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

7.5mg and I have just had the first dose of my second pen on Friday. I'm finding I have a very dry mouth, diarrhoea for the first 4 or so days and I have felt very tired/dizzy at times, but not unmanageable as it was when I first changed to 5mg. I'm finding the side effects are staying pretty much the same after increasing week on week when I started 7.5mg.

But, I have lost 7 inches from my waist and I am a little concerned that I can take my trousers off without undoing them! I fear this could become embarrassing!!!

I have lost 4 stone and 20% of my body weigh. BMI is not 35.8, a massive drop from 44.1! So at present I am feeling encouraged. I use the weight tracker app and it says what the losses are each month. April was only 1.4 kg in the hole month. But now back to an average of 5 kg/month.

Well done to you all, it seems as though we are really getting there now. I have to say it feels as though my weight is now in new territory, it feels exciting and as though things are possible!

ADHD there is a checklist, it's not just food noise. I am almost always moving (rocking, moving legs etc) and struggle to sit still for example. I struggle to focus on things I find boring - I can't read an email that is more than a couple of sentences, I always skim read. I literally can't do boring admin work, I find myself rocking, looking away from the screen etc.
I noticed by taking mj that some of this is reduced but still move a lot (I notice it more because I'm aware of it).
My eldest child has ADHD and it is genetic so it is highly likely that I have it, my husband possibly too.

In short, just food noise is not ADHD, but dopamine chasing and eating for sensory reasons can be a sign of ADHD but you would have other signs too.

@Earthgirl3971 I did a massive cull in my wardrobe. I was worried because I have been such a yo-yo dieter, but my thoughts are I never want to be "large" again and I am happy to stay on mj long term (hopefully it will continue to get cheaper, I am making the assumption it won't get more expensive)

@FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden well done on your weight loss. You are doing fabulously!!

@OneAzureMaker I hope you feel better soon ❤️

Have a great day everyone!

I don't even recognise January-me, honestly. I have 3st to lose until my goal, so I'm now halfway through this journey. I'm 5'3, so 10st is just about in my healthy range - I'm going to reevaluate it once I reach it, see how I feel, but even talking about reaching a healthy weight and feeling like it could actually happen is so weird to me.

4st 5lbs is bloody amazing, well done. Everyone will start to notice now the weather's getting better! I don't know about you but I'm dreading the heatwaves a bit less now I'm a bit lighter.

That's good it's given me the impetus to get going. I had noticed the larger things sold quickly when I did put a few things up. See if I can make £100 this month. Challenge set! X

I have sacks of clothes in the boot, they'll stay in there for another six months until I remember to grab them when passing a charity shop.

I don't want to keep them at all, I don't want the temptation of being able to easily go up a few sizes if I put on weight, as strict as that sounds!

My problem is now buying clothes that I know won't fit me soon, so annoying.

I use donate clothes UK. They have a website. .. come and pick up from your house. As I'm the same id just never go ..

Save you driving around with them in your boot for 6 months 🙂

@Earthgirl3971 2 stone is still 2 stone less than you were in January. I think they let you go straight up to 10 from 7.5 if you want to if you think that might help? Yay for being smaller too - that's fantastic. How much further have you got to go? (The beer garden after work/school sounds amazing! )

@JBJ Yes that's it exactly. I had a look on one of the Shemed facebook groups (as I do when I have things I should be getting on with!) and sometimes see photos of people's "before" or starting weights that are quite a bit less than me now. I completely get they want/need to lose weight too so absolutely no issue there - I was the same at that stage.... I just got bigger! And of course many in this group will have much lower weights than me it really isn't about that -I think its just the enormity of the task hits me sometimes.

@OneAzureMaker Wahooo for 7.5 and you not getting any worse side effects! That's fab. And 7 inches !! That's amazing!! 20% and nowhere near "morbid" anymore - you are acing it :). I love that idea of "exciting" and "things being possible" - you're so right :)

@tinyemmy Thankyou and lovely to see you :) Yay for a wardrobe cull! I so plan to stay on MJ now.

@BruhWhy Half way is amazing - and a bit like OneA said - the future is now possible and exciting :) Yes I struggled in heat even when I was slim, and it was impossible large so I'm hoping its a little less awful this summer!

