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.

@user243245346 they are expensive, so completely get that. Part of the reason I'm doing a half dose, is because I don't want to throw away something that cost so much!

Up for this

I get that. I'm hopeful I can get fitter and healthier now without Mounjaro. I have lost 7stone so it's a big change. Even if I can just maintain I will be happy

Hi there! Placemarking as am way off target with 4.5 stone to go but v interested in maintenance. Swapped from 5mg of Mounjaro back to 3.75 due to side effects too much on 5. Will check in from time to time :)

@user243245346 that is a fantastic loss. You must be feeling pretty pleased with yourself. 👏

See you soon @KeepCalmandGiveItaGo

When I get to maintenance, I'd like to think there are some appetite-suppressant options other than the injections so it doesn't feel like cold turkey. Has anyone come across any natural or over the counter options to give a boost to those of us who know willpower is not a good bet?

The only natural appetite suppression method that works are very low carb diets which prevent blood glucose spikes and the resultant overeating/bingeing/constant hunger. Not just cutting the carbs a little bit, bit really, really limiting them to the Keto/Atkins level.
Many people lose plenty of weight and maintain by low carbing, but it is not easy, and you need to keep at it for the rest of your life.

The problem as I see it with maintenance is that many people can keep the weight off for a few months or maybe even a year or even 2 years. At the moment you can see threads here and on Reddit with people stating that they stopped MJ a couple of months ago and have not regained. But these are virtually meaningless. The stats and studies clearly show that almost all people who have lost weight by any means or by any diet will have regained it all by the 5 year mark. You can easily google about this. We all think/wish that we will be one of the 5% or so who can keep the weight off long term, but that is all it is, a wish. The reality is what we actually need to face.

Speaking personally, for myself I have decided that I am not doing all this again. I am almost at maintenance now, and I will be trialling for myself a mixture of using a maintenance dose and having periods of not using anything at all. I just need to accept the mindset that I am going to have to pay very close attention to my weight for the rest of my life (which incidentally is exactly what most so-called 'naturally slim' people do) and be utterly open-minded about what help I will need.

I feel the same even though I'm optimistic at the moment it's taking me having to use mounjaro to finally realise that I am always going to have to an eye on what I eat. Every other time I've lost weight I keep it off then relax back into old habits but now I'm always going to track my calories even for maintenance and weigh regularly to track any trends

Hello!

I've been completely off MJ now for a few weeks, before that had done 6 weeks at 2.5mg. I found going back to 2.5mg there wasn't nearly the same level of suppression.

Anyway, so far so good. I am definitely feeling that hunger again but coping okay. Weighing myself every day and taking action if I feel like I've overdone it but generally just being mindful of eating - ie I knew I was going for a big roast yesterday at the pub with a few glasses of wine so I turned down the big bacon and egg sarnies my husband was making in the morning!

I never intended to stay on MJ long term so lets see how this goes! I never had any real food issues, I just like eating and drinking and am pretty lazy so I am hoping the changes I've made will help maintain.

Has anyone attempted at maintenance dose? I'm wondering what that would look like/how much it would cost? I'm going to try to do without for the time being bit have wondered about it long term.

@beguilingeyes I think @CobaltRewind said she was with MedExpress for maintenance. Hopefully she can tell you about cost.

I couldn't agree with you more. Stating that someone is successfully maintaining because they're still tracking calories and saying no to things for a few weeks is meaningless. We all know we can maintain whilst continuing that laser focus on what we're doing. The point is that only metabolically broken people need to live like that (without any intervention) and that it's totally unsustainable for the vast majority of any of us over a 3-5 year period. Naturally thin people stay thin because they don't have to obsessively think, and plan, and restrict, and track... they can just "be". Which is a luxury I've been afforded too since starting Mounjaro, and it's been a revelation.

This is such a fear of mine. I lost a lot of weight in the past, and always put it back on (and some more). Even when I kept it off for 3 years, I got in to a new relationship...and boom. On it goes again. I've lost more than ever this time, last time I got to 11st and was happy. But I wanted to get to a healthy BMI this time, not just a "comfortable" weight.

For me, this time I've changed my life, not just my diet. I haven't done that before. For 10 months now I have been religiously going to the gym and doing cardio and weights 3 times a week, and walking everywhere I can. I don't associate food with reward anymore. I don't get to Friday night and think I deserve that takeaway (not saying I don't have them, but it's very occasional rather than several times a week). I don't go shopping and get myself that hot chocolate reward that I used to. Lots and lots of little changes mean I barely recognise the life I had before. If I don't get active on a day now, it literally makes me feel dreadful. I have to move, I have to do this. This isn't medication. This is me. My willpower. No medication forces me to that gym for 2 hours 3x a week.

I will be that 5% damn it. And I want you guys to be it too.

I’ve got a few pounds before formally at maintenance but health podcasts I follow say if you eat 1 gram of protein for every pound of ideal body weight and 30g of fibre then it can be difficult to overeat whether on WLI or not.
For last couple of days I have increased my protein intake to 120g and fibre intake to 30g and feel even more full up than normal. May lower my next dose from 5mg to 4mg as literally having to force myself to eat.
Would have been an interesting experiment if I could have done this before starting WLI to see if it would have helped with my chocolate evening binging.
Have booked maintenance consultation with Oushk and hoping for month on month off to reduce cost or if by some miracle increasing my protein and fibre stops cravings then may go on their flex plan for £15 per month which will allow me to start WLI again if required.

