Mounjaro/Wegovy with > 5st/30kg to lose: Thread 7

[MooBaggage]

Thread SEVEN of this lovely community. Anyone using weight-loss injections to lose more than 5 stone or 30kg is very welcome to join us, no matter what stage of the process you are on. Share your losses, your non-scale victories (NSV), your frustrations and your love of Longley Farm cottage cheese and kiwi fruit here!

Nothing is off limits to discuss - from protein sources to B bellies; Hammocks to smart scales; feeling chilly to easier bum wiping 😃

Please don’t post discount codes on this thread as your post will be deleted. These need to go in the dedicated thread on this board

NSV today - I am wearing my size 18 work trousers today. They are unflattering tight with no forgiveness in them but they are on. This was a difficult decision, my size 20 ones in the same style are too big and need rolling over the waist band twice and look like a sack of potatoes on me.
i suspect the size 20 may actually be more flaattering and ofcourse comfortable but I have taken the leap. I hope I don’t bust out of them today 😬

I have taken the plunge and ordered a dress in a size 16 it has some stretch in a back panel so I am hoping the extra 2cm on my waist over the measurements will be OK. We’re going to Wembley for a concert at the beginning of July so really wanted something nice to wear that fits properly. I had a slight movement on my weight yesterday after a long plateau, so hope to have a few more pounds off by then.

22lbs off since October which is slow but far more than I could have hoped for without Mounjaro, altogether since June 2023 (when I was pre diabetic) I am 43lbs down which for someone with an underactive thyroid, fibromyalgia and post menopause I am really happy with. My blood sugars are normal and my blood pressure has reduced. I still have a long way to go, but feel I can do it however long it takes.

I just wish it was available on the NHS for more people to benefit.

can I join you?

just did my 1st injection today, wasn’t as bad as I thought. I have around 40kg to loose which just seems like a huge mountain. I have lost 30kg before just by calorie counting and being more active but gained it back over a number of year and with menopause it’s just not shifting this time.

I’m tracking calories, drinking water and hope the side effects aren’t too bad.

SW 107.6kg (237.2 lbs 16st 13)
GW 70kg (154lbs)

@48mumof6 I also don't exercise in the traditional way because of mobility issues and running the real risk of making physical heath issues worse.
Would swimming be an option for you? It's about the only form of exercise I can do safely. Most pools have pool lifts/chair lifts/hoists as needed.

For those that use collagen e.t.c has anyone come across a vegan/vegetarian collagen. I know they aren't really compatible though! I've been by and large a vegetarian for 35+ years (I also don't eat whole eggs or fish) and as the youngest is medically dairy free a lot of what I eat is vegan by default. I did buy one to try but it was like drinking slime it was that revolting. The thought of actual collagen though really doesn't appeal to me.

Come and join us! Everyone's welcome.

Side effect wise the only one I have ever had is being constantly freeeeezing cold. As in winter wool duvet, 5 extra blankets and I'm still cold at night type cold.

Hi @TwoBlueFish 😊 Well done on doing your first injection - I was terrified when I did mine and then couldn't believe that I didn't feel anything..!

I also had 40kg to lose to get to my initial target - am halfway there having hit 20kg loss last week. Have you got lots of small goals along the way? I need to feel like I've achieved something virtually every week 🙄😃

Side effects - I've got very strong suppression, so minimal desire to eat anything at all for about 5 days of each week. I also get headaches for the first couple of nights following injection, which was really annoying at first, but am now used to - I tend to wake up at about 4am, get up and get paracetamol and go back to sleep. Other than that, I've been OK - just struggle some days to get my calories in, still feels bonkers...

I'm not sure there's such a thing as vegan collagen (someone else may know better!) But you can certainly get plant based protein powder that has many of the amino acids or synthetic versions of them anyway. I quite like Huel but only the coffee caramel and vanilla flavours - the other flavours are disgusting! The Black versions are vegan and have 40g of protein per serving so pretty good.

Week 46 weigh in.

SW: 139kg (21st 12 lbs)
CW: 86.6kg (13st 8lbs), was 87.9kg (13st 11lbs) last week.
GW: 81kg (12st 11 lbs) fifth interim goal

Current pen: 10mg, 1 week on this dose.

Really pleased to have had a more than 1kg loss, 1.3kg or 2.9pounds to be precise, so I am happy that the 10mg is doing the trick so far. Also, no side effects from moving up either, as yet.

SW 124kg (started end of July 24)
SBMI 41.4
CW 92.3kg
CBMI 30.8 (still obese)

Total loss to date 31.7kg / 5 stone

Goal 72 kilos / top of healthy BMI range

Things have slowed down and my weight still fluctuates by 2 kilos from day to day, yet still I am slowly & steadily reducing excess fat.