Clothes wise - I am still in stretchy dresses (seasalt) and leggings but have just ordered some leggings the next size down. I probably will let them just get a bit big. I realise I had been keeping them as I expanded so going down through "fitting" and into " a bit big!" I had wanted to get some bits for summer but might just wait for September and the new term. It's strange thinking of buying clothes for an "in between" size!

Definitely get them out of your boot. I remember one of those declutter type people saying once its out your boot/loft/garage/wherever it clears mental space as well as physical space!

I've got around 2 stone left to lose now to put me around 10st which I haven't been for almost 10 years.

Funny people are starting to notice I'm changing now but are complimenting my hair and not my new curves, Ha ha. My hair is different now but that's not really the point when my shape has changed so much recently.

I better go get those size 16 jeans on before they are too big! I asked a friend if I could borrow a bit of her 12 to 10 wardrobe when I get there. 🌟 She's much smaller than me now after kick starting her own fitness journey but still said no. So I'll need to buy some stuff no matter what unless I go for my mega loft bag clothes stash first. X

Hoping this can help someone else - I've been feeling a bit pants as my weight loss over the past couple of months has been really minimal, hovering around the same weight give or take 1kg. Buttt, I've just tried on a pair of trousers that I've not been able to fit into for 5 years - & they are comfortably on! So just to remind we're all changing shape, not just numbers on the scale.

Have been following the messages & it sounds like everyone is making great progress. Well done!

@Reginaphalangeeeee - read you message & resonated with it. Seems like others have given great comments - but just wanted to reiterate you're not alone. Seems like there's ups & downs in the process, & I'm definitely feeling some fatigue of having to make healthy choices (not always successfully) 5/6 months in - but we're doing well! It wouldn't be sustainable if we didn't let ourselves have a McDonalds now & then ;)

Thank you all & especially thanks @FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden. Not overstepping at all I really appreciate your reframing of my comments & your kindness.

Thank you @FeverDreamertoo. This forum does help me feel less alone.
You are right, maybe it is fatigue of making healthy choices & being conscious. Although that seems silly because I know I will need to eat like this for life so can't get tired of it. I will also need to commit to a minimum of weekly weigh in’s. When I don't, I know I get in a dangerous place of ignoring it and getting shocked.
I guess I miss the comfort eating food gives me & sometimes in a world of uncomfortable feelings and sadness at times, I don't know what to do to make myself feel better. I am beginning to realise this comfort trap is long established, since teenage years at least.
I know I label myself because others do it to me too. I know 4 stone lighter, strangers already treat me differently.

So on this long journey (@FatsiaJaponicaInTheGardenI really feel it with you when even current achievement are eayboff starting weights for some)…
How do we learn to comfort ourselves without food?

I wish I loved exercise, I do wish I could, but know I won't. Warm showers, cups of tea/coffee are comforting but either not as easy as food.

Anyone else? On this funny road to discovery & recovery. I am hoping I really do learn something for the future that is different to every other time I have lost weight before. The mega sadness of loosing my dad, the uncomfortable feelings I know I can not eat my way out of them & although MJ silences the hunger there is lots to be considered still.

I like some exercise so that's useful but over the years have been plagued with injuries and stopped exercising and not adjusted intake so that has impacted my weight and the other thing like you is emotional eating, it has been horrendous at times with bags and bags of chocolate just stuffed in not tasting, I have even felt my blood sugar rise and felt unwell but that wouldn't stop me. Mj has somehow stopped all of that. I still have issues (my mum died in 2022 amongst other things, it's actually usually work that pushes me over) but now I turn to grounding techniques (like 5,4,3,2,1) first rather than food. For this reason I probably won't stop mj as I think as soon as I stop the binge eating will be back and it gets out of control so quickly!
I have worked with so many people and have so many techniques but I haven't been able to use them. It's like mj has given me the pause I need

I don't particularly love exercise either!

I see my relationship with food as being like a 3 legged stool - it's alright most of the time, but it only takes a little push and then it all goes wrong! I eat because I'm happy, I eat because I'm sad, I eat because I'm stressed.... MJ is putting an extra leg on the stool, and makes it just a bit more stable and for me to be able to resist the siren call of food as a source of comfort and punishment.