I will be that 5% damn it. And I want you guys to be it too.

Quite right. And the people who repeatedly want to tell us we won't be just fucks me off.

Nobody has to gain weight. You'll gain weight if you eat too much. Which is why I gained weight in the first place. It wasn't chemicals or hormones or anything eating disorder or genetics. It was simply eating too many calories because I didn't care and buried my head in the sand.

I want to be in that 5% too! I've spent over 40 years losing, gaining, losing, gaining rinse and repeat. I certainly don't want to spend my remaining years on this planet doing that. I'm an emotional eater. Didn't realise how bad it was until I couldn't because MJ literally prevented me from wanting to put food in my mouth. I have committed myself to (more) counselling, if I cannot sort out my emotional eating without help. It is definitely under control at the moment, even though the food noise is slightly there. I've been working on how better to deal with negative emotions, mainly because I've had to, as I couldn't eat them away. That is definitely going to be a bit part of not yoyoing anymore for me.

I found the MJ weightloss thread I was on really helpful and motivating. I was on the August starters one and it has been a huge part of my weightloss journey - not wanting to sound too earnest about it.

That's why I thought something similar for "maintainers" might also be motivating and helpful. I'm glad there are others up for it.

I don't know why you take it personally - it is a sad fact that 95% of people do put weight back on, and nobody is wishing for you not to be in the 5%.

For the remaining 95% of people that do, I think the point being made is that they're not somehow lazier or more stupid than the 5% that keep it off.

And for those of us who fear that we'll be in that 95%, and who are therefore considering the need for ongoing medication, it would be nice not to be told that we "fuck you off".

Thank you for this thread ! I have just reached my goal weight of 10 stone 3lbs having lost 3 stone since September whilst on wegovy . I'm now titrating down and took my 0.5 jab on Sunday . I'm now feeling a bit anxious as some of the food noise has been creeping in and I really need to have a plan on how to maintain . Ideally of course I'd like to come off the drug completely but has anyone decided to continue taking a small dose indefinitely ?? I'd really appreciate any advice on how to maintain.

Like all of you it has been life changing not having to think about what I eat every day . I really am going to miss that and am worried about putting it back on .

Joining this thread with interest! I’ve lost 2 stone so far and now just about hit healthy BMI - yippee! I’ve just applied to move over to Oushk as I like the look of their maintenance plans. I’m worried about MedExpress just cutting me off as per some posts I’ve seen. Will see what they say!

I’m very keen to start more exercise, a gym membership or class or something but I’m so self-conscious when it comes to sport and exercise (was always last to be picked at school and that has never left me!) so I need to get my big girl pants on and find something which suits and I can stick to.

I have been eating Frive meals - a meal subscription plan. It’s not cheap but it’s super tasty and high protein and low calorie. My OH is also having the meals and he feels loads better for it! It’s been a bit of a game changer really in terms of understanding portion control and better food choices (I’m a terrible cook!). Highly recommend if you’re looking for something similar!

Joining this thread too 👋. I've been on MJ since July and lost 4 stone, with a max dose of 5mg. Now a healthy BMI and happy with my new size! I was tapering down and was at 2.5mg about every 10 days, but have been having upper abdominal pain this week for short bursts. So have decided to stop it and go it alone now although I had had a maintenance discussion with Oushk. I feel a bit better today with less churning in my stomach. Not sure what's going on there but don't want to chance putting any MJ into the mix in case it's suddenly started causing a problem. Have maintained weight so far through careful calorie control, although more appetite is there 😬!

Focussing on higher protein, 30g fibre, low carb and no sugar, using the Cronometer free app. Keeping the step count up with my walking pad at the end of the day and some weights/Pilates.

Lost another lb today so I'm over the moon that I'm not just maintaining being off MJ, I'm actually still losing, albeit at a slower rate but I'm not really trying to lose either.

@atlantaborn I don't have any advice so far, as I'm muddling through this myself, but hopefully together we can draw on some collective successes.

@Buttons0522 never heard of Frive - off to have a google. My partner is about to try the Huel hot meals, so I wonder if it is something similar.

@Bamboozled5 I hope the abdominal pain doesn't linger. Never heard of the Cronometer app, so off to have a look at that too.

@SnacklessWonder great news on the loss.

@ThisMustBeMyDream , I love and relate with everything you’ve said there. Everyone can choose whichever way they want to maintain, for me, I’ll be going on maintaining without the meds in 4 weeks time as I’m on my last pen and I’m determined I’ll be the 5%. I’ve changed my whole lifestyle, I wake up at 5:30am to exercise and I’ve done that consistently 5 days a week for the last 5 months, some weeks I’ve done 6 days. I look forwards to what I’m doing in the gym, I’ve got the support network of DH who has always been fit, healthy, active and sporty all his life and this all comes naturally to him and I’ve told him to remind me if I ever want to slack.
MJ is not the reason why I wake up every day to exercise, I’m not stopping that, I have everything to lose. You know what, my mum was also part of the 5% as she lost a lot of weight 25 years ago after having children and she has never regained it, I have her to look up to. At this point, I know I’ll pay attention to my weight for the rest of my life.
We can’t all stay on the meds forever, for one reason or the other, however, we can all cheer each other on no matter the path we’re taking to maintenance and that’s what this thread is about. I’m going into this with knowledge that MJ works, if in future for example, I realise I’m falling off the wagon, I know what to do. For now, I’m happy with the new me