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.

@VelociraptorsVelociRapping thank you

@WeAllHaveWings

Fantastic losses!

but really just wanted to say - definitely by the dreamland heated throw.

I love mine. possibly too much as I live under it. I've lost nearly 3st now and definitely feeling the cold a lot more now having reduced my natural insulation😂

@alwaysscared
I'm sorry to hear you're having a tough time and totally understand missing the comfort element of food. I can also very much relate to being fed up with calorie counting. It’s so easy to get fixated and guilty over every little slip-up, not to mention the sheer tedium of recording every bite of often rather underwhelming food.

I’m not sure if this would work for you, but for me, the simplest strategy at the moment seems to be OMAD, with maybe a small snack if I feel like I need it. This way, I get to enjoy a properly satisfying meal once a day, rather than three small and disappointing diet ones. It ticks the boxes for both pleasure and comfort. The MJ helps keeping portions to a reasonable size and unless you have something really carb-heavy, like a big plate of pasta, it’s still pretty easy to maintain a calorie deficit. I don’t even bother counting calories in detail, I just do a rough estimate in my head.

This past week, for example, I’ve had a red Thai prawn curry, salmon with green veg and lots of hollandaise, half a rotisserie chicken, grilled lamb with green beans, tzatziki, tomato salad and garlic bread and a nice cheese platter with grilled vegetables on the side. Some nights, I’ve topped it off with some mulled wine and a piece of gingerbread for dessert.

I’m certainly not hitting perfect macros this way, but I am consistently losing weight (currently about 2kg a week) and it doesn’t feel completely joyless. I’ve also found that I tend to lose weight more easily when I limit my eating window to something like 4 hours, rather than spreading the same number of calories over three or four smaller meals. I think it probably has something to do with insulin levels and avoiding those constant spikes.

I’m not sure if this approach would be for you, but sometimes changing things up a bit when you’re stuck in a plateau can actually make a difference. Oddly enough, I’ve found that even a decent cheat day can actually help to get things moving again.

So today was my official weigh-in day. In 9 weeks I have lost 10.3kg which isn't bad. I'm beginning to notice it a bit now, just some silly NSV's like having to bend my glasses so they don't fall off my face and adjust my wheelchair so it fits me snuggly amongst other things. I'm 9.7kg off my first goal.

Bit of a confession but I don't actually know what clothes size I am. I don't think I want to know either. I much prefer loose fit clothes and things like dresses that cover my bum. I exclusively wear stuff like leggings and soft trousers on my lower half as well. However I have a family wedding next June and have spent a small fortune (for me) on a dress to wear on Ebay. In a size 16. Which I haven't been since I was in my early 20's. Ignoring the 'oh shit' feelings I have at the moment, I am determined that the bloody dress will fit me.

@alwaysscared
I'm also a carer for my 11 year old son. He's got highly complex needs along the lines of PDA autism (and a lot more besides!). If I am telling you to such eggs then please do tell me to zip it but have you ever had a carer's assessment for yourself/your son assessed by children's services for ?respite/support. I do get some respite for him but I had to make one hell of a lot of noise to get as far as I have done and watch my own health circle the toilet.
Ateotd though I get you 100%. It's bloody hard work. However you're not alone. Even though I'm behind a screen I'm here with a virtual handhold if that's what you would like and feel it would help.

Jab 8 done yesterday so far 3x2.5mg and 5x3.75mg, decided to stick with 3.75mg this week despite a bit of food noise creeping back in. I herniated a disc in my spine this week so really pleased to still have a loss as I've had to take really strong pain killers and not been moving as much

Weigh in number 7
SW 21st 9lb
CW 20st 3lb
GW 12st 6lb
2lbs off this week
losses so far; 4, 1, 5, 1, 3, 4, 2
So a total of 1st 6lbs (20lbs)

I'm really hoping to be 2st down by Christmas - 8lb in 4 weeks so hopefully achievable!

Oh sorry I thought you really weren't losing, that's fantastic loss so far! Hang in there 😔

I've let my gym membership expire this week so I no longer have access to their amazing scales. Back to my slightly dodgy ones. I've been showing "gains" for a while now - which I haven't recorded. I know I am in calorie deficit and I am exercising daily and being more active. I am still exercising - after getting a bit fit in the gym I have signed up to the local HotPod Yoga center and I am doing an intensive yoga workout 6 days a week now.

