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 💪

I've eaten out quite a few times and I can generally only eat half. I used to order children's meals to keep calories down where as now I want to order them because I can't eat anything else. Hubby also on mj and he suggested sharing an adult fish and chips yesterday. It was just the right size and then I just ended up skipping dinner, by the time we got home and I got the kids to bed it was too late.
I have been on 5mg for nearly 3 months now (2.5 for 4 weeks and taking 15th jab in a few days) so no side effects at all, although I do remember in the early weeks feeling a bit bleugh when eating out. I'm now wanting to up calories. I'd actually like to eat some chocolate, I fancied some yesterday but didn't manage to buy any so didn't have any. I just don't fancy it any more. It's incredible!! I used to binge on multiple sharer bags!! I want to get closer to a maintenance dose now (only about half a stone left to lose) but not sure whether SheMed will support maintenance on a lower dose than 5. I shall be asking this week. I definitely want to stay on it for a while, I don't want the binge eating to come back.

@BreezyPeer I’m the same. I’m not eating very healthily, despite my aims. I don’t eat much protein (vegetarian - so cheese was my main protein. Only eating mini amounts of that now). I don’t drink water, apart from to take meds. I’m still struggling with a shift in eating habits. I’m a really boring eater, I just eat the same all the time. I grew up eating chips every day, peas were the only veg we had and I only ever drank fizzy pop. ‘Dieting’ meant the grapefruit diet or the cabbage soup diet I.e. deprivation. I’m realising I don’t know how to eat normally for weight loss/maintenance

My healthy eating has also fallen away. I'm also a vegetarian, so protein is a challenge as I can't eat eggs or cheese on MJ without paying for it. I'm leaning heavily on things like protein bagels, protein yogurt and low calorie pop chip type things. When I started I was having salad every day! Still haven't added in the exercise, but I've been pretty good on the water from the start.

@Polkadotdash was out with my friends yesterday afternoon and told them all I was on the jabs as we just started discussing it. They asked me if it was working 😂 With a two stone weight loss on a small frame I couldn't believe they couldn't see it. In their eyes, I'm just me. I've been all shapes and sizes and they simply don't see if I'm big or small. I'm just me. That's quite comforting.

@BreezyPeer I had a couple of weeks of not being as focused on what was going in, just trying to keep within my cals, because I was away. It definitely slowed me down.

Good news is, today has seen a loss for this week of nearly 3lbs after stalling for two weeks. I feel like I deserve it 😂

SW - 168.5lbs
CW - 141.7lbs
BMI - 26.8

The sun is out - enjoy your days everyone!!

This is why I never really changed my eating habits in the first place. I was pretty sure my weight gain was due to snacks and inability to recognise what a portion should look like and/or when I’d had enough. I’ve upped my protein, lowered carbs and added good fats and as we tend to eat a Mediterranean style diet with intervening days of good old British stodge it’s been fairly straightforward. I think because I’ve had a previous successful weightloss and maintenance I have had a closer eye on maintenance than if I’d yoyod in the past.

So I eat a smaller portion of what everyone else is having, don’t need snacks but don’t refuse chocolate or the occasional crisp. I’ve been very rigid in the past, probably orthorexic, and I don’t want to be that person again

I have been lazier the last few weeks but I think that’s because I’ve decided to stay on MJ long term/for life. I’ve sort of handed responsibility over to it. I’ve got a stone to go to my goal weight and I’m happy for that to be very slow. 1kg a month would suit me fine.

Yes. This us totally where I've got to. I'm not being as mindful as it's the easter hols and I just don't have as much headspace.

Think I'll sit down and write a list of commitments like this. It's a really good idea.

I hear everyone on leaning on the mj to make the better choices. It’s turned off the need for a lot of carby/sweet food for me and I have rediscovered my love of fruit which is great. But I am so not hungry that I grab stuff to fill rather then nourish.

i also find protein tough. I am a pescatarian but only to make sure I get enough protein, I rarely actually want fish. I mean I like it enough but if I never had it again I wouldn’t notice. Pulses can be a bit rough on my tummy and whilst I like tofu it takes effort to cook well and I can’t be arsed. Eggs set off my sulphur burps. So I eat a load of Greek yoghurt and cottage cheese, both of which I like a lot but get boring. Then it becomes a bit of a viscous circle.

I also am making myself have something a bit crap. As I mentioned yesterday and you mentioned @jinsI have to be careful not to get into too strict a headspace and so need to ‘allow’ myself a bit of chocolate or a slice of pizza because food is fun as well. Last night I made myself have a bounty ice cream (usually a favourite) but gave the last third to dd.

again it’s the mental side I am finding tough - walking that line between good quality nourishment I can tolerate and recognising life is not about perfection all the time….

