Jan 25 Starters Thread 7 😱 Losing, whooshing, turtle pace - we're getting it done.

[Thelittlestranger]

New thread for those who started in January 25. 3 months in and we're still going strong 💪

Has anyone found that sugar tastes a bit weird now? When I eat chocolate or a small piece of cake, I feel I can literally taste the sugar on my teeth, it’s almost like tooth ache 😂.

In hindsight I’ve definitely been addicted to sugar for the last 5 years or so, so I’m taking this as a win. I haven’t totally cut chocolate and sweet things out but I’ve cut down drastically and no longer feel those urges for something sweet. Was a nice observation.

@Zempy pleased you are feeling a bit better this morning. Hopefully less is more for you.

i posted before re shape as I am a short curvy Celt, with hips and thighs designed for breeding and enough natural reserves to weather through famine or flood. I haven’t ever been less than a 12 since puberty even in the brief times I’ve been a healthy bmi! But my waist is generally a good size smaller than my hips.

weigh in day for me today and another 2.5lb off. That makes over half a stone in 3 weeks so 5mg clearly suiting me. I have decided to stick with this for my next pen as I am sensing a very slight unhealthy attitude in myself (less good food quality, congratulating myself on a low calorie day). One of the reasons I didn’t do much after my post covid weight gain was as that I can develop slightly disordered thought patterns around these things if I am not careful and I wanted to avoid that. I have mentioned quite a bit it’s the mental side of this process I can find very tough. Like today for example my mood is good because my weigh in was good - I let the scales dictate my feelings. Actually my mood should be good because I got 8 hours sleep, I’m enjoying my exercise challenge, I had a cuddle with dh and the sun is shining. The good thing is I’m recognising the thinking but I think another month on a dose that’s clearly working fine is better than moving up to chase higher suppression that I do t actually need.

sorry - bit of a stream on consciousness there.

also no one has noticed my almost 2 stone loss either. Although I got half a dozen messages from work friends after my updated newsletter photo to say what a good pic it was so that was very sweet. Maybe that’s their subtle way of saying it.

@millenialmolly yes! To the extent I need to change my collagen gummies as they are too sweet. I grand one of those new M&S 5 ingredient ‘healthy’ bars (dark chocolate coconut and date) to eat on the train after a very long work day this week. Took a bite and could t eat the rest as it was so so sickly. Dd ate the rest when I got home and said it was fine….

I’ve been feeling very much like this too. My losses are slow compared to others who are losing a stone a month but all we can do is keep going. I feel your pain 🩷

My losses pre MJ were around 1lb a week and I’m not actually losing much more than that on MJ. What’s different is that MJ is allowing me to be consistent- inevitably with dieting I’d get fed up and binge after a few weeks, gain back all I’d lost and more and then the cycle began again. Although my losses are slow, the overall trajectory is down now and I keep having to remind myself that’s what’s important.

Ohhh my reply to @millenialmolly had been hidden! It was about a date and coconut bar so that seems odd

Yay for a loss @Zempy and hope the lower dose helps you feel a bit better

@millenialmolly I think because I’ve cut out so much sugar from my overall diet since starting MJ I’m now much more sensitive to it and can definitely taste if something is too sweet. I quite like the Hu range of vegan chocolate, they don’t seem as sweet as some other brands. After not having any for ages as I was worried I’d slip back into old habits, I’m now comfortable treating myself to the occasional square of choc at work.

My go to sweet treat at home is a Medjool date (sorry @Jins!)

@myladyjane i hear you on having to watch how the scales impact your mood. I definitely have this, and have to make a conscious effort to focus on the overall trend, NSVs, and other goals to snap me out of it.

We’re in our lovely cottage - arrived yesterday to a welcome basket of fruit cake, marmalade, local cheese & butter, chutney, Prosecco, juices. Think I will have a few treats this week, as we have a few walks planned too. I think being on MJ provides that safety net of knowing this won’t set me back, but also I’ll not be able to over indulge if I want to avoid side effects. Start my new 5mg pen tomorrow. Have it in my room with a freezer pack, as there’s no hiding it in the fridge here from my mum.

I still eat the odd square or two of very dark chocolate. I can’t remember the brand now but I used to buy an artisan chocolate from Booths, last bought about three weeks ago and I couldn’t eat it, it tasted really processed. I can eat M&S or divine dark chocolate still 🙏, I often have two squares after dinner on Friday and Saturday.

God I am so constipated, nothing is helping. I might resort to movicol, I’d rather not, the taste takes me back to being really poorly. Funny how some things are simply 🚫in my head. I’m sure it’s hormonal as I’ve been feeling very hot with stomach cramps.

