Mounjaro - Late September Starters, Round 3

[ShiftAMountain]

Calling everyone to a new thread as we've only got about 20 slots left on the last one. I hope I've included everyone!!

@10storeylovesong
@Allmyfavouritepeople
@AnybodyAnywhere
@AussieMum135
@Bellyblueboy
@boxoftoads
@ChubbyMcChubfest
@Cocoaone
@CountingSleepySheep
@Darkfloods
@Diarygirlqueen
@discomongoose
@DJL19
@FelicityBeedle
@flobbynomore
@Floofypuppy
@HappyShortFuse
@HippityHoppityhoo
@holycow1
@Jabberwokie
@JustPassingByToo
@JustWalkingTheDogs
@KitsyWitsy
@lespameo
@Letitgoagain
@Marble02031
@morbidcuriosity
@Mydoghealsmyheart
@NoRealPersonInvolved
@ohdearwhatnow12
@Ozgirl76
@Pashazade
@peonym
@RandomID
@Rm2018
@Snapespeare
@Sunbeamturtle
@TheCatterall
@Theredjellybean
@Tipster100
@WeeklyJab
@Witchyandtwitchy

@ShiftAMountain massive congrats, that’s a huge achievement, on both counts!

I need some advice please MN. I’m currently on 10mg dose but the suppression isn’t that great and the food noise is definitely back. I’m due to re-order this week and I’m thinking of going up to 15mg. But then I’m reading a lot of the posts on this thread and seeing that many people are reducing doses. I’ve still got about 5 stone to lose so I’m in it for the long haul but is there anyone who started the same time as me and is still increasing the dose?

@Mydoghealsmyheart I am currently on 10mg and absolutely expect to go up to 12.5mg. Probably not for the next pen, but based on my previous experience I will probably need to go up in 1-2 pen's time.

I still have 25lbs to lose to hit my conservative first target which is a weight I previously felt good at but is still about 7lbs into the overweight target. From there on, who knows but to get to the mid point of healthy requires another 50lbs loss so I still have a way to go, too.

I kind of expect to go all the way to 15mg before I'm done but am just taking it one dose at a time, iyswim. I am done feeling guilty about this stuff. If I need to take 15mg to be healthy, that's what I need and I cannot be feeling bad about it.

Is there a reason you are thinking of jumping from 10mg to 15mg and skipping 12.5mg?

I didn’t realise that there is a 12.5mg dose and I do feel slightly relieved knowing that. You sound very much like me OP in terms of trying to see that we’re in for a longer journey and to row back on self-criticism and guilt. It’s tough enough without adding to our own difficulties by creating pressure for ourselves. I feel I’ve stalled a bit hence the thinking that I move up to the next highest dose. I then worry about side effects being bad such as nausea and constipation but I’ll deal with those as they happen if necessary.
As someone who is also looking at having more weight to lose, have you noticed loose skin or sagging? I’m conscious of me having it and yet still feel the weight loss is worth loose skin as I feel physically better even after just a 3.5 stone loss. I know I should probably be focusing on building “muscle mass” but not sure where to start.

I’m on 15, and when I delayed a dose for three days because I was ill I lost a lot of suppression. Back on it now though, and ticking along.

@Mydoghealsmyheart Definitely my flesh feels softer and my skin a little bit more empty and when I stood in front of the mirror the other day I thought I could see some faint wrinkles on my inner thighs. When I tighten my belt to do it up, my stomach kind of wrinkles - though they vanish again once the belt is done up.

BUT, I saw a post on fb group I am member of recently. It was someone who bravely showed a picture of their stomach when they first lost weight - and it was pretty loose and wrinkly - and then a picture of it a year on and there had been a lot of improvement. It wasn't perfect afterwards but it gave me hope that, if I keep at it, the 1-2 years after reaching goal could bring skin improvements.

In the meantime, I am taking collagen and biotin. No idea if they help (I suspect not) but I decided I'd keep with them, just in case they do help in any way.

I am rubbish at exercising to build muscle mass but I do love being active and gardening and hiking etc. Hopefully that helps a bit.

In short, yes I have some sagging. I don't know what the future holds, how good or bad it might be. But I am committed to finding out and then making a decision from there. It's one of the reasons my target range is so broad, not to lock in on a single number before I know what that really means.

