Shemed January Starters - Thread 3

[FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden]

Wow thread 3! I just went to post on the other thread and realised we'd got to the end. I hope everyone finds us - I wasn't able to post a link!

This thread is a support thread aimed at those who started with the Shemed 1 year plan in January (or there abouts).

How is everyone?

I am not nauseous today and seeing light at the end of the tunnel- but so glad I have stuck on 5mg for the next one. I am definitely eating less too - I'm hoping that lasts!
@OneAzureMaker - ah we can be second 5mg pens together! I really want to do some exercise but similarly will have to wait until I have some energy. @tinyemmy Yay hope you are still going okay too - will be a few of us on our second 5 pens!

@Reginaphalangeeeee

Wow - fantastic results! And great the side effects have remained calm. I've had side effects each weekend of the 3 5mg jabs I've taken but they've decreased. This weekend was much more manageable for me. I think the suppression is more constant now too. I will stay on this dose if it carries on like this for a while.

@JBJ Yay for more loss - and good luck with 5mg

@BruhWhy Is the nausea easing?

@Needtomust96 I think some people in the facebook group have - you can use the section at the end of the form to request it and do say why. From reading randomly online it does seem some people need the higher doses to respond although a 1kg a week is what I'm aiming for. You might find that 5mg does it for you in a way 2.5 doesn't.

@Monmonss I did my questionnaire early Friday morning and the pen is supposed to be arriving Tuesday (tomorrow) . I think they issued it Sunday. Hope it settles for you - have you tried taking anything and all that?

@YouWillFindMeUnderCats I was the same - 13lbs and not quite the stone! I am now though - slow and steady does keep adding up. Hope the 5mg goes okay for you.

@Mazd323 How has today been? I think I'm eating less on 5mg but it still wears off towards the end of the week

@Lostatsea10 and @MrsMidgeMaisel and @Follydear I am sorry you are both still struggling. :( It's a hard thing to weigh up isn't it. It does seem Shemed do let people out of the contract if they're struggling or give them the option of Wegovy, and definitely seem to let them stay at 2.5 for longer if needed. Good luck whatever you both decide.

@Humptyandhambel Yay for a steady weight loss and hope 5mg is treating you okay.

Tagging people as I couldn't put a link onto the other page - hope that's okay and please do tag anyone I've missed out (probably quite a few!)
@afromom @kittykarate @floweryjones @Earthgirl3971 @Bananaramram @ForPeachSake @SnowieBear @bluesmartie83 @bertieallsort @Brighton2019 @TLMoo @Newshoesnewname @Bigknickers56

Similar to me, not diagnosed but I think I have reactive hypoglycemia. My mum also had blood sugar issues. I didn't really have any weight issues until perimenopause. Mj worked immediately and the weight has dropped off. I've now got about half a stone to lose (maybe a bit more if I still have thunder thighs in half a stone's time) and am going down to 2.5 for the next jab. They haven't said whether I can stay on the dose long term and I wonder if I will be someone who needs to take just a small amount so might need to move to a company like Oushk who seem more open to that sort of thing. We will see. I'd like to stay with SheMed but given it's a study I don't want to mess around with dosing that they don't prescribe if they won't let me stay on 2.5. keeping everything crossed that 2.5 does the job! (I struggle to eat on 5 although I managed to maintain my weight over the Easter weekend with eating out twice a day!)

@Kaggi9 Yay for being down clothes sizes and yes with 2 stone to go that's totally in your sights now isn't it! 🎉.

I am curious how SheMed will do maintenance - they haven't seemed as flexible as say Oushk but hoping there's a dose that works for us all with them (I won't be there for a long time so this is more curiosity and out of interest for those of you getting there now!).

Its so exciting it's working on other conditions too isn't it. I think initially I'd wanted to be off the drug when I finished (or a year after finishing to give by body time to settle to the new weight) with all the changes put in place for my body to have adjusted but now I'm not sure. I suspect I'll need "something" long term.

I'm back to work today and just trying to get started as it was so hard to get up!

Hope everyone has a good week.

I was the same regarding stopping after 1 year, but the reduction in food noise & inflammation has me thinking that mj will be long term. Waking up without aching joints, especially in my fingers, has been an unexpected blessing.

Oh I take back some of my indignant explosion...

After accepting I'd have another month at 5 and then go up and actually maybe that's okay...

I've had a very nice email exchange from a pharmacist this time rather than a call person saying I can go to 7.5 and yes it is standard to go to 7.5 for month 5 unless side effects or weight loss is going at a good rate.

Maybe it's just that it all happened for me over easter as this pharmacist is telling me different things to the call centre person and changing my prescription!

