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.

I’m under the weather this week and have had Dominos one night (having not fancied one since starting MJ) and now away with work at an all inclusive hotel and eating so much more than usual.
Annoyed at myself, and hoping it’s at least partly down to being ill and not just bad habits returning as the MJ fully leaves my system.
back to basics today: fibre, protein, loads of water. Bit nervous to get home to the scales.

Haha it means the same to me too. We all people old gimmers, maybe it's regional.

I'm still here by the way, still maintaining! Almost 6 months completely free of Mounjaro and still 4.5lbs lighter than when I stopped.

Hi everyone,

I'm 2.5 months in to maintenance, and on the lowest dose of Saxenda. So far, so good. I lost a further 3lb, but I was gradually increasing calories to find my maintenance. I've been up and down the same 2.5lb for the last month, so I think I've found my maintenance- around 1800-1850. Slightly lower than I hoped by about 100, but more than manageable.
I'm still on cloud nine at the whole thing and can't quite believe I've done this.
Today I bought a size 6 dress, which if you told me 2 years ago as a size 18-20, I'd be fitting in a size 6, I'd have laughed you right outta there! It's surreal, it truly is. Even if it's vanity sizing, I don't care 🤣.

I'm still keeping up my gym work and walking, it's been challenging as I'm now 6 weeks away from my wedding and there has been so much to do - my time is severely squished! I have continued to prioritise going to the gym though so I'm happy that I'm not giving up so easily. My house is less happy though, as a very neat and tidy person - not having time to hoover properly and dust for 2 weeks, nor change the sheets as a result of prioritising - has somewhat stressed me out! Finally got it all done in a full 5 hour clean this afternoon and feel better for it!

In a NSV (actually, it's sort of a scale victory 🤣) my metabolic age is 25 (I'm 40!). It was 54 when I started at the gym last March, so I'm bloody chuffed that I've more than halved my age metabolically!

hi all lovely maintainers!
pleased to say I got back to 9.6 and actually down to 9.5.5 which was surprising. My lowest. everything in Renpho is now green if we believe it!

I’ve however had a weekend of meals out and some wine and feeling bloated so I suspect I’m back up again and need to spend the week coming back down to 9.6 !!! I think this is what maintence is for me. I still manage to gain on 2.5mg I’ve found and to be honest I prob should have taken higher doses coz even at 5mg I needed a lot of willpower and never ate below 1400 cals as was still hungry. So I feel like 2.5 isn’t doing much.

I take my last 2.5 on Tuesday and am bricking it!!!!! I still enjoy eating and have my sweet tooth but hoping I have enough strageries to place to not gain and end up where I was.

@ThisMustBeMyDream well done! I’m exactly the same re excercise but also needing life in order! I’ve had to just accept gym comes first / no excuse / it’s just like how I brush my teeth it just has to happen . Everything else needs to just find around it. I only go 3/4 times a week…..but I usually wake up on Monday am I decide which days I’m excercising . I work and have 2 young kids but I usually find 3 40 min sessions here there and anywhere! Sometimes it means the kids watch 15 mins more tv. Or the laudary is done last minute. But such is life!

Well home after odd week (under weather plus all inclusive hotel) and only gained 1lb which is within my usual fluctuation anyway. That’s reassuring. I made healthy choices all weekend and expect to take that off this week.
Am definitely feeling my old habits re snacking creeping back in though, which was one of my bad habits pre MJ. So today going back to my early MJ Voy coaching tips:
avoid easy to grab snacks being out in sight
have a cup of Early Grey first
then an apple with nut butter
and only THEN reach for the snack cupboard.

Great stuff @Gotya12 and @ThisMustBeMyDream and @SnacklessWonder . Lots of positive post WLI news there.

Weekends are always more tricky as DP and I tend to eat out more but so far I seem to be able to do that without being a complete pig and then be very mindful of calories for the early part of the week and it is balancing out. Have stepped up the Pilates too and can now plank for 30 seconds. So thank you to @KrankyKumquat for inspiring me to make some progress with that!

Hope you are feeling better @EBoo80 . Sounds like you have a good plan to get back on track too.

Morning all. What a Scorchio week we are expecting. Shorts at the ready!

I moved my calories on MFP from cutting to maintaining last night. I can’t quite explain the feeling of terror doing this. I’m a pound up today but still within the weight range I have given myself. I woke up hungry today which sent me into a bit of a spin but my coffee and tremella have taken the edge off.

like the idea for avoiding snacking @EBoo80 my go to is Quorn cocktail sausages. Low in calories but good for protein and fibre. Even better if paired with a light mini Babybel.

@Cantbesure I get you. If feels like a big step to change from losing to maintaining. To be honest, I get as much pleasure from seeing the scales stay within range pretty much from week to week as I did from losing! Hope you end up feeling the same too 😀

Just had to google Tremella. How long have you been taking it? Have you noticed a difference?

Ooh I love quorn - that is a great tip and I will try to pick some up this week.

I’ve been taking tremella powder for a few weeks. It’s the only supplement I take regularly. Mainly as it’s so easy to spoon and whizz into my morning coffee. As ridiculous as it sounds my skin felt softer from day 2. All over my body feels like I’ve applied lotion when I haven’t.

Ive gone down to 7.5mg from 10 and plan to come down slowly to manage the hunger etc. I’m hoping I will stay in my 4lb zone and I can mentally adjust to this being as positive as seeing the scales drop.

