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!

Possibly but it will bankrupt it now. Which wouldn't be ideal for all the other patients.

I do agree with that.

BUT a lot of people get very defensive anytime anyone mentions anything negative about weight loss drugs.

They aren't a magic wand and there are negatives to be discussed as well as positives. It's not been too bad on this thread but I have seen threads where people get loads of abuse for daring to even mention some people get bad side effects or that most will regain the weight if they stop taking the drugs.

It's good to be realistic about the disadvantages as well as advantages of the drugs but at the same time, it's true that no method of weight loss is perfect.

On the NHS for quite strict criteria and through weight management clinics with very long waits. A lot of people with BMI just above guidelines are using them for short term loss. This will likely not be available on the NHS.

I haven’t tried the weight loss injections though I’d love to! But only half a stone overweight according to bmi and can’t shift it since having kids. I’ve lost a lot of the weight using weight watchers but now a bit stuck (& not trying too hard tbh because who’s got time with young kids and full time work?! I guess it’s not a priority now. Husband is keen to try it though so I’ve been reading up a bit.

The thing that strikes me is these jabs alongside other things like slimming world don’t actually address the psychology of over eating. Where are the triggers? What are your go to comfort foods? I’ve thought about doing Noom for this reason but I’ve also tried to think about it and spot my own patterns (because I’m tight 😂)

the things for me are:

• not eating enough and then snacking to compensate leaving me feeling like ‘why am I gaining when I’m not eating anything’ but I’ve actually just snacked 300 cals of custard creams that have spiked my sugar and not given any nutrition
• not paying enough attention to cals in drinks like milky coffees etc
• not drinking enough water
• paying too much attention to calories and not enough to nutrition
• not valuing and taking care of myself generally meaning all of the above happens

I know the drugs help metabolically too so I could be talking out of my arse, but I do wonder if the fact that there isn’t anything intentional about it as it just magically disappears the cravings makes it harder to maintain because you havent retrained your brain around eating. Also, life is hard. We are tired. Biscuits are nice 😂❤️

Not sure why you're so angry?! I was 4 stone over weight and followed this sound advice. At first I was believed it was impossible to lose weight, until I did it. Now I only have a stone to go! The advice is valid and works. What is the point losing weight using injections, when it has to end at some point. The weight goes back on unless lifestyle changes are made.

Agree. I have been using this drug in work for years but it wasn't until I started using it myself that I understood, that i realised why people who have never been obese just say "eat less/move more" because for them it really is that simple.
Now my brain isn't shouting at me to eat 24/7 I can put all the things I know into practice. Which i just couldn't before. I know that if I stop it will come back.
It's not even just the weight it's the absolute peace in my brain from the constant screaming food noise.
I think unless you've experienced it you just can't understand how it feels.

@BurnoutGP no I don’t think you should lie, many will indeed regain without the medicated suppression that MJ offers, and must find their own pathway -but it’s clearly not everyone- as you are implying -there are plenty on other threads here who are maintaining without taking it - many now for a year or so - ok longer term they may gain some and go back on it but I just don’t agree that everyone will regain substantial amounts and so has to stay on it for ever more. Maybe people will choose it ‘as and when’ needs be given the cost -

Wow...thank you all so much information on here that I need to digest (pardon the pun). I hope it's been the wake up call I need. A good day today so far...my breakfast smoothie, chicken and chickpea salad for lunch and salmon and veg for dinner...and high protein snacks at hand! I will definitely reach out to a maintenance provider to get some info. If I do go back on the jabs I will definitely taper off next time with proper clinical guidance. The poster that mentioned maintaining by going on/off the jabs is interesting...I think I would prefer that to taking them forever, as long as I wasn't yo yo dieting.

Someone mentioned my smoothie may be letting me down and better to fast in the morning....my breakfast smoothie consists of frozen berries, half a banana, oat milk, tea spoon of peanut butter and tea spoon of oats. I tend to sip it throughout the morning, then may have a boiled egg mid am to snack. Would people try something different?? I'm worried if I fast until lunchtime I'll binge for the rest of the day.

I think as well it is one thing maintaining for up to year without the jabs.. but what about 2 years or more. It is those people I would be interested in hearing about.

But you are quoting anecdote. Which is a handful of people compared to the numbers taking it.
Unfortunately the very large studies have confirmed what we suspected that the vast majority will regain significant amounts.
Like everything. There will be exceptions. But they will be few and far between. This is fact. It is negligent and poor practice to prescribe something without informing patients of the facts and managing expectations. Patients quite rightly get very annoyed by this.
I really don't know what you want me to say. You may be the lucky few but likely not.

She stays in a calorie deficit and exercises, the same as everyone else maintaining or losing weight without mounjaro

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2829779
This is a good one

@Richtea67 I'd be ravenous if I had your smoothie for breakfast, as it doesn't have enough protein in it for me. It is mostly carb. Is there anyway you could have a more protein rich breakfast. If you like to sip something, Huel do good veggie protein powders and shakes.

