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

@Earthgirl3971im exactly the same I lost almost 3lbs two weeks ago after a few maintains then put on 3lbs last week!! So annoyed! Not sure if it’s the heat and I have increased my exercise on week 3 of couch to 5k (had a few bigger gaps due to commitments!) I have my first 7.5mg on Tuesday. Normally check in on a Wednesday but moved my day to Tuesday because I am home earlier just in case of side effects. I must admit the will power comes and goes. We have a folk festival on this weekend in the town and we walked in today and wandered around and when home I pottered sorting out laundry etc. it got to 3pm and I thought I’m hungry! I had forgotten to eat - not the best way forward but hey ho! Here’s hoping that 7.5mg is kind to me. Still hoping for a stone by the end of July for my holidays.

Oh ffs my period has started. Less than 3 weeks after my last one. I guess it's going up the dose. Prior to MJI honestly thought they were ending. 😭.

@tinyemmy thanks yes the small chunks are the way to go ❤️. And great 2.5 is good - def cheaper longer term! Hope your blood tests are all in the green when it comes!
@Humptyandhambel wahoo for 2 stone and half way there!
@bluesmartie83 good. Luck with 7.5!

This is a really interesting article about people feeling unable to tell others they're on GLP1
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/may/11/weight-loss-drugs-why-do-people-lie-about-taking-ozempic?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwQ0xDSwKN4CRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHoKG_nwP9opbpKqASuxsHeqZvV3iK6QsQ_LAnHD2HWJPgDlWxk0SAGD_wiA1_aem_JnLr9_xo5i3UoCl3KEM4Tw#Echobox=1746951556

Evening all, I continue to be really inspired by all your losses and to hear how you are all getting on. This really has been life-changing for so many of you.

I continue to do my check-ins and jabs secretly. It was nice to see I’m not the only one. I don’t know why I haven’t told anyone. I guess I’m doing this for me. I’ve tried losing weight so many times, only to end up putting it back on ( plus more!)

I’m feeling really demoralised though. I’ve only lost 4lbs over the last 6 weeks. And nothing again today for my weigh in. The suppression is working, I’ve focussed on eating better food, reduced my calories to less than 1200 a day which I know I can lose weight on and I’m walking (11,000 steps most days) and swimming. I have lost 27lbs…that two stone mark is elusive!

I have so much to lose. My starting weight was nearly 22 stone. I’m currently 20 stone and desperate to see that 19 on the scales. My BMI is 40.1. In my head I’d like to get to about 13 stone. It just feels so unachievable. I’d hoped to have lost 4 stone by August…sorry. I’m feeling sorry for myself.

I’ve finished my 3rd 5mg pen today and my next pen is 7.5. I’m hoping it works better for me than 5mg has.

Hopefully this week will be positive for everyone and I’ll be back soon with a massive loss and full of the joys of spring. I appreciate how privileged I am to have access to this medication and I know it’s not a quick fix.

Sorry to hear progress is slow.
I'm also a secret jabber, although my hubby knows and ended up joining a few weeks after I signed up (he is with a different supplier)
It's strange how some people are super responders and others aren't.
I started on 8th Jan (I actually started on 30 Dec with Slimming World, I was so desperate to get started) and in that time I have lost 2lbs shy of 3 stone, taking me from a BMI just over 30 to a BMI around 22.5.
I kept my eating regime the same and I've continued to lose at the same weight despite dropping to 2.5mf now. I suspect I am on average less than 1000 calories per day as I skip breakfast, have a light lunch and a normal dinner.
Mj is magical!
I have an under active thyroid and I think some of my fatigue issues seem to have been lifted, whether than is from a cleaner diet or the mj directly I don't know but I intend to carry on...

A whole 0.2lb loss this morning! The last week has been a struggle! 3rd dose out of this pen (my 3rd 5mg pen) and questionnaire completed, so they may move me up to 7.5mg for my next one.