1.5lb down since last week, total loss 1st8lb and a smidge.

Happy Saturday, last day of ☀️ here. I’m going to do some gardening, whatever my hayfever can tolerate.

Thanks @DGonMJ. I really needed to be reminded about dates ☹️

No change whatsoever in the taste of sugar here. I do have a very sweet tooth though which hasn’t lessened with age. The only difference on MJ is that I can limit myself. Not completely, there have been occasions where chocolate peanuts have been hoovered up, but for the most part I can stop after a reasonable amount. I have never found anything too sickly to finish in my life, I’d quite like that feeling.

I had a couple of grapes yesterday (off limits but meh) and declared them utterly pointless as they weren’t sweet enough. 🤣

I think I said at the start I’m not going to count calories and just reduce carbs as far as I can within dietary restrictions and I’m holding firm on that as like @myladyjane I can get a bit disordered around the whole process. I did tot up carbs the other day and I’m a little over my former maintenance level so that’s ok. I’m expecting this last stone to be slow.

Only DH has noticed that I’ve lost weight. One friend noticed but only after I told her I was on MJ. However a completely random older man in the car park told me that he liked my trousers (pair usually kept for festivals and very bright) and I looked really good in them. I’m counting that as a NSV as normally I’m completely invisible whatever I wear.

Oh god, I’m so sorry @jins - that was a completely unnecessary tag! Very thoughtless of me. I really hope you’re back to normal now. Will refrain from the D word from now on!

Yes I have totally gone off sugar. Chocolate or cakes have no appeal. Yesterday bought a caramel pudding I used to love, all natural, not very sweet as I thought before- tasted like pure sugar, could only have a couple of teaspoons

@DGonMJ don't worry. It was a perfectly reasonable tag. I do need reminding of these things anyway - going off-piste was reckless and I need telling 🤣

On the plus side I’ve dealt with my mango craving and had no ill effects so that’s a win. It’s not something I buy as I’m the only one that likes it but our tortoises have just woken up and the old lady is always slow to get going. Mango always does the trick so we shared some. She’s 107 bless her so she deserves a bit of special treatment

i’ve taken a step back from the thread recently due to the fact that i actually stopped mounjaro 2 weeks ago due to being very ill from it on 7.5. I have a 5 year old to look after so didn’t want to risk continuing after feeling that unwell. I started at 14.11 and am currently 11.10 i only have 10lbs more to lose so i’m hoping to continue that on my own. (lost 2 without mounjaro last week) But to those who have worried about stopping, so far so good, my hunger hasn’t come back as much as i thought it would and i’m still losing just not as fast thankfully the awful cold feeling has disappeared. I also had a big sweet tooth that calmed down during mounjaro although early days so far it’s not come back quite as strong. Good luck and well done on the losses everyone, i’ll still be lurking to see everyone’s progress.

NsV - I saw some candid photos of me. The ones I would have normally hated and insisted they are deleted, as I looked like a sausage with double chins and ham arms.
But those ones - dare I say I look actually..quite good. My first thought was not ugh I reay need to do something aboit my weight. Nobody would look at the photos and think that oh wow she's really let herself go.

Thanks for posting that @unicornsaremagical. I find that really useful because I’m thinking of stopping fairly soon if I continue to feel wiped out.

I know why I became overweight. When my endocrinologist suggested that 1200cals a day might be too many for me to lose weight I was 😳, I’d never make it on less. Actually I can and I feel like I know what to do. Cut a meal out, and reduce carbs. I feel like I could do that without being on MJ.

My friend who had 1 x 2.5 pen, 1 x 5 pen and 1 x 7.5 pen before deciding that she didn’t want to deal with the side effects has continued to lose weight since stopping MJ.

I’ve actually got ten doses in the fridge and another pen on order which I might cancel.

I’ve had a trying on session this morning, my size 18 tailored clothes not only fit but need taking in.

Have been loving reading everyone's losses and nsv's this week. Well done Losers! 😂

Week 16 jab done. I'm sticking with 7.5 for this month (so 🤞) and had 0.1ml from last pen and 0.5 from the new one.

Stats time:
SW: 15.13.0
CW: 12.13.8
Loss to date 41.2lbs

It may only be by .2 of a lb but it started with a 12 and I'm taking it!! Can't remember last time scales started with a 12! But that could just be menopause brain!

Measured today as well and have lost 10cm off both bust & hips and 13cm off waist. Other areas down too. Now a little worried that my upcoming holiday clothes are going to be too loose. What a great problem to have!

