I've lost too much

[Shrinkingapple]

Hi I'm so so depressed about this I just can't seem to win.
I started my weightloss journey in 2022 weighing 110kg I'm 5ft9 for context.
I lost the initial 20kg in about 18 months and then the weight loss came to a halt. All I was doing was less eating more walking.

I started mounjaro at 90kg in April this year.
I'll be honest with eating little amounts and walking so much 20k steps a day I've lost a lot.
It's just caught up with me how bad it is.
And because I'm an apple body shape I just look ridiculous.
I wasn't aware of how much I lost until now.
Size 10 jeans hang off me, my legs ache all the time where they're so skinny.
I'm now 60kg which would be okay if I wasn't so tall and weirdly shaped.

I've just started the gym and protein shakes to try and gain some muscle back. I'm really annoyed I didn't start the gym straight away as I've completely lost all my muscle mass.

There's no question if I'm honest I just wanted to get all this out there.

I didn't want to read and not support. You are the same height as me but 9 1/2 stone. I've been that weight but not since I was 23.
Can you have word with your GP? I think rapid weightloss can take a while to catch up with our skin and muscle. I'm 58 and all boobs and no bum having lost five stone. I've just started Wegovy to lose four more.
My SIL took up palates and yoga and has no loose skin. She's 65.
Also start on the salmon and collegen tabs.

Its the sort of problem that I think we dream of but I'm sure it isn't much fun for you being almost underweight. It sounds like your addressing it now with gym and protein. Good luck.

I'm the same height to you and I'm 72kg which give or take a kg I feel is the right place for my build.

I'm sorry, this really is a possibility people don't think of! When I was 18-19 I hugely overshot, I looked terrible and bobble-headed and my boobs were like empty plastic bags -- and I was still a teenager! They did recover but only when I gained some weight back. My bum never did. Good luck!

Are you eating plenty of protein OP? It sound like you are struggling with some muscle loss?

I've just started the gym and protein shakes to try and gain some muscle back.

Weight loss without exercise will result in a higher amount of atrophy which means it will be harder to regain that muscle.

You also have to be eating the right amount of protein for rebuilding muscle which may mean an increase in calorific intake and some weight regain. I think atrophy is inevitable anyway with weight loss as you simply aren't passively carrying around lots of weight all of the time.

It is healthier for your body to be at a lower weight than 110kg, but as is discussed often on the WLI boards, BMI isn't a perfect indicator of a good and healthy weight for everyone.

As we age we also lose skin elasticity.

WLI aren't the solution to weightloss for vanity reasons and we must all accept that our bodies change shape, all the time, and the reality vs expectation can be hard to reconcile with however it is necessary because the fact is you are at a healthier weight now.

I do think there is a lot of talk about uncovering why people eat and resolving those issues without there actually being enough resources or understanding, and a course or 2 of therapy isn't going to resolve everybody's issues with their own personal perception either, but I do think that if the look of your new body is something that bothers you, you should look for solutions.

You can accept that you're at a healthier weight now and celebrate your weight loss achievements and be unhappy about how you feel, either because of how you look or because of the acquired pain from weight loss. The two things do not negate eachother.

It sounds to me like you are aware of the solution for the next step which is to rebuild your strength, and with that it will rebuild your self confidence too.

You just have to be gentle to yourself and understand you've undergone a dramatic transformation and now you owe yourself some sort of rehabilitation to rebuild your strength.

First of all well done on your incredible weight loss, you must be so proud. It sounds so hard to not be happy with your body after you have changed so much. You're definitely doing the right thing now by joining the gym. Start a proper strength and muscle building program, get lots of protein and enough calories overall, and you'll start gaining muscle. It's a slow journey to build a new physique, especially for women, but you have shown how strong you were to get through the weight loss - you can do this next stage!

I weighed that (same height as you) when I was in my early 20's. I find 10 stone 7 is a good weight for me. I can still wear size 8/10's have curves and muscle definition. I appreciate everyone is different to what looks right on them.

I have known people have thyroid related issues on weight loss injections so I would encourage you to see the Gp. It would be good to have a check over and they can help you going forward with a healthy eating plan.

It's fantastic you have managed to go into a healthy weight range but with a bmi the lower end of healthy it's worth being aware.

Take care.

I have some questions. Are you still taking MJ or have you stopped? If you haven’t stopped, why? If you have stopped, what was your BMI when you stopped?

I was slim most of my life and had a BMI of 19/20 - my body never ached from being “too slim”. In fact I’d wager that the majority of skinny people are not in pain. Your aches and pains are concerning and you should speak to your GP, there may be a different cause especially if you’re still taking MJ and not eating much and are walking 20k steps a day. You might need blood tests.

