Mounjaro October starters - Thread 5!

[Fizzleawayy]

Thread 4 is nearly full so making the next one so we can all carry on chatting ☺️

@Gilly1C , you’re not alone. I also have a potential end date of the last week of Feb in mind. I had already changed my lifestyle before I started MJ 8 weeks ago.
I’d done a mini gym at one side of the garage, bought weights and a bike and I’ve constantly been doing that 5 days a week and I’m loving it. I told myself at the beginning that I’ll buy 4 pens and whatever that helps me to lose, I’ll carry on from there. I’m using the bonus doses so that’s 20 weeks.
I’m in the 9th week and I’ve lost 26lbs, my bmi is now 28.9 so it’s going in the right direction. I didn’t want to be obsessed with calorie counting or cooking myself separate meals as I want to do something I can sustain after so I do Fast 800 2 days a week and eat sensibly, more protein and less carbs the other days with the family and it’s been working. I’ll reassess again in Jan but so far, I’m happy with MJ, my progress and potentially stopping as well when the time comes.

@rockingbird Gorgeous gorgeous dress!

I was in Asda earlier and they had some lovey stuff in. I am so tempted to buy some new bits but they will be redundant in a couple of months..

@sparklesandfizz Amazing loss, well done!

@ArtfullyCrumpled Congratulations on your process 🥂

Totally understand those of you that wish to stop soon. Everyone is different and you must do what is right for you.

Nothing really from me.. picked up my new 7.5mg pen for Monday. 5mg over the past week has worked almost too well for me, so I’m a little nervous about 7.5 next week. I’ll be eating little and often I guess 🤷‍♀️

You made me think of goals..

I was 13.6 on the scales this morning. My official weigh day is sat. I started just under eight weeks ago at 14.13.lb.

But if I could get to twelve stone something by New Year’s Eve I’d be over the moon, I’m not sure it’s feasible, I lose a pound to two pounds a week and of course need to get through Xmas…but the thought of seeing a 12 on the scales would be amazing,,

I have lost 201b in 6 weeks on 2.5mg, about another stone to lose to get me to 9st 10lb. Will try to wean myself off then but am going to do the Oushk flex plan so if some weight comes back on I will be allowed back on even with healthy BMI.
Have more or less resigned myself to needing some type of maintenance for life after reading some experiences of coming off on Reddit and Facebook with people who exercise and eat high protein.

@Bluenose1966 me too, I’m also gearing up for long term maintenance.

I’ve been overweight for my whole life (I remember being weighed by the school nurse in primary school). I once got my BMI down to 26, but I was at the gym a lot (you CAN outrun a bad diet, if only you have enough time!!). Losing weight on Mounjaro has made me realise how impossible it has felt in the past.

It’s one of the reasons I’m trying to stay on as low a dose as possible. Even though my loss is slow - though half a kilo a week does feel sustainable. Especially when I’m not constantly hungry.

What’s the Oushk flex plan?Sounds interesting. Glad so many people are feeling so positive about the future whether that’s with or without MJ in it. It’s wonderful to feel in control again.

I too may flip to the Fast 800 for a maintenance plan and I’m looking into joining Zoe for a year. I love going to the gym but I’m finding it hard to fit into my week at the moment (managing once or twice if I’m doing really well!) I do Pilates once a week and hill
walks 4 times a week with my dog. I’m picking up running slowly again, although an injury means I have to be careful, but I do love it. On the days I work late Wed-Friday - I do a quick 45 minute pavement walk in the dark with my dog! Roll on Spring!

I will definitely be taking mj long term if allowed.

As I have PCOS, I know that as soon as I stop, it will be back to square one. No amount of eat less and move more will cure that nightmare.

I don’t know what Asda are doing about maintenance, so I will switch to someone else when my BMI hits 30.

My planned end date is end of March, goal dependent. I don't think I'll need to stay on it. I can maintain for years but losing weight is the hardest part for me, I have to really starve myself to lose 1lb. I've been overweight since my teens, slowly gaining more weight 2020 until my biggest in 2022.

I think I'll be on MJ forever! I'm the slowest loser in the world for a start despite IF and very low calorie intake - not helped by my baby MJ doseage. My weight problem is exacerbated by three things, my under medicated underactive thyroid, my age and osteoarthritis which makes exercise [apart from swimming] quite painful. At the rate I'm going I'll be on it for a year to lose the 3 stone I want to shift. Even then at 12 stone I'll still be in the overweight category with a BMI of around 27. My dark sense of humour sees me here running the October 2024 starters thread as a complete billy no-mates! Nonetheless I'm thrilled to be here with you lot and so grateful I'm actually losing something at last after years of losing and gaining the same few pounds.