@Thelittlestranger @Polkadotdash @UnderandOverwhelmed @Jins @herinthehill @myladyjane
I think I'm going to make a plan to increase each part of my plan slowly over the next few weeks.
I have had a few treats, mostly home made cake but this hasn't made me eat everything sweet in the postcode which it did before MJ.
Interesting to hear about healthy eating and vegetarian and pescatarian menus. I eat our 'normal' family fairly healthy meals, small portions, when someone else is here but I struggle to eat at all, or just do a piece of toast for dinner when I'm on my own. I need to plan for these days, batch cooked freezer portions might be my friend here!
Going out for Sunday Lunch in a bit so I'll report back hoping for lots of veg, xx

After a lovely two hour walk, I had a proper pub meal yesterday. Ordered steak pie with mash and buttered veg. Was delicious, gave away most of the pastry crust to DS and the mash to DH. But those first few mouthfuls were heavenly.

We’re off out for a Sunday Roast today. Half expecting not to finish my meal, after jab #15 this morning, but hopefully with DH and 2 teens on the table it will get eaten. I’ve not been ordering starters as mains, as I never feel I’m that suppressed. However I often get halfway through a main and either ask to bring the rest home (unless DH ‘helps’).

As some you have mentioned I’m having to consciously ‘ease-up’ on my self-imposed restrictiveness. Partly because I’m near goal and need to start upping calories in a healthy way - both mentally and physically. The need to prioritise protein/veg helps me make good decisions ie eat eggs & avo for breakfast rather than just toast. But eating pizza, cake or chocolate still feels like I’m flirting with danger!

Hi
Jins, hope you feel better soon.
We’ve been out for Italian with friends who are over from Australia this lunchtime, I was really careful and went for minute steak with extra salad vs chips and it was minute! It wasn’t well cooked either so super disappointing, expensive and I’m starving! Thinking enviously about your pie @DGonMJ 🤣

I’ve eaten in a v similar way to my normal
way of eating and meals, just smaller portions, lower carb ( I’d got into an awful bread habit!!) and less snacks. I’ve always drunk loads of water from years of yo yo diets so that’s not been an issue, I’ve also not drunk since Christmas, not because I’m making a thing just because I don’t fancy it. Loads of people have commented on my skin this past week, I don’t see any difference and not sure whether it’s not drinking, losing weight or new products!!

I’m a bit of an all or nothing girl too, I need to get better at not depriving myself and recognising that as long as I don’t eat pizza all the time it’s ok! Im wondering whether today is the day to have a hot cross bun!

I've been emailing Oushkk again after my tummy problems a couple of weeks ago, they’re fine now but I’m staying on 7.5 for longer so 2 more doses of this one and ordered another. Really hoping to drop another pound before Wednesday to hit my 3 stone mark and 1 1/2 stone to goal!

have defintely eaten too much over the past few days, but visiting parents and there's just too much food around. But less than I would have without Mj,and no drinking. I don't really enjoy feeling full, I have to say.

I’m another one who has eased up being so restrictive. I was hardcore low carb, high protein, no sugar for the first few weeks but I equally I didn’t fancy any sugar/processed food at all during that time. I’m now allowing myself to eat more ‘normally’ so have had the odd pastry or sweet treat, and have had chips with a meal etc. But it’s all in a more normal manner than how I used to eat pre-MJ. So for exemple, I had a large chocolate pastry brought home by DH on Friday morning but I saved it and had it for my lunch then had a cheese omelette and sweet potato chunks done in the air fryer for tea. Before I would probably eat the pastry, eat my lunch, eat my tea and also snack in between. Or we ended up in Nando’s on Wednesday evening as it’s DD’s favourite and I ordered what I would usually have but left half of it as I was full (unheard of!).

I’m also pretty close to my initial goal of 9st 7lbs, with just 11lbs left to lose, and I’m hoping I can carry on this approach with my eating once I hit my goal.

I want to lose a few more kilos, so will be stricter when I get back home on Tuesday (bloody Lufthansa changing my reasonable afternoon flight to 6AM, grumble). Want to lose a few more kilos before summer - I am excited to see if I can escape the chub rub this year. Wouldn't this be fabulous?

I was pondering chub rub whilst clearing out my underwear drawer recently. I had a few pairs of the snag shorts which are now too big, and I’m not sure if I’ll need them any more? I do still have big thighs but I think I might actually not suffer this year!!

Bloody chub rub! My legs aren’t remotely chunky, I am Humpty Dumpty shaped, but I would need to get down to size ten to stop having to wear shorts under dresses. 🤬

Had a good day, although I slept quite a bit. Suppression still good despite reverting to a lower dose (5.63 instead of 7.5 which was too much)

Looking forward to Easter weekend. I just need to avoid buying any hot cross buns because I have an addiction issue.

I’m planning to take Easter Sunday off (jab in the evening). I’ve a flake Easter egg and planning to make a mini egg cheesecake. It’ll be interesting to see how much I have, previously a medium sized egg wouldn’t last the day..

Today is jab day, but I just couldn't be bothered to do it and by the time I thought I should I decided to wait until tomorrow morning. When I took it later in the day last week I felt pretty wired overnight. Anyone else had that?

