You've reached your goal weight - come chat about maintenance, not regaining, going cold turkey or titrating down

[MargoLivebetter]

Would people who've hit their target weight be interested in a general thread on how they are getting on? You might be titrating your WLI down, you might be going cold turkey, you might be on a maintenance programme or you might have gone back on.

I used MJ for 5 months and I've hit my goal and I'm muddling through with my own version of "maintenance". I'm doing a 1.25 dose weekly to use up what I've got left and cut down gradually, so I don't lose all the benefits of MJ immediately. I was a complete lightweight and did the whole 5 months on just 2.5, as I had savage suppression and loss of appetite. So, I'm just halving my dosage.

I'd be interested to hear how others are getting on, given it all feels a bit new and the long-term aspects of weight maintenance are not yet much talked about.

Well done @RowNine!

I can definitely feel the desire to snack returning but I can see it for what it is, I don’t need to, so I am not. I dread to think about what I would be capable of after a night on the booze though. So before any social events I will making sure to eat something proper.

I’m finding I snack for two weeks of the month pre period, and put on 1-1.5 kilos, then lose them the last two weeks of the month. I need to keep a close eye on it though and I have a magic number as an upper limit (including that snack weight). If I go above that upper limit I’d take action for a week

I'm still taking 2.5mg at the moment, I've got plenty left so I didn't want to stop cold turkey. But for the last 10 days I've really struggled with constipation. My weight is pretty stable (normal fluctuations of 1-2lb) and continues to be below my target but I'd much rather it went

Did you suffer on higher doses @HesDeadBenYouCanStopNow? how is your fibre and water intake?

my hunger is pretty raging today, I have been eating kimchi out the pot in fridge to stop myself properly snacking. I am still poorly so not exercising, need to get back to it asap as I find I am not hungry after a good workout

I have hit my goal weight - in fact a couple of pounds below now! However on 5mg I am still losing about a pound a week.

I am now a size 10 and my bmi is 22.5.

I don’t want to go any lower, because it will be difficult to get MJ prescriptions at a much lower weight and because I have invest in a lot of size 10 clothes and they are starting to get a bit big.

However, if I am honest I am not as slim as I would like or as I thought I would be at this weight. My stomach is still bulging - I would never dream of wearing a bikini for example. I am 8st 12 but I still think I am pudgy.

anyone else struggling with accepting this is what the finishing line looks like?

@ShaunaSadekii think my fibre is good, fluids may have been a bit low over the weekend but it went on for much longer even after really ramping up fluids and ruffage

to be fair I have often suffered pre MJ, one of the best side effects was being regular, so perhaps it’s just coming back now the dosage has been lower for a while

@ShaunaSadeki oh it was a reply to the general public who slag people off for "needing it for life". Thank you! I still don't quite believe it, to the extent I'm struggling to find clothes because I don't think I'm that small ... but I feel so well. When I started MJ I slept better than ever on my life, but that stopped recently ... after my initial annoyance, I realised I don't actually need any more sleep, I'm full of energy and my eye bags have vanished. (To the point I keep staring at my eyes in the mirror from all different angles 😂)

@MargoLivebetter thank you! I started mid June last year. Since the start of the year, the losses have been so small but like you say, it's definitely muscle mass increasing.

@Bellyblueboy I don't like my belly or arms and this is what I see before I see the 69lb loss.

@HesDeadBenYouCanStopNow ha im the other way. MJ miraculously and instantly cured me of farting and that now isnt the case which makes me think it’s all out of my system

@Bellyblueboy we are all our harshest critics and it might take a while for your brain to catch up with your body. Im working on building muscle now or I was and I will be again

I found myself mindlessly eating leftovers last night but despite no exercising I haven’t gained weight. But assume I have lost muscle and gained fat. I am typing this after giving up on ParkRun as I was coughing and spluttering too much, so sat on grass waiting for DH and going to wait until next week before trying to get back to BodyPump which is annoying as I thought today was the day.

@daffodilandtulip well rested and full of energy, the dream 😍

Welcome @Bellyblueboy and congratulations on all the weight lost. I think it takes a while for our bodies to catch up and redistribute the weight a bit. I have definitely continued to "compact" I can't think of a better way to describe it, even though my weight has been the same for 5 months now. Give yourself some time to adjust.

