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.

@Sillystring100
I know exactly what you mean about envying your OH just starting out. I sometimes feel the same when I read newbies posts - watching the scales drop every week is the best feeling and this stage is certainly a bit dreary in comparison. 'Stay the same' is not a very motivational goal for sure.

First week of cold Turkey done for me. I was on 7.5 and have stopped.

I'm logging food on mfp too as I need to make sure I'm staying on track. I've lost a pound this week so that's okay but good noise is back and so is the hunger. I'm aware that it stays in your system for 4 weeks so this is going to be a strange few weeks.

I do feel better for coming off it in a way, I'm hoping my hair starts growing back for a start.

@wite well done on a stable week. Fingers crossed for your hair re growth. Did you get any iron supplements?

Hello, I stopped taking Mounjaro 3 weeks ago now. I haven’t gone back to my old eating habits but I have put on a couple of kg. I was 69.5kg, I’m now 71.5kg. It’s not great that I’ve put on that much already. I haven’t been monitoring calories though. I wanted to have a couple of weeks of not thinking about counting calories before I got back into it all again.

Yes I did. Hopefully they'll do the trick

Welcome @MyDenimViewer . What is your plan now?

Weigh in day for me and I'm 1lb up this week. I didn't do any calorie logging at all last week. 1lb is neither here nor there, but definitely something to keep an eye on. I have more interest in food on the very low dose than I did previously but everything seems manageable at the moment. I don't think it helps that the weather is so vile and I'm constantly borderline cold. I have traditionally always put weight on in the winter and found the summer easier. I love salads, but just cannot bring myself to eat them when it is this bleak.

My official weigh-day and I am my lowest weight in over 3 years🤗 - 6 weeks off Mounjaro so I am thrilled with that!

@SnacklessWonder big round of applause! That's fantastic - you should be thrilled.

I don't know how I'm going to maintain my weight loss. My TDEE is 1300 calories to maintain and it feels impossible. Without Ozempic I'm constantly starving hungry.

I've never had bad eating habits, have never eaten 'junk', always cook from scratch. My weight gain came from menopause and 4 years of staying in hotels for work 2 nights a week, going out for dinner with colleagues, office lunches and hotel breakfasts!

I've been off for totally for 3 weeks, 2 of them on holiday. I ate relatively healthily, lots of fish but also lots of wine and ice cream. I don't know how I'm going to lose holiday weight in the future when it means eating only 900 calories a day, which is what I did to lose the 3 and a half stone I lost. Looking at the people in my hotel, most were over weight ( men and women) and I reckon a lot of that is from holiday weight gain that just builds up over the years.

I have a few pens to use ( though my fridge broke down while I was away so I have no idea how long they'll last) so I'm starting a low dose again today, so I will be able to lose what I gained.

I just don't know how I can eat 1300 calories a day for the rest of my life though.

Aw @Movinghouseatlast you sound a bit down in the dumps. What are you eating for your 1300 calories? I've found that what I eat makes a massive difference to feelings of hunger. The more protein I eat, the less hungry I feel.

Are you able to get in any exercise? Without exercise, I can only manage between 1300-1500 calories a day to maintain weight. However, I am a menopausal gimmer, and although I'm just over 5ft6", I have quite a slight frame, so I just don't need many calories these days. Exercise makes a difference though and means I can eat more generously. In my lunch break today, I managed to get in a 3 mile brisk walk, which has given me some extra allowance for dinner tonight.

Also does your supplier offer a maintenance plan?

No, they don't offer a maintenance plan- it's Boots.

Yes, I do a lot of walking and Zumba. I'm more hungry if I go to the gym so it's counter productive. If I do 10000 steps plus a Zumba class I can get up to 1800 calories burned. I did 7000 steps yesterday and burned 1450 cans. This is why I gained weight in the first place I think! I'm going to start Pilates and weights again soon. I've had a frozen shoulder for 18 months so couldn't do much.

Yes, I have been eating lots of protein and hardly any carbs on Ozempic. Its possible on Ozempic but off it I crave bread and I feel hungry all the time.

In the olden days they always used to say that doing exercise worked up an appetite, so I can see how that could make you more hungry!

I'm definitely not the best person to advise as I don't get a really strong hunger sensation that often, even before WLI. I'm a comfort eater. Hopefully, some of the other maintainers who do get more hungry can help.

I lost 3 and 3/4 stone, tapered down to 2.5 and then stopped at the end of November . I put on 8lb over Christmas and another 2 lb now. I constantly have the food noise/ munchies . It’s really hard.
I’ve made some longer lasting changes to eat more healthily rather than just less but the snacking is the issue.
I am going to have to restart MJ.

I’m 4lbs up based on lowest point 3wks ago and just craving carbs & sweet things again. My bmr is 1400 plus I exercise every day. I didn’t think it would be this hard as I stayed on 3mg mostly and lost 3stone over six months steadily I already knew how to eat well and exercise but menopause & being short meant I gained 2st in last 5yrs. This drug literally turned off my sweet cravings but now it’s back. I’ve tried to book a maintenance apt with ousk but it’s 7wk wait for a phone consult. I categorically do not want to go back to the obese person I was but this is definitely some genetic thing as this rest of my family are all fit and slim but have never been since I was overweight aged 8!

