Mounjaro, 10st or more to lose, thread two

[Iwouldratherbesinging]

Starting a new friendly and supportive thread, we’re almost full on the last one.
original thread is here https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight-loss-injections/5226758-mounjaro-10st-or-more-to-lose

Youngest DD is visiting. She has been on Mounjaro a lot longer than me and has lost around 8 stone so far.

Some thing she is very aware of is that weight loss isn't a 'cure-all'. Not having fat to act as a buffer she is now having to be much more mindful of her hypermobility. Losing weight hasn't cured her diabetes but now she is struggling with maintaining blood sugar as it plummets very quickly.

Lol. I'm still BMI 30, not even healthy yet

But a lot healthier, I'm sure @Doggymummar - well done.

Very well done @Doggymummar

Thanks @eibbed999, it's really helpful to hear different experiences. My sister is taking MJ, although she's using an online pharmacy and I get mine from my GP as I've just been diagnosed with T2D. She had immediate, very dramatic suppression and mine hasn't been like that at all!

Admittedly I'm only day 2, but I'm still thinking about food a lot, although not acting on the craving if that makes sense. It does sound a lot how you've described it. We did get takeaway for dinner last night, we always do on a Fri, but I ordered grilled chicken skewers and salad, no sauce or pitta and didn't even eat half of it. So I think it's working?!

One thing I can definitely say it's working on is my blood glucose, I wear a CGM and my fasting blood glucose this morning was the best it's been since I was diagnosed.

Yes, I take Peptac (which is the same as Gaviscon but much cheaper).
I also take senna when needed.

If you have side-effects, take something for them.

I’ve been quietly watching this post since I first posted 6 weeks ago when I started this journey. I feel quite emotional thinking about what a change this has made to all of our lives and reading everyone’s successes. Thank you all.

I first remember being unhappy with my weight at 8 years old, I went to a ‘slimming club’ with my mum at 13 and had incredibly disordered eating for at least the next 20 years before settling into being ‘fat but happy’ in my 30s. Except I wasn’t. The last few years I’ve felt too self conscious to use public transport because I take up too much space. I can’t join friends for walks. My body aches. My health is thankfully good but at 40 I’ve been lucky so far. Mounjaro is my miracle. I finally feel in control and food (or lack of it) isn’t ruling my life. I feel free.

Someone posted further up that the joy with MJ is that it just keeps working away as time passes and I completely agree with that. 6 weeks in I’m ready to share my progress.

Start weight: 24st 9.5lbs BMI 52.6
Current weight (week 6): 23st 3.5lbs BMI 49.5
Total lost 20lbs and over 5% of body weight.

I didn’t lose loads more at first it’s just been steady away. -5lbs, -3lbs, -1lb, -2.5lbs, -3.5lbs, -5lbs

@Hearditonapodcast - it's quite intriguing how it works so differently on each of us. I found that I was obsessing about food for the first week or so, but not because I was craving - just to plan my meals etc. I think my brain was so in the habit of obsessing about food that it hadn't quite been able to switch off. I'd say that calmed down by the second week, and now it comes much more naturally. I've just been to Wagamama and ordered what was one of the lowest calorie meals on the menu, without even looking at the calories - somehow it seems to help me make better choices! Good luck, and great news about your blood sugar.

@Onenotsosmallstep that is a great start, well done! I also get emotional reading the posts, partly because of the happiness and partly because I find it quite moving thinking what we've all been through. The things we've deprived ourselves of, missed out on because of our size, as well as feeling so desperate and like nothing could ever 'fix' us. I also reflect on how for all these decades, I've been convinced it was all down to me being weak, greedy, lazy, having no willpower - even though in every other aspect of my life I am none of those things. Now I know that I had a physical issue that a drug has fixed. Not overnight, but at least possibly. I never want to feel that level of self-loathing again.

@eibbed999 I totally recognise what you are saying about menu choices. A few weeks ago I went for lunch with a friend and chose a couple of side dishes because they sounded delicious rather than wondering about how to get the most food without it being noticeable. Hating myself at the same time for doing this.