I weighted a few days ago and I was a kilo up. This moring I weighted and I am 4 kilos less - so I'm going with that.

I'm hoping I can pop into the doctors and use their scales once a week.

I can feel particular areas where I have lost weight - backs of thighs!! I'm back into my size 18 jeans which fit well - though they are starting to feel loser in the back of my legs.
Collarbones - I can see this, and I feel this sharply in my cold water swims.
Hands/fingers - I don't wear rings but my fingers feel more boney, less puffy.
Waist/hips/stomach are smoother. Lumpy still but not so Michelin Man these days. More "sculpted from Brie" as a lover in the olden days once described me 😁
Bum - sitting in the sauna this morning I can feel my sit bones. Do normal sized people always sit on their bones? Am I going to need to carry a cushion with me moving forward?

I am now 104.5kilos. My heaviest ever recorded weight was 124.5 kilos in January this year - so that is 20 Kilos down.
I was 124kg in July when I started MJ so I'm 19.5kg down "offically".

BMI is currently 35.8.
Down from 41 when I started MJ

20 kilos is a lot right? What I am finding strange is as I lose I am getting back to weights I have been before. At around 108kg I stuck for a while - and 108kgs (roundabout) is actually a weight I was for a while and I am quite comfortable in. So it felt like my body wanted to "stick" there if that makes sense. I'm glad to have broken the stick and moved on.

Next goal to get below 100kg.

Oviva update - I got my GP to refer me to Oviva Tier 3 Weightloss. It took a while but they did it.

I think Oviva do offer weight loss jabs, but I was prepared to keep paying for MJ. I was interested in the psychological support especially with making permanent changes with an eye to maintance at the end of MJ.

Then Oviva wrote to tell me they can't accept me as my BMI is too low - yes well it is now!!!! because of all the work I have been doing.

I think BMI needs to be above 40 to qualify for Oviva. So if your BMI is above 40 and you are interested do apply now, as once you lose more weight you might not be eligilbe.

I can probably qualify for NHS Tier 2 weight loss support but as that is all "swap coke for diet coke, eat more veggies and less pizza" it would be as useful as a chocolate teapot for me.

How annoying @RobinEllacotStrike

I gave up asking GP ‘well we all need to lose a few pounds’ was the total sum of my support and a free Covid jab.

Anyway I am celebrating my first stone loss today down to 14 stone 12 with a BMI of 38. Only 6 stone to go 😂😭

Second pen arriving this week

@KittensUnderTheDuvet there is, I believe,
a decent evidence base behind a ‘cheat day’ or ‘refeed day‘ having a positive impact on metabolism. I don’t fully understand the science but I believe it’s linked to leptin levels.

Sounds like you are doing great. Set point theory is a thing so you are probably right about your body trying to stick at familiar weights

zoe.com/learn/set-point-theory

@KittensUnderTheDuvet thank you, maybe I do need to change things up a bit
@alltablenochairs I'm sorry you are going through similar with your son. My son won't leave the house, doesn't go to school (hasn't been in school since he was 7) and just wants me near him all the time. He has ASD, ARFID, PDA, SPD and very high anxiety. No chance of respite I'm afraid, I went shopping on Sunday and he had a panic attack the whole time I was out, even though he was with DH, his dad.
When he is highly anxious, I am highly anxious, it's a vicious circle

thanks @PotatoBreadForTheWin that is interesting theory.
I certainly did feel an element of comfort and knowing at 108kg - like this feels good and I can be happy here. Without MJ I think I would be stopping now.

I do want and need to keep going - there is still 30 kilos to go until I've lost my small female boxer (50kg).

I have no idea what 75 kilos might feel like - I think I sped past that weight nearly 40 years ago around age 18 & never returned.

20 kilos is a lot right? What I am finding strange is as I lose I am getting back to weights I have been before. At around 108kg I stuck for a while - and 108kgs (roundabout) is actually a weight I was for a while and I am quite comfortable in. So it felt like my body wanted to "stick" there if that makes sense. I'm glad to have broken the stick and moved on.
Next goal to get below 100kg.

20 kilos is fantastic and I’m sure getting below 100kg will be amazing psychologically!

@KittensUnderTheDuvet there is, I believe,
a decent evidence base behind a ‘cheat day’ or ‘refeed day‘ having a positive impact on metabolism. I don’t fully understand the science but I believe it’s linked to leptin levels.

Yes, I’ve read similar, but for all the amazing advances in medical science, it feels like we still know frustratingly little about all the mechanisms behind weight.

