I’ll be eating for nothing. That usually prevents it.

Snacking wise, I buy a large bag of whole almonds and take some in my bag with me to snack on, or buy the mini bags of cut apple.

Im not going to deny I definitely now notice the hunger, but now fully knowing what my calorie intake should be a day I can reason with myself that I’ve eaten and this is just hormones/blood sugar settling down again.

It’s helped a lot upping my steps - 20k yesterday and minimum of 10 a day, I’ll always think can I walk/take the stairs rather than drive or lift.

Im in it for the long haul, it’s absolutely a lifestyle change and of course I’ll have the odd weekend where I eat badly but overall, I’ll eat well more days than not

It’s helped a lot upping my steps - 20k yesterday and minimum of 10 a day, I’ll always think can I walk/take the stairs rather than drive or lift.

Haha @NearingendofMJ I park in the furthest spot at the supermarket just to get in extra steps. And instead of juggling 50 things going up stairs (I have three floors) I just do lots of up and down.

@FergusSingsTheBIues I will be staying low carb. For me it's the easiest way to keep my calorie intake down. And I do feel better and less bloated. I'll still have some but less...

I wonder if it’s worth asking MN to move your thread into this board? https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat

Thank you for sharing @NearingendofMJ

I don't know why some people are being such arseholes to you.

I did read

Op put on 10lbs over summer - so in the 6mths or so she started the thread

@Blondeshavemorefun I read too and there’s nothing to say she isn’t losing it now. 🤞

Oh def. I hope she does

But as in any diet /low calories etx take your foot off the ball as such and weight goes on

We all know this and how we are here in the first place

Hey, good luck @NearingendofMJ we are all here behind you, yep we do need a maintenance thread and I'm part of the August starters and hopefully we will continue on with that through maintenance. I'll definitely join you when I am at goal, 2 stone to go, (maybe) I've yet to see how I am and how i look on another stone off. As you said up thread it's planning, so plan breakfast etc. Looking forward to hearing your journey in a week x

Three week update

I am now 20 days past my last MJ injection of 6mg. Using a half life calculator, I can see that I’d have approximately 0.38mg of MJ in my system at this point, 1/6 of a 2.5mg dose. Certainly not enough to cause appetite suppression.

I have felt hungry and required willpower in the last 3 weeks, however the last 6 months of not eating junk food constantly has seemed to have reset things in that I don’t have such overwhelming cravings.

When I’m hungry I think how long I have till lunch or dinner and then decide if I want a snack. I’m not totally depriving myself but eat a meal like salmon with vegetables for tea or a salad for lunch.

At the weekends I have snacked and also had a takeaway, but eaten much less of it. I’ve mostly eaten healthily in the week.

I think when you say you’re stopping a diet it’s like going back to eating crap, but for me it’s a lifestyle change, I’m not actively doing anything, just making healthier choices because I do not want to feel sluggish and unwell again. This is my new reality, not going back to binging.

In terms of maintenance, I’ve maintained the weight loss and perhaps even lost a little more. I weigh myself every day and it does fluctuate day to day but overall I’m maintaining the loss- attached is my smart scale readings for the week.

It’s helped not feeling lethargic and washed out and have felt much more able to get more steps in.

Im really happy with how I’m going with it, I will give myself some leeway at Christmas but feel like I’ve learnt how to feel hungry and react appropriately to it and also how to eat healthier.

That’s fantastic news @NearingendofMJ im halfway though my 5mg pen and not feeling much appetite suppression right now so just trying to make considered choices and opt for better options.

I still have the odd biscuit - 3 digestives yesterday - but old me would have eaten the whole pack in an evening.

life style and habit changes is what I keep in mind. It’s not a diet. I’m not restricting myself. I’m just making better choices for future me.

Well done OP! I have decided to come off MJ because the side effects are too great for me to bear. I am desperately hoping to continue to lose or maintain atleast!

Are you going anything else? I have looked at the Zoe plan, considered binge eating therapy? I really want to address my binging.

Ive done Zoe before @SunQueen24 and I can’t say I’d recommend it.
I found it really expensive for what you get and now you dont even have access to a nutritionist, just a bot.

One positive point is the gamification of diet which is helping some people to make important changes.

Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you are bound to fail as you’ll put it all back on etc. that really affected my confidence and made me believe that I would fail.

You’ll be fine if you stick to the calorie counting and exercise and keep doing what you’re doing

Thanks @NearingendofMJ my issue is I calorie count, macro count AND work out like a beast but then binge eat 😭 MJ stopped me from wanting to binge but I was also eating too little.

F

I’m also a binge eater (haven’t so far since stopping MJ) but it’s about not totally falling off the wagon, and one day of poor eating won’t ruin any weight loss long term.

Before I felt like it was too big a hill to climb, but now I’ve shed the 2 stone I feel like I can maintain that and accept if I have a bad day that overall I eat healthily (and more important less of it!) and I need to not self sabotage

@ComingBackHome thanks for sharing, it’s very expensive.

@NearingendofMJ 👏👏👏👏👏
Massive well done. I hope you have given yourself some appreciation. If the bulk of your food is unprocessed and recognisably fresh and from a farm you can’t go wrong.

I think Zoe went a bit off course but they have some interesting articles on fibre, appetite suppression and best types of protein for satiety. And have some interesting interviews with experts in their field.

I’m reading your thread with interest @NearingendofMJ and well done, firstly on your weight loss and secondly on how well you are doing on maintenance.

I’m now only 2 pounds away from my goal weight and will have lost a total of 4 stone.

I'm still really unsure about how to approach my own maintenance and was hoping you could answer a couple of questions about your journey please?

Like you have mentioned, I don’t always like the (very small) side effects of MJ, particularly the nausea, fatigue and dizziness. I love going to the gym but the fatigue has meant I’ve not been going anywhere near as much as I did pre-MJ. Was this one of the main reasons you stopped MJ completely?

Even more importantly for me, personally, if I stop MJ completely, will the dreaded ‘food noise’ return? I was a huge over eater which then led to poor mental health. This is something I have lived with since childhood. The last 6 months have given me complete freedom from binge eating, food noise, negative thoughts surrounding food. As a result, my mental health is amazing now. Did you have any similar issues prior to starting MJ? If so, how are they now?