That feeling of taking up too much space. Worrying about where I can park the car so that I can open the door wide enough to get out. Not wanting to meet new people because I know the first thing that they will notice is my size.

I think I have been living a half life for a long time.

I received my first pen in the post today, it’s still in the box in the fridge.
I’m scared to start and don’t feel ready, it came quicker than I expected!

I was feeling overwhelmed by the realisation that if I loose 50% of my body weight, or 10 stone then I’ll have a healthy BMI.

This thread has given me some hope. Will follow part 3.

@DottyMcDiet I think a lot of us were daunted at the start, and why this thread is so important for us all who are in the same boat.

The thing I realised was that time passes regardless. It’s been about 10 months since I started and I’ve lost 8 stone, just from the passage of time and Mounjaro helping to keep me in a calorie deficit for the duration. As soon as you get started you’ll be on that path too. You’ll get there.

What are you scared of @DottyMcDiet? I had my first injection within ten minutes of the pen's arrival. I was so excited to get started.

Honestly?
I’d just bought pizzas for dinner and have the remainder of an Easter egg to finish 😆

My first order was declined and I’d mentally prepared for that one. I’m terrible at procrastinating about diets, hence my BMI of 42!

Hiya! I started yesterday, injected at 8am and by lunchtime it had definitely kicked in, I couldn’t believe it! Had to force myself to eat lunch about 2.30 and then made a salad for
dinner at 8 which I barely finished. I was so thirsty yesterday but not hungry at all. And not only not hungry, but not thinking about food. I had two bites of an apple for breakfast and finish it. I actually took one bite, put it on the side and wandered off 😂 came back and thought oh yeah better eat that and then had another bite and couldn’t do anymore!

wasn’t hungry for lunch until 2 again and for the first time in my life, I had my little lunch and although he kids had bags of crisps and brownies in the back of the car I didn’t even think to ask for one.

its like a dream actually! I never expected it to have such an effect and so quickly! fingers crossed it carries on!

All very familiar @GnomeDePlume - plus my hubbie having to pull out of a parking space to let me in! That did happen today actually but it will soon be a thing of the past. The fear of physically taking up 'too much' space (though I'm never quite sure who decided how much we were worth - is a huge man on steroids, or a big athletic person, somehow more worthy of that space??) spills into every aspect of your life. Even if you can seem confident on the surface, that self-loathing and let's face it often the loathing of complete strangers, is always there. A man once shouted out of a car window to me 'you look like a sack of spuds in that dress!', when I'd been feeling quite good about myself. And now I'm a wee bit angry as well...

You can do it @DottyMcDiet - let yourself have your final pig out, and give it a go! You'll soon wonder who that person with the pizzas and the easter eggs was! I was also nervous, and spent ages talking to people and stalking this thread before I took the plunge six weeks ago. Best thing I ever did, my only regret is I didn't do it sooner.

@DottyMcDiet I was really nervous as well, my pen arrived on the Friday and I didn’t inject until the Monday evening, but I can honestly say I don’t regret it at all. It isn’t just weight I’m losing but I’m growing in confidence because I know I’m on the right track.

Keep checking in with this thread as everyone is so supportive and the support is genuine as the struggles felt by people with more to lose can’t be understood unless you’ve actually been there.

@DottyMcDiet I was terrified too of side effects, of it not working etc but I’m so happy I went for it. And I still have a pizza every Saturday night (weigh in Friday, inject Sunday). That might stop eventually but I enjoy my Saturday night pizza. I decided from the start it isn’t a diet I’m on, it’s a lifelong change. And I am not realistically never eating pizza or chocolate again, so I include it. But I can control my portion size now, I recognise when I’ve eaten enough and I can stop whereas before I’d eat my pizza and be eyeing up my husband’s in case he left any, I could have eaten two easily 😬. Don’t eat the rest of your Easter egg thinking like I used to before I “went on a diet” and hoovered everything up in readiness for deprivation, it’s not like that. I’m a chocoholic, well I was - we had one small Easter egg between us on “Chocolate Day” (as we call it!) and we didn’t finish it until Thursday! And now I can do what I thought impossible, have a large bar of chocolate in the cupboard and have one square and be perfectly happy with that.