@alwaysscared
That sounds incredibly tough, and I think you’re amazing for balancing all your caring responsibilities while still managing to lose weight. Honestly, carers like you have one of the hardest jobs going, and I’m in awe of your strength and resilience. Remember to be kind to yourself - I bet you’re already starting to feel loads of health benefits from the weight you’ve lost so far. Keep going, you’ve got this!

Weight update from me after 5 1/2 weeks:

I’m now 13.9kg / 30.5lb down

SW: 155.3kg (BMI 47.9)
CW: 141.4kg (BMI 43.6)
GW: 75kg (BMI 23.1)

I’m really pleased with the consistent loss so far, but I’m finding it so hard to stay patient. I’ve still got such a long way to go before I’m anywhere near a healthy weight, and I feel this huge pressure to get there quickly. I’m 40, with no DC, but I’d absolutely love to have a child, and I’m terrified that we might have left it too late.
First, I delayed TTC for career reasons (a decision that didn’t even pay off!), and then I stupidly let my weight spiral completely out of control. The guilt is overwhelming sometimes - whenever I think about how I might have ruined our chances of becoming parents because I couldn’t resist late-night trips to the fridge, I just want to cry.
On a slightly brighter note, despite my weight, my cycle and ovulation seem to be in reasonably good shape, and a lot of women in my family managed to have kids in their forties and went through menopause much later than average. I’m desperately hoping I’ve inherited those genes.
I also can’t stop kicking myself for not trying Wegovy or MJ when they first became available - just more time I’ve wasted. I’m feeling really sad and scared today, so I think I need to force myself out of the house for a walk or something to clear my head a bit.

@KittensUnderTheDuvet thank you for your kind words.
I'm sorry you are having a bad time of it.
My sister had her baby at 41 (she is nearly 2 now, and just gorgeous!) after trying for many years. She has struggled with weight also. There is hope!!

@KittensUnderTheDuvet I had a high BmI when I was TTC DD who is now 10 years old. I also had PCOS and barely ever ovulated or had periods. Losing weight made a massive difference, and when I hit 10% bodyweight lost my periods returned and I conceived.

I actually ended up with Gestational Diabetes so was on a healthy eating plan and insulin for the last 3rd of my pregnancy which meant I ended the pregnancy lighter than I started which was quite a nice side effect.

I would say if you are wanting to conceive then keep up the weight loss, track ovulation and just keep trying, you could ask your GP if they can do a hormone panel to check that everything is functioning as it should and just so you have a record so if you don't conceive within a year then it's on record your have been trying that long in the hopes any investigations would be started.

Thank you for your kind words, @alwaysscared, and for sharing your experience, @InfoSecInTheCity!

We’re not currently trying as a) DH and I are in agreement that I’m just too heavy for a possible pregnancy right now and b) you’re not meant to take Mounjaro while ttc. The latter is a bit of a dilemma because the Mounjaro has been such a game-changer for me. From what I’ve read, the warning might just be a 'covering their backs' kind of thing, and tirzepatide probably doesn’t carry a huge risk of birth defects - but I need to look into this in more detail.

For now, my plan is to get my weight down to somewhere around 110–115 kilos (a BMI of 34/35) as quickly as possible and then start TTC, with or without the Mounjaro. I’d probably have to lie to keep getting the prescription, as I imagine most doctors wouldn’t be willing to go against the guidelines, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

I’ve been tracking ovulation for years now (using the temperature method & ovulation sticks), and, as far as I can tell, everything seems fine on that front. I do have some possible PCOS symptoms, like a bit of extra facial hair, but that’s nearly vanished since starting Mounjaro! My periods have always been super regular, like clockwork, though I know that doesn’t necessarily mean much, so the hormone panel you mentioned would definitely be a good idea.

I’m not in the UK, so can go straight to a gynaecologist without having to go through my GP, which should hopefully make things a little easier. I’ve been putting it off because I dread any doctor’s appointment at my current weight - would hate having to get undressed in front of anyone other than DH right now. I haven’t even seen my GP in about five years. She’s very nice, but kept trying to push therapy for disordered eating on me which felt a bit useless when your main problem appears to be hormone-related food noise and cravings, so mostly a physical rather than a psychological issue. But yeah, I need to bite the bullet and make an appointment in the new year.

