Piling the weight back on when stopping MJ

[Richtea67]

Hi all....I'm so disappointed. I lost 3 and a half stone, have been off injections for a month and regained nearly 7lbs 😩. I was a slow loser (1-2lb per week) and focused on changing habits and reducing portion size rather than diets/calorie counting (this has led to binging previously). I have kept up with a lot of the habits (smoothie for breakfast, cutting out alcohol and healthy high protein snacks). But portion sizes have definitely gone up as I'm hungrier! And I've been more tempted by the biscuits at work and the kids treats! Any advice?? I'm considering re starting if I put too much weight on, but financially this would be a struggle, which is part of the reason I came off them. My starting weight was 14.5 stones, weight when stopping injections 11 stones and at present nearly half a stone back on!! Help!

This is completely normal. I would have a maintenance chat with one of the maintenance friendly providers. I'm with Livewell pharmacy and they've been fantastic with me. When you ring a pharmacist answers the phone.

There's also pharmulous, that would be my second choice personally, then you've got oushk, swift doctor and cloud. Just chat with them all and see if you can come to an arrangement.

Don't do what I did.

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This is normal. Everyone thinks they will be ‘the one’ to maintain with no MJ but the clinical evidence against this is overwhelming.

Yes, there will always be outliers - but the norm is the weight comes back on.

I forgot to say the maintenance friendly providers let you come off mj and try to go it alone but if they agree to it you could recommence up to 12 months after stopping.

You need to have the chat with them now though. When you've not ordered in 12 weeks nobody will prescribe until you're BMI 30 again.

I’d track calories for a week, scrupulously, and aim for what should be your maintenance level of calories at your current weight. I would try to fill up with protein and lots of leafy/non-carby veg to try to avoid the snacking.

What advice would you have for the OP then, do you think?

(Edited as I realise my initial response was a bit harsh)

Personally I know I need it long term. I think I have a metabolic issue that mj is fixing. Everyone is different though.

The problem with that is that the OP has said that it would be a financial struggle to continue with it. In general, yes, staying on a maintenance dose longer term would be a possibility for many.

Depends which pharmacy, simple online pharmacy price match everyone and offer long term maintenance. They won't let you recommence after 12 weeks though.

I suggested the maintenance friendly pharmacies because you could just stay on their books, you don't need to be ordering pens. But that way you can recommence with a lower BMI if you really need to.

Yes it’s great that those pharmacies offer maintenance plans, but still for some people it’s going to be too much financially.

From my understanding it's free to stay on their books. Except oushk. I don't think they should be charging.

I meant if they actually needed to buy pens again.

@AgathaMysteryis totally correct unfortunately. The studies to date show that the overwhelming majority of people will put all of the weight back on if and when they stop WLI. It’s just a fact.

Now, that’s supremely unhelpful to all of us tbh and include myself in that. I’ve lost nearly 80 lbs and have been maintaining at 9 stone 7 for about 5 months now - but crucially still taking MJ.

the best predictor of what might happen in the future is to look it’s what’s happened in the past, and for me, that’s been weight regain every time I’ve lost it. I don’t need re-educating on good habits or how to eat etc etc. I know it all.

But I also don’t wish to take MJ all my life and yep, the expense is something I could do without.

so I’m being really unhelpful here I know but just wanted to say it’s something a lot of us are facing and I don’t feel the answer is going to be straightforward at all

It's correct I'm sure, but what is the point in stating it on a thread where the OP is asking for help and support, and the implication is that you're just totally stuffed so give it up? The clinical evidence is overwhelming that you will regain all the weight....and... what? What is the OP, or me when I get to that point, supposed to do about that?

But you would have had to be living on the moon to not know that this is the reality when you stop these drugs, it’s all we read about and what the studies constantly show. The only option is to stay on a maintenance dose.

That’s the only option? Yet there are people on the maintenance threads who are not taking a maintenance dose, and are maintaining. Or are they just delaying the inevitable?