I think il be on MJ til at least June/July time to shift enough weight and then I plan to micro dose for a good amount of time after. I don’t have any planned time for that.

I want to go up the doses and back down until I can maintain on 2.5mg.

I want to lose a minimum of another 4 stone which will take me to 10st 10lbs and I’m 5’7. Ideally I’d like to go down to 9st 7lbs.

God knows how long it will take me to lose another 4-5 stone but it’s going to be at least 6 months - 9 months.

Don’t you worry…. Il still be here. Iv got loads to shift and I ain’t giving up.

I've still got over 100lbs to lose so I'm here for a long while (my app says end of August if I keep losing 10-12lb a month!) I'm also on the 5st+ thread which is really inspiring as you can see people much further on and all these little 1lb, 2lb add up eventually.

I haven't been a healthy weight since my first hormone surge at 7/8. I'm honestly not sure I have any idea how to maintain a healthy weight when I get there. I've always been heavy so I've never enjoyed any kind of exercise. I'd like to take up running as one of my DDs has a fondness for food and a tendency to be drawn towards more sedentary hobbies, I'd love to be able to go jogging with her she's only just 9 so if I can get decent habits in her now hopefully she'll never be in this situation. I'm thinking about joining a gym but I've no idea what to do there. The same with exercise classes I'm worried about being the fat one in the back but I'm not sure that feeling will change

I'll be with you x Also slow loser, also osteoarthitis.....can't even swim as the last time I tried the young lifeguard had to help me get out. I did a bit too much then couldn't put weight on my hip/leg to get up the ladder to get out!!!! Very embarrassing, so won't be doing that again in a hurry!!!!

I’m also here for the long haul, the happy scale app predicts I’ll be at the goal I’ve selected in November 2025, seems so out of reach at the moment though!

I’ll be here for the long haul too. Definitely a slow loser (lost 6 lb in 10 weeks). I’m also hypothyroid which doesn’t help! My projected end date keeps extending due to slow loss. I’m also experiencing some unpleasant side effects and so will go very carefully (lower dose, not sure what) with my shiny new 5mg pen on Sunday! Are all you slow losers also on the slow losers thread?

I'll be here for ages (for ever!) I'm losing well, but have such a lot to shift.
I've been pondering about maintenance doses though - you never know, I could need one someday ...
I read the article someone posted upthread about plateaus and how they're needed to allow the body to establish a new 'normal' weight, and how it can take up to three months for the body to acclimatise to the new normal, after which time it will be happy to settle at that weight rather than continuously trying to regain.
If this is the case, once we get to a happy weight should we be able to use MJ to maintain for three to six months (until our bodies admit defeat and settle at the new weight) and then gradually withdraw from MJ and still maintain independently?

@EVK I haven’t had the Oushk consultation yet but one of the maintenance options is you pay £20 per month to be kept on their books for a year. So if you do start putting weight on you can get MJ even if still at a healthy BMI. There are other options for maintenance on their website. I follow their Facebook group and they seem really helpful with regular Live FB talks on common queries. Think the owner has been on MJ herself so has a good understanding.
https://www.oushkpharmacy.com/maintenance

Unfortunately the latest trial data shows significant weight gain when coming off, despite best intentions. This is mirrored by what I have read about individuals coming off expecting to be able to maintain as changed all their habits, but ultimately putting the weight back on.
https://www.medpagetoday.com/endocrinology/obesity/107845

I’m closing my ears and going tralalallaala so I can’t hear anything about gaining weight back after the jabs😂

That’s not allowed😅🤣

Iv seen stories both ways, people who have successfully kept it off and people who have gained it back.

Im pretty confident in my ability to keep it off. I was slim for my whole life except the last 2 years so I know what I need to do to keep the weight off. I gained weight out of greed and a few minor health issues which have now been sorted. I’m also only in my 30s so I’m hoping that helps somewhat.

So I am 8 weeks into my journey, and have lost just over 1 stone and 6lbs.

I started on 2.5mg for four weeks and then moved up to 5mg for 4 weeks (next jab is due tomorrow)

I have felt that food suppression is too strong for me on 5mg and I noticed that this month my resting heart rate has increased by 10 bpm in the first week of 5mg and remained high throughout! I have been tracking this for years and it’s definitely far higher than it has ever been before.

On that basis I actually ordered a 2.5mg pen for this month to see if it reverses the increased resting heart rate and to see if it reduces the side effects.

I only have 6lbs to go before I am safely in the healthy range for BMI and at my target weight so wanted to decrease my dose so that over the next couple of months I can have a soft landing to stopping taking it! I think that when my BMI goes below 24 I might not be able to be prescribed it anymore.