Daily hot yoga continues and I can feel long lean strong muscles under remaining excess body fat. I have some wrinkly skin on upper arms, belly and inner thighs - but nothing too bad. I do think the yoga, skin brushing & daily moisturising is really helping my skin. I need to get more consistant taking flaxseed oil & collagen to help from the inside. I still have a ridiculously low step count, but I am using my bicycle instead of the car when I'm not with the kids.

This is the lightest I have been for at least 2 decades. I'm looking foward to getting BMI below 30 & weight below 90kilos - hopefully this will happen in June.

ooooh @RobinEllacotStrike you are so close to that BMI of 29! 5 stone off is incredible - amazing. Have you got a final target in mind that's a BMI under 25? I only ask because my initial end goal was for a BMI of 29 (hopefully in Jan 2026) but recently I've decided I'll keep going to BMI of 24 - by Sept 2026. I couldn't get my head around how 'light' that weight will be for me at first, but I'm trying to get myself to realise that it's doable with MJ.

I bought some size 16 trousers but they're too small for me - can't quite get them over my bum! Debating whether to swap for a bigger size or keep them to look forward to as I lose weight... Normally I would try to be realistic and just take them back, but now I'm thinking, maybe it is realistic to think they'll fit me soon! Maybe keeping them is an act of faith in myself and this process!

Yes I agree, I think weight targets likely change as you go.
Initially for me just getting under BMi 40 was daunting. I’m now 38 and heading for <30. No idea how I’ll then feel.

Ok well 3.5 stone off and not a dickie bird from anyone. No comments at all about my weight loss.
Today, Prematurely into very tight size 18 trouser & had my first remark “you look like you’ve lost a little weight?”

I wanted to say ‘yes 3 and 1/2 bloody stone’ but my reply, ah thanks yes a little’.

I mean I want people to notice & I want to celebrate, but at the same time I don’t want comments/attention brought to how big I was and telling people I’ve lost weight is a double edged sword.
If I say how much I lost, the mental guesmatics of gosh how much did she weigh if she has lost that amount and still looks like that!

Arghhh
Wish I didn’t need the validation for me efforts and I wasn’t as embarrassed about the state I let myself get to.

The person who noticed today remarked, well good for you and your well being.
I spent ages dissecting this comment. It’s a nice/kind comment…. But somehow my sensitive soul tells me she said “well you bloody needed to loose some”.
The stupid thing, ofcourse I needed to, I wasn’t 21 stone.

😕

It is just total headfuckery isn't it? By coincidence, I saw my two oldest/best friends last week (separately!) and they each asked me if I'd lost weight, for the first time - I've now lost 3 1/4 stone. They both said well done, etc. It's so hard isn't it - it's good and bad both at the same time...

And I have no idea why, but when they each asked how I'm doing it, I told one of them about MJ but not the other. No idea why I couldn't tell one of them - I'm not ashamed and he would thoroughly approve and support.

I think for me, having been so big/smaller/bigger my entire adult life, I feel like the implication is (when I tell people) that I obviously can't do this on my own and need the drugs - which is entirely true! But somehow it's a weakness I have, rather than a physical necessity??

I'm wearing size 16 jeans - I really love the style and they were only £22 from Sainsburys. I then purchased a size 14 and they were too snug to wear so I returned them. What a muppet!! The size 16 are getting way too big now, and I'd probably be fitting the 14 ok. Might pick up them up in a size 14 this weekend if they are still available.

If you like them and you'll wear them when they fit, it might be worth keeping them.

@Reginaphalangeeeee yours was one of the messages I read this morning when I was psyching myself up to do my 1st injection. 3 1/2 stone is amazing and I’d have been wearing those smaller size trousers too 👏 👏

We all like being praised for our achievements - I think its human nature.
But I agree its a total head fuck. I'd like to just get slim and enjoy my changed body, but I'm also a bit WTF if no one offers positive comments. I would find "ooh you've gained a lot of weight" very offensive, yet get miffed if people don't say "ooh you've lost weight" - yet they are both sides if the same coin.

Mostly this is another part of our head noise I guess. But also a timely reminder that no one really cares about other peoples bodies - sure being overweight can be & often is weaponised, but that is ignorant people grasping for easy weapons. Mostly our body image is OURS alone, and as much as its a HUGE issue for us, most people don't care at all.

In work I think the new way is not not to comment on other peoples bodies. Which considering how womens bodies have been scrutinised and judged for millenia is a welcome change. I went to a work party this week, 30 kilos down in the most fabulous dress. I received some lovely compliments "you're looking gorgeous Robin" etc which of course I enjoyed (my dress was brilliant) but nothing directly about weight. On balance I prefer this way.

I do have another WFH colleage on MJ (I knew he'd be into it as like me hes always struggled to maintain a healthy weight so when I saw he'd lost weight we quickly establised we were both on the jags) and we have a little "looking fab - you go for it skinny B" support side group.

