How do you decide whether to increase your dose?

Friday1234 · 2025-03-08T07:40:26+00:00

I had a great 1st month on MJ 2.5 (lost a stone), went up to 5 and have lost 6lbs in my second month. It's been a bit harder this month but a bit of will power might be a good thing? And overall my calorie intake has been the same over both months. I can't decide whether to go up a dose or stick for a month. Interested to know how others decide!

Aliceisagooddog · 08/03/2025 07:45

I guess you need to balance the cost and how you feel. I stayed on 5mg for 4 months and lost quite slowly, 1 pound a week on average. But I'm not in a huge rush so would rather take my time. So maybe stick on 5mg for 1 more month and try a bit harder but if still not much loss move up next month? Also, I noticed losses came in 'wooshes', so nothing for weeks then a big loss all st once.

Original poster

Friday1234 · 08/03/2025 07:49

Aliceisagooddog · 08/03/2025 07:45

I guess you need to balance the cost and how you feel. I stayed on 5mg for 4 months and lost quite slowly, 1 pound a week on average. But I'm not in a huge rush so would rather take my time. So maybe stick on 5mg for 1 more month and try a bit harder but if still not much loss move up next month? Also, I noticed losses came in 'wooshes', so nothing for weeks then a big loss all st once.

I'm attracted to the price of the cheaper pen but then the longer it all takes the more I'll spend!
I'm eating less than 1000 cals a day average. Prob closer to 850 generally but then having a few drinks at the weekend pushes up the average.
Did you go to 7.5?

OP posts:

Choux · 08/03/2025 08:02

I went up a dose with every pen till I got to 15mg. My reasons were:

I only ever lost about 7lbs a month even in month 1 it was probably only 9-10lbs so I am not a big responder to it.

I never got any adverse side effects so not a single sulfur burp, upset stomach etc.

If I were you I would go up to 7.5mg. Lots of people report they drink less on Mounjaro. Maybe you are already drinking less, maybe 7.5mg will make you drink even less and speed up the losses more.

Aliceisagooddog · 08/03/2025 08:02

I have now gone up to 7.5 after a bit of a plateau. Less than 1000 calories is quite low, does it affect your energy levels? I'm not counting calories but cutting out most processed food. I'm also going to change provider for next order to one with a maintenance plan ( and to get the discount for first timers!!)

Aliceisagooddog · 08/03/2025 08:04

Also I get the bonus dose out with a syringe, so pen lasts 5 weeks.

TheChosenTwo · 08/03/2025 08:06

I’ve done 1 x 2.5mg, 1 x 5mg, 2 x 7.5mg and just started 10mg.
Stayed with 7.5mg as I was feeling quite strong suppression and I wasn’t getting much more than about 1200
calories in, I aim for roughly 1500 and had struggled to achieve that for a lot of my first month on 7.5. Of course as soon as I had clicked order on my second month something changed and I had a job to keep my calories down to around 1500, food noise returned with a vengeance although my capacity to be able to eat as much wasn’t as strong. I still continued to lose although much slower.

richardosmanstrousers · 08/03/2025 08:08

You are not eating anywhere near enough calories so don't up the dose, there is no need.

Original poster

Friday1234 · 08/03/2025 08:13

Aliceisagooddog · 08/03/2025 08:02

I have now gone up to 7.5 after a bit of a plateau. Less than 1000 calories is quite low, does it affect your energy levels? I'm not counting calories but cutting out most processed food. I'm also going to change provider for next order to one with a maintenance plan ( and to get the discount for first timers!!)

I think if anything I have more energy. But it might be that I have a spring in my step about finally losing some weight and being able to wear old clothes again! I just did my first 5th dose so really need to get ordering. I haven't looked into changing providers - prob too late this time

OP posts:

Original poster

Friday1234 · 08/03/2025 08:18

TheChosenTwo · 08/03/2025 08:06

I’ve done 1 x 2.5mg, 1 x 5mg, 2 x 7.5mg and just started 10mg.
Stayed with 7.5mg as I was feeling quite strong suppression and I wasn’t getting much more than about 1200
calories in, I aim for roughly 1500 and had struggled to achieve that for a lot of my first month on 7.5. Of course as soon as I had clicked order on my second month something changed and I had a job to keep my calories down to around 1500, food noise returned with a vengeance although my capacity to be able to eat as much wasn’t as strong. I still continued to lose although much slower.

I think I'm a bit nervous that will happen to me if I reorder 5mg! Obviously I would have been delighted if the second month had been another stone off but 6 lbs is still great. But if it was less than that next time in would wonder if I should have gone up....