I know that I could be much lighter within the healthy BMI range but my focus was about getting to a healthy range for health rather than appearance, although the two do go hand in hand!

As I am literally the shortest of the short ladies the weight loss has been very dramatic, as I am 4ft 11 tall (without my heels) and I am starting to fit into my pre Covid weight gain / perimenopause clothes again! That said only my husband has noticed it… or mentioned that they have noticed it!

Its difficult to know when to stop because a small part of me would love to be slimmer and get to 8stone which is still well within the healthy range of my BMI, but I am also thinking that this is a powerful medicine that costs money each month and that I should take it for the shortest time possible to be healthy.

That said if 2.5mg doesn’t work in the next month, I do have the opportunity to go back up to 5mg if needed to help loose the last 6lbs before reducing the dose again.

If I were you @envbeckyc I would keep ordering the 5mg since it's the same price and just take half a dose. Then if you need a little bit more you can up it a little bit (I went half way and used 3.75 rather than 5mg).
You also can then get 5 doses out of a pen rather than 4 without having to resort to 'hard twists' or insulin needles. The fifth dose will still be within the 30 days that it's ok to use the pen for.

I've got loads left to lose, I started off at 19 stone, have lost 1 stone 3lbs and have PCOS too plus post menopausal and on HRT. I'll be on MJ for the long term. It was a bit depressing to read that NHS England is doing a very limited roll our for 3 years of MJ.

I really need to do something about the dreaded constipation through. Prunes, water and ducolax aren't shifting anything. I am also getting indigestion especially when lying down at night. I'm on 2nd 5mg jab. If I could just have a decent 💩I woudl be several stone lighter ;-)

If I had ordered the 5mg dose I would have felt the need to use it because it was there… so I want to see how I get on with an enforced 2.5mg dose for a month to see if my side effects calm down.

In the summer I trapped a nerve in my chest, saw my GP to try to get painkillers, but instead because I was on HRT got sent straight to A&E for a cardiograph and to test for thrombosis. Despite being overweight there wasn’t any problems with any of the results, which is why I think the increased resting heart rate is a side effect, as I definitely don’t have an underlying issue.

It has a five day half life so when I inject later with a 2.5mg dose I will still have a slightly higher dose in my body because previous doses won’t have fully metabolised yet!

I haven’t tried a ‘golden dose’ partly because I am scared of messing it up, but mostly because I worry about not knowing how much I have injected.

End of week 7 on 2.5mg for me and a total loss of 37lbs.
DD has given me some virus and it’s my time of the month so not feeling too glamorous today.
Currently due to reach my target by mid feb, so plan to come off MJ end of January and see how I manage for the last bit- hopefully won’t undo everything 🫣

You’ve lost nearly 3 stone in seven weeks? That’s 5 pounds a week on average. I’m sorry but that doesn’t sound remotely healthy and it does sound very concerning?

So, I think that I am posting here for a bit of accountability and because I have been following posts about mounjaro on here for most of this year...way before ordering my first pen and before signing up here today!

I guess firstly I wanted to thank everyone who has posted up to now as the comments, info and help has certainly been useful for me in making the decision to order and I am really pleased that I did.

I think that I am lucky in many ways. I guess comparatively I didn't/don't have so much to lose and I haven't had any side effects. Since Covid first locked us down I have various things have led to me stop looking after myself and the weight crept on and my fitness and motivation plummeted...I was pretty horrified when I weighed myself for the first time in years and actually looked at myself properly (side on!!!) in a full length mirror back at the end of Sept. It was the kick up the proverbial to sort things out. I, rather hopefully, set myself an initially target of time, largely based on it taking 3 months to establish a new habit, and I am pretty sure that I will stick to that. I am on track and I have lost 8.5kg over the last 9 weeks of jabs. I have just worked out dates and 20 weeks (1x2.5 and 3x5 pens - I do use 5 doses per pen) will take me to mid Feb. Hopefully I will carry on a approx the same rate and by then I will have almost made it into the healthy BMI range and reduced my waist/height ratio.

At the moment, even though I have lost 10% of my starting weight I get really demotivated when I look side on in a full length mirror and see how wide I am, and I am disappointed people I haven't seen since summer don't notice any difference - BUT, this would normally see me turn back to secretly scoffing the large size pack of crisps and generally self sabotaging, I know that the cms and kgs ARE steadily coming off and that I WILL start to look differently SOON! Exercising WILL help with that...so that is starting this weekend!

Thank you to everyone who has posted and for all of the info on here - good and bad experiences - they have all been helpful, I hope that we all get where we want to be. Oh, and I have my fingers crossed that I move from Obese to Overweight next week.