Anyone else found that Mounjaro isn't really working for them?

[ThumbTowers]

After high hopes, I am really disappointed. Have been injecting 2.5mg for 4 weeks and now taken my second dose of 5mg. So on my 6th week altogether and have lost 2lbs. Basically nothing! I am so sad reading all of these stories about people losing a stone a month etc. And I know you need to control what you eat etc at the same time. But surely I can conclude that this just isn't a drug that's going to work for me?? I am not sure whether to bother moving up to 7.5mg to see if that makes a difference or just give up now....

Are you in a calorie deficit, and tracking everything?

Hey, don't be despondent, I am the same, a loss is a loss no matter how slow, I have been doing everything right in terms of water and exercise - it's just that some of us are slower loosers.
I am only weighing monthly now and not relying on scales.
You could be loosing inches but not pounds.
I'd give it time, up your protein and water and exercise and see how you go.

Give it time! I only lost weight on 2.5mg and 5mg with will power and a healthy dose of placebo effect! From 7.5mg the suppression kicked in! 10mg was the best and I am now on 12.5mg. I've lost a lot of weight but the mounjaro effect doesn't kick in for everyone til the higher doses.

Try and put yourself on a calorie controlled diet and up the exercise while you wait for the higher doses of mounjaro to do their magic! The suppression will kick on soon and then you won't want to eat many calories anyway!

You haven’t said what you are eating. That’s what dictates your weight loss so if you aren’t losing it’s down to that.

@notenoughhere , I can’t agree. Mounjaro was developed to lower the blood glucose of type 2 Diabetics, weight loss is a side effect.If a person has sub clinical blood glucose issues that may well be playing a huge roll in their weight gain and making weight loss very difficult despite them sticking to a low calorie diet.
@ThumbTowers ,
Some people need to get to higher doses for the drug to impact their blood glucose and insulin levels, in the meantime I’d recommend taking a look at the Glucose Goddess and Zoe podcasts and eat in a way that spikes your blood glucose as little as possible. You could also consider intermittent fasting.
Reading recommendations:-
The Obesity Code by Dr Jason Fung
Ultra Processed People by (Dr) Chris Van Tulleken

Don’t give up yet, good luck!

I'm on 1200 calories and 2.5mg and ive lost 5lbs in 2 weeks.It might be your calories

Track strictly for a couple of weeks (try Nutracheck, it is really good, barcode reader and everything). It will start to come off. I didn't need to track after 2 weeks but you could always carry on.

I have realised that I’m fasting, don’t eat before afternoon. Give that a go? I’m only on 2.5. Lost 2 stone in three months

I have realised that I’m fasting, don’t eat before afternoon. Give that a go? I’m only on 2.5. Lost 2 stone in three months

Some people lose a lot fast, but the drug trials show weight loss generally happening on a higher dose. 2.5mg is not classed as clinically effective.

You've only just moved off the starter dose. Give it time. But you also have to put some effort in with diet and exercise.

That is disappointing.
I know I would have been disappointed with that but it’s still early days.
From memory I think my provider says if you don’t lose 5% of your body weight in 6 months then it might not be right for you.

My first month I lost quite a bit. Just under a stone. But it was almost entirely all willpower at that point and a determination to not waste the money I was spending on mounjaro. It wasn't really until I moved up to 5mg until the help from the jabs. Give it a bit more time and I'm sure it'll kick in.

Thanks all. I am T2 diabetic so perhaps that is why my body is not responding in the way so many others seem to. But it's also why I am so desperate for it to work. I really need to lose weight asap, and not for vanity reasons. I was really hoping this would help me as it felt like a last chance. I have been watching what I eat, but not tracking. I'll start doing this. But given the dramatic stories I've been hearing, it can't just been down to calorie control otherwise why do people need the drug in the first place, they can count calories without that! So it must be doing something for others on top of calorie control for such dramatic results to be happening.

You absolutely need to read some decent information about this drug and how it works, rather than just social media reports. I'll try to find something helpful.

I have suppression with my last dose of 7 and now first of 10. Nothing much before that.

I think the AI summary is better than any of the BBC/healthcare articles that I found. This should be helpful, @ThumbTowers:

"Mounjaro works by mimicking natural incretin hormones, GIP and GLP-1, to regulate appetite and blood sugar. It helps reduce hunger, slow digestion, and improve insulin sensitivity, leading to weight loss and improved blood sugar control.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

Mimicking Natural Hormones:

Mounjaro contains tirzepatide, which is a dual-agonist, meaning it activates both GIP and GLP-1 receptors. These receptors are naturally involved in regulating appetite and blood sugar. 

Reducing Hunger and Slowing Digestion:

By activating these receptors, Mounjaro helps to reduce hunger, slow down the emptying of the stomach, and increase feelings of fullness, leading to reduced calorie intake. 

Improving Insulin Sensitivity:

Mounjaro can also improve insulin sensitivity, helping the body use glucose more effectively and leading to better blood sugar control. 

Potential for Weight Loss:

The combined effects of reduced hunger, slowed digestion, and improved insulin sensitivity can lead to significant weight loss. 

Individual Results Vary:

While Mounjaro can be effective, individual responses can vary, and it's essential to combine it with healthy lifestyle choices for optimal results.

Whack up the doses and you'll be fine. Keep at it.

That sounds really tough and unfair OP. When you say you've been "watching what you eat" what do you mean? What's your actual approach to weight loss?

This is not true.

They did not actually run any trials keeping people on 2.5mg, so there is NO evidence to say that weight loss must need a higher dose nor is 2.5mg classed as clinically ineffective. It simply wasn't tested.

If you cannot understand trial data or its language, then please don't attempt to summarise it.

It obviously isn’t some kind of magic. It basically enables people to stick to a calorie deficit better because they feel fuller but they still have to actually be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. If it’s not having the appetite suppressant effect for you then you likely just need a higher dose.

I know 2.5mg wasn't tested - therefore it cannot be classed as clinically effective, @IrisPallida. Weight loss in the trials did occur at higher doses. My use of the word "generally" makes it less clear that 2.5mg wasn't tested. With that caveat, what I've written is correct.

There are so many posts on here where people feel they are failing because of social media posts of dramatic weight loss.

Tiktok etc is full of people exaggerating & lying & vying with each other, all because desperate for clicks and followers. Remember - many of them are lying. Join the thread here for your starting month - there will be others in exactly the same boat as you. You will find your tribe and together support each other and work out what you can do.

Everyone can count calories, yes. We have all done that, over and over, and we have failed in the long run. MJ mostly makes a difference because it makes it easier to stick to the diet, even many months after the point we would normally have given up. This is a long journey for most of us. But you still need to find out what your TDEE is (many calculators online), and then eat roughly 500 calories below that each day for weight loss.

That said, some people need to get up to the higher doses before it starts working. Look at it this way - your body might not be responding just yet, but it is getting used to the drug. When it does kick in, hopefully you will have minimal side effects because of this.

What was your starting weight and/or BMI?

I’m wondering if this is a troll post though from your last reply- ”But given the dramatic stories I've been hearing, it can't just been down to calorie control otherwise why do people need the drug in the first place, they can count calories without that!” That’s sort of the point- people (including me) CAN’T just count calories without the drug.

For context I’ve been on mounjaro for 12 weeks- 8 weeks at 2.5mg and 4 weeks at 5mg, counting calories at 1200 a day and have lost 2 stone 10lbs.

Well great for you, and no I am not a troll.

Thanks everyone else for your more helpful replies. I'll start logging what I eat and see if I am missing something, then see what happens at 7.5mg.