5mg has been very weird for me - some weeks I’ve had no suppression at all, others it’s been a struggle to eat, but there’s been no rhyme or reason to it. It’s like a completely different medication every week!

2st 9.2lbs down in total in 14 weeks, which I’m very happy with.

Thanks@FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden
Have you done yours yet?
Forgot to do mine before I went to work this morning and think has to be done before lunchtime post I remember so I will do mine tomorrow I think.

Interesting you say they are sending out for those who didn’t have all the results first time. All my results came through but maybe they didn’t list some things? My emails from them said because I was missing something but Indont know what.

Still no reply from SheMed about my dose. Even asked while checking in yesterday and they said I can call them Monday if still waiting for a reply but said they wouldn’t re-issue a prescription. I have started this 5mg pen now but last night took 6mg (well 10 extra clicks). Have the MJ familiar fatigue so I am sure the munchies will have gone too. Weight loss this week not bad after all but it was a hard mind game.

Hope 7.5 treating you well.

It’s very interesting reading about people’s experiences with the 5mg dose. I’ve done 3 jabs from my second 5mg pen, and have currently lost 4 stone 2lbs. However, despite not changing my eating routine at all and maintaining a low calorie diet, nothing for the last 3 check ins. I was expecting this though, as I’ve had amazing losses prior to that. Was very surprised to find out they they’ve upped me to 7.5mg though! I’m not sure what I think about that…

did my check in with my first 7.5mg pen this morning at 5.45am. So far so good. No side effects to mention so far x feel great 👍 I’m just about to go on my next run. I hope everyone has a fab week x

I checked in today several hours late for various reasons and have gained weight since last week, should hopefully help my case for going onto 7.5 next time.

I drained my old pen with a syringe in order to have more clicks to work with this month and hopefully do 6mg doses. The needle was way longer on the syringe than on the pen so the injection felt different and I've had no itching around the injection site which I guess means it went deeper but hopefully it still worked ok.

Thought I would update - first 7.5 last Friday. Had an absolute WHOPPER of a hangover after a few glasses of Prosecco on Saturday, and been a bit constipated, but otherwise fine!

Hangover may also be related to the fact that I haven’t really had much to drink the last few months but it wasn’t that much!

This week's checkin done - a whole 100g off. It was also questionnaire week for me, so who knows what they are going to do, across the full 4 weeks I've lost a grand total of 400g. I won't complain either way, stick or twist when it comes to my dosage - the scales are still moving downwards (albeit slowly) and I've been feeling a lot more 'active'. I really regret not taking measurements at the start, but I can't turn back the clock.

Has anyone been out when a pen is delivered so it is out of the fridge for over 48 hours when it comes the next day?

Slightly worried with the warm weather and it sitting in a van - it was delivered almost 50 hours after they emailed to say posted and when it came the following evening the ice block was completely melted and warm.

@kittykarate I am also wishing that I had measured myself when I started. I am down 2 dress sizes but I do love data and a good graph. It may also make up for the last month where I actually lost 0.1 lbs in total but may have lost inches? I have been really tired this evening - had a nap after tea for 45 mins which took the edge off. Don’t want to not be able to sleep tonight. Going to get an early night and hopefully wake up full of beans tomorrow!

Just had notification that I’m being moved to 7.5mg for my next pen, which I’m happy about, but also a little nervous as I’ve got away with very few side effects so far, and I’ve got a busy week the week my first injection will start on, so keeping everything crossed that I continue to be lucky!

It's time to reorder tomorrow morning. I dropped to a lower dose (2.5) last time because I only had a few pounds before I wanted to maintain soon. The first week back on 2.5 I lost 1.6lbs and this week it looks like I've put on a pound. I'm tempted to go back up to 5 until I've lost the last couple of pounds, I feel like maybe I dropped too early? What would you do? I'm a healthy weight now and it's only a couple of pounds so in theory I could do it, it will just take longer. I'm eating around 1000 calories per day. I do think I have insulin resistance or something that means normal dieting doesn't work (I also have an under active thyroid). I'm on holiday the week after next so I'd probably stay at 2.5 counting clicks for the holiday but then go to 5 when I got back.

