Starting Mounjaro - Specific Questions

[IKnowAPlace]

I've thought long and hard - decided I want to give Mounjaro a go. Ideally I want to get things started ASAP. I'm very good at procrastinating if I have questions so I thought I'd ask them here and then move on!

If you've used Mounjaro successfully I'd really appreciate your insights. I'm 5ft9 and not sure what I weigh but I'm around a size 24 - I'm really fed up.

1. Aside from a set of scales and a tape measure, are there any other useful pieces of equipment/apps?

1. What would be useful to have on hand in terms of medications, remedies and supplements? I'm prone to feeling sick after eating certain foods and I've suffered from alopecia before so I'm worried about sickness and hair loss in particular.

1. When is the best time to take the injection? I work full time, largely from home, one week per month I travel Tuesday to Thursday. At weekends, I like getting out and about with my dog.

1. I usually order groceries (helps me to cut back a bit on unhealthy snacks) - what kinds of foods would be helpful to have on hand for the first couple of weeks? I know protein is key and I do eat meat.

Thanks in advance for any information you share.

I use my fitness pal and the Shotsy app!
I take a multivitamin, biotin and collagen. People swear by pepto for gut issues but I’ve been ok so can’t comment.
I took my first one around 8pm so I could sleep off side effects but have been fine so just do it Monday morning.
Protein and 2-3L water is key!

good luck xx

Aside from a set of scales and a tape measure, are there any other useful pieces of equipment/apps?

Apps - there are glp1 dose trackers like Shotsy, Dose Diary that you enter each injection into and it shows and estimation of the levels in your system. You can also use them to track weight loss. Also apps like MyFitnessPal or Nutracheck for calorie counting and logging if that’s what you want to do.

What would be useful to have on hand in terms of medications, remedies and supplements?

A good multivitamin if you don’t take one already. The usual OTC treatments for D&V. Some people like peppermint capsules or tea for gas, or other OTC medication. People will recommend collagen but there’s no real evidence of it being effective, but it’s essentially extra protein so no harm in taking it. Electrolytes are often mentioned but really only necessary if you are dehydrated from ongoing D&V, which is unlikely.

When is the best time to take the injection?

On your schedule, one of the days when you’re always home, so Friday to Monday. I do Fridays, that way I usually get most suppression over the weekend which I prefer.

What kinds of foods would be helpful to have on hand for the first couple of weeks?

I would just stick to fresh healthy non-processed food that you usually like.

I wouldn’t have been without Gaviscon for the heartburn I suffered in the early days.

Good luck! It’s been life changing for me
As well as a set of bathroom scales, decent kitchen scales
i also use my fitness pal, with mounjaro I don’t have any problem staying within my calories but really helps make sure I’m hitting enough protein, that’s so important.
Drinking water is really key as well
Research into high protein foods - I love the Kvarg flavoured quark, also Aldi protein mousses, cottage cheese
ive had to change my eating habits as I always aimed for low calorie high volume foods but I just can’t eat the same quantity anymore
i take mine Thursday night (it was the day first pen arrived and I wanted to crack on, and sleep off any side effects, but mine have been very mild indigestion and slight constipation which I use senokot for)
I want to change to Sunday though as I’m missing out at weekends when we go out for meals etc as the appetite suppression is very strong then!

Body composition scales - so you can check which way your fat and muscle % are going.

I've been on MJ for almost 5 months now, am 46lbs down and here's what I'd advise:

Equipment
I agree with a pp - the Shotsy app is great - especially for remembering where you did your last injection, the history of your dosage and showing the graph of weight loss.

Also agree re: body composition scales - makes it more interesting and I bloody hate scales! I bought some Eufy scales from Amazon for £30 and it's changed the way I think about weighing myself from something I dread, to something I find quite interesting!

I would also get some hand weights if you haven't already got any. I've never owned a weight in my life, but am really enjoying doing 15 - 20 mins a few times a week and am actually getting muscles... I started with 3kgs and have got 5kgs now.

Medications
I've always taken vitamin D and a multivitamin. I've found I need extra heartburn tablets usually the day after I've injected. I've had nausea when increasing doses, but not actually been sick - usually, a day of lots of fluids helps and I bought some peppermint tea in just in case, but haven't used it yet!

Timing

• *Everyone's different but I jab on Mondays, so that I have high suppression during the week (I live on my own, so wanted to reduce the temptation to eat/drink) but it's lower at the weekend when I see my dp/go out. I don't go crazy, but do enjoy food more and can cope with a glass of wine!