My first checkin on 7.5mg - half a kilo off, but still dancing just above the 75kg point. I messed with my routine today and I'm regretting it, normally if I eat something light immediately after my jab I don't feel so grim, but today I left it about 45 minutes and now I feel a bit sicky.

Yes, this!

Thanks @tinyemmy
Yes injury and respiratory issues have impacted my enjoyment of exercise. Actually hate being out of breath! As a previously (not currently) morbidly obese person, exercise is just uncomfortable everywhere and Inam so self-concious especially with my breathing issues. How I sound and look!

That aside, grateful for anybtio/tools people can suggest to replace food comfort. As even though the food noise & hunger is not there as much with MJ, some need for comfort still is.
I use for for a reward when Inget through a bad day or as comfort.

I feel I need to find an alternative or understand those feeling s now rather than try to ignore them

Morning all. My jab day and as I work up far too early just thought I'd get it out the way. I'm exactly 18stone! I still feel very large (well I am!) but it's incredible to think nearly 4 stone has come off. I went to a different office yesterday and a colleague just came out with "wow you've lost a lot of weight!". I'm very fat now it does make me worry a bit how awful I must have come across before but onwards and upwards! I might be looking at jobs again towards end of the year and at least I will face less judgement for weight if I do!!

@Earthgirl3971 Thats exciting so you're about half way and only 2 stone left 🎉🎉. Enjoy the new clothes.

@FeverDreamer yay for shrinking physically! Hope the scales move for you soon.

@Reginaphalangeeeee huge hugs. Yes replacing the comfort of food is truly huge isn't it. I'm glad we're on this a while as that won't happen overnight. And @tinyemmy ageee about the "so many people and techniques" yes I can reel off loads of ideas from various places. And I expect we all could recite a load of healthy eating guidance when it comes to food but it's being on this drug that had allowed me the space to do it. I'm going to think about the "pause" as it's such a good way to put it. It's crazy thinking that people that gave the healthy eating advice and those that could implement it (especially the intuitive eating stuff) were just like our MJ selves. We actually weren't experiencing the world the same.

@kittykarate well done! Have you got much further to go? (I compeltely don't remember everyones goals/heights etc. I'm blaming peri for memory issues but it's probably just me 😂)

Re exercise/comfort.

I'll nerer really be "into" exercise. I've joined and failed so many gums over the years and tried couch to 5k about a billion years ago when less obese. For me currently I am walking each day (off road path near me) and trying to do 30mins+ which has been amazing moving and being outdoors. BUT for most of the last 10 years I physically couldn't have done that. (various health issues that seem to have been impacted by MJ amazingly. I also had covid and chest issues for 2 years when I couldn't walk far at all, as in a few minutes, so this is very new) And not a helpful suggestion for people that can't. Being outdoors has helped though.

I started gardening last year and that's been able to take some of my focus now as I enjoy just being there. Probably leaving a toxic job at easter made the most difference. I still need to work on enjoying rest and not feeling guilty (I've had to rest a lot due to fatigue and it created a bad spiral) and finding ways to relax like hobbies. In the moment I do like some grounding techniques like @tinyemmy suggested. The name 5 things you can see, what can you hear etc. I quite like the game where you name thigns beginning with each letter of the alphabet. But both of those just calm me a bit rather than "comfort" I think feeling comfort is harder.

Genuinely think the biggest help I've had over the last few year has been counselling. I had some free NHS counselling but with someone for nearly a year and the. Repeated after a year off (they try to give you 6-8 sessions of cbt but I pushed for the longer term counselling saying I've been round all those houses before). She's an incredible therapist and I've just finished with her. If I was private I'd loved to have continued. Life has had a lot of challenges and it's helped me to talk. That and drugs (legal!).

You've been through so much and dealing with so much this year ❤️.

Good luck to all weighing today/this weekend and hope everyone is okay.

Morning, my injection day was yesterday but I only weighed myself this morning as I've been struggling to poop and didn't want that to affect my final weight. 🫣

I've had a whoosh on the scales, losing 4.8lbs since last weigh in which I think was Saturday. ! Can't just be the poops lol .

