random questions about life after MJ

[MJconfessions]

I have a few questions to those who have already finished!

Did anyone find it difficult to build muscle on MJ? Hoping I’ll see more weight training progress once MJ is out of my system 🙂

My BMI is 21 but I still have excess arm/thigh/tummy fat that I didn’t have when I was slim before. Not sure if my extra body fat could be bloating or stress perhaps as my weight is relatively low - did you notice anything like this once stopping MJ? Wondering if my body just needs a break.

I haven’t had dermal face filler before. Post-weight loss my face is a bit hollow (could be aging too as I’m late 20s). I’m considering getting filler to restore some volume. However I often feel dehydrated on MJ and curious if my face may naturally fill out once I’m off MJ and feel more hydrated. Has anyone noticed changes to their face like this? Happy to hear experiences either way.

I'm really interested in this. My stomach is terrible! I don't feel I have any muscle at all but to be honest I haven't been doing any kind of training. That's something I've got to look into now. I'm thinking of coming off because my face is thin enough and is becoming a bit wrinkly. I'm older than you and I hadn't really realised the reason my skin was good before was because of the fat!

Hopefully someone will come with advice for us! 😁

I encourage you to start weight training though! It’s easy to lose muscle mass on MJ, which leads to your body not quite looking or feeling right. I felt really weak. Plus the machines at the gym are easy to use. You’ll get a confidence boost when you work out too.

& I want to believe that rapid weight loss from WLIs might lead to our bodies not soaking in enough nutrients? So our faces may naturally plump a bit when our bodies are not in weight loss mode? Would be good to hear from others on this!

Your last point about nutrient absorption can't be right. MJ slows down food transit so in theory there's more than enough time for absorption. You need to ensure you are eating a balanced diet, high in protein and at least 2 litres of water.

Weight training and Pilates sorts the physical side out. You shouldn't be loosing weight rapidly, 1-2 lbs a week is what you should be aiming for.

Fat doesn't bloat, your fat is your fat, it will shrink if you are in a calorie deficit but otherwise it is the size it is. MJ doesn't stop you from growing muscle per se but it is really hard to grow muscle in calorie deficit so you may find it easier to grow muscle if you can eat more. If you have eaten enough protein and continued weight training while taking Mj you shouldn't have lost too much muscle.
in relation to your face, being dehydrated might make you look a bit gaunt but it won't be a permanent change. Sadly being obese does change your skin elasticity so when you lose weight you won't look like you did before you gained weight. I'm not sure your theory on nutrients has much to do with what your face looks like.

I'm not losing weight rapidly, though I have lost over four stone in a year. At the very most I lose a pound a week.

I certainly feel weights are helping my arms, shoulders, back and the side boob fat bits, and I feel my saggy skin is improving as time goes on, my stomach feels like a bit of a lost cause 🤣 but it was never flat. I think time helps as your body gets used to the new size and staying at the same weight.
Im 61 so always knew that I’d have saggy skin issues but actually I feel great and doing weights is making me feel really strong and healthy and I’m pleased with how I look and feel.
My face is much wrinklier than it was, but I don’t want to have fillers or injections so I just have to learn to love my lines, if I was younger I’d do something.

Yes your digestions slows down so there is more time for absorption but you can only absorb nutrients if you have actually eaten them.

I have recently realised I am anemic post my 50lb weight loss on Mounjaro. It took me about 9 months to lose the weight so not super fast. I focused a lot on eating protein both chicken and fish and protein yoghurts plus vegetables so low carb but what I didn’t realise was that chicken and salmon have very little iron. I was not eating enough iron and wasn’t taking a multivitamin.

The lack of energy I put down to Mounjaro didn’t improve once I switched to eating more due to maintenance and taking a lower weekly Mounjaro dose. I couldn’t entertain the thought of exercising - I fell asleep at 7pm several times a week and felt tired with a low mood or grumpy most of the time.

I got turned away from giving blood as my haemaglobin was too low and then started on a multivitamin for over 50s. After three months of taking the vitamin I got some blood tests done. My haemaglobin had dropped another point and I had low B12, low vitamin d as well. I am now on mega doses of iron, B12 and vitamin D and have repeat blood tests scheduled to see how the results improve in 3 months. I started feeling better within two weeks of taking the vitamins and I think my hair loss has gone back to normal rates of loss when I wash or brush it. I also look less tired and haggard.

My advice to everyone using Mounjaro is to take a strong multivitamin and focus on iron as well as protein in your diet. Plus don’t lose weight too fast as weight loss is hard on your body and fast weight loss will be really hard on it.