Food
Protein, protein, protein..! I went off carbs completely, so now have protein and veg for meals - I get through lots of chicken thighs, salmon fillets, bacon/sausages, haloumi, cheese. I make fruit smoothies for breakfasts (having never made or loved smoothies before!), so lots of frozen fruit, greek yoghurt.

Dates are good to sweeten smoothies and I can highly recommend milled flaxseed in smoothies and protein drinks - I definitely needed fibre (having had IBS-D for years, that disappeared overnight and I actually need more fibre - bonkers!).

I also get chocolate protein powder from Tesco - probably have 1 every other day and especially on high suppression days when I don't feel like eating, but need to get something in me. I put cocoa powder in and milled flaxseed.

Water is also key - I've gone from not drinking any, to having at least 2 litres a day. I bloody hate water, but put a shake of lime juice in a litre bottle and it takes the edge off it!

Good luck and well done making the decision - hope it goes as well for you as it is for me 😃

I would recommend protein powder for days when you dont want to eat much. Also Biotin and collegen for hair.

I use My Fitness pal and log my calories just out of interest rather than necessity really.

Don't pay full price either, I have a discount code for MedExpress that you are welcome to use, just DM me if you would like it. Good luck with it, the boards on here are really useful to chat to others starting at the same time.

I second this suggestion. I still have to use it now and then after a dose (I’ve done three so far). Mint tea helped with nausea too.

I can’t comment other than that sorry as I’ve had very little suppression so far.

This is so helpful. @IKnowAPlace thanks for starting this thread. I’m waiting for my first MJ pen to arrive and hoping to start on Friday.

All I had was bathroom scales, peppermint tea (which I have always drunk), high strength multivitamin and collagen powder. Haven't had gastric side effects really but losing so much hair. Just be prepared that may happen as it can happen with weightloss anyway. I lose average 2 pounds per week so not super fast loss but the hair loss has been severe. I have lost tonnes of weight before but never had hair loss like this so for me it's definitely the jabs

I started my Mounjaro on 14.12.24. I am 5ft8 and weighed 18st 9lbs (size 18).
I now weigh 14st 2lb, loss of 4st 7lbs and i'm wearing a size 14.

I bought a new set of scales from amazon for about £15 and they are fab. They have their own app which automatically records and tracks your losses. Make sure you take measurements, as i didn't and really regret it. I did take photos though which are good for comparison.

I take many supplements, mainly as i was worried i wasn't eating enough to get the vitamins i needed. I take multivitamins, biotin, iron, folic acid, peppermint oil, omega 3,6,9, collagen.

I take mine on a sunday. Works for me and I have good suppression all through the week.

I have stuck to meat and veg mainly. I do not have much of an appetite though so usually will just have a meal at 6pm. I drink 4L of water each day too.

Good luck! Best thing i've ever done! I've been a serial dieter most of my life and nothing has worked before.

You’ve had some great advice here and I would second all of the above.

I use the Weight Watchers app but set to GLP mode so instead of tracking points/calories, it tracks protein, fibre, water etc. I keep an eye on my calories and typically do between 1100-1200 a day. I have no issues sticking with that, thanks to MJ. Without MJ, I’d no doubt be pretty hungry. With MJ, I can go long stretches between meals (5-6 hours) and I eat about half of what I used to. It’s really interesting.

Food wise, I typically have scrambled eggs for breakfast, protein shake and fruit for lunch and then dinner I’ll have chicken or breaded fish and have it with salad/cottage cheese, maybe a bit of avocado etc with some light mayonaise. I keep it high protein but avoid anything too rich. My interest in alcohol has almost disappeared.

Shotsy app is fun too. I did a 7 day free trial but even if you don’t pay for it, you can still see roughly what’s in your system. It’s interesting to see how it builds up over time.

Before my jab, I stocked up on all the remedies - Pepto B, electrolytes etc. I’ve needed to use Pepto just once for a very mild feeling of nausea. I took my first jab in the morning on a day I knew I would be very busy (so I wouldn’t overthink it) but also could cancel/come home if I felt yuck. I was totally fine though.

I have 2-3l of water a day. I bought myself a huge 2l ‘tankard’ and I fill it up with water, low sugar squash and a scoop of collagen powder (for extra protein).

Only side effects for me have been constipation. I take a laxido every two days and that keeps me on track.

I’m so glad I did this. I hope you will be too.