Mounjaro..what am I meant to eat?!

[828Pax]

First day on mounjaro and I just didn't feel hungry at all, which is obviously great but because of this I barely ate a thing. What are we all eating? Surely I need to eat something?! Help!

There's a long running thread 'What I ate today' which may give you some ideas.

Thanks so much all, that's really helpful and definitely given me ideas for today!

I’m on 15mg and never feel like I’m going to explode. I am as hungry as normal and could eat normal portions no problem. Went out for pizza the other week and ate a whole pizza and felt fine. That was for lunch. Had dinner a few hours later as I was hungry 🙈🤷‍♀️. I swear I’m immune to it. I said I’d go up to 15mg to see if that worked and it doesn’t seem to have done. Currently trying to decide whether to try one more month at this dose or give up.

i do eat less most days, but it feels no different to dieting without injections.

My first few injections were like that, for two days food was a ludicrous thought and I struggled to eat a thing, then it wore off pretty quickly. I'm on month 4 and it's settled nicely in between

Yes, I’m a month in, and I do eat small meals about 5 times a day, small as in I have two slices of prepacked chicken and four Brussels sprouts type small , and I’ve lost nearly a stone.

i thought this was a supportive community, why be so rude, why not ask the question ?

I eat a lot of chicken!

I usually don't bother with lunch, so I have breakfast, granola and yoghurt with fruit or similar, then I usually have something like chicken and rice and green veg for dinner. I don't usually snack but if I do, it's generally fruit.

I find sticking to a pattern of what meals to eat makes sure I'm getting enough as otherwise it can get to dinner time and I've not eaten anything all day and end the day on like 600 calories. So two meals a day ensures a decent amount of calories.

Whose advice is it to eat several small meals @Slimmingtime?

I have been looking for some ideas of what kind of eating works best for MJ and haven't found any, so would be grateful if you could point me in the right direction

The best way of eating is the way that works for you. There's no evidence that eating your calories is better across 5 meals or all in one go. Do what works for you and don't worry about what other people say.

Can you lower your dose? Better to learn to manage a small amount of hunger from day 1, to make coming off it easier (so my GP said).

Forgive my ignorance and this is coming from a genuine place of curiosity, isn’t this all discussed with people when they are assessed for it? I would have thought that was a really important part of the process.

I know there are some dodgy sites where people can just send a photo or their weight in but surely most people actually have a consultation?

The best way of eating is the way that works for you. There's no evidence that eating your calories is better across 5 meals or all in one go. Do what works for you and don't worry about what other people say.

Thanks - I'm happy with how I eat, but just curious. I know MJ interacts with the regulation of sugars in the body so wonder whether there is a way to maximise its efficiency.

I'm with MedExpress and I got loads of information and support when I first signed up. One of their early emails was actually entitled "what should you eat when taking GLP-1's?" It went through all the food groups and how important it was to get a good balance of nutrition. It also covers what to drink. I can also contact them any time if I have questions, concerns or need advice.

I save all the emails they send me in a specific folder so that I can easily refer back.

The only way I can actually get calories in through the day is huel. I feel much more like it by evening and can have a small healthy meal, but huel is my friend, especially for the day or two post injection.

Actually @Slimmingtime is correct, research has shown that it can be beneficial to eat 5 or 6 small meals a day of around 200 calories each, you burn calories each time you eat, combined with slower digestion & not over filling your stomach when on MJ. But it only works if you keep to high protein, low carb food, plenty of fresh veg, avoid anything sugary, which everyone should be doing anyway, especially on MJ because of the way it works.
For some people intermittent fasting works better for that person, that also has been shown to have good results.
However we are all different, & we need to find what works for us as individuals in the end.
I actually eat 3 times a day on Mounjaro, all smaller meals than I used to eat, occasionally have a piece of fruit as a snack. Just counting calories & eating healthy. Avoiding sugar.
We need to use this time on MJ as a learning curve & re educating ourselves in how to keep to a more healthy lifestyle. Also understanding that it’s not one way for everyone, just because something works for you doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone else also. The end goal is we all end up a healthy weight, we need to support each other, and for the most part these threads really are supportive.

Would you consider reducing your dose? That sounds like too much appetite suppression TBH

I'm only on 2.5! I've just started week 2 😂

You need protein and nutrients or your bones will be buggered when you are older. Huel is better than nothing.

It's day 1/2 that is really a struggle. Day 3 onwards was fine last week and I managed small sensible lunches.

I am on day 6 eating around 1300 calories. I am eating 3 smaller meals and not snacking or thinking about snacking which is amazing. I am having 1 weetabix with oat milk or yoghurt with fruit and sunflower seeds for breakfast and then two medium sized meals. Something like soup or salad for lunch and tofu stir-fry or African peanut stew with brown rice for dinner. I am drinking water, ginger and lemon tea and one or two regular teas. I have been having a gingerbread latte most afternoons made with sugar free syrup and oat milk. I am avoiding ultra processed food.

I have over 5 stones to loose so 1300 is a big TDEE deficit. I am hoping to eat healthy meals to build good habits and loose 2lb per week. I am not looking for massive losses. Obviously I will have to rethink if suppression is so much that I struggle to eat but so far so good.

to specifically answer your question is it that you aren’t hungry in which case have a small portion or that you are struggling to eat? If the latter try yoghurts, protein shakes, soup or smoothies. Some people find drinking calories easier.

I am finding boiled eggs brilliant, healthy whole food with lots of protein but not too bulky. I feel like I have had a proper hot lunch too.

Ooh @Glittermoonlight could you link that research about little and often on MJ please, just the kind of info I have been looking for, thanks

I ate anything I wanted to eat. Just counted the calories to make sure I was in a calorie deficit.

I’ll try @gimmemounjaro , but I’ve literally spent hours & hours combing through the internet reading MJ research the last couple of months!! I tend to be over the top like that! However it’s not a new concept, or exclusive to MJ. Just that because of how MJ works on slowing the digestive system it can also benefit those people especially who suffer from gastric issues etc… definitely makes sense. But I haven’t had many side effects at all so I tend to stick to my 3 meals.
Just I get really upset when people automatically disregard what others say. I’ve also read a couple of books which have been published in the last few months, one had absolutely tons of research links in it, I’ll have a look, it might be in there. Nearly all countries are doing their own research before approving this, & any actually, drug, it’s really fascinating reading about it. Well, it is to me! Really hope you didn’t find this reply boring!!!

No that's great thanks @Glittermoonlight

I'm really interested in MJ's interaction with the liver, pancreas and regulation of sugars and what that means in terms of ideal diet.

I have heard before about little and often in general terms (ie not considering MJ or its mechanism), but also about research suggesting the opposite, that having permanently slightly elevated blood sugar is not great and it's better to have longer periods of not eating. Metabolism is still a very mysterious process I think. Any links to research on MJ gratefully received!

@gimmemounjaro you’re absolutely right about elevated blood sugar, but if it’s a mainly sugar free diet, low carb, then the blood sugar levels should remain stable. It’s when we eat something sugary that our insulin levels spike, then that makes losing weight, ie- using our fat cells for energy not happen, the high levels block that from happening, and it’s why we then feel extremely tired/no energy. It makes our body use less energy that way rather than burn our fat reserves. I’m probably not doing a good job in explaining it. But basically it’s not a simple calories in versus calories out. The cool thing about MJ is that it helps reduce our insulin levels, if we’re responding well to the drug. But we can definitely help things along by trying to avoid sugar.