Having got the batteries back in my scales, I have found that very annoyingly I have put on 2.5lb. I was given a box of lovely and very expensive chocolates and instead of taking them into the office like I usually do, because they were so special and delicious, I ate them!!!! Back to best eating habits again for a week or two for me.

@MargoLivebetter don't fret though, I find my weight fluctuates quite a bit and can be up or down over a 1lb over night for no reason. I think it's often water retention if I have anything sweet or salty. Hopefully yours will dip again soon.

I like to weigh every day and chat it, I think it reassures me about the fluctuations to be able to see the underlying stability.

I've been in maintenance for 6 weeks now and am 4lb under my original target, with a very slight downwards trajectory. I've lost 1.2lb over all since I started maintenance. Although still taking 2.5mg whilst I have it at home.

I'm nervous about reversing the positive thyroid effect when I stop. MJ has definitely perked up my metabolism and I've had a reduction in Levothyroxine dose but still have a better level of T4 in the system than before MJ.

Good luck in losing the chocolate weight 😊 I hope you thoroughly enjoyed them 😊

Thank you @HesDeadBenYouCanStopNow . I know it will come off again, it has just annoyed me. The chocolates were delicious but I was conscious that every time I ate them that I didn't really want them. They were just such a lovely and special gift that I felt bad hurling them on to the office, which is what I always do with edible gifts. I ate them out of politeness more than desire and now I am irritated by the two pounds I will have to shift as a result. However, onwards and upwards (or hopefully downwards 😉).

I'm mildly hypothyroid and also cut back slightly. I haven't had to increase again so far, so hopefully that may be a permanent change for you too.

Hi all. Hope you are enjoying the sunshine. I have 3-4lbs to get to my target weight and my plan is to then titrate down the doses to start maintenance. For anyone that has taken this path did you continue to lose on lower doses?

How tall are you? Yes I totally understand this. I weigh the lowest of my adult life but I still have a belly, thighs and upper arms flab. Plus loose/sagging skin. I do look a lot better than I did 3 stone heavier though. I think I need to draw a line under my target weight and not keep thinking I could lose a bit more.

I am short - 5ft 2 so 8st 12 isn’t especially skinny for me.

I tried on some dresses today and they were particularly unfettering around my belly. I think my expectations were too high!

I started as a size 16 so I know I look different. I just need to adjust to the new, smaller, saggier me😂

Are you sure you are accurately visualising yourself? I say that because 1 I was less than 10 years old when I weight that little, but 2, I recently looked at jeans and was sure that they would never fit me, when actually they fit and were a bit loose. I just wonder if the you in the mirror is really you as other people see you or a delayed reflection what you previously looked like. I accept that there will still be a period of consolidation as loose skin retracts and you regain some more muscle but bmi 22.5 is slim in anyone’s measure.

You’re slimmer, sometimes it’s just hard to visualise the changes. Start weight training to tone up and get yourself a very good shape wear that’ll make your clothes look more flattering. I’ve been off MJ for 3 months now, my belly was the biggest part of me before I started the Jab and it was still bigger than the rest of my body after losing almost 3.5 stone. 3 months later, with continuous weighted exercises, I’ve lost 4 inches more from my belly now. My glutes are 2 inches bigger from the squats and I’m definitely toning up. I’ve had to buy a shapewear in a smaller size than the one I had before. I wear it so I feel better in clothes. I’ve had 3 pregnancies and for me I know the loose skin and belly flab will take a while to improve so Im just going with the flow

Can someone explain to me the difference between the flex plans and other more expensive plans on Oushk? It seems like the flex plans are a stop/start of pens? Is that why it's so cheap?
Also do you have to be a healthy BMI to qualify for maintenance? Because I think I'd be comfortable in a size 14-16 and wouldn't really want to be slimmer.

