Shemed January support - Thread 2

[FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden]

Fantastic we made it to thread 2!

This is a thread for all those who have started or are about to start the Shemed programme in January.

Those waiting for blood tests /first pens hope you hear soon!
Those on their first/second jab hope it's going well - do come and tell us how it's going.

This is designed as a supportive space to share with each other how it's going, worries, side effects as well celebrating wins and results :)

That's just it though, people DO equate obesity with stupidity. People I don't know very well are visibly shocked if I say something witty or intelligent. I get comments like "oh you're actually really smart!" or "how do you know these things?" with obvious shock on their faces.

Not being taken seriously or being assumed to be an idiot is something that really surprised me when I gained weight. Nobody questioned me or were surprised when I contributed to intellectual conversations when I was slim. It's so incredibly rude and bizarre.

NSV non scale victory

I can wrap myself in a bathroom towel and tuck it in at the sides. And it stays where I put it. !

I've lost so much inflammation off my belly I can 'almost' look down to see my yoni. 🌼 Could not do that in a long time!

X

I'm coming towards my 3rd jab tomorrow, and I'm hoping it works better than the 2nd one has!

1st one - felt the food suppression almost immediately on the Monday I took it. Started wearing off by about Saturday.

2nd one - high suppression Monday and Tuesday, starving by Wednesday, and have been back to normal levels of hunger and food noise since then. Very much looking forward to moving up to 5mg in a couple of weeks, as the willpower isn't strong!

Side effects wise, I've had:

A headache both times, starting very soon after taking the jab, but can be controlled with painkillers and disappears after a few hours. Wake up with a headache most days, but usually fades fairly quickly.

About 15 minutes of nausea shortly after the jab, but nothing bad.

A bit of lightheadedness/dizziness on the first couple of days. Nothing unmanageable though.

VERY vivid dreams, about the most mundane things! I was vacuuming my stairs last night 🤣🤣

I've been calorie counting, using Nutracheck and sticking to 1200-1500 a day; 100-120g of protein and avoiding high fat, too much sugar and too many carbs. Haven't wanted chocolate or wine at all, which is a very bizarre feeling! This week has been a struggle though, as I'm hungry.

Weigh in and jab day tomorrow. Wish me luck!!

Thank you all for the kind words.
I have not been on here this week.

Sadly my dad died on Sunday last week. I was pleased to be by his side and do my best for his comfort and wishes.

With all of your guidance, I decided to inject anyway (got needles from pharmacy) and used a wound antiseptic wipe.
It was my last 2.5ml dose, but for some reason there was about 10 clicks left in it after I injected which did not go it so not a full dose.

I don't mind it being a lower dose, it kept it in my system but no side effects.
I haven't needed MJ for appetite suppression this week anyway-I have been just so broken and sad.😢

I asked GP best thing going forwards who suggested best to keep with regime as planned.

I am due to begin 5mg today. Feeling nervous about coping with side effects and grief. Anyone started on 3.75 for a few weeks to break in?
Seems many of you have had 5mg effects?

My weight loss doing well
In 1 month I am 19lbs down!
Starting at 136 kg I am now 127kg and thank goodness the 'under 20stone' side.

Interested to hear thoughts on 3.75mg or straight to 5mg given all else I am managing right now x

Oh @Reginaphalangeeeee I am so so sorry. I'm glad you could be with him.

I honestly don't know what to suggest. I've had side effects on 5mg which is the last thing you need - but I know most don't. Officially with Shemed we aren't supposed to adjust doses but I suppose they wouldn't know. You can't even ring them today for a chat. What do you think you'll do? Well done for getting to under 20!! That's my next target.

@JBJ good luck for tomorrow!

My side effects are less today! I'm still not "right" and very tired but managed to come away for my daughters trip. I am so looking forwards to getting back into my bed... And they've had to leave me in cafes while they explore... But I've been able to be with them.

Really don't want to eat though. Picked at my lunch! So strange how it turns off that need to finish something just because it's nice I used to have.

Thank you @FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden

Sorry to hear about your side effects.
I have decided 3.75ml would be best.
I was fine in 2.5 but noticing wearing off by day 5.

The company don't need to know if I do this for 1-2 weeks. It's me that would deal with side effects.
I would hope my next pen would also be 5ml too.
How quickly do you think they push you up to next dose from 5ml to 7.5?

Sounds a plan.

I think from their literature they don't rush from 5mg until you want to/aren't losing weight as 5 is one of the stable doses. So that should work for you?

Where did you find this? I've been worried they will try and keep you on the lower doses to keep costs down! I think I might have to contact them. I know from wegovy I didn't realise lose much until on really high doses.