I am also trying very hard to love my body for what it can DO, not for what it looks like. I think of all it has endured, all the over eating, all the weight and strain that brings, all the hormone issues etc. And here it is, still keeping with me, still trying very hard to respond to what I am doing now. For that, I love and admire it.

What a powerful, loving message to yourself. It’s amazing how much we should appreciate our bodies for the incredible things they do. Thank you for sharing your wise words, they have certainly made me feel more positive this morning. Thank you.💐

I'm still about 3 stone off goal weight but at what bmi do you think would be hard to swap supplier?
And any advise on who's best for maintenance?
Just want to be prepared and make sure I'm with a good supplier before target?
4 stone down 3 stone 10 to go!!

A non-scale win today, managed to wrap and tuck in a bath sheet. First time in a long time that I’ve managed that!

Sharing some recently published results for Mounjaro :

Results
A total of 751 participants underwent randomization. The least-squares mean percent change in weight at week 72 was −20.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], −21.4 to −19.1) with tirzepatide and −13.7% (95% CI, −14.9 to −12.6) with semaglutide (P<0.001). The least-squares mean change in waist circumference was −18.4 cm (95% CI, −19.6 to −17.2) with tirzepatide and −13.0 cm (95% CI, −14.3 to −11.7) with semaglutide (P<0.001). Participants in the tirzepatide group were more likely than those in the semaglutide group to have weight reductions of at least 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%. The most common adverse events in both treatment groups were gastrointestinal, and most were mild to moderate in severity and occurred primarily during dose escalation.

I'm not allowed to pos a link from BBC News but here is there summary:

• 32% of people lost a quarter of their body weight on Mounjaro compared to 16% on Wegovy
• Those on Mounjaro lost an average of 18cm from their waistlines compared with 13cm on Wegovy.
• Those on Mounjaro had better blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
• Both had similar levels of side-effects.
• Women tended to lose more weight than men.

Just checking in as it's been quiet on here for a while.

I am plugging away but loss is SLOW. After a little whoosh a couple of weeks back, I've not lost anything further, desite eating right for the most of it. I can only assume this is how it's going to be from now on. Nothing and then a little drop in fits and starts.

This last weekend I feel like I could eat a horse, though. I'm due on so am assuming it's hormonal. It seems to have eased today but, if it hadn't, I'd have been looking to go up a dose a bit earlier than I thought I would.

Hope everyone else is doing ok!

I’m debating tapering off….dropped back to 5mg after two weeks of 7.5mg I was just feeling so nauseous and didn’t want to inject which is a first so I’ve eased back, looking like I might lose a pound this week. But I think I’m going to try and get to 4 stone (only 3lbs to go), I think I may come off slowly after that. Too many little side effects of tiredness, mood, libido and yeah feeling tired with it all rather than excited…. Feeling really well physically and even though my bmi would be 27 I think I’m happy here. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m the same and in fact have moved up to 12.5mg this week but the “food noise” is there still. I’m definitely not feeling hungry as such but certainly will eat more if it looks nice or I’m stressed/tired etc. Whereas at the start I didn’t feel like eating anything more than very small amounts and wasn’t interested in dunking chocolate biscuits in my tea for instance! Weight loss is definitely slower too. I feel quite despondent.

End of week 35
3.1lbs lost, 73.5lbs total.

Sing it with me:
All the love in the world can't be gone
All the need to be loved can't be wrong
All the records are playing and my heart keeps saying
"Boogie Onederland, Onederland"

It's been a good week this week

I’m ok. Not lost any weight for the past few weeks but went shopping today and I am firmly back in size 10 or small.

The majority of my wardrobe is now too big. So I’m having to replace most things.

My BMI is still overweight…

Oh well done shift!
I'm back from a short break to Rhodes with my daughter, haven't seen her since Xmas and she did the most glorious double take when I met her at the airport. Weighed last Tuesday when I left, weighed today, stayed the same, I will absolutely take that given the gallons of wine I've managed to force down. Ate out every night, left food on my plate, am a day late with my dose, so will take that tonight.
A beautiful dress arrived in my absence, Tallulah and hope, oh god it's glorious
I look so fucking good in it. Bit big, will keep it as it's belted and consider getting it tailored a little in 20lbs time at goal .

End of week 36
2.4lbs lost, 75.9lbs total

MJ is now costing me a fortune though - the money I am spending on new clothes as well as shoes and accessories! 😁I feel almost giddy with being able to wear so many different things and not hate the end result.