Another one chiming in @DottyMcDiet!

I was really nervous before I began. I don’t hate needles but I was worried from previous experiences of having to inject and having to really steel myself to do it. The needle is tiny and so fine, it’s hardly noticeable.

The suppression varies hugely for everyone from the start. But for me it’s not really the suppression that’s the big thing. It’s the being able to feel full and satisfied from a reasonable amount of food. And not trying to fill the gap. Or thinking about what to eat next.

I'm on holiday at the moment. I seriously debated whether to not jab before I came but in the end I did and I’m really glad about it.

I’m in Italy, this is my favourite cuisine and I have had everything I’ve wanted. I just haven’t gone mad on it.

I have had pizza - we brought half back to the apartment and had it the next day. I’ve had ice cream, sfogliatella, pasta, wine, beers, my adored mozzarella. But in ‘normal’ amounts. And I’ve enjoyed every bite without guilt or shame. Eaten what I wanted, left the rest.

It’s honestly possible. You can still have pizza. You can still have chocolate. Whether you will want them is a whole other story!

It’s honestly possible. You can still have pizza. You can still have chocolate. Whether you will want them is a whole other story!

You'll very likely want them, but just be satisfied with a much smaller amount than you've had in the past.

@eibbed999 @GnomeDePlume @Onenotsosmallstep

Your stories about not wanting to take up too much space, not being able to live life the way you want and feeling ugly/judged by others have all hit home for me. I actually feel very sorry for myself when I think back. I know I'm not as confident as I used to be, and lost the spark in myself I had because people see my size before they see me, my humour, my wit.

My mother, well meaningly, put me on Rosemary Connelly when I was 8, I also went to health visitors, dieticians, SW, WW, personal trainers, Cambridge diet, hypnosis, 5:2, juice dietetc.

Got severely bullied at school for being unattractive. Imagine having a nick name like "stretchmarks" shouted to you across the school hall when you're 14. 😓

What's interesting is that I have a sister who looks very similar to me, but is a size 10 (and a zumba instructor!) so I have a constant reminder of "this is what I could have looked like" to rub salt in the wound every time we take photos together, we go on holidays etc.

This thread I feel most safe with, as some of you have said, people on other threads complaining that they are whales at a size 14. I can only imagine what they secretly think of people like us.

I'm looking forward to living a life I want and I deserve. I'd like to go on my first roller coaster, shop at regular high street shops, and do some adventurous holidays (hiking/climbing /skiing).

SW:144kg (size 28)
CW: 127kg (size 24)
1st GW:100kg

MJ has given me what no diet had ever given me before - HOPE

Oh bless you @mamabeeboo - I feel quite tearful reading that! People can be so hurtful and judgemental. We must cling on to the hope (and the drugs!). Big, squishy, fat girl hugs to you x

I'm so sad for you @mamabeeboo

People are very cruel.

I can so relate to things people say on this group…I started 22 weeks ago at 28st 1lb….i am shocked to even type that…..

Mounjaro has been fantastic for me, barely any side effects, brilliant suppression from first jab and it still last all week, it doesn’t wear off for me like it does for some people?

I did one month on 2.5 and then remained on 5mg and am about to order my next 5mg pen….it just seems to work well for me and so I will stay on that dose until I need to go up.

I inject on Friday and now weigh in on Monday…used to weigh on Friday but after working all week sat at desk for 10 hours my feet swell so changed day to Monday as feet gone down again by then.

I hope to lose 2lb tomorrow to reach my 4 stone…..wow 4 stone, I can’t believe it.
I feel so much healthier now, have dropped to size 28, go swimming twice a week, and go for walks….couldn’t have done that before as breathless and painful knee.

I can cut my toe nails easy, don’t use seatbelt extension, fit in chairs with arms easier…have lost 10 inches off waist and hips….its just amazing.

I can’t imagine how I will look when I have reached even 15stone, never mind the weight I should be at 5ft 5in…..

Sorry for all this waffle, it’s just lovely being able to chit chat to people that understand…..have a great week everyone x