It's on one of the pictures when you click on discover in the app.

I'm sure you could move up if you're not losing! It's just it seems the advice is to stay as low as works so there's "somewhere to go."

That's really good to hear. I've found going to 5 really tough. Today I've barely eaten anything until this evening as I just couldn't face it. Gastric symptoms continue, though manageable. But it having a very significant effect!

A sneaky weigh in this morning shows I'm down 25.5lbs in 6 weeks!

Wow that's an incredible loss! Mines nowhere near that.

I am sharing in your symptoms though. Managed to go out today on a trip so not as bad as yesterday. I'm v nervous about my next jab.

Sorry to hear from those struggling with side effects 😔. My first jab arrived on Friday and I did it straight away. The good news is that so far I've not had any side effects accept for a little firm stools. The bad news is, I'm not really feeling any different 😕. In fact, I've felt a little hungrier over the weeked than I had been during the week. I'd done really well with eating well during the week, the same can't be said for the weekend, mostly down to cake at a birthday party 😬. I guess it's early days still yet.

Also, hurrah for those losing!

I've found this week better on 5mg than last week which was awful and I struggled to function for 5 days!!

I'm hopeful a bit more of a tolerance will have been built, but it's certainly not an easy ride.

Reading all the experiences of people moving up to 5mg has really worried me. I've had very few minor side effects with 2.5mg. I'm going to check in Wednesday am as usual but take the jab in the evening so I can hopefully sleep off any adverse effects. So fingers crossed. I have read that injecting into the thigh can reduce side effects but also seems to lessen the effect of the mj so I suppose it's a decision whether the side effects are bad enough to want a less effective experience.

I've begun a 28 day Pilates challenge and completed day 3 today. Hoping to try and reduce any loose skin by toning and stretching. I quite enjoy the Pilates but have a dislike to sweaty cardio which feels like a chore.

I actually used the coffee grounds from the coffee machine today mixed with coconut oil to exfoliate my body and my god I have never felt so smooth. I'm going to aim to do this once a week. My skin feels amazing.

I hope that everyone has a great week ahead and we all need to remember why we are on this journey and that in 12 months we will be a happier healthier version of ourselves.

I actually don't seem to have lost any weight this week so far but my jeans on this morning and they are so loose that I am going to research how i can reduce the waist. They are one of my favourite pairs and I am loathed to get rid of them just yet. I'm thinking another stone and I can maybe do a mini shop and donate any of my too big clothes. I am determined this is going to be the last time I am at this weight and I am going to do my best to make the changes to my life for the long term.

I even only managed a sip of Prosecco on Valentine's Day and actually had to throw it away - this is totally unheard of and I'm looking at the many unopened bottles of gin in my gin cupboard wondering if I will ever want to drink them! I don't even feel like I need to drink when I go out with friends.

I have told my closest friends and my husband and they are very supportive but haven't told anyone else.

I have suffered with my health in the past - I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma when I was 19 and had 6 months of chemo which was tough and my family have always been protective of my health since then although they have never really commented on my weight. I don't think they would understand so I have only mentioned that I am trying to eat mindfully. I have tried every diet under the sun and they have always ended up in me failing.

I won't fail this time! We can do this!!

I took my second 5 mg on Saturday, later in the day than usual. Yesterday night wasn't good again almost like the day 2 afer my first 5 mg dose but without running to toilet. I made sure to eat light and to stop eating way before bed time but it feels like my stomach is waiting until I go to bed to start digesting. Anyway,I traveled home because my grandma is very poorly and staying with my mam for 2 weeks. It's been very hard not telling her as I don't think she will be supportive. I also realised how everything is revolving around food in my family and I would usually eat rubbish and snack a lot if I'm stressed or upset. Definitely determined to stick to this and hoping side effects will become non existent.

Woohoo... another 6lb gone this week 😀 Just filled in my questionnaire so hoping they prescribe me the 5mg for the next pen.

W6D4.
For those anxious about moving to 5mg I’m pleased to say the side effects are subsiding (for me) and suppression is working. I’m not as fatigued and I’m feeling more positive about this journey again.
I had a wobble last week where I was almost grieving for my old self who would have wolfed down my valentines meal and had a pudding too. I realise that’s how I got to be this big but also would like to get some pleasure from eating nice food. I’m trying to eat my usual meals but haven’t finished a plate for days and this seems to be working with the weight dropping slowly 👏
Hugs to those of you going through tough life stuff on top of the changes with MJ.
It’s certainly a rollercoaster emotionally already without other stuff going on.
Hope you all have a positive week 😊👍

Final weigh in today on 2.5mg and maintained. Feeling disappointed as I've not over indulged or done anything different from other weeks. Maybe it's a sign that I should be moving up to the 5mg today, although I'm feeling apprehensive as it really seems to be affecting people more. Oh well onwards and upwards and here's hoping for a good week with no side effects and an actual loss.