You say you have lost all your muscle mass - are you basing this on measurements or by sight? When I walked a lot, my legs were really muscular and toned so I’m surprised you have lost all your muscle mass there for example.

I’d invest in a good personal trainer and diet plan, you can definitely build from here & look healthier and get the physique you want.

Stop taking it and eat more?

Why not lower your dose? Go back to 2.5?

I think the stats and threads are pretty clear in this. Fast weight loss with no accompanying muscle building will result in more muscle than fat lost.

My understanding is that once the body has used any blood sugar it then uses the small stores of glycogen stored in the liver. Then it uses muscle. It takes hours for fat to be used. It's the least readily available energy source in the body.

I’m sorry you’re struggling. I think it’s very normal to experience a degree of body dysphoria after such a dramatic change.

Ask for a body fat analysis when you have your gym induction. It may not be as bad as you fear. 20k steps a day is a high level of activity. I suspect your legs are actually quite muscular and I don’t know why pp are talking as if you have some Victorian wasting disease. Apple shapes are tricky and the PTs at the gym will be able to advise on exercise to strengthen your core and improve your posture.

I am still on mounjaro I've stuck to 5mg as I'm eating on it but not starving. I did nearly go up to 7.5mg but I was still loosing weight so stuck to 5.

I do have leg muscle I suppose but it's just because they are so thin now it doesn't look much. I've started using leg press and other machines for my legs and rowing machine for my arms. I'll slowly do more once I get confident in the gym.

My mum mentioned my weight the other day saying I was too slim clothes hanging off me. I told her my weight and how that it looks worse because of my thin legs and body shape and she just laughed at me.

My mum and grandma always used to comment about my weight when I was bigger. She would never call me fat just large or a big girl.
Now I've lost the weight I'm still getting comments from them.

This is a mental issue aswell as physical that I'm struggling with.

I would suggest a visit to the GP, to get their opinion. They might just want to check there are no other reasons for the additional weight loss.

Your mum and gran sound cruel. Are there other issues with your relationship with them? I'd see them less and cut off all attempts at conversation about weight/size as soon as they start.

Can I ask why you're continuing with taking Mounjaro when you are already at the very lower end of a healthy BMI? Is it concerns about how to maintain your weight loss to date?

Your mum and grandmother need to be put in their place with their horrible comments. Well done on your weightloss OP and hopefully with some work you are happy and content with your body. I really hope you have some lovely people in your life giving you encouragement.

I’m an inch shorter than you, and at your weight I was extremely skinny (as a young adult). Why are you still taking mounjaro, and how are you getting it prescribed? Do you have an Eating Disorder, OP?

You're at the very lowest end of a healthy BMI so you need to start tapering off the MJ with the advice of your prescriber, OP.

If your clothes are hanging off you then you need to go shopping for smaller sizes or get them taken in.

Your mum's comments are cruel. You don't have to put up with that and if she insists on continuing to insult you then you can choose to distance yourself.

I'm really sorry that you are feeling so low

It does depend a lot of your frame size and you may not have lost as much muscle as you think especially as you have been walking a lot. My BMI is 19 (I think yours is 19.5) and I have a fair amount of muscle as I do weights. If you have small wrists and a small torso a lowish BMI may be natural for you.

Thankyou for all your comments.
I thought you could stay on mounjaro for maintenance?
I've never had any trouble getting it and have sent full body photos to my provider from 90kg all the way to 60kg.

No definitely not an eating disorder I eat 2 sometimes 3 meals a day sometimes really small sometimes the same as my partner.
It's my body image I'm struggling with and I just feel like I'll never be at the right weight.
I'd look so much more proportioned with the right bodyshape. I envy people with an hour glass or pear shaped body.

Sounds like you need to get on an exercise plan to build muscle, and a dietary plan that will support that. You're not overweight now so why not stop the Mounjaro?

who is your mounjaro provider

Hmmm. My dd are two small meals a day right up to the point of hospitalisation. And you do sound as though you have some very real issues with body image.

Stop the mounjaro. It’s not supposed to be prescribed below a bmi of 22.5 at all, and many providers stop it at 25.

You won’t be maintaining on the amount you’re eating either.

I don't think you will be able to feel happy with your appearance while listening to your mum and grandmother's comments, I'm sure they've played a really big part in your poor body image. Listen to other people OP, nice supportive people who love and want the best for you.

Oh OP. I live with my nan so I know just how much commentary they feel they can give.

Too fat, too thin, thin fat, fat thin... never just right. Always commenting on food, that's too much, that's not enough, you need to eat some carbs, stop eating bread.

You can't win. Please don't base your feelings off their judgements. You are right it's a mental challenge. Make sure you have support for it.