Eating less but no weightloss....?

[mamabeeboo]

Hi all (please be gentle), sorry this is long, I am just so confused and need to blurt this all out.

I'm morbidly obese, circa 22 stone, 35yo and Jaro is my last ditch attempt at weightloss in some way, after being overweight all my life.

On W4 2.5mg and 5mg pen in the fridge ready for Monday's jab.

Lost 8lbs W1
2lb W2 (period week)
For the last 2ish weeks maintaining....?

I guess I was sold the dream that because I have a lot of weight to lose, it would be fast for the first few weeks, but it seems that has died down after one week. And given my starting weight, I wasn't expecting to have -10lbs in the first month only (with maintaining for 2 weeks).

Tracking isn't the issue - I'm eating on average 1500-1800cals a day, and it's a world away from my 3000-3500 cal usual daily intake which got me to this weight. So like I said, I was expecting my body to still be responding to this almost halving of calories.

I don't even want to go up to 5mg because I feel like I get good suppression, my body is reacting the way it should, I eat what I am meant to eat and not hungry between meals, don't feel the need to snack, minimal food noise etc. I can even go until 12pm/1pm without eating, which was never the case before. But something isn't adding up.

I started exercise this week to hopefully kick start some weightloss so I am hopeful.

It's extremely disheartening to see such high losses left right and centre from so many other people, even those who have much less to lose than me are losing more. Genuinely HOW are people losing 1 stone a month?!

Is there anything else I can do? Has anyone else been in this position and it still worked out for them?

I'm in tears writing this as I feel like I'm never going to enjoy my life being this weight. It's embarrassing to not fit into seats and not be able to play with my sons, or looking like a whale in pictures, or having to keep buying clothes from 'plus size' shops, I was bullied at school and I can't even blame them - I looked like shit.

It's so fucking embarrassing and I have had enough.

Your message has been really helpful, and something to think about re carbs and jaro acting on blood sugar. I haven't been watching carbs as I'm just focusing on calories.... I'm going to revisit this, thank you for your comment!

You’ve had lots of good advice already, just want to say I had 2 weeks where I stayed the same & around the same time as you, lots of people have the odd week where they don’t lose, it’s a normal part of weight loss actually. Anyway, I started nearly 6 months ago & now I’ve lost almost 4 stone. It’s hard at first because we all want to see instant results, & human nature to compare ourselves to others, but try & concentrate on your own weight loss journey. Also unless you’re getting awful side effects the evidence points to that it is worth going up doses, the research shows that the majority of those on the higher doses lost the most. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who stayed on 2.5mg & had great losses, of course there are.Research looks at the majority of people.

Please don’t feel embarrassed about posting @mamabeeboo. Think of the other people in your position who aren’t brave enough to reach out for help like you did, but will benefit from reading the subsequent thread.

I didn’t lose anything last week and was really pissed off, but I know that overall I am losing.

You are doing great.

Thank you! This is so inspirational and yes you are of course right, weightloss isn't linear.

I think what I have learned is to stop comparing myself to everyone else. Comparison is definitely a thief!

But honestly, one has to wonder when others post that they lose a stone in a week - how the hell?!?! But....again, that isn't my business. I shall focus on myself only.

Sorry I didn't mean to upset you with my stone in 2 weeks thing (it actually scared me!) I was trying to illustrate that over the next 8 weeks never bigger loss than 2lbs and even a 4lbs gain one week!

Please don't cut your calories further as you will have nowhere to go to and we need to remember that we need to nourish and fuel our bodies as well

I can recommend some walking if you don't already and try some weight traiing so as not to lose muscle mass as well as fat

It will all be ok - I cannot wait to see what happens in 2/3 months time

So I am losing weight (without injections)- however some weeks I have big losses, some weeks small losses. Very much linked to my cycle- however even if my weight stays the same- my measures decrease. So please don't only look at your weight- look at your performance, your aesthetics and how you feel- all of which are really important- and what your measures and photos are doing. Also remember weightloss is a journey not an instant fix... and it's about making small healthy changes to get where you are going- you are doing fab to be eating better and have lost some weight!!
I also find that eating less carbs really helps with my weight loss- as I tend to keep more water on board after both exercise and eating lots of carbs!!

Usually they have lost a lot of water weight and it isn't fat loss at all. You'd need a massive calorie deficit to lose that much fat for real and most people don't weigh enough to create that much deficit unless they literally fasted for a week (not advised!)

Genuinely not worth comparing yourself to others and it's absolutely correct that this isn't a quick fix. My best advice is focus on high protein low carb food if you can. Higher carb and sugar food fights the effects of mounjaro making it feel less effective. You can work with the drug rather than against it.

Apart from all the great advice already given I would also encourage you to look at what you’re eating, not just the calories. Are you drinking lots of water? Making sure you get plenty of protein? Bulking out meals with lots of veggies, cutting out processed foods and sugary things?

it’s all going in the right directly, keep it up and you’ll be fine. Your first month loss is amazing. I started at 21st8 and lost 8lb in my first month and was thrilled. Better slow and steady as it will be more likely to stay off x

Unfortunately not all of us with higher start weights get the big losses.
I started at 20 stone and am on week 28 and if you average it out I have lost about 1.5 lb a week.
I didn't even get big losses at the start.
Feels like it will take ages to get to my goal weight but it is so much easier to stick to a healthy way of eating on MJ than off it.
Just got to keep on keeping on. It's a marathon.
Don't be sucked into the people who lose a stone a month.