Also it's annoying as I thought I could stay on a low dose, but I think I may need to stay on 5, but that's also ok as that's a maintenance dose so causes less agro (with SheMed at least)

What would you do?

How did it go?
I was rubbish with the new syringe but started new 5mg pen and adding extra clicks to take me to 6mg. This is fine ofcourse for a total of 3 out of 4 doses. Not sure what I’ll do for last dose? 🤷‍♀️
Will have to figure out the syringe so any tips gratefully received.
Failing all else will hope 7.5mg sent to me then and could use this early?

I recon there will naturally be some adjustment coming down after 3 weeks ish off or reduced with a lbs or 3 gained. This happened to my friend who switched to Wegovy but had to be off MJ first for 4 weeks.

I guess part of this maintainence will be dealing with a lbs or 3 gain and managing to bring it down again naturally without increasing a dose to within a range rather than exact ‘perfect weight’. We are all happy right now with adjusting dose to meet weight loss/supression mindset but I guess this is not what people do when maintaining? I honestly don’t know?

You responded really well to MJ so I would be tempted to get confidence back with maintaining on as low as a dose you feel you can but be kind to yourself and consider a range rather than exact weight as this will vary through a month anyway & may lead you to be always unhappy & constantly chasing loss rather than keeping in a healthy range.

Have you asked SheMed for advice?

Hope to be where you are one day (long long way off), don’t expect maintenance to be easy at all and suspect a shift again in mindset and eating likely needed for us all to manage it successfully. Truthfully, I fear it is not possible to come off MJ and keep successes which scares me a lot!

It's definitely working - I've got usual suppression and I do now have a bit of itching on injection site, it just took about a day longer to come up. It was easy to draw the liquid into the syringe, then once I'd squirted out the air bubbles I had about 0.6ml so one full dose. I think next time I would try to not push the needle all the way into my tummy as it is literally twice the length. All good though. Now I'll use 15/20 extra clicks per dose for the next few and hope they agree to up my dose next time!

I decided to take a double dose today so I'm back up to 5. If I was at the weight I wanted to be I'd have stuck to 2.5 but because I want to lose more weight I think I just erred on lowering. So I think I will stay on 5 (assuming they let me go up) until I get to my goal and then I will lower the dose and then I will manage within a range.
Hopefully Shemed confirm I can go back up 🤞

@JBJ I was similar to you with very few side effects. I’ve just finished my 1st 7.5 pen and all I’ve had on this dose is occasional sulphur burps, nothing horrendous.
@Bear2014 & @Reginaphalangeeeee , my husband is on 10mg (not SheMed). He wanted to try to drain his pen but wasn’t keen on the syringe. He was able to force the pen past once it stopped - then it went up to the 1 again and administered as usual. So you maybe able to do that @Reginaphalangeeeee for your 4 doses.

Good to hear so many of you on 7.5mg are having little to no side effects. Took my first dose of 7.5mg this morning, hopefully I’ll be fine too 🤞🤞

Made several attempts to check in this morning, but there were no operators to connect to. Had to weigh in after work & I’m always heavier in the afternoon compared to morning. So have officially put on 0.5kg 🙄 unofficially I lost 0.3kg when I stepped on the scales earlier - incredible how much weight can fluctuate just by eating & drinking!

Hope everyone has a great week ☺️

Jab 17 // 7.5mg dose // 10.8kg loss so far

I’d be surprised if they said no with 5mg being a recommended maintenance dose, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you just incase & also for @Reginaphalangeeeee getting the 7.5mg 🤞

Thank you @DearRaven that's my hope too. It sounded like they didn't want me to be on 2.5 long term and it just makes life a bit easier...
I connected at around 7am this morning no issues. Sorry to hear you had problems...

It was before 5am that I was trying as worked the early shift today, but can usually get through at that time. Weird but prob a one off.