OP posts:

Original poster

Friday1234 · 08/03/2025 08:20

richardosmanstrousers · 08/03/2025 08:08

You are not eating anywhere near enough calories so don't up the dose, there is no need.

I know what you mean but last year I dieted and had 1300 cals a day and lost about half a stone over 6 months. I really think menopause or HRT has messed up my metabolism

OP posts:

Mnjmnj · 08/03/2025 08:58

I started about 5/6 months ago and haven’t moved beyond 5mg. I usually start to eat more by Friday (I inject Sunday late afternoon/early evening) but I’m still losing weight. I run and found I had slightly less oomph when I moved to 5mg so I am also trying to strike a balance there. I moved up to 5 very slowly though, I was counting clicks each week so only hit the 5mg on the 4th week of my first 5mg pen. 2.5mg worked really well for me and I did think afterwards I should have stuck on that a bit longer than I did.

Also just a note on calorie counting - I’m 50, my daily requirements are definitely not what they were. I don’t feel peri as such, although my energy levels are not the same as they were 5 years ago and I have an odd day or two at the start of each period now, but I definitely don’t process my calories in the same way anymore (I mean pre-mounjaro). By that I mean all the things that worked in the past made no difference to weightloss!

I’m not convinced that we really know enough about calorie counting to stick with it obsessively. I use it as a rough guide to keep track of where I am but I’m not worrying about it too much. I make sure I have plenty of protein and have fruit, vegetables nuts and seeds. I’m losing weight steadily but not too fast so this works well for me.

Original poster

Friday1234 · 08/03/2025 10:07

Mnjmnj · 08/03/2025 08:58

I started about 5/6 months ago and haven’t moved beyond 5mg. I usually start to eat more by Friday (I inject Sunday late afternoon/early evening) but I’m still losing weight. I run and found I had slightly less oomph when I moved to 5mg so I am also trying to strike a balance there. I moved up to 5 very slowly though, I was counting clicks each week so only hit the 5mg on the 4th week of my first 5mg pen. 2.5mg worked really well for me and I did think afterwards I should have stuck on that a bit longer than I did.

Also just a note on calorie counting - I’m 50, my daily requirements are definitely not what they were. I don’t feel peri as such, although my energy levels are not the same as they were 5 years ago and I have an odd day or two at the start of each period now, but I definitely don’t process my calories in the same way anymore (I mean pre-mounjaro). By that I mean all the things that worked in the past made no difference to weightloss!

I’m not convinced that we really know enough about calorie counting to stick with it obsessively. I use it as a rough guide to keep track of where I am but I’m not worrying about it too much. I make sure I have plenty of protein and have fruit, vegetables nuts and seeds. I’m losing weight steadily but not too fast so this works well for me.

Edited

Totally agree re calories. I'm monitoring what I eat to try to understand my requirements better. I put on 3 stone when I was peri - I'm 51 now and def past menopause. Finally the weight is shifting with MJ but I can't afford this forever so need to be clear about what I need to do to keep it off.

OP posts:

Dollydaydream100 · 08/03/2025 10:09

Personally, I'm going to trust the process and keep moving up. I haven't really had any side effects though.

Choux · 08/03/2025 14:14

Sounds like the best course of action is get a 7.5mg pen and then you can decide week by week if you want to take 5 or 7.5 or somewhere in between.

A 7.5mg pen has about 39mg in it including the bonus dose. So you could do 3 x 6mg and 3 x 7mg if you wanted to move up slowly. (This would involve taking the last dose on Day 35 of the pen which I have done but others might not want to)

Original poster

Friday1234 · 08/03/2025 14:16

Choux · 08/03/2025 14:14

Sounds like the best course of action is get a 7.5mg pen and then you can decide week by week if you want to take 5 or 7.5 or somewhere in between.

A 7.5mg pen has about 39mg in it including the bonus dose. So you could do 3 x 6mg and 3 x 7mg if you wanted to move up slowly. (This would involve taking the last dose on Day 35 of the pen which I have done but others might not want to)

I hadn't thought of this - do you measure it out and use a syringe? I don't keep mine in the fridge but am sure it would be totally fine on day 35

OP posts:

NoTouch · 08/03/2025 17:00

5mg is already doing its job a little too well already if you are averaging 1000 calories a day (including drinking) so I don't know what 7.5mg will do other than push you into an unhealthy deficit.