@KittensUnderTheDuvet
Having been surprise diagnosed with T2 diabetes a few months ago I am a huge supporter of everyone getting a HbA1C test done, especially women who are overweight and who have PCOS.

I was diagnosed with PCOS when TTC about 13 years ago, Dr very helpfully (sarcasm) told me I was fat and should lose weight but refused to offer any help or medication that may have supported that.

I did lose weight by going basically carnivore diet, I had to exclude every single form of carbs or the weight just didn't come off. Even a couple of bits of fruit a week was enough for me to stall or gain.

Then I got GD while pregnant. No one told me I'd need annual diabetes tests after the pregnancy and I was never invited for a test, it was never mentioned when I went for other things wrong with me either. I just got told regularly that everything was because I was fat, knee pain, ear ache, depression, all just needed me to eat less and move more 👍

Then in June I went away for work and when I came back my legs and feet were really swollen, I felt like total crap for a couple of weeks and then low level crap just ongoing. I started needing to rush to the toilet a lot and was waking up several times in the night. Couldn't get a doctors appt for love nor money so in August I bought a Freestyle Libre which you plug into your arm and it gives constant glucose readings to an app on your phone. Within 24 hrs it was sending me alerts telling me to seek medical guidance due to very high readings. Called 111 and they sent me to A&E. 6 hrs later I had had an education session with the diabetes clinic, had lots of new holes in my arms from blood tests and was walking out of the hospital with a bag full of leaflets and insulin.

They reckon based on the A1C number and some of my other test results that I had diabetes for years and just didn't know.

@InfoSecInTheCity
Ugh, isn’t it just classic? I absolutely hate how so many doctors fixate solely on excess weight, refusing to discuss anything else. It’s like they think all us feckless fatties will have a lightbulb moment thanks to their oh-so-original advice to 'just eat less, ditch the fizzy drinks, and move more'. If you dare push back, you’re accused of being just too sensitive to hear the truth about needing to lose weight. It’s utterly infuriating!

I’m more than happy to have a matter-of-fact discussion about my weight and the risks involved. I'm perfectly aware that I'm massively sabotaging my health and damaging my body. But please, don’t patronise me with the same tired diet tips I’ve known for decades. It’s this kind of dismissive attitude that makes overweight people less, not more, likely to seek help.

What a total failure of care for them not to recommend regular diabetes checks after you had GD. Thank god you took matters into your own hands! Sadly, not everyone has the knowledge, physical ability or financial means to fill the gaps when the system lets them down. It’s terrifying to think you may have had diabetes for years without knowing. Is MJ and diet enough to keep it under control, or do you need insulin as well?

A couple of years ago, I ended up in hospital for two nights after a double whammy of the flu and croup (apparently quite rare in adults) caused my airways to swell so badly I was struggling to breathe. They ran some blood tests and flagged a suspiciously high blood sugar reading, which was probably due to all the cough syrup and lozenges I’d been having to soothe my crazy painful throat. The next day I had to do a glucose test and more bloodwork, but thankfully, everything came back perfectly fine.
My DH has one of those cheaper Libre blood sugar monitors (the finger-prick kind) because he likes to check his ketones and blood sugar whenever he’s doing carnivore or keto. I’ve used it a few times too, and my fasting blood sugar has always been fine, so fingers crossed there’s no hidden diabetes lurking! That said, I’ll definitely push for a blood panel and a general check-up. We’ve just moved, so I need to find a new GP anyway.

@KittensUnderTheDuvet yes, since going on MJ I've been able to drop the insulin completely and moved from 4 to 1 metformin tablet a day. My sugar readings have gone from being in normal range 45% of the time to 100% time and I've lost just over 2 stone, so as far as I'm concerned it's a bloody miracle drug.

Good to hear @InfoSecInTheCity 👏🏻👏🏻

Good to hear @InfoSecInTheCity 👏🏻👏🏻

Fantastic result, @InfoSecInTheCity, you must be over the moon! It truly does seem to be a miracle drug.

So the dress has arrived. It's absolutely fantastic and the colour really suits me. Dark purple/blue silk so I really hope its sunny at the end of June or I am going to freeze and then some. This is all a moot point though as I currently can't get it past my bloody head at the moment.

I will not have a reserve dress. This dress will be fitting me and I will be wearing it.

Planning to start. I have some doubt though. The diet you need to follow is surely a diet which can help to lose weight anyway? Just thinking about chemical injections when following the strict regime could work on its own?

Honestly and seriously looking for confirmation please. X