Mounjaro / Wegovy with > 5st / 30kg to lose: Thread 5

[VelociraptorsVelociRapping]

Thread FIVE of this lovely community. Anyone using weight-loss injections to lose more than 5 stone or 30kg is very welcome to join us, no matter what stage of the process you are on.

Please don’t post discount codes on this thread as your post will be deleted. These need to go in the dedicated thread on this board.

I feel like at least half of my 3st loss has come off my face.

I always seem to lose weight from the top down 🙄 I'm a pear shape so it takes my bottom half a while to catch up. I look completely out of proportion anytime I've managed to lose a couple of stone

@Reginaphalangeeeee oh I read about this years ago when I was pregnant. Your nose gets bigger because of increased blood supply being created to feed the placenta, the blood vessels all over your body expand and that can cause your nose to swell a little.
I'm guessing the anti-inflammatory affects of MJ are what reduces those down. Lots of people report an improvement in snoring and sleep apnea on MJ.

I lose off of face and legs first, belly last so I look like an apple being supported by twigs 😂

That's so interesting. Yes I guess would be blood vessels related as that is how decongestant sprays work by making blood vessels constrict down. Also noses become less congested and runny in colder temperatures and stuffy when hot.
Maybe my colder body temperature has caused it 🤷‍♀️

Yes I read snoring improves on MJ but thought that would be weight related, doubt I lost enough for that to happen yet so anti inflammatory effects do appear to be quite high for me.

Wow, does it look very noticeable on your features?

With those of your face 'losers' any good recommendations for creams to help firm up the skin there. I think I will develop a turkey 🦃 neck

I think its really noticeable on my face, more so than the rest of my body as I haven't changed clothes size yet. My B belly is definitely smaller but I'm pear shaped so I think it'll take a while for my bum and thighs to squeeze into the next size down.

I started wearing glasses around 6 weeks into my weightloss journey so lots of people still aren't used to seeing me in glasses. Most people notice something different about my face and automatically assume it's the glasses.

My secret hope is that this time next year I might have been able to ditch my CPAP machine - I absolutely need it at the moment, but bloody hate it! 🙏

Can we talk a little about self care?

I'm usually quitre slap dash but I usually manage the basics - like cleanse & moisturise my face moring and night. But I'm slowly bringing in new habits especially around looking after skin etc as my body shrinks. At 57, my skin won't have too much "bounce back" left so I'm looking for ways to support my skin and my body.

What are you trying out, adding to your routine, finding uselful and/or enjoyable?

New things I'm trying our/implementing:

Face & neck massage - I'm 5 days into this and I like it. Using face massage and lymphatic drainage techniques (from a video on Instagram) morning & evening. It sounds ridiculous but I do think I can see a difference and (TMI Warning) after doing this massage for 5 or so minutes I do feel a lot of something draining down my throat. Bit gross but its better moving than sitting in my sinus or wherever.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFWkAIkxUyS/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Morning tonic - Another Instagram find - I have made a blend of spices (equal parts cinnamon, ginger, tumeric & black pepper) and I mix a teaspoonful into warm water, add juice of half a lemon, my collagen power, and a gram of Vit C. Previous versions of this have been without the spices but with chia seeds.
There are loads of variations of the spice blend online - some people add it to coffee.

Dry Skin Brushing - I've never been able to do this consistantly but I'm giving it another shot. I use a long handle natural bristle brush and using long strokes, all over the body moving torwards the heart. This stimulates lymphatic drainage, blood flow to skin, and cell regernation.
Do it before the shower. It does feel really nice and invigorating.
https://mountaintrek.com/the-benefits-of-brushing-your-skin/#:~:text=A%20dry%20brushing%20benefit%20is,is%20the%20most%20important%20part.

Moisturise body - again never been great at this but I'm making an effort and managining at least 5 times a week. I also take flaxseed oil capsules which benefits the skin from the inside out.

