Mounjaro / Wegovy with > 5st / 30kg to lose: Thread 4

[VelociraptorsVelociRapping]

Thread 4 (!) of this lovely community. Anyone using weight-loss injections to lose more than 5 stone or 30kg is very welcome to join us.

No discount codes, please - these need to go in the dedicated thread on this board and they will be deleted.

@MidwifeOnMounjaro hope things settle soon and you get some appetite back - I have zero appetite in the mornings (takes a good few hours for me to even contemplate eating at the moment) so I'm making fruit smoothies - frozen fruit, chopped dates, greek yoghurt and milk - just blend with a hand stick thingy and that's my breakfast. Not food food, but lots of fibre and enough calories, so maybe try a smoothie if you can? I make a couple of pints at a time and just stick it in tupperwares for a few mornings' worth of smoothie!

I'm currently having an IT'S A MIRACLE! moment - noticed it almost immediately last week but have been holding my breath in case it's not real - but a week later and it's still all good.... My very bad, chronic, Plantar Fasciitis has disappeared....!! 😊😊😊😊

I've had PF for years and years - had all sorts of treatment, which sometimes worked temporarily, but it came back every time. I only wear 'special' shoes and have just got used to the pain, which is really bad in the mornings and after walking any distance.

But it's honestly all gone - I can't believe it - it just doesn't seem possible and my brain can't compute that I don't have the pain!

It must be the MJ but there's not anything official online I can find - has anyone else experienced this? I found a few things online from MJ users saying it helped theirs, so it must be that I had inflammation that's now going?

I'm honestly staying on this for the rest of my life - will sell a kidney if I have to.... 😬

@MidwifeOnMounjaro I'm so surprised your GP/ provider is suggesting 3lb a week as an ideal loss - I would have thought an ideal loss is any kind of loss! In any event, hope you get sorted with a lower dose and feel a bit more human again soon 🙏🏻

Just checking in this week. Am on 10mg and have ordered 12.5mg for next month - I'm going to come off MJ at end of March as we are TTC baby no3 this summer so I want to give myself the best chance of losing before then.

SW: (pre MJ) 18,10
MJ SW: 16,10
CW: 14,10

2 stone lost in 4 months which is certainly slower than a lot of people but I've not felt any sort of dieting pressure and have managed to somewhat enjoy myself in process so I'm very happy with this. The previous 2 stone took me a year to lose!

That's great news! Could it also be the weight loss as less weight and pressure on the feet and maybe the inflammation lowered as well?

I don't think it's weight loss as it was pretty much immediate - I noticed it from about the 2nd day after my first injection! And I've had PF when I weighed way way less than I do now 😬

Must be the inflammation - am just overjoyed that this might be a fantastic side effect!

@MidwifeOnMounjaro Glad you are going to get help with this but I do think your GP is, maybe, not as aware of weight loss as we'd all hope as it seems to be generally accepted in both the health system and "diet"-linked areas that a sensible loss is 1-2lb a week.
I have a similar BMI to you, having lost almost 4 stone, and my nutrition coach has been steadfast in saying I must eat enough calories to stay in that 1-2lb a week bracket and around 100g protein a day so I don't lose too much muscle mass.
Both losing weight too fast and not maintaining protein levels can predispose to regain when eating is less restricted.

@peonym When you say you plan to come off in March, have you factored in time to reduce your dose gradually? I read some guidance recently that said to reduce by one strength a month until at half your highest or most successful dose before trying to stop or deciding another strategy.
A sharp stop from 12.5 or 15 might be quite tough to manage?

Hey everyone. Able to see GP tomorrow :) I feel a bit better today tbh. I’ve managed a 150kcal lunch and I actually fancied it, which is good. It was just some slices of chicken breast- I am very careful to make sure my protein intake is suitable. Husband is a weightlifter so he’s hot on making sure my protein is up!

My GP is happy to recommend 3lb a week because she has a holistic overview of my health profile, it’s always good to consult with someone who has access to your medical records and history before deciding on a weight loss goal. Nutritionalists and health professionals will absolutely, and rightly, stick to 1-2lb loss per week being the standard recommendation because for most people that is right/safe/healthy etc. But generalised information is always just that- it’s not based on individual health or history.

for instance, I’m 38 and awaiting a hip replacement due to dysplasia exacerbated by excess weight, the current wait for that is 18 months, I still have a year to go. Losing weight is helping, hugely, with my pain and mobility. I am definitely not recommending anyone else follow the same trajectory, because I don’t know anyone else’s health profile. Hope this helps clarify my docs advice :)

Best of luck on your weight loss! As an aside I know someone who has had that op (hip replacement due to hip dysplasia and arthritis) and it was amazing for her. She's like a new person.

Thank you so much! I’m hopeful it will really help just improve the quality of my life! ❤️

Great news!

It also reminded me pre Mounjaro I would regularly get foot cramps at night a few times a week and I had to be careful not to point my toes as it caused the cramp to start, occasionally maybe once a fortnight I would be woken with calf cramps and once or twice extremely painful hamstring cramps. I never spoke to a Dr about them......never spoke to a Dr about much as I assumed the answer would be just lose weight. But your post made me realise I haven't had any leg cramps for months now!

It really is magic. Or is it the change of diet and reduction in toxic food I am consuming 🤔

@WeAllHaveWings magnesium is also excellent for dealing with cramps - both taken as a supplement and applied topically in an oil, gel or cream.

