No weight loss after 3 weeks

[Hysterectomynext]

Hello fellow Mounjaro users.
I have lost no weight for the past three weeks. Have gained about 1-2kg
I’ve been on the drug for 6 weeks. The first three weeks were great and I lost 6kg.

i exercise most days. I eat at a calorie deficit. I’m really disheartened.
i have smart scales so i can see that nothing is changing with muscle etc

I am obese.

im on 3.75 for next two weeks(using the 5 th dose in pens) then will try 5mg but im not sure whats going on because im eating smaller meals and focusing on protein.

has anyone else experienced this? I’m really desperate to lose weight.

im swimming and doing aerobics and eating a third of what I used to eat. I’m not sure what else the drug could really do. But I’ll order 5mg for next week.

Why aren't you using it as prescribed? After 2.5 mg, you are supposed to go up to 5 mg. Try following the instructions as per the extensive medical research data.

Do you think this is the issue? I thought 3.75 for easier transition because I had terrible nausea.

is it that I’m doing this wrong?

You’re not doing anything wrong. Yes you’ve moved away from the dose levels that are intended, and so perhaps the medication is less effective than it could be. It’s an easy fix to do the 5mg dose and see how you get on.

Also, plateaus and even gains are normal. Weight loss is not linear, it can be affected by all sorts of things. It’s the longer term trend that’s important, and you will continue to lose weight if you continue in a calorie deficit.

The drug doesn't make you lose weight, it's just for making you feel less hungry so you can eat in deficit. I never used to agree with calories in, calories out and fought it for 40 years, but I've been on WLI over two years now, and it really is that simple. If I'm not losing weight I ate too much, or didn't drink enough water. Are you really counting and weighing everything that you eat? Have you worked out your TDEE correctly. Drinking 3 litres of fluid? If you are then maybe you are part of the I think 20pc it doesn't work for.m

Yes I honestly am eating at a deficit. Very small amounts and focusing on protein. Im
not eating normally at all.

and yes the drug doesn’t make you lose weight in itself which is why im not sure whether the dose I’m taking matters that much. It’s about taking less food in than I’m using and I’m most definitely doing that.

im drinking possibly 2 litres water though so I’ll up this as much as I can

It is working for you, as you have lost 4 or 5kg over 6 weeks. This is a long term process where there will be periods of slow down, plateau or even gains. I've been taking it for about 11 months now, and time does the trick. All the losses add up and the overall trend long term is always down.

2.5 is a loading dose, then the dosing schedule is supposed to go up to 5mg. However, I also used 3.75 as a bridging dose (as wanted to titrate up slowly due to side effects). For me 3.75 works to give steady loss of around 1lb a week which i am happy with. However some people don't get any weight loss till 7.5 or higher. Every body is different, and its a case of gradually working up the doses until you find one that is right for you. Comparison is the thief of joy and you're probably seeing loads of people posting their dramatic losses online and thinking "why isn't this happening to me?"

The 6kg loss at the start could have been reduction in inflammation or change in diet and exercise. But i can imagine its frustrating to have got off to such a good start and see it stall now.

But its positive youre building in good healthy habits, with lots of focus on protein and exercise - please don't get discouraged by the scales and think these things aren't worth it. Remember that your weight can fluctuate throughout the day, your hormonal cycle, etc.

Thank you so much.
And that’s a good point about the inflammation. I had surgery this year and was very unwell and have a lot of inflammation and soreness. I also came out of hospital (having been extremely sick and not eating) having gained about half a