All the 'I'm just kindly providing advice' stuff isn't providing that context though is it?

I agree more protein for breakfast. That would zip through me. Eat 3 boiled eggs as well.

I binge ate throughout my teen years without ever dieting. I know that dieting did not cause this for me. The binge eating made me fat which eventually led me to attempted diet and lifestyle changes, rather than the other way around.

I first dieted as a young adult with BMI 30. I lost and regained the same 2-3 stone throughout my adulthood, ranging between BMI 24 and BMI 30. It's possible that if I had never dieted it is possible that I may have been much larger as at least the dieting stopped me going over BMI 30 until I had pregnancy weight gain.

I know I have a long history of binge eating but I have never sought a BED diagnosis. There are actually some interesting studies on GLP-1s to prevent binging in people with BED and BN. It's early days and the studies only have involved small numbers. I wouldn't go against any medical advice and suggest taking the GLP-1s if a GP has advised against it, but I am hopeful that, used carefully and under proper supervision, these drugs could potentially turn out to be a useful tool for some people with eating disorders.

Here's a systematic review of the studies concerning GLP1s and BED and BN in case anyone is interested

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10915596/

Ditch the oat milk in your breakfast smoothie - just add more oats and then either water or maybe some lemon/lime juice. Oat milk is a a dire product as it changes a complex carbohydrate (oats) into a simple sugar type product (can't remember the proper name). It's a UPF so not good.
Sounds like you need to address diet and eating habits to retain your weight loss....good luck x

I feel for people in this position because it must be bloody awful. I'm not overweight or anything but I worry about the affects on people of long term use of a drug that is so new and which may permanently disorder the metabolism. I saw Sharon Osborne talking about her experience of one of these weight loss drugs and she'd be taking it for a while and now can no longer put weight on - she looks emaciated and is the same weight she was when she had cancer.

Its difficult to lose weight in the summer as well because the longer light stimulates the appetite and the need for carbohydrate so we're almost guaranteed to gain a few pounds. 7lbs doesnt seem a lot to me and surely it doesnt mean that its inevitable that you will gain a further 2 or 3 stone...

Even when thinking about all the expensive problems caused by obesity?

One of the most common 'wow' moments I've seen that resonate with me is people having the ability to go and get their food shopping without even thinking about adding high-calorie food to their trolly. The compulsion just isn't there to the same extent. I go between not even thinking about it, to stopping to look at things (like the new dairy milk caramel nut crunch or a pizza) and making a conscious decision not to buy them - without panicking at the thought of not having food to binge on. It's such a complex issue that I'm only beginning to understand and I don't expect people who haven't experienced it to understand - but I do expect them to understand that they don't understand instead of posting endless trite 'advice'.

@Frazzled83 When you mentioned the psychology of over-eating and the support expected from the likes of Slimming World, etc I thought you were going to mention such things as:

what is going on when you comfort eat?
what are your thoughts?
what are you feeling?
what is the trigger?
what will eating achieve?
what else is there that can satisfy the need?
how can it be achieved?
how do you feel afterwards?
what is your goal?
how much does your goal mean to you?
what are the consequences of not reaching that goal?
how will it feel when you reach your goal?

..the list goes on

@Richtea67 The only way I've been able to maintain is to start eating at noon. I gradually extended the time and now it happens without our me even thinking about it

It doesn't leave me hungrier and it reduces my overall eating without me having to count calories.

I also try to exercise consistently including weights. (When I do more exercise - usually on holiday - I shift from maintaining to losing)

Plenty of water.

Try to eat higher carbs food immediately after eating protein / low starch vegetables to reduce the glucose / insulin reaction.

I've bought some gorgeous clothes so I can enjoy my new body.

It not easy and I still have a way to go weight loss wise but that's okay. Progress not perfection! And I'm hoping maintaining is locking in my current 40 pound weight loss.

@Richtea67
I think that’s to much food if you want to lose weight let alone maintain it

I inject maybe once a month to maintain my weight and I’ve stayed around the same weight give or take 2-3lbs

i rarely feel hungry but I don’t eat half as much as what you have posted

Your diet sounds very healthy - you can't do much more, you've got to be able to enjoy your food for it to be realistic and sustainable.

The other thing you could try is time restricted eating - i.e. only eating between 9 and 5 for example; sticking to say, 8 hours when you do eat and 16 hours when you don't. That can work really well and is great for regulating your appetite. Its does wonders for your brain aswell. Pushing back your breakfast an hour or two helps a lot - it seems to set the tone for your appetite - so if you eat a lot of carbs early in the morning, it seems to stimulate the appetite for carbs for the rest of the day... Don't allow yourself to get too hungry though.