@unsync but you only have to see so many posts that people literally expect MJ to ‘melt the fat away’ at 3 stone within 3 to 4 months etc - clearly cost for many kind of pushes this feeling too. I think that’s part of the problem - constant talk of ‘upping the dose’ if losing slowly or the fact they don’t have suppression. Or enough suppression. it’s as if many people are frightened to still actually feel appetite ‘at all ‘- I may be an outlier on this but surely the whole point is to retrain your brain to change your way of eating, look at different foods that can be filling with less calories , accept smaller portions , up the excercise - because if not , unless intending to constantly suppress any appetite heavily for ever more I honestly feel a fair few will end up on what I call the ‘lighter life’ syndrome - everyone I know who did that banged a load of weight back on when they started actually eating again because it hadn’t changed their habits if actually eating. The 1 to 2lb is optimal for not getting loose skin - I lost a fair bit a couple of years ago ( several stone) and had none at all - but was around 2lb a week max . I totally agree with people using it if it agrees with them as an aid to changing habits to more healthy ones - I’m not sure I’m with it when it gets a little cultish and people are worried about having ‘any’ appetite.

@Choux Yes, good point. All the medical advice is quite clear about dietary changes and exercise. I take an iron supplement as i tend towards anaemia anyway and have been prescribed iron for over 20 years. I've had it investigated and the drs don't know why.

@Crikeyalmighty It goes back to the fact that MJ is not a 'magic bullet' or whatever else people call it. You need to put in the work. I'm on max dose and I can tell when I'm hungry or not, I've changed my eating and the gym is a home from home.

I did so much research before starting as I felt it was important to understand how and why it worked, understand the risks vs benefits etc. I'm not sure that many do, they just seem to use SM for reference and look to influencers rather than actual scientific / medical papers.

I'm about to start research on coming down / off and maintenance now as I only have about 10 kgs to go. I've been plodding along for over a year and now have to prep for the next phase.

I think you misunderstood - I don’t want to lose weight quickly. I used ‘rapid’ to refer to WLI because that’s how they work. I was also slim before MJ, only obese for a short time. I likely wouldn’t have lost the weight as consistently without MJ.

I struggle with 2l water as I get full quickly on MJ. This is why I think I’m dehydrated. My skin gets dry/dull etc.

I follow a high-protein vegetarian diet. Recent blood tests were normal but B12 and folate were borderline low.

I go to reformer Pilates twice a week, weight train more often. My body fat hovers at around 23% according to my scales but much higher with gym callipers as my stomach/arms are podgy! I’d be happy staying the same weight but just bringing my body fat down.

@Choux my recent blood tests came back normal, although my GP said my B12 and folate were at the bottom of the range. I might supplement those.

At the point I took those tests I had already lost 25kg - I was quite surprised that my ferritin & vitamin D came back as quite high! My GP said he thought the blood tests indicated my weight loss was healthy.

@unsync a very sensible and logical way to look at it - I do think plenty though think it will be a magic bullet and aren’t looking at it as a total reset of the brain ref eating habits over a longer term - and it’s why they get anxious if not having strong suppression. I’m quite lucky as I’m not a constant food noise person - have just done 6 weeks on it , 2 more to go and I’m then back on herbal appetite suppressants as and when to stop me a bit from big evening meals.used before and worked for me without the heartburn and nausea waves I get from MJ . I do think MJ clearly works ( and yep I’ve lost 5kg in 6 weeks) but I’m concerned at the pace some seem to expect - at the end of the day it still works on cals in/ cals out - and some seem to be eating very very little on it, which can’t be great for you longer term .

ahh thanks for that - re muscle growth! I don’t think I lost much muscle on MJ but I’m definitely finding it hard to build muscle and get stronger.

I was slim before MJ so I think I’m already used to my face when I’m slim - as in, that is my idea of normal and I felt my face looked chubby when I gained weight if that makes sense. I’m glad I don’t have the double chin etc anymore.

I sent no makeup photos to my mum & friends who all said my face looks fine (no aging/lines/not gaunt) but I looked notably tired. My skin is quite dry and I find myself with eczema on my eyelids, and my under eyes look darker. My skin just looks dry/dull. My cheeks are a bit red. I’m hoping this might balance out when I stop MJ. I’m finding my usual skincare isn’t enough ie I’m having to use prescription creams that I didn’t need before.

yes I agree, think the body adjusts when it gets used to the lower weight. I too was also surprised at how much I enjoy weight lifting and feeling stronger!

after talking to my family I don’t think I’m going to try fillers. I might revisit that in the future.

Glad I'm not the only one enjoying weights, I find it challenging but oddly satisfying. My PT introduced me to the hack squat machine though, I haven't forgiven him yet!