Fitness and endurance on MJ

[MJconfessions]

I have come to the end of my MJ journey. It took 7 months to get my BMI to 22.5. In those 7 months I didn’t do anything “bad” and followed all the rules around eating enough protein, taking supplements, exercising and drinking enough water etc.

But the truth is, now that I have lost the weight, I am now quite weak compared to when I was this weight a few years ago. Post-MJ, I have lost around 5kg of lean mass alongside the fat loss. I also now struggle to run as I get breathless quickly. My walking pace is quite slow. I can’t really squat or lunge low etc as my legs start shaking lol. It feels like I’m having to start my fitness journey all over again and build my strength and endurance up. Has anyone felt similar?

I now go to the gym as often as possible (3-4 times a week). I do a combination of reformer Pilates, classes, cardio and strength training. Just looking for like-minded individuals that are also trying to get fit alongside MJ, as I feel like this feeling of weakness can be quite common in MJ patients!

What's your calorie intake been over this time? You need fuel to burn it.

My time on MJ has been relatively straightforward, luckily. Initially I ate intuitively. As I became accustomed to taking MJ and could predict how the injection schedule might impact me, I started meal planning. I aimed for a 500 calorie deficit during weight loss. Fortunately I didn’t experience any significant side effects such as extreme appetite suppression or nausea, which allowed me to stick to my meal prep.

Currently I’m in maintenance - I have been gradually reducing my MJ intake & am able to eat more. I’m hoping to stop MJ completely in a few months as I titrate down.

How many calories are you actually having now?

Including carbs..

You lose lean muscle mass as you age whether or not you take WLI. Did you exercise whilst taking MJ? Your post is unclear and the recommendation is to exercise so not sure why you would wait until after.

My lean muscle mass has increased on it. I weight train four times a week and do Pilates, eat normally and don't take any supplements. I've been going nearly a year and I'm stronger and fitter now at 56 than I have been since my 20s.

I’m in my 20s. I stated in my OP that I exercised. If you want specifics then walking 30 mins daily and weekly reformer Pilates. I went to the gym too but didn’t consistently train or have a set routine. I used to attend different gym classes and used a mix of cardio & strength machines.

It’s not the case that I waited until I lost weight, although I have started training more consistently and frequently recently as I have built up more confidence. I never used to feel comfortable in the free weights area for example so would rely on machines before.

You need to use weights, either machines or Dumbbells or the cable machines but you need to increase the protein in your diet and build muscle mass. You have obviously lost a lot of muscle with the MJ. It's great that you have lost the weight but they do cause you to lose muscle mass and you will be at risk of osteoporosis too. So get yourself a good PT and get a program to build muscle. I'm 61 and at my age muscle mass loss is really important to reverse or slow down

You come across quite defensive. You seem to be avoiding answering my questions about how many calories you are having and how many carbs.

My instinct is you need to up your calorie intake a bit, possibly more carbs and maybe also need some rest days if you aren't taking enough.

Also make sure the breathless isn't caused by something else like anaemia from low ferritin, heavy periods.

As others have advised I would focus on strength training and maybe drop down to one cardio class a week as you’ll be burning calories that would otherwise go towards building muscle. Walking 30mins daily is good cardio alongside strength training. If you can afford it a good PT can help you build strength with a progressive weights programme. The more muscle you build the higher your metabolism becomes which means you’ll need to up your calories too. Feeling weak and walking slowly is your body’s way of preserving energy when your metabolism is slow.
I remember reading on a thread here that your heart is also a muscle, so it’s important to protect it by eating the recommended daily protein amounts.

I am twenty years older than you and I’m afraid I can’t relate to what you describe. I am the strongest and fittest I have been for years and a small amount of lean muscle loss shouldn’t lead to the experience that you describe, especially if you are otherwise healthy. Have you had bloods done? Breathlessness can be a sign of anaemia. You may be deficient in some vital nutrients.

You need weights - 30 minutes of walking doesn't do much. I'm a lot older than you and no, mj has not affected my fitness levels.
And yes I'd get a blood test.