I’ve got bi-lateral hip dysplasia & osteoarthritis … Best of luck with the weight loss, I hope your journey goes well. I’ve lost over 4 stone since June so steady away. I can honestly say it’s not made my pain any better but I do feel loads better in myself and my mobility has improved slightly.

Keep going, I noticed the changes to my pain level starting around 6.5stone loss. Mine is bi-lateral but a poorly managed splint in the 80s resulted in slightly better functioning in my right and caused my left hip to both suffer and over-compensate which resulted in the state it is now :(

Hope there is light at the end of the tunnel for us both!

@QueenOfHiraeth
That's interesting about the gradual lowering of the dose, where did you see that? I was expecting that to be the best way of coming off MJ but have never found anyone actually saying so - the advice always seems to be that just stopping is fine and the drug will gradually dissipate.

Loving all these positive stories!!

Well done all

@MidwifeOnMounjaro Yes mine was poorly managed too in late 70s. I was in a cast until 3yr old, was told I was ok (I wasn’t) then ended up in splints. When they came off I never had any follow ups “because I didn’t need any” so I wasn’t aware mine was bi-lateral until about 15 year ago. Thank you that gives me hope that the pain will improve because I’ve still got a couple of stone to go before I’m at a healthy bmi

Very, very similar management to me! The cast stayed on until I was around 18 months, splints till 3 and no follow up 🙄.

I still have a long way to go. I lost 7st, gained 1.5, and have lost 2.5 since mounjaro so that’s an 8st total and still a good 5 stone before I’m a “normal” weight. I’m really hoping it continues to improve, but to be honest I will be taking my new hip regardless! This one’s plagued me for too many years!

Good luck to you.

@MidwifeOnMounjaro
Yes very similar! Strange reading your post/replies because I’ve never spoken to anyone in the same situation 😂 Good luck to you too, We will get there!

@QueenOfHiraeth yeah I'm reducing it in April and May.

Hello, is it ok to join in? I've literally just taken my first dose and prepped my food to take to work tomorrow- feeling nervous but excited!

My starting weight is 18 stone 12, so I definitely have at least 5 stone to lose but I'm not sure where exactly to set my goal weight. 14 stone would take me out of the obese category into just overweight, which I haven't been in a long time. To get to a healthy weight I would need to be 11 stone 9, but I haven't been that small in about 10 years and it feels like a very distant dream!

@gimmemounjaro @peonym With my usual mental aplomb I can't remember where I read it but I seem to think most of the "old guard" from these threads who reached target did a staged reduction
I did find this online and know my friend was given that advice from her provider

@claudiawinklemansfringetrimmer hello 👋 nice to see another new joiner. In terms of goals I would set an end goal that's in the middle of the healthy BMI range. Then set lots of interim goals and focus on those rather than the final goal.

@claudiawinklemansfringetrimmer congratulations on starting your journey! I started in the 18s and had the same dilemma you did about a healthy BMI feeling way too daunting and unachieveable.

I set my goal weight at 11 stone, just in the healthy BMI bracket...haven't been that weight since my early 20s (currently late 40s).

I remember how huge that 7+ stone to lose felt. And yet here I am, a mere one and a half stone left to go, a whopping five and a half stone lighter.

So go ahead and pick that seemingly impossible goal. And then pick lots and lots of mini goals.

Measure yourself too. I forgot that last part but I have kept one pair of trousers that were my favourites and used to be so tight at the start. They are comically big now.

My advice to any new starters would be:

Don't rush up doses. Stick to what's working for as long as possible. I can't stress that one enough.

If a dose seems to have stopped working try switching injection sites to your arm/stomach/leg. Switching sites increases bioavailability and can have a kickstarting effect.

You may have weeks and weeks and weeks when nothing seems to happen. Keep plodding onwards. Your weight will go down. It all averages out in the end.

Don't starve yourself. Take a well balanced diet seriously but also still do have that thing you're craving. Learning moderation is an important and really freeing moment. My idea of a treat has changed dramatically too.

A lot of side effects aren't caused directly by MJ, they're often caused by lack of nutrition. Low iron is one to watch out for. Do take side effects seriously and read the safety guidelines so you know what to seek medical advice on.

Buy some lovely warm socks! Trust me, you'll need them.

I found that for me it was better to weigh daily and only record the lows rather than having the pressure of one weekly weigh day. This helped me spot the general overall trend and I stopped obsessing over suddenly being a few lbs up.

I also started to think of my weight in general terms eg I'm in the 12s, I'm mid 12s, I'm low 12s.

I also noticed that you'll stick at a new weight bracket for ages, often not losing for weeks, sometimes gaining. It helps to think of this as your body readjusting and resetting to the new weight bracket and taking a rest before carrying on the journey.

Crikey! That turned into a mega essay. Hope at least one thing in there is useful for someone.

Good luck to everyone no matter where you are on this journey.

@QueenOfHiraeth great to see a familiar face. Your advice has always been brilliant; so well thought out, well researched and really useful. Thank you!

Weigh in number 16
SW 21st 9lb
CW 19st 0lb
GW 11st 13lb
-2lb this week

Losses so far; 4, 1, 5, 1, 3, 4, 2, 2, 2, 4, 1, +3, 5, 1, 3, 2
Total loss 37lbs / 2st 9lb

Tantalisingly close to breaking into the 18s.
(Mini goal 17st 9lb by 18/3 - total loss 4st)