First 5mg on Thursday, flew to Florida Friday and now on the third consecutive day of universal studios and I'm happy to report there are currently zero side effects! Even with a few beers and not the best food, though suppression is great so not eating a lot and am walking everywhere

So sorry to all of those having a tough time and dealing with other issues aside from
all this!

Ive been away for a few days, turns out my
feeling cold was actually the start of a horrible
virus (temperature, runny nose, sore throat,
body aches - was just awful!) and not side effects. Typically this started the day my mother arrived for a holiday from my home
country after we haven’t seen each other for over a year. We have a difficult relationship and she’s painfully unsympathetic so it was a case of dosing myself up and trying not to show weakness 😂 With that said, even though im barely getting any suppression on 2.5mg after the first three days, I have not taken refuge in the kitchen cupboards.

Anyone else due to go up to 5mg considering titrating up more slowly? (I know it’s breaking the rules and we could get in trouble if they find out but I was considering doing 3.5, 4.25 and then 5 for my first pen as I have a few really frantic weeks at work and want to try to limit side effects where I can.

I did the 3.75ml (45 clicks) titrating up on Sunday.
Have had the usual day 1 headache but otherwise no side effects.
Think I will either brave 5ml next week or 4.25ml
But by the 3rd and 4th week will definitely be on 5ml

@Beachlover22 yay for no side effects! Hope that continues for you.
@OneAzureMaker I'm hoping for tolerance as I'm so nervous about next week now! Today I was only nauseaus in the morning so was able to manage today okay. It will all be worth it..
@bluesmartie83 so sorry to hear about the health issues. That must have been so frightening. Hope you sleep it off and I think I read it's only 1 in 5 that get nausea so most don't. 🤞.
@Monmonss so sorry to hear about your granny 😞. My parents won't get it either. Hope the side effects go. And yay @DIYMum that yours are subsiding. I keep thinking of the risks of being morbidly obese or the operation and reminding myself I'm choosing this path.
@JBJ wow! Amazing weight loss!!

@Shmallow Wahooooo!! Have a fantastic holiday!!
@Mazd323 i think our weight really does vary for all sorts of reasons even within a day and within a week. I would far rather it was neatly linear but I don't think it will be!! I've not had the big losses some have but hoping on average it will still be good by the end of the year!

@TaliaTalia i was going to mention @Reginaphalangeeeee was planning to. Obviously on the official shemed study we shouldn't be... But if I was doing it again I'd love to avoid these side effects. I don't know whether it's better to bite the bullet and go for it or do it gradually. I don't think most people get nausea (something like 1in5) but the ones that do are likely to post.

I am staying at a hotel for a few days with all you can eat breakfasts. And for the first time in my life it's not calling. I'm just eating a bit of what I fancy and I'm done. Kids are eating snacks in the car and I could have given in but it was nowhere near as hard to overcome the impulse and refuse. I do hope this magic lasts on this dose a while.

I've been typing what I eat in a day to chatgpt to get some asvi ce about nutrients where I'm aware I'm eating so much less than normal

Hope everyone's okay. Going into another week! We are doing this!

I've had this awful cold thing, I think it started about a week and a half ago with sneezing and typical cold symptoms and now morphed into something closer to the flu with high temperature and feeling systemically unwell. I'm now on antibiotics, given by the chemist (it's great they can do that now) although I didn't tell her I was in mounjaro and they have to be taken on an empty stomach which is fine for the morning ones as I skip breakfast but last night's one I took one at 6, had dinner 7-8 and then needed to go to bed so took it at 9:30, it should have been 10 as per instructions but I think in mounjaro even later. Hopefully they still do the job.
This cold/flu thing is keeping me away from the food anyway, I just don't feel like it!

@FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden I also messaged chatgpt yesterday as I was worried about my lack of nutrients it suggested swapping some of my hifi bars for nuts and fruit, makes sense of course but I've typically avoided nuts because of the calories and I just can't stomach fruit for some reason!

Third 5mg jab due tomorrow, I have a big day in Thursday (an event and then out for a child free evening with hubby) so I hope that a) my illness has gone and b) I don't all of a sudden get any bad side effects from the jab. I've read a few people having D&V but there is also so much going around that sometimes it's difficult to tell what's jab and what's an illness...