This might sound weird but not sure what height I am now. I was 5'5" but a while back I had a pre-med for something and the nurse measured me as a dubious 5'3". I couldn't face accepting such a big loss in height and put 5'4" with Medexpress! I'm hoping all the extra weight was literally weighing me down and maybe the yoga has helped to stretch me back out again! 🤣

I've always been rather busty and prior to starting mj was 20/22 up top and 16/18 below. Unfortunately it's much harder to disguise big boobs especially when they start to unite forces with the belly! I'm also longer legs and shorter upper body, just to add to our group chat on body types.

A couple of family members have noticed weight loss and have been really positive but I don't want to talk about the jabs with them yet as another family member has issues around body confidence and I don't think it would be helpful with their mental health. DH has been wonderfully complimentary about progress so far but does keep booking holidays and restaurants, so am beginning to think he's trying to subconsciously sabotage me!!

The only other person I've talked about it with was a lovely couple we met on holiday. The woman was completely upfront about using the jabs and looked absolutely fantastic, so it was very encouraging to see, as I was less than 2 months in. I don't have anyone else I can talk to about them so these threads have been a wonderful outlet.

I'm not calorie counting but I am writing everything down together with exercise and when I'm feeling unwell from it. It's helping to keep me accountable and I can see what foods are not beneficial etc.

Sorry for such a long post!

It’s interesting to note that people aren’t seeing everyone’s losses. I wonder sometimes if that’s because they don’t see your gains either? Your own self image looms large in your head no matter what you do (and your self criticism) but others never see you in the same way. So when you think ‘well I look a bit better’ they never thought you looked worse.

I think that may be a very good point

I think it’s simply because people have their own fish to fry/don’t see it or care, and that weight is a tricky subject @Polkadotdash .

My weight gain coincided with me going bald, not something people would comment on really is it. Similarly, I don’t expect anyone to bring up my weight loss.

Think so. Most people are mainly interested in how they appear rather than the opposite. It's not a bad thing, it's human.

I've also had two eggcidents in the last couple of days... should not have bought mini eggs. They didn't even taste that good. Gahhh.

Well my lovely friend commented positively on my weight loss the second she opened the door to me!! 😍

@RosaBaby2 I blame Easter! These Easter eggs just still appeal whereas my usual constant craving for share bar chocolate is at least gone. I still crave a bit of chocolate but I'm happy with a singular bar. I still can't have it in the house really which the Easter eggs proved.

Having said all that. Today I have felt rather suppressed. So maybe it all evens out 😂

First time eating out yesterday. I know most of you have successfully navigated this and I thought I hadn’t done too badly but I’m feeling it today. It was the day after my jab so the highest level of MJ in the week. We went to an Italian place that does gluten free and has a huge menu but when I drilled down there were only two options for me and I chose the wrong one. So I’ve burped penne all’amatriciana for the last 12 hours or so and I’m 2.5lbs up! Can’t be fat so has to be an inflammatory response.

The meal was only just ok as well. I might break out the pepto bismol this morning.

On the plus side I have discovered that the people who leave half their main course and declare themselves too full for pud aren’t putting it on for show and actually mean it as that’s what I did yesterday. Can I claim it as an NSV?

I’ve been amazed by this too- always assumed my friends who didn’t finish their meals when out were simply exercising restraint and being polite. Turns out they were actually just full! Who’d have thought it 😂

Hope you’re feeling better soon. The pepto bismol has definitely helped me lots when I’ve had indigestion.

I'm inspired reading this and other threads, hearing about the weights people are lifting, the water they are drinking etc. I think I need to up my healthy lifestyle or I am going to be in real trouble when I (eventually) stop the MJ.
I started off with good intentions in January,

1. take supplements ( this is the only thing I have done consistently and my hair and nails are ace!),
2. drink 2 litres of water a day, (I have never ever in my life done this)
3. walk every day, (at least 5,000 steps every day but moving towards 10,000 steps)
4. start strength training.
5. make every calorie count in terms of nutrition. I certainly started off well with this, high protein, lots of veg, protein yogurts to fulfil the need for sweetness. The quality of my meals has decreased, just because I am busy, I have been eating smaller quantities of rubbish and this has still let me lose well.

I know if I don't start to cement changes now I will put it all back on. Which I really really don't want!

I feel like I am leaning on the jabs too much. I've been lucky with good losses on a small dose and it's made me complacent.

Does anyone else feel the same? Started off well but letting it lapse? I am going to use Easter 🐣 ( new season, new habits) to start over.