I'm about to enter a strange new world.

I do think the reason things got so slow between 100kg to 92 kg is the mid 90's kg is a very happy settled place for my body. I know this place and it really was lovely to get back here from the excesses of 120kg plus where I had been for a while.

But I do want to keep going - below 90kg / 29BMI will be a whole new world for me. So I am aiming for BMI 24 (about 72kg) which is top of healthy range, and I will reassess again when I get there. It really does feel a bit like deep space exploration & I have no idea how it will look & feel to be that weight.

I still get ridiculousy chuffed scratching my back or rubbing my thigh and finding muscles there.

One step at a time.

At the beginning of my MJ I read about the "paper towel effect" of weight loss, especially when you have a lot to lose.

I'm really starting to see this now.

from google ai:
"The "paper towel effect" is an analogy used in weight loss to describe how the visibility of weight loss increases as you get closer to your target weight. It's similar to how the number of paper towels you need to remove from a roll to notice a size difference is much greater when the roll is almost empty compared to when it's full.

Here's a more detailed explanation:
Fat Loss as Removing Paper Towels:
When you're at a higher weight, losing a certain amount of fat (like removing a few sheets from a full roll) might not be as noticeable as when you're at a lower weight, even if the amount of fat lost is the same.

Surface Area and Visibility:
At a higher weight, the fat is spread over a larger surface area, making individual weight loss less apparent. As you lose weight and the surface area decreases, each pound lost becomes more noticeable.

Example:
Imagine removing 10 sheets from a new roll of paper towels versus removing 10 sheets from a roll that's already been used. The size difference is much more obvious in the second case.

Psychological Impact:
The paper towel effect can help with motivation, as it can be discouraging to not see immediate results in the mirror when you're at a higher weight. Understanding this effect can help you be more patient and persistent in your weight loss journey. "

How do other people respond to people asking about their weight loss? I'm almost 30kg (about 4 5 stone??) down now but have a hell of a lot to go still. My BMI is still 35.1

I find people asking personal questions about me VERY uncomfortable- to the extent that unless I a) know the person VERY well and b) it's not in earshot of my kids people get told it's my private medical information I don't share. I want to class people asking 'have I lost weight' in the same way but at the same time don't want to give as blunt an answer. I suppose a lot of this is coming from the fact that I spent many, many years growing up being belittled for my weight.

@alltablenochairs so far I just say "yes, I have" and don't offer any other info, and I try to be emotionally neutral so not obviously happy or grumpy about being asked. Then I try to move the conversation onto something else as quickly as I can. Seems to be working so far. It's hardest when it's people who haven't seen me for a while and I've had one person be really quite shocked and literally looked me over. They were very complimentary, but I did not like the attention. They actually described me as slim, but my BMI is still 31, so not actually slim by a fair way! Just comparatively it seems that way.

That's very helpful - thank you.

Loads of folk are commenting now and I say I have lost 4 stone (4 stone 5 now) and I say, "4 more stones to go" and then a convo usually takes place about "ridiculous BMI"....I expect folk knew by looking at me I was 18 stone 11, but maybe not? They seem shocked that I have another 4 to go.

I have told no one in real life about MJ. I just say I am on strict keto (which I am) and I have also stopped drinking (since January). That shocks people more than the weight loss😂

I had a total headfuck last week that 2 people, on separate occasions, didn't recognise me! I agree that it is a weird experience getting thinner when everybody has always known you as fat. I don't like the attention and don't dress to show it off as yet
Most friends have been polite and tactful, things like "You look great" etc, but I have had a few, not close, friends say thinks like "You've lost weight, are you using those jabs?", I had someone this week say "Well as long as you are not using those injections..." I don't tell everybody but I have stopped keeping it secret and started biting back a bit rather than be complicit with people who are just ignorant.

I am rather put out though at the clothes size I still need compared to other people. I am 5ft 6, just over 12 and 1/2stone, BMI 28 but still in M&S size 16 tops and 18 jeans, Seasalt size 20 dresses although I'm size "Fuck knows" in many places as they are so variable!

Weigh in day today

SW 20st 5lbs
CW 16st 10lbs
TW 12st 7lbs

Total loss 54.6 lbs

I don’t know how I feel about it all tbh… I’m in size 20 jeans down from a 24 and I’m definitely feeling better. But I tired a dress on in my wardrobe at the weekend and thought I didn’t look any different to before I lost the weight.

I am, though feeling so much better in myself - my skin is glowing and I’m definitely taking up less space. My used to keep getting my seat belt caught in the car door, now it goes back properly every time. Walked a total of 7 miles today and it’s not totally killed me.

For those of you using the mirror to gauge your appearance, have you still got the photos you submit for your prescription?

Do a side by side of the first and last photo and see what you see. I still struggle to see a difference in the mirror sometimes, but it’s definitely a different image