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.

@MargoLivebetter it’s good to see you are going strong without MJ. I’ve had stomach pains for a week that get worse when I eat or exercise. They are in the top centre of my abdomen. Weirdly when I saw the GP today the pain on prodding was my appendix so I was referred to the hospital. It all settled down and my blood tests were clear but it was a shock. The surgeon said it could still be mild acute pancreatitis but without an infection. I’m a bit confused but also shaken and I’m taking this as my sign to finish and go it without MJ.

@Cantbesurethat sounds really worrying. What a scare. Are you feeling any better now?

Thank you @MargoLivebetter I feel like it's a comfort blanket I want to keep hold of for now but I think eventually I will drop down to 1.25 and see what happens from there!

Sorry to hear that @Cantbesure health is the most important thing and when something that was once helping is now hindering it's time to let it go. Based on the stories I've read it is possible to maintain without mj and @MargoLivebetter is living proof!

Thanks @tinyemmy and @MargoLivebetter I have still been in pain today but at least I know there is nothing concerning showing in my bloods. I just have to manage the pain.

according to Shotsy I’ve still got over 3mg of MJ in my system, that and the stomach pains are currently keeping the hunger at bay.

@Cantbesure I hope the pain subsides really soon.

@Cantbesure , sorry to read about the pain you’re experiencing but it’s good that you’ve been seen by the doctors for some peace of mind. I just wanted to add that I’ve been without MJ for over 20 weeks (that’s more than the time that I was on it for). It’s honestly become routine to me now. I exercise (weights mostly) 5 days a week and even though I feel hunger, I now know how to manage it, eat more protein and i make sure there’s always some healthy snacks and fruits at home. I’m at least 6lbs lighter than I was when I last jabbed. I still weight weekly to keep me accountable.
All these nice clothes I can fit into, the holidays booked have all been a motivation for me not to slack

Ooh that’s amazing to know @Tohaveandtohold it has come as a bit of a shock to me and I had planned to come down the doses slowly and maybe stay on a low dose. Did the hunger hit you once the MJ was out of your system? I track everything on MFP and weigh myself every day which I will keep doing. I have been quite active but that’s taken a back seat whilst I’ve not been well, but the plan is to continue with exercise. I have upped the protein I eat and again will try and hit those targets. As you say I know now that protein helps me stay feeling full.

I’m definitely hungrier this week. My MJ levels are estimated to be around 1.7mg today. I’m very short and so I was only really losing if I ate 1000-1200 cals a day. I’m finding myself eating about 1600 cals now. Which is what MFP says is my maintenance calories, although I will keep an eye on this as I don’t want to gain. It will take a while to get used to my new normal I think. And I do still have some MJ in my system.

I hit a new low today! 8st 4.8lb (was 8st 11.6lb when I stopped taking MJ). Still focused on maintaining, any weight loss is a bonus!

I'm short too and had to eat 1000 every day to lose. I'm now eating about 1200-1300 because I've just got into a routine.

I feel hungry but it's just a passing thought and I carry on with what I'm doing. I'm on 5mg now and losing about 1lb a fortnight, but BMI is 21 so I guess it'll be time to go down again soon.

Is anyone planning on staying on a low dose indefinitely? I’m thinking of 2.5 mg every week or 10 days. I really don’t want to stop taking it for other health benefits. I’ve had such a reduction in pain from an inflammatory condition and my anxiety is now non existent. I have completely changed my diet and lifestyle for the better and want to keep it. The cost of one pen a month to make me feel amazing seems a good trade. I’m worried about stopping and all my pain coming back and the bad habits.

@chirpes yes, I’m planning that for the same reasons. I’m about 1.4kg from goal now and taking 3.75 twice a week, so I plan to gradually reduce one dose until I’m on 3.75 a week, and then reduce that dose to perhaps 2.5. Will see how I feel of course but that’s my baseline plan

@chirpes I most definitely am staying on. I’m soon to start working down from 10mg and will stop wherever I can maintain. I actually doubt it will be as low as 2.5 but we shall see.

I've reduced down to 2.5 gradually over the last 6 months from 10mg. Still been losing weight but hoping this has stopped now as at bmi 20. If necessary, I'll be reducing to 2 or 1.5mg next month and I'm in for the very long term.

Thank you. In it for the long term definitely!

I'm also planning on staying on it long term. I'm down to 2.5mg from 5mg. I've maintained for the last 4 - 6 weeks, but I've found my daily / every other day very spikey. I haven't quite settled into a rhythm of eating or weighing. I think 2.5 is about right. If I maintain successfully for a bit I might try slowly going down, the intention will be to maintain on the lowest dose that makes me feel good!
I'm struggling with hand and calf pain at the moment and don't know if I need to go up a little to make that go away... (Or if it's a coincidence that I hadn't really struggled with it on previous months when on 5)

Ahhhh I had an awkward conversation yesterday. Met up with friends, where conversation shifted to weight loss injections. They were talking about social media people taking them ie general observations that were not necessarily directed at me. (Well I assume so, as none of them commented on my weight loss anyway)

I haven’t actually told anyone that I took them and didn’t feel comfortable to yesterday. So instead I was just waffling on about risks of taking them and things I saw on documentaries. I don’t know if I played it cool or not or made them suspicious lol.

Today is the day I am ditching the formal calorie counting. I think I'm aware enough now to be able to listen to my body and it's signals. I've been eating to my maintenance cals for a while now, but I'll still eat just to reach them, even when I'm not hungry. I need to trust myself.
I'll give myself a month, and if I can maintain, I'll keep it up. If not, I can go back to calorie counting.
It's quite exciting!

I’m 8lbs off my target of 11st today, thinking of doing a maintenance dose for a while as I have form for coming off and gaining. Looking forward to being off but my willpower isn’t the best!

@chirpesI dropped down & stayed on 2.5 for just over 6 months so far after reaching goal. No intention of coming off unless things change medically, or it’s cut off for me! I have however continued to lose weight, albeit very very slowly and certainly not deliberately. But weirdly the full suppression has recently returned! The hot weather hasn’t helped, or having Invisalign in, which eliminates snacking. So I need to eat more at mealtimes, especially as I’m running regularly, and put some weight back on. Not a problem I’ve ever had before!

@AelitaQueenofMars this is fascinating! Can I ask if you have the dreaded food noise back? And do you ‘fancy’ food more now? I think I’d like to have the ‘oooh, I really fancy a …’ feeling again 😁

Aelita… that sounds very promising!

At goal six weeks ago. Still maintaining using previous dose of 10mg.

Wont be able to stop, not even going to try to reduce dose yet as maintenance is 1000 calories for me.

I will only reduce the dose when I’m 100% sure that I don’t get used to the dose and start to put weight on.

No, no food noise to speak of. I think I count as one of those ‘super responders’ for whom it switched off instantly when I first started (May 24). What I wasn’t expecting was to still have none once I dropped back down, and after 6 months back on the lowest dose! I am enjoying food, just still a lot less of it, in healthier forms, and still very little sweet stuff. I’m still an obsessive recipe hunter though 😆 Roll on the availability of lower maintenance doses, if they ever come along!

I'm 3 kg up 🫣
So increased maintenance dose order this month to 7.5mg. have been on 5mg for a month and it's clearly not enough to stop the noise.
My calorific needs are low- under 1000 so it adds up quickly 🙄