You might have to accept you are a slow loser, eat as healthily as you can and perhaps, while spending a fortune on Mounjaro, experiment with not drinking at the weekend for a few weeks to see if it is messing about with your insulin response/metabolism. Alcohol slows fat burning because your body prioritises metabolising alcohol before fat. 15% of your calorie intake in alcohol is quite high when trying to lose weight.

I would stick with 5mg, try increasing calories to 1,100-1,200 with food. Plenty of protein. Cut out alcohol for a month and see how you go. I know it's not much fun but it might give you some insights for when you come off Mounjaro.

richardosmanstrousers · 08/03/2025 17:03

I know what you mean but last year I dieted and had 1300 cals a day and lost about half a stone over 6 months. I really think menopause or HRT has messed up my metabolism

But you have lost 6lbs in 4 weeks. That's good, normal and sustainable. You absolutely should not be upping your Mounjaro when your calorie intake is already as low as 850. You are verging on dangerous.

Original poster

Friday1234 · 08/03/2025 17:09

NoTouch · 08/03/2025 17:00

5mg is already doing its job a little too well already if you are averaging 1000 calories a day (including drinking) so I don't know what 7.5mg will do other than push you into an unhealthy deficit.

You might have to accept you are a slow loser, eat as healthily as you can and perhaps, while spending a fortune on Mounjaro, experiment with not drinking at the weekend for a few weeks to see if it is messing about with your insulin response/metabolism. Alcohol slows fat burning because your body prioritises metabolising alcohol before fat. 15% of your calorie intake in alcohol is quite high when trying to lose weight.

I would stick with 5mg, try increasing calories to 1,100-1,200 with food. Plenty of protein. Cut out alcohol for a month and see how you go. I know it's not much fun but it might give you some insights for when you come off Mounjaro.

Very good points!
I meant that even with alcohol pushing up my calorie average I'm still under 1000 as a way of saying I'm not over eating - according to nutracheck my one week and four week averages are just under 900.
But your points are still valid and you're right about the impact of alcohol. It's not all about the calories.
And insights are what I'm after!

OP posts:

Original poster

Friday1234 · 08/03/2025 17:12

richardosmanstrousers · 08/03/2025 17:03

I know what you mean but last year I dieted and had 1300 cals a day and lost about half a stone over 6 months. I really think menopause or HRT has messed up my metabolism

But you have lost 6lbs in 4 weeks. That's good, normal and sustainable. You absolutely should not be upping your Mounjaro when your calorie intake is already as low as 850. You are verging on dangerous.

Honestly I'm delighted! I feel like a new person after losing what I have. And i think you are right about eating more.

OP posts:

Ireolu · 08/03/2025 18:26

I have stuck to 5 for month 3. I want the lowest dose that gives results. If it doesn't, I will increase to 7.5. If it does, will stick to 5 for month 4 too.

Choux · 08/03/2025 18:26

Re taking a non standard size dose: when you dial a pen all the way out to 1 before injecting it clicks 60 times. If you want to take a half dose you count the clocks up to 30 and that is a half dose. If you want to take 75% of the pens full dose you count 45 clicks. There are tables which people have which show the number of clicks required for any dose of you aren't good at maths.

Choux · 08/03/2025 18:28

Ireolu · 08/03/2025 18:26

I have stuck to 5 for month 3. I want the lowest dose that gives results. If it doesn't, I will increase to 7.5. If it does, will stick to 5 for month 4 too.

What do you class as giving results? Would a 2lb loss in a month be a result or does it need to be 4lbs, 6lbs, 8lbs?

TotallyFloored · 08/03/2025 19:28

Sorry but new to this - what is the bonus dose ?

TheChosenTwo · 08/03/2025 20:10

@TotallyFloored some people extract the final amount from the pen and inject that bit so as not to waste the extra medication.
i don’t do it, not because i’m opposed to it or think it’s in any way dangerous but because I just cba fannying about with syringes. And lots of people report that they’ve changed the way the pens have been made and the hard twist you used to be able to do to get the last bit out has been changed and that you do now require a syringe to get to it. I wonder if it must blunt/bend the syringe doing that?

Finallydoingit24 · 08/03/2025 20:29

TheChosenTwo · 08/03/2025 20:10

@TotallyFloored some people extract the final amount from the pen and inject that bit so as not to waste the extra medication.
i don’t do it, not because i’m opposed to it or think it’s in any way dangerous but because I just cba fannying about with syringes. And lots of people report that they’ve changed the way the pens have been made and the hard twist you used to be able to do to get the last bit out has been changed and that you do now require a syringe to get to it. I wonder if it must blunt/bend the syringe doing that?

It doesn’t blunt or bend the syringe at all - it’s very easy to get it out.