I might be being totally unrealistic, I’m only at the start of the journey, nowhere near goal, but I’ve always put weight back on after losing it. But I’ve never got anywhere near goal. So I’ve yo-yo’d over a couple of stones at the TOP end of the scale. I’m hoping that if I’m lucky enough for this to work and I shift a good four or five stone then I’d feel proud of myself, have more energy, feel better about myself- and hopefully be able to pull myself up. And even if I yo-yo’d over a stone or two, at least it’s at the lower end of the weight spectrum. I might be being totally unrealistic, but that’s just what I’m hoping.

@SilenceInsideits really uncomfortable to accept the reality and I’ve struggled myself. There’s no helpful advice for the OP. Unless we resort to ‘oh just eat more protein and move a bit more and maybe low carb a bit’

we’ve heard it all before. We don’t need to be patronised do we?

so I feel that knowing what’s ahead is helpful. It does no good to think you’ll be the outlier or you definitely WILL keep the weight off etc etc as the chances are - the facts indeed - you won’t. I won’t.

without staying on this drug.

id love the answer! I’ve worked hard like we all have to shift this weight and I love being a size 8 and feeling great etc etc. I also know the reality of coming off MJ

that’s not to say I won’t give it a go. I probably will

but none of us should be fooling ourselves here. Better to face up to it before it happens

Well done OP for recognising that you've put 7lb on. Its something that does worry me.
I'm a long way off yet, but in my mind I'm thinking daily weighing and nipping in the bud before 7lbs becomes 1 stone becomes 2 stone.

So.... Portion size... What sorts of foods are you eating? Could you eat the same portion size but with more of the protein/veg than the Carbs? Spag bol for instance - courgette instead of pasta (I know! 😭)
Roast dinner - more chicken and veg, less potatoes...?
It's all still about what you've been doing, counting the calories and the carbs.
Stop eating the kids sweet treats and the work biscuits! That's sugar and calories for no reason and will leave you wanting more sugary foods as that's how it is.

You've got this! Knock that 7lb off sharpish with protein and less Carbs and no sugar. Then you can give yourself some leeway, but know that if say 4lb on, need to knock the 4lb off again.

Does that make sense @Richtea67 ?

Ive lost and gained 3 stone and more in the past. Mine was comfort eating, depression, alcohol. I'm just hoping that this time if I keep my beady eye on the scales then I'll see it coming.

In an ideal world eh? Put the Kit Kat down and have a boiled egg 😭🤣
Oh! Best of luck!
Watch your salt intake too if snacking. Chances are a lot of that 7lb may be water.

Hark at me - only just out of obese in to overweight 🤣

You can't put 3 stone on overnight though.

I didn’t see your post before you edited.

The reason I wrote what I wrote is because anything else is pure gaslighting. I’ve participated in a GLP clinical trial AND I’ve worked on endocrine studies. Trust the data.

I don’t know OP clinical background so I won’t offer advice as I am a HCP & it wouldn’t be appropriate to do that - she’s not my patient. I could tell her what I do, which is 7mg every 10-12 days - but that’s what works for me. I’ve been maintaining on that dose for 7mth following a 24kg loss.

You can track all the calories you want. Fill up on as much protein as you can stomach. Long term it will not work. The clinical evidence is there and like a PP said, you’d have to be under a rock not to know it.

That’s exactly my thoughts.

I have lost 5 plus stone multiple amounts of times & put it all back on plus more.
I can’t see this time being any different if I come off the jabs.
The only difference I can think of is that I have never allowed myself to get to goal (I have been close) & stay there for months.

Maybe with Mounjaro this will allow me to do that and create a reset point that I can wean myself off from eventually with no weight gain but who knows.
I just hope that the medication comes down in price over the next couple of years & continues to improve.

Come and join the Maintenance thread, it’s not particularly active but sitll nice to be on. It’s called “reached your goal weight, titrating down, cold Turkey…” or similar.

Are you exercising? And are you eating to, or under your TDEE?

some of your gain might be inflammation

There are also come down helpful threads on Reddit; mounjaro maintenance and GLP1grads

So what does @Richtea67 do, given that continuing to use Mounjaro isn’t financially possible for her?

Sorry, just seen that you won’t offer advice as it wouldn’t be appropriate as a HCP.

There are no easy answers. Richtea can reduce the calories and continue with exercising - that is the only option if they want to lose the 7lb gain and maintain the weight loss and if they can’t afford to stay on a maintenance dose.