That’s great news @FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden!
Are you now pleased to be put at 7.5mg for your 5th month?
I wonder what they class as good weight loss that means you stay on 5mg?

I think so! I think I was in danger of obsessiving over "getting it perfect" or getting anxious about a month's dose. (probably the mentality that causes me issues all over tbh!) I'd initially wanted to stay on 5 for as long as possible but then got spooked when I wasn't really losing for 3 weeks. Who knows.

I've attched some snippets from my 2 emails. She says the 0.5-1kg is recommended (which I've seen elsewhere and was happy with in theory) to avoid muscle loss etc. But also that most people go up on month 5. I think so much varies on the pharmacist doing it though and they do take into account peoples comments at the end as it says "unless they wish to stay...."

However having said all that their link has 1% a month in which would be far too little for me and take over 2 years!!

After my stall last week, a decent loss, almost 2kg! That's me finished pen #4, with a total loss of 13.3 kg over the time. So not rocking, but not terrible!

It definitely has made a change to my emotional eating - MrKitty's problems over the weekend would have definitely had me falling face first into chocolate, crisp sandwiches and beer, but I just didn't feel the 'need'.

I think the dosages are a bit of a lottery to be honest - it must depend on the pharmacist who picks up your request so much, and how you have reported side effects and weightloss.

As long as I'm losing (on average across the pen) then I'm happy to stay at a lower dose and I tend to explain my reasoning and thoughts in the questionnaire. Who knows if they actually read it every time though.

I look at my colleague who started last year with another provider, ramped up fast and he's on a high dose with nowhere to go, and really tough side effects. So I'd rather lose slower and risk going beyond the £99 deal (prices are definitely stabilising out there, so continuing would be affordable) than to dread doing my jab every week because I know I'm definitely guaranteed 2 days of hell.

Gosh yes I absolutely agree if losing on a pen it makes sense to stay on it in my mind. And 2kg loss too! It was just waiting there to come off and teasing you wasn't it!

Maybe I've just stalled on this pen. There's so much we don't know about it all and how it works isn't there. But I do think overall it's truly amazing. Your poor colleague that sounds rough and yes I'm wary of "nowhere to go" with a lot to lose.

I've got another email as they want me to fill out another questionaire to trigger a different pen but they can't put it on the app so who knows. I actually think I'd come to terms in my head with leaving it another month as I know the drug does work and think going up would work even if it's a month later but now the ball is rolling so I will go with it!

Overall it's been a good experience and I'm so thankful still I dot have to shop around each month as I think my brain would be doing these mental gymnastics all the time!!

I’m due to check in for my second week of my 3rd 5mg pen tomorrow. I have really struggled this week for some reason. The snacking urge has come back and I have actually put on some
of the weight I lost at the start of the week so crept back up into the stone bracket I thought I had left behind. I’ve had a very stressful few weeks with work and our whole company are working on reduced hours. I have started couch to 5k though to use some of my new found free time to help my journey and really enjoyed getting out for my first run today. I’m giving myself a shake and a reset so I don’t fall into my previous behaviours and trying to keep my goals in sight! I am just so disappointed and it’s getting harder to keep myself positive when I’m seeing the same numbers up and down with no ground gained. Sorry for the moan just need to get it out and now I’m over it!!

This is a safe space @bluesmartie83 - moan away! I'm not always as relentlessly positive as I come across on these threads, you guys get 'the given my head a shake' version of me. When it goes a bit slow, I'm just thinking 'marathon not sprint' this 30kg didn't all arrive in one go, so I've got to be realistic about how slowly it's going to reluctantly leave!

Well done on starting couch to 5k! I can't run any more due to dodgy feet, but when I did run it was such a good way to get started. Don't be afraid to do a week extra times if you're feeling like it's just a bit tough (unless you did what I did which was sign up for a 10k so I was on a deadline). If you are someone who suffers from blisters or chaffing Body Glide is great for putting on places that are prone to problems before you go out.

@bluesmartie83 sorry to hear about the difficult time. Starting the couhc to 5k is super impressive!!! Well done 😊. And yes absolutely feel free to moan I think that's one of the good things about an online board is it's safe to!

Ah snap with kitty!

My period started today. I wasn't expecting it (just 24 days from start of last one and I'm normally erratic and lots of weeks. I was hoping they were nearly over). So I'm now blaming it (for everything) for my low mood and anxiety the last couple of days. And also wondering if that's one of the reasons I've held onto the weight recently. I'm now expecting a huge woosh 😁.

Its a roller coaster for sure.

Jab 14 taken and check in completed. Pleased to finally see a reduction on the scales of 1.1kg, which is huge for me.

Really needed that after a plateau & total loss of only 0.8kg between weeks 9-13.