That's incredible. Last time I lost that much weight was because of serious illness flu and chest infection.

I honestly thought that 7.5mg couldn't be working as well as the 5mg because I was eating fairly usually for me again. With portions getting larger... ?

Something has changed and does look like it is for the good.

I found an audio book called the thin woman's brain that I've been listening to for a few weeks now to understand the science behind brain activity and eating and it's been quite eye opening.

Listen to The Thin Woman's Brain by Dilia Suriel on Audible. https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B00HDT513M?source_code=ORGOR69210072400FU

I mention it as I see the posts of anxiety about how do I comfort myself without food and I'm responding in relation to what I think is needed which is a perspective switch in understanding how the brain works to try and work with it.

I recommend it for digesting new information if it's your genre of book. I love information books and found myself nodding and agreeing with what was said. It's very gentle.
I can understand my past self and the way I eat less now so that I can eat like a thin woman into the future. There's a lot here and at least for me this really felt like new information to take in not your usual dieting and weight loss trope. (Well the author even says that herself)

Good luck to all weighing and have a great weekend.

X

You are doing so well @FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden and totally agree, none of the techniques have worked until I was on mj, I just couldn't pause or wait 20 mins or whatever. Or if I did I still wanted to eat the thing 🤣 most of it was mindless eating that I just didn't have control of.

I did some gardening the other day, I hurt for three days, people shouldn't underestimate the impact of any exercise, it doesn't need to be something official, walking is great and it's brilliant that mj has allowed you to do it. Gardening and vacuuming count etc etc

I liked what I saw in the mirror today (with clothes on) but my mind is fickle and when I next look in the mirror I might not! I am so pleased to have found mj and that I'm sharing the journey with everyone here. If only it had been available earlier. The next generation may never need to get obese, or certainly not morbidly so with these drugs available.
I do also think it was something missing that I needed replacing and maybe they can figure out a test for it and those people can be ok mj before they get obese. I white knuckled it through my 20s and 30s but I just couldn't do it by the time I got to my 40s. I hope the next generation never needs to white knuckle it and feel like a constant failure for bot achieving it ❤️

Agree with all that. And yes it's a lot of time to have lived under the shadow of it all. We do now have the rest of our lives hopefully free 😊. Well done for getting there. Hope the dosing is all working out now. And yes I'm still in awe that I can walk and garden. I think (well chat gpt thinks) it's reduced inflammation and increased blood flow to muscles. It's been magic. And I'm loving walking!

I've just realised that posting at 5ish meant an awful lot of typos.... Apologies everyone!

It's lovely to hear from you all. Weigh in day today, a loss of 0.4kg, but a gain of 1.5kg from Monday! I have eaten much less this week.

Lunch out with a friend yesterday and a plate of sandwiches and crisps. I left a quarter of the sandwiches and half the crisps, and they weren't huge portions, so suppression is definitely there, so I'm not sure what was going on. I had expected a bigger loss this week and stupidly feel a little disappointed

I am desperate to get to 100 kg, it feels like such a huge milestone. Today I'm 106.6

Sadly I'm only half way to my 'stretch' personal goal (60kg, starting at 90kg)@FatsiaJaponicaInTheGarden but I'd be more than happy to get to 65kg (still overweight, but not shockingly so) if I could stay there.

My bloody fitness watch wants me to weigh 48kg!I think it's crackers or calibrated for some beautiful, petite, bird like, woman. I put up with its fat shaming because it was cheap and cheerful!

We must be about the same height - mine says 47kg for me! I’d be a damn bobble head 😂I’m aiming for 66kg esp as I’m quite muscular

I'm 156cm any idea what it would be for me? I'm about 53/54lg and don't think I should get any lower. I do need to build some muscle though

Ooh you really are tiny! I’m 164 and I am deffo not tall! Google says 49kg - 61kg for your height, although when I’ve used the BMI calculator on the NHS website, it says mine is 48 - 66, so I guess it depends on the source!

Dr Google reckons for my (tiny!) 153cm height I should be between 45 and 58 kilograms.