Things I'd like to add:
A daily walk - this seems very difficult for me to squeeze in but as the days start to lenghten I'm hoping to get more walks in.

So it's weigh day and I've gained 2 bloody kg!!!

Not sure how as I've been eating in a calorie deficit and exercising, I'm devastated!!
Has this happened to anyone else? Any advice on what I could do differently would be greatly appreciated, Tia.

@Amarajean it doesn't seem likely that you have gained 2kg in fat in a week. You'd have to have overeaten by a lot for that to be the case. It's going to be a scales inaccuracy, or water retention, or related to your monthly cycle (if applicable) or something like that. Additional exercise could cause water retention for example.

2kg seems like a big jump. Do your scales stay in the same place all the time or do you move them around? Have you changed the batteries in them recently?

It won't be fat, I'm leaning towards scales issue but at worst it would be water retention due to dehydration/more exercise/hormones/carbs. So up your water and stick to the calorie deficit.

I keep my scales in the same spot all the time, sometimes my daughter or husband move them. I have asked them nicely and told them not so nicely to pack it in, because every time they move them it buggers up my results.

I'm rubbish at self care @RobinEllacotStrike I have good intentions, do it for a few days then forget.

I find habits built around other habits stick better, but yet it can take a lot to make something a habit.

So I prep my morning tonic when I am making my coffee.
Skin brushing - before shower. I hang the brush where it is visible and I'm prompted to do it.
The face massage things I am doing around moisturising.

It takes a bit of time but not too much time.

I'm terrible at self care - don't even do the basics - but I might try the face thingy 😀

My new routines though, since starting MJ, that I'm really enjoying are:

Weights - I'm loving doing just a few minutes a day with my 3kg handweights - it gets me off the settee when I'm watching telly (after an hour so slumping, I get up and do a few minutes weights while watching TV - rinse and repeat throughout the day!). It surprisingly gets me out of breath very quickly, and all warmed up, which is handy for the heating bill 😀 I can also feel my stomach(s) tightening up, which is pleasing.

Morning smoothie I now have a smoothie every morning for my breakfast and am loving it. Frozen fruit + greek yoghurt + a few dates + milk. I make enough for a couple of days and a big glass in the morning keeps me going until lunchtime. I've never had so much fruit in my life - usually avoid it like the plague....

The only thing I've routinely had, for years, is a massage once a month - this is my treat to myself and I found a brilliant sports/physio massage person years ago, so it's not a gentle, send you to sleep one, but feels amazing (despite the pain!) and she sorts out any shoulder/leg problems I have. Am hoping she starts to notice the weight loss, so haven't said anything to her...!

Oh @MooBaggage a monthly massage sounds wonderfull. I'd love that.

The last time I had a massage was in Thailand when my daughter was 6 months old. The other women working there whisked my daughter away while I had the massage and brought her into me when I need to feed her. The masseuse got me on my side and massaged me while my daughter fed, and then the women whisked her away again until I was done.

This was 17 years ago.
I think I might be due another massage.

Haha
I had my first one 3 months ago

Just out of this world

Never knew why everyone talked so much about spa days until I tried it out

Funnily enough I've been thinking about a massage but can't decide whether to go for the sports/health type in the hope it wakes my muscles up a bit or our local beauty salon does a wonderful full body exfoliation and moisturise which is very luxurious and I might lose a few pounds of dry skin
I am rubbish at self-care but am trying to do a few little exercises with weights each day and have been using my retinol cream most nights so am feeling quite positive about it at present.

Its interesting the thing of consultations coming in. I spoke to a local pharmacist recently who had thought of setting up a weight loss service with consultations but decided he couldn't compete due to the costs involved. I used a provider initially who asked for photo ID, screenshots from NHS app or GP printout of medications and a full length photo in addition to their questionnaire. When I switched they asked for photo of label on previous medication and a full length photo in close fitting clothing holding a paper with the date on along with questions so I think both have been quite thorough. Having said that, I would not use a company I did not think were professional

I am rubbish at skincare, bit of moisturiser and that's it really 😬
I need to get some cream to firm up my skin, do any of them work?