It was definitely worth avoiding chocolate at the weekend ☺️

Jab 14 // 5mg dose // 9.4kg loss so far

Fantastic @DearRaven 🎉

I stayed the same weight this week which is better than I expected. I hope upping my exercise will kick start this week to see movement on the scales! Fantastic news @DearRaven 🎉. Thank you @FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden and @kittykarateI am usually a positive person but I just felt that it was another disappointment on top of a stressful week. I do feel as though having a maintain this week is a bit of a blank canvas to build on and to review my progress and learn what I maybe need to do differently to see those scales move!

Hello everyone. Feels like a long time since I’ve checked in with you all. I’m going to be totally honest, I’ve been so disheartened with the ups and downs of my last month on 5mg (see photo!) that I’ve been avoiding looking at fb groups/ this thread. I am certainly a slow and steady loser! I seem to lose weight after my jab and then gain it all back and more by the end of the week. Thankfully I took my first 7.5mg on Sunday, I’m hoping this will have the desired effect! I’m not looking to lose super fast, at this point anything other than a maintain or gain I will celebrate!

My stats-
1 x 2.5mg pen
2 x 5mg pen
Currently on Week 13 - 7.5mg

8.9kg total weight loss
0.7kg average per week, which I suppose is about right! Although that is usually one bigger loss followed by weeks of maintaining.
15.8kg to goal.

I hope this hasn’t come across as too much of a moan. Trying to remind myself we still have the rest of the year to go, and I don’t want to lose it too fast. Maybe it’s time to come off the fb groups, those seem to be the hardest posts to read. Lots of people moaning about losing twice the weight of me in half the time!

It’s absolutely the right thing to leave the FB groups if they are disrupting your peace.

The good thing about this thread is how balanced it is, sometimes a little moan post is needed as we have tough weeks, but then it’s back to a more positive & supportive vibe in the next post ☺️

I made a decision today to set my slimming world target to 8 stone 8 (I weigh approximately 1lb more than I do in the morning). I'm currently 9 stone so half a stone to lose.

It was a difficult choice because I'm not sure yet what I can maintain (and also what if I keep losing). I'd like to get my fat % down on the renpho too so we shall see. With this target at home I can go between 8 stone 4 and 8 stone 10 as a target range which hopefully will be ok.

I took the last 5mg dose this week, fingers crossed I don't regret dropping to 2.5mg after as I'd like to lose the half a stone before my holiday in 4 weeks!🤞

I've currently lost 2 stone 8.4lbs and when I've finished I will have lost 3 stone 1.4lbs!!! Insanity! 🙌 Starting BMI 30.3, current BMI 23.5. Target will be BMI 22.2

Has anyone on here had issues with constipation and trapped wind? I’ve been at the docs today as had pain in my stomach/chest since Friday (not constant but seems to get worse as the day goes on) and the doc has recommended I up my fibre intake. However, my appetite suppression is really high at the minute and I just can’t eat the volume of food to get what I need out of it (managed a whole 1036 calories today, and none of that was particularly nutritious!).

Can anyone recommend a supplement? Looked at Fybogel but it’s not cheap!

@JBJ I have seen a lot about magnesium supplements to help sleep and regularity of bowels.
I haven’t had constipation but yes to trapped wind! It can be really uncomfortable. I find drinking lots of water or mint tea and a walk helps relieve it.
Sorry no other suggestions but have seen a lot about kiwi fruit too 🥝, I am allergic so can not vouch for it but others have sworn by it.

@Reginaphalangeeeee magnesium is on my list to get, as I’ve heard it also helps with restless legs. I like kiwis so I’ll grab some of those.

I’ve suffered with IBS all my life so have got used to not eating too much fibre because it usually has me running to the loo, but mounjaro seems to have made that disappear! I just have no idea what “regular“ looks like for me! Drinking loads of water though; it’s the only drink I’m actually enjoying and I’ve just bought a filter jug as I’m overly sensitive to the smell of chlorine all of a sudden.

I took some magnesium tablets because I had a twitchy eye recently - blimey it was like the proverbial shit through a goose!

Definitely going to try them then 🤣🤣

I’ve been taking true magnesium (ancient & brave) since I started MJ. Touch wood I’ve not really suffered with any issues either way. I sleep much better than I have ever done. I completed run 2 of couch to 5k today and half way through I thought how easy it was then bam I hit the wall and the last 2 sections were tough! I’m sure it’s mind over matter 😂

Is it not working for anyone? I'm on 7.5, two more doses until I move up to 10. I started January. Lost a total of 4.1kg. Which is mainly made up of gains the last few weeks. I've had little to no suppression and I'm getting really worried! Hope 10mg makes a difference.