@MargoLivebetter same here I go up at weekend as we often out / hubby fancies a glass of wine / bake with kids then in the week I go back down. I can live with that as long as I go back down!! Hoping to stay between 9.6 and 9.10 as top weight as I come off. Last jab tmrw!!!

Hi all, I have been on the medication for 6 months and lost 2 stone, the last 8 weeks I have been on 10 mg and maintained. I now want to reduce my dose as I am very exhausted, do you think going to 2.5 mg will be okay ? I have a 10mg pen but did a 2.5mg dose Friday.
The doses I lost on were 2.5 mg and 10mg the ones inbetween hardly worked and I remained on the 2 .5 mg and 10mg the longest. I know they say the min main does is 5mg but I think 2.5 could keep me where I wish to be .

I found the doses different on the way up to the way down @Tinydancer123 - so wouldn’t assume. The advice I got from pharmacy was to come down a dose at a time.

Thank you , I will see how I go and follow this if all else fails :)

Hello is anyone here prediabetic or was before starting mounjaro? Just wondered how maintenance went and if able to taper down and stop effectively or if symptoms return etc. I'm 4lbs from my goal of 10st bmi 25 and just had a maintenance appt via Oushk. Staying on 12.5mg for now.

@Histoscientist yes I was prediabetic and now in maintenance. I test my blood sugars a few times a week and they’re still high normal so I’m staying on this indefinitely. I’m on 7.5 and a couple of months ago tried to reduce to 5 but glucose levels went up so I’ve accepted that I’ll have to maintain on a higher dose to keep this under control

Ah I found my blood sugar symptoms weren't resolved until I reached 10mg, since then I've not had any symptoms. I haven't been tested yet but it's a good sign.

@Histoscientist that’s interesting. Maybe I need to go to 10 to fully resolve the blood sugars. Problem is I’m in maintenance and suppression high enough the first few days of 7.5 so I’m scared to go higher as I don’t want to lose more weight at this stage. I mean I could lose more as I’m just on 25 bmi but at 54 I don’t want to look too aged if I lose too much on my face. It’s difficult to know where the balance lies

I'm at bmi 25.5 and I'm on 12.5mg, soon to go up to 15mg, I found the doses wore off quickly for me and assumed it was linked to my prediabetes.
I did find it strange that you said you still have quite high blood sugar tests, when lots have posted that they have reversed diabetes and prediabetes and sugars went to normal levels. How much have you lost altogether?
I think I got to 11.5 st when my blood sugars were resolved. I'm now 10st 4lbs.
I do limit carbs which helps as i read that craving carbs is a sign of prediabetes and I've stopped craving them and barely touch them on 12.5mg.

@Histoscientist I’ve lost exactly 50lb. Down from 14st 5 to 10st 11. I’ve been a slow loser at around 1lb or less per week. The blood sugars staying on the high end of normal does still concern me a bit. Eg it’s 90 day average is 5.8 and ranges from 5.4 on a good day to 6.2. I don’t eat or drink a lot of sugary foods. I’ll maybe try a slightly higher dose soon as that’s maybe what my body needs to regulate it better. There’s a family history as my dad had type 2

My dad also has type 2 and my sister is prediabetic. Yes I am also a slow loser at 1lb a week. Started at 13st 1lb lost 39lbs in 37 weeks so far since october 24. I rarely craved sugar and lots of people have a misconception thinking high blood sugar and HBA1C means sugary foods as carbs turn to sugars and stored as fat, and a lot of insulin resistance/pre diabetics actually crave carbs. They do say high protein, low carbs is the best diet for us and I definitely was guilty of carbs like potatoes and bread pre mounjaro but I didn't know the reason why. Just found it satisfied me better.
Congrats on the 50lb loss and good luck with it all and I hope your blood sugars reduce in time.

@Histoscientist thank you! Congratulations on your fab losses too. Yes I always have craved carbs more than sugary foods and need to work on increasing my protein as I’m not a great meat eater but take the protein shakes to supplement. Hopefully it’ll stabilise soon, otherwise will speak to my GP to see if I can take anything else for it as def don’t want full blown diabetes. I’m def on this for life. Good luck on your journey too ☺️

Good luck @Angie7654 with your blood sugar levels. If you're not a big meat eater, have you looked at the veggie meat alternatives. Tofu and Quorn are high protein and nowadays they taste good too.

I'm maintaining ok still. I'm 1lb above the weight I was when I hit my goal weight in January. I have gone a 1-2lb above this occasionally and then have managed to bring it back down again, which is bloody amazing!!!!! I'm starting to feel more confident about not constantly calorie counting, unless I'm looking to lose the small bit I've gained. I still can't quite get over the miracle of sufficient protein on my appetite. I've also noticed that my morning coffee represses my appetite too. I think I feel more in tune with hunger etc but I don't want to get ahead of myself.

How's everyone else getting on?

@MargoLivebetter thank you. I tried quorn products years ago but not recently. I must give them a try again. Thanks for the suggestion ☺️ Hopefully upping protein and reducing carbs a bit will help the blood sugars. If not then off to my GP I will go. I’m still tracking everything in my fitness pal but would like to be able to stop the tracking one of these days. I think after over a year of it it’s ingrained in me now. This is my longest ever streak on MyFitnessPal at over 400 days. Never would I have believed it prior to MJ.