I think the flex plans involve paying a subscription every month to keep your account open - then you can buy a pen if you want but you don’t have to every month? So £15 a month plus the cost of the pen.

the other plans (I am hoping to go on conti) assumes you will buy a pen every month.

but someone else will no doubt have experience and will be able to give better advice

Hi @mamabeeboo - you can start maintenance with Oushk whenever you like. In fact I had a very nice call with hira, expecting to have to persuade her that I was happy at BMI 26, and she said ‘absolutely - I can see why, you’re glowing and look really healthy’. Which was nice to hear as I was unsure!

Flex doesn’t include the price of a pen. That would be on top of the plan price when you buy one. The advantage is that you would remain ‘on the books’ and so would qualify for a pen if you want one. Despite having a BMI below 30. However if there is a gap of more than 6 weeks between pens and no evidence to show you have been taking doses (I.e from a stockpile of pens) then you would need to start on a 2.5mg dose.

I’ve signed up to the taper plan. My intention is to work my way down the doses and watch my calorie intake and weight. I’m currently on 10mg with 2.5lbs to go to my goal weight (which equates to BMI of 23). I plan to give myself a goal range (a bit like slimming world so maybe 3lbs below goal and 3lbs above) to maintain at.

I am in no rush to come off MJ as I want this weight loss to be permanent and sustainable. I think both my mind and body need time to adjust to my new size (I keep buying size 10 shorts for example and being shocked when they are too big. My mind seems to struggle to accept I’m a size 8 bottoms now). I think maintenance will be a bit of trial and error. The surmount studies heavily support the need to stay on MJ for most people. I’m hoping to come off at some point but I am open minded as to what that might look like.

@Cantbesure that sounds like a good strategy. I think it offers great comfort knowing that you can keep the MJ available until you feel confident going it alone. I did something not dissimilar myself. In the end the ongoing relatively minor side effects outweighed the benefits I thought I was getting, not to mention I forgot to inject. So that persuaded me to manage without.

How are you finding it without MJ @MargoLivebetter?

@Cantbesure I feel better in myself. Weirdly, MJ sucked energy out of me. I can't really describe it as tiredness, it was more of a lethargy. I also really struggled with acid reflux, so I was mainlining gaviscon!!! I only ever managed to take 2.5, as it had such a strong effect on me, so initially I cut down to 1.25 and did that for about 2 months. That definitely reduced the acid reflux considerably but not the lethargy. Then I just completely forgot to inject and so I decided to go cold turkey and see how I got on. It took about two weeks to clear my system.

I've noticed an uptick in my interest in food but it is not unmanageable. I know now how important protein is for me. If I don't eat enough, I am hungry. It is that simple!!!! So, that has been quite an easy one to address. I was also an emotional eater, but the 7 months on MJ forced me to find different ways of dealing with that, so 9/10 I'm ok there too.

You'll see that there are a number of different strategies being used on here to maintain. I think the most important thing is to find what works for you.

Hi, I've been off MJ now for about a month, having previously been on it for 37 weeks and lost 53lbs so I thought I'd share my experience of cold turkey so far...I went to 12.5mg then 10mg to finish then that was it.

I wouldnt say its been hard, but my appetite is back with a vengence and I can feel really ravenous near meal times. I have been a bit surprised by this as my appetite suppression on MJ was never that strong. I thought I wouldnt notice much difference but honestly its 100% more than I expected!
I never got to my goal weight (lost just under 4st) with BMI at 26 so just outside the healthy range and planned to do the last bit on my own. Mainly due to the cost and being pretty happy with my size now.

I havent calorie counted throughout my weightloss either on MJ or since, and am eating similar types of food to when i was on MJ, so far I have put on 3.75lbs. Considering I now weigh more than when I stopped, I realise i am obviously (due to appetite) eating more, even if its not particularly unhealthy.

On the plus side, I am exercising up to 5 times a week and have just finished Couch to 5K so I think some of the weight might be muscle mass gain as my clothes still feel good.

Still a little constipated (was very on MJ) so that seems to be taking its time to settle back to pre-MJ.

I feel a bit sad that the lbs have started to creep back on and did start thinking about MJ again but I feel like Im just kicking the can further down the road as I dont want to stay on it long term and I have to readjust to having an appetite and dealing with it! So, I need to reduce my quantities a little and maybe look at my TDEE numbers.