1. Believe In Mounjaro and the process
2. Be patient
3. Stop comparing, there is only one scale reading that’s important and that’s yours.
4. Believe in yourself, You can do this 💪

Another just to say if you're working out and your body isn't used to it your body will be inflamed which will make you weigh heavier. Also if you've had a particularly salty or carb heavy meal you'll weigh more from water retention. You'd have to eat 3000 calories above your maintenance calories to actually gain a lb of fat

I felt every word of your op @mamabeeboo 💐
I am similar & it is frustrating. However I remind my self that a strict 6 weeks never going above 1400 calories without MJ gave me a loss of (drumroll) 1.7kg 🤦🏻‍♀️ so averaging out at a bit less than a kg per week over the 15 weeks I've been on MJ is awesome.

I never lose more than 3 weeks of 4 because I am at the mercy of my hormones & when I am stressed/not sleeping I don't lose either.

I'm trying to hold on to the idea that getting there slowly is better for many reasons (muscle, skin etc) & and infinitely better than not moving the the right direction at all.

My month thread are a really really lovely bunch but many started at a weight I haven't been since a teen & lots are getting to their goal weight just now - the >5 stone, >10 stone, >50 bmi threads are where I see people on the same path as me.

KBO 💐

@LipstickGhosts amazing post ⭐️

I never thought of this, you're 100% correct regarding water weight.

1 stone loss is 49,000 cal deficit.... There's no way anyone can do that in 2 weeks. Unless there's something else at play - water, hormones, inflammation etc.

That's really made me feel so much better.

I'm quite a data/science /theory kinda girl and to make my peace with it, I need to understand it.

You have really really helped me here. Thank you so much for posting! ❤️

@Redlightbulb
@Arglefraster
Thank you both for not making me feel like I am alone. I need to come to terms that this is how my body works, and a loss is a loss (or maintain), without looking around at what everyone else is doing.

OP - I've just posted this on another thread with a similarly disappointed poster and I'm going to say it again here:

One thing I'm realising after having looked at loads of the MJ threads for the last 4 weeks is that there doesn't seem to be any particular pattern peoples weight loss is following other than its going down!
Some people have lost 20lbs in the first month, some have lost 4lbs, some are eating really healthily, fasting, cutting out foods groups and others are eating the same as they were before but smaller portions. Some people on 2.5mg and getting terrible side effects and some are on the higher doses and haven't experienced any at all!
There's just no linear pattern with weight loss. Sometimes you will stay the same for 4 weeks and then lose 5lbs in one week eating the same amount of calories. Some people find when they exercise they initially put on weight. It's frustrating but you cannot compare yourself to other people. Our bodies all work in different ways. One poster just said she weighed in 4lbs heavier after getting off an airplane! It's weird, but bodies are weird and there are all sorts of factors that go into why we lose and gain weight. Ultimately though, if you are in a calorie deficit and properly sticking to it you will lose weight. But no one can predict how long it'll take to get to your goal!
Im just trying to look on it as "I'll get to my goal weight eventually, but I don't know when". Take the pressure off as thats just going to lead to disappointment and self sabotage.
The great thing with MJ is that I feel really confident I can carry on now until I get there and just keep on keeping on!

You've lost 10lbs in four weeks OP (same as me!) - that's fantastic. Don't lose faith this early. Keep on keeping on and all that. Imagine where you'll be in 6 months? You haven't plateaued, you just haven't lost every week - most people don't. You may be one of the people who do better on the higher doses. It's far too early to throw in the towel yet.

You've got this, just keep going 💪

Really important to remember that weight loss can vary whats important is the downward trajectory. There are alot of things that can affect your weight on the scales- some things you consume like gammon means you may retain more water, time of day you weigh, periods can make you appear heavier on the scales, inflammation say from exercise your body isn't used to can make you appear heavier. It's a marathon not a race when you have more to loose.

Some days you will feel frustrated and disheartened as it takes time and sometimes it's hard to appreciate progress we make. I think be kind to yourself! Your only human and its okay to feel like this. Concentrate on protein and make sure you get enough fibre, I do also try to keep low carb as my pcos.

I started at 25 and a half stone, 30th September was my first injection I'm not 20st12.6. Honestly some weeks it feels like the scales don't move but eventually it evens out.

Most importantly, be proud of yourself because eating better and being healthier is something you are doing not the medication.

Calorie counting, exercising and FASTING is the only thing that helps me shift weight even on MJ.

No alcohol either.

Think of it as a 2 year journey you are being unrealistic otherwise.

Morning @mamabeeboo you've done amazing in 4 weeks, nearly a stone is fabulous! You've had fab advice above and you sound more positive now. Keep your chin up, you're smashing it already 👏 x

Any progress a week later op? You sounded very down, I hope you have some RL support too

I lost loads in my first week - it was all water, not actual fat loss. Some people just have bodies that retain excess water really easily, so they drop loads in that first week - but its really only an illusion of weight loss, its not real!

After that initial big drop it slowed to between 0.5 to 2 lbs per week. Since Jan I've lost 8lbs (so that's in about 7 weeks) which is never going to set the world on fire! This week I've gained, as I stayed on 5mg too long and it lost all efficacy! But as long as the trajectory is mostly downwards, I've made my peace with the fact it'll take at least a year to lose it all.