Cross post @olympicsrock sounds like we are similar paths. I was thinking about my mum she’s in her 80s always been fit size 10-12 but has been on blood pressure meds & cholesterol meds for years. Despite diet & exercise she needs meds to stay healthy. I feel like MJ will be like this for me and I’d pay I just need someone to prescribe.

I hit my lowest weight yesterday! Officially 2lb lighter than when I finished Mounjaro over 6 weeks ago now.

I am obviously feeling a lot hungrier and think about food a lot but to be honest, being slimmer and the desire not to go back to my old weight is giving me the willpower not to overeat.

I don't know how I'm going to maintain my weight loss. My TDEE is 1300 calories to maintain and it feels impossible. Without Ozempic I'm constantly starving hungry.

@Movinghouseatlast That's a really low maintenance calories - are you sure that's right? I am 5ft 1, sedentary lifestyle (desk based job, not big on exercise) and mine is nearly 1700 to maintain, 1200 to lose.

Maintained this week but with some ups and downs. I’m a shortie too and my bmr is now only 1400 I’m in my 50s and age really is a factor. I’ve got above average muscle tone and fitness based on my scales app and garmin, but it doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room in my diet sadly. I tend to eat around 1800c but exercise 400c a day off easily. But if that’s more carb based I notice my weight go up, so I’m working hard on getting the protein percentage higher and veg n nuts plus lean meat. In times of stress and tiredness I’ll go straight for carbs & sugar though. It’s been very stressful couple of weeks so my consumption of mint humbugs & toffees has increased. I’ve been having a couple instead of “pudding” after a meal which has helped.

@NewYear0Me
Carbs are so dangerous! I try to avoid them but yesterday had a wholemeal chicken sandwich at lunchtime. Everything else was as usual; today I'm a lb up. It's not a problem but it happens every time, it's incredible. And a bit sad as bread is so nice and I miss it.

Same here - carbs are the enemy! They increase appetite as well as causing weight gain. Low carbing here as much as possible plus exercise.

I eat gluten free @KrankyKumquat which does help now keep the carbs down as I’ve naturally drifted away from eating even gf bread as I don’t really like it. But the scholar sour dough pizza bases are lush so I share one with my DD as she prefers them too. I’ve surprisingly got used to eating soup without any bread type accompaniment but will make gf dumplings on a cold day as a treat & have a slice of cheese with it.

Reading this as a chow down on an Egg and Cornish Cruncher Cheddar sandwich from M&S 😂. I will probably have a gain tomorrow but I don't really sweat it as a day or two being super strict normally sees it right again!

I refuse to give up bread, it's one of life's pleasures for me. See also potatoes! Rice, pasta I can skip and pretty much do now but while I don't want to gain weight again, I also want my life to be enjoyable and food for me is one of my big loves! My mum died last month and it's really given be perspective on the fact that life really is too short, so I am going to enjoy my sarnie!

@SnacklessWonder
Oh I'm sorry about your mum, that's so tough to go through and yes, absolutely enjoy your sandwich!

Potatoes gave me the ick when I started on MJ and apart from about 6 oven chips I don't really fancy them still - very odd.

I'm pretty relaxed about stuff now too. I lose a couple of lbs Sunday to Thursday and gain a couple over the long weekend - we seem to count Thursday evening as the start of the weekend now!

Thanks, I also lost a close friend suddenly a week later and it gives you a new perspective.

Have to say @KrankyKumquat I went off chips when on MJ. They tasted so bland and unappealing!

I am a bit the same, I will up and down over the week. I pretty much relax over the weekend now and tighten it up during the working week. Seems to be working so far.

Ive been sent along to this thread as i went cold turkey (pardon the pun) just before christmas (wegovy injections) and am starting to gain weight. i appreciate we've had christmas, but we are now well into february and certainly this past week i just can't stop eating!!!

i looking to hear from anyone who has now come off the injections and is managing to keep their weight off, and how they are doing it!

i confess, I've now ordered a new prescription, and my plan is to go another 6 months, aiming for another 10 to 14lb loss and then taper off because i really don't want to be on these injections for the rest of my life, i simply can't afford that!

I titrated mj down very slowly and stopped completely approx 6 weeks ago. I lost 4 stone and have a bmi of 21.5 now

I've managed to maintain since October and managing this ok tbh.

I calorie count every thing that goes in and I monitor via a smart watch what calories I burn and I try and keep that balance equal. I know they say that cals burned isn't accurate but it seems to be working for me.

I have upped my exercise considerably and weaved it into daily life. I now cycle 10 miles to work each way and it would feel very weird now not to do this. I also do 10k steps every day which is difficult if I have already cycled and barely moved all day in my office job.

I use myfitnesspal to log cals and garmin watch to track cal expenditure. My cals can be from 1650 (no exercise) to 2400 (busy day) I'm not denying myself food at all. I do completely keep away from processed food 90% of the time. I tend to batch cook so always have nutritious food to hand. I have found that my weight recently had been creeping down so I will increase my cals a little bit going forward. I always hit my protein goals

I take a berberine supplement every day so not sure if that helps with appetite/blood sugar control (some evidence suggests it might) or MJ has permanently affected my brain!

I like the maintenance stage the most tbh.