But I do exercise regularly, currently off the running because I can't stand running in the cold, but walking most days, weights 4x per week, squats/calf raises/abs every day. Stand on one leg for a minute when I remember 😂

I also build into my day things that I know I like, even if I'm pushed for time or can't really be bothered. Mostly going to the sea, walking up hills and playing music.

A monthly massage sounds amazing, I am going to look into that, I've always got something aching somewhere.

I’ve been trying to remember to properly do my skincare routine every night and it’s definitely making a difference. My skin is chronically dry and sensitive so has taken a while to figure out what works. I’ve also been off to the gym a few times a week- there’s something there called the biocircuit which is weights machines and a little cardio, but it tells you where to go and automatically adjusts the machines for you so it takes a lot of the fear out of the weights section for me!

re the new changes to consultations, I had an email from Oushk today. They said no changes to current orders but they will be looking to implement them going forwards, which might mean video consultations and taking more pictures with your name and date in. They also said it won’t affect prices which is good!

End of week 2 for me and I’ve lost a pound, so half a stone total! Definitely getting quite hungry and food noise-y in the second half of the week so I’ve ordered myself a 5mg pen for my next one using a discount code I was sent.

@claudiawinklemansfringetrimmer have you ever tried supplementing with Omega 3 oils - fish oil or flaxseed oil in capsules, for your dry skin?

I'm not crazy about fish oil and take flaxseed oil - fish oil is better for the body if you can tolerate it (its in a more available to the body form whereas flaxseed oil required an additional metabolisim before its available to utilise) .

I studied nutritional medicine in another lifetime - every cell of the body needs omega 3's to function and if its in short supply the body will prioritise internal organs over skin. Cronically dry skin in the absense of contact/allergy issues, was seen as a sign that we need more Omega 3. They always advised to supplement with your chosen oil until your skin is no longer dry - it will go to internal organs etc first and when you skin sorts itself out then you know you have enough.

When I supplment wtih Omega 3 regularly my skin is lovely.

Love the sound of that biocircuit.

@RobinEllacotStrike I have been looking at those gua sha things/face yoga and all that jazz for a couple of weeks when they pop up on my facebook and I am a bamboozled what to do and what product to use and not sure yet if I want to add another "task" to my list of things to do before I go to bed at night so I am procrastinating! (I don't want to do in mornings as I badly need to catch up on lost sleep thanks to menopause related wakenings during night).

I've never had dry skin so I have no facial products (I rarely wear makeup) - cleanser's, moisturisers etc, just wash my face in the shower and I'm done!

Since I've been eating less sugar, less pepsi, more protein, supplements (omega 3, vitamins, collagen) and drinking much more water than before my skin texture is even better in most places and still doesn't need moisturiser.

My problem is since losing weight my nasolabial folds (nose to corners of mouth) and downturned mouth are getting deeper and my resting bitch face is getting bitchier 🙈. I get a crinkly neck too in the mornings when dehydrated but that disappears as the day progresses. Do you see any of those improving with the routine you shared? And do you use a moisturiser or an oil when you do your routine?

(I don't have instagram and the video stops at the bit where he says it tastes bad, was the end of it? Never sure if these things cut off because I don't have an account)

@WeAllHaveWings yes I think that was the end of it.
I just use my hands as he demonstrates in the video.

Yes I think it is making a difference - but its early days yet. Yes I use a mosituriser in the morning and an oil or night cream in the evening.

Give it a go!

Silly question

How do you up your protein?

Chick peas are good right?
I may try to bake some with tuna and quinoa

Approx per 100g
Chicken breast 110cals 24g protein
Turkey mince 140cals 31g protein
Beef meatballs 160cal 22g protein
Prawns 80cal 16g protein
Tuna 100cal 24g protein
Chickpeas 120cal 7g protein
0% fat Greek yoghurt 50cal 10g protein