Lovely to see how well everyone is going.
I did the “golden dose” this week and found it very easy to do.
I’ve gone up a half dose the last three weeks, from 2.5 to 3.75 and I must say, I’m tempted to go down a bit, I’ve felt nausea and I’ve never had that before. I’m sitting here now in the afternoon after having a small lunch and I feel not great at all. I was getting the food noise back on the 2.5 and that has gone but I’m not happy about the nausea. I’m thinking I’ll do one more at this dose and see if it wears off and if not, taper down again.

How long has the nausea lasted for others going up a dose? I thought I was being clever only going up a half dose!

I went up to 7.5mg for two weeks the nausea was grim, I usually get a little bit on my first evening (usually inject after dinner) but then it drops off unless I eat too much. I dropped back down to five and there is more appetite some days but less nausea. So I’m sticking with that. I’ve had nausea to some degree the entire time, guess it’s whether or not it’s a level you can cope with. A friend recommended Rennie’s for taking the edge off the nausea but I haven’t remembered to buy any yet.

I only had a tiny bit of nausea before, in about the first couple of weeks, on day one and two, but nothing much.
But today I do feel quite under the weather with it, and I did the last couple of weeks too. I know it goes but ive barely been able to eat anything today. I think maybe next week I’ll do a 2.5 plus 1/4 of a dose instead of half.

Starting weight in September 14 st 12 lbs at 5 foot 3 inches
Current weight 11 st 6 lbs
Target weight 9 st 12 lbs
On 7.5 mg and hoping not to have to go up any further, I'm happy with a small loss of about a pound a week. My long term intentions are to stay on MJ at a low dose. I have lost weight before and put it back on again. This time I want to be the last time.
Best moment so far : buying a pretty top from a shop I wouldn't have gone into at my biggest.

Hi all, popping my head back in.

shiftamountain - amazing that you’ve made it to onederland! You must be so chuffed.

I can’t relate to those of you struggling with slowing losses on higher doses, but I do have a friend who has been on MJ since Jan and is on 10mg and still has food noise and slower losses. She’s a bit despondent but this week finally lost 2lb which is better than the 0.5 or STS she’s had most weeks. It’s fascinating how everyone’s body reacts so differently to the medicine.

I realise this is probably tone deaf, but in the interest of showing different reactions to the meds:
I’ve been at goal for nearly 4 weeks now, I have dropped down from 3.75 to 2.75mg but still losing weight - I’m 136 today and my goal was 140lb. I had roughly maintained for a couple of weeks and then randomly have dropped nearly 3.5lbs in the past 2 weeks.
I need to up my calories again but weirdly I’m eating similar meals to before MJ - just without all the snacking. I love how MJ fixes all my sugar/insulin issues - I wasn’t quite Prediabetic before, but not far off, and my blood sugars were all over the place (I have to keep an eye due to other meds I’m on) so I really don’t want to come off. I feel like if I come off, I’ll be tempted to get the calories with chocolate or sweets, whereas on MJ I want healthier foods. Or - I’ll just go straight back to the same sugar/insulin rollercoaster.

I’ve also been a bit more active than usual as I’m eating more and have more energy. But that’s not helping the continuing weight loss!

So my plan is to up calories by maybe 200 per day and see what happens. Maybe reduce down to 2.5mg or lower if I’m still losing.

its amazing that we’ve all been on this journey for 8/9 months now. Who would have thought that was even possible?!

@Cocoaone ..I'm.very similar.
I've been on a varying maintenance dose for about 4 months now.
I feel some weeks I eat loads but my weight has pretty much stayed between 62-63.5 kgs.
I did creep up to 64.4 last week after a heavy few days with lots of alcohol.
But drops again quite quickly.
If I drop below 62 kg I try to eat more...
It's weird...I have some suppression of food noise still but my taste and desire for alcohol is back with a vengeance which is a shame...

Are any of you on HRT, specifically the oral progesterone? I know Mounjaro can affect the pill but no one seems to have mentioned HRT. I’ve emailed my gyne about it but I wondered if any of you were in that boat.

Hey, I did read something a few weeks ago about HRT absorption and Mounjaro. I cant remember where I saw it but I had a conversation with DH as I ballooned on HRT and have taken Mounjaro to help with the weight gain.
This just felt like a bit of kick in the guts to find out the one thing is now negating the other!
I think you are totally correct, it needs to be investigated to understand the impact.