@Thelittlestranger I've only had my jab in the morning, but my God, I sure feel it if I eat too much later on! I'm almost too worried to try having it in the afternoon/evening.

I've lost count of how many weeks since I started (it was the 3rd Jan, so I think I'm on Week 15 now). I took the bonus dose of the 7.5mg pen on Friday. Last week, Zava sent me the 10mg dose. I think this will be my last one until maintenance doses - I'll have to talk to them this month about that.

Stats:
SW: 76.2kg, BMI 28, fat 36.5, subcut fat 32.7%, visceral fat 11, water 43.6%, metabolic age 49 (I'm 44)
CW (today): 59.8kg, BMI 22, fat 30%, subcut fat 27.9%, visceral fat 5, body water 48%, metabolic age 43.

I need to do more in the way of exercise/strength training (yes I keep saying that!!) - work has been shite and I'm knackered in body and soul from that. For food, I eat whatever I fancy (plenty of variety etc), but small portions and I stop when I'm full. I won't eat if I'm not hungry, but in order to keep the calories coming in, I always have some protein yogurts at home (so I can have a few spoonfuls at a time when I'm not hungry but have to eat). If I throw caution to the wind and carry on eating, I feel so sick. Whereas before I could polish off a large bag of crisps, or eat my way through a giant Toblerone over 3 or 4 days, it now take AGES (and the kids will polish off anything I've opened!). @BreezyPeer, I do have the batch cooked freezer portions, but I don't often fancy them!! I think soups will be a good go-to for me: healthy, plenty of veg and pulses, easier to digest. This evening, I had a kid-sized portion of rice and chinese chicken. In the morning, I treated the kids and myself to a Maccy D breakfast (sausage and egg McMuffin meal and a black coffee). Yummy, but I couldn't finish it! In olde times, I would have polished off the double sausage and egg muffin meal, with an extra hashbrown too.

I love cooking, but I wish I had a magic robot that would make up some bento box style things for me to graze on during day. Or I need to get my arse in gear and do that!

I'm off work this week, so plenty of R+R, and I've been sorting my camper van. I'm doing stuff with the kids and seeing friends. Need to sort camping gear so I can get to gym equipment! As it's a bit warmer, I'll start cycling to work. There are a squillion roadworks starting up all over bloody town and traffic will be shite. So that will be good exercise as well as beating the traffic :)

Week 12 injection yesterday. 3rd 7.5mg jab. 13.6kg lost, very pleased with that. I got a little stuck a couple of weeks ago but I think it was water retention/period etc. Scales have moved again since. Have started iron and vitamin D supplements (recommended here). I feel more human than i did at the end of last year. My NSV - how much less heavy my periods have been.

I will be going up to 10mg when 7.5mg pen is done. Hoping to stay there.

I have been thinking more about maintaining. I only planned to be on MJ for 6 months. I lost a big amount of weight in my late 20s. Meal replacement diet. I managed to keep it off till pregnancy. Have a rough obstetrics history so it never shifted and I just added more. I am so hopeful for mindset change and not undoing all my hard work...

Morning, my trend line is moving down at 1lb a week rate again thankfully. Think I’ll be going up to 10mg for my next pen. Easter hols here so this will be testing as I’m an emotional eater with stress and bickering DC is triggering! If I can stick to 1.5lb a week I can lose about a stone before the summer holidays so that would be nice, not to have such a massive belly!

My body really likes its set point at 10st 3 as there’s an upward creep to get back there again. It wouldn’t be the end of the world to stay at just over BMI 25 but it doesn’t leave much room for manoeuvre.

Pepto bismol sorted out the indigestion pretty well. It was very odd really as the meal I chose wasn’t miles away from stuff we make at home. It’s good to have a product that really helps in the cupboard.

Morning everyone!

I’ll do my week 15 jab tomorrow, but got weighed today and… drumroll!! I have hit 3 stone off 🎉.

start weight 16 stone 3 1/2
current weight 13 stone 3 1/2
goal weight 11 stone 10

it feels achievable now, hoping that by our holiday on 4th July I should be there- 12 weeks to lose 21 pounds may be doable 🤞🏻.

sorry for the self congratulatory post!
Hope you all have good Mondays despite bickering children and chocolate!!

Well done @2025istheyeari

I am definitely in a plateau, despite calories being around 800 a day. I will just keep going, it has to break down at some point, right?

Even if I only lose a pound a week, I will get to goal by the end of the summer. I guess I just hoped I would continue to lose 2 pounds a week so it’s going to take a little longer.

Yay @2025istheyeari 🏅🏅🏅

@Zempy i know everyone is unique but you could try actually increasing calories for a couple of days. Have a read of what your Tdee is and if maintenance is, for example, 1700 you could go up to 1350 and then back down to 800.
For me, I often find a higher calorie day seems to be followed by a loss and I don’t think I’ve actually ever hit my maintenance of 1800 yet.

I gain if I go over 1350 so there’s not much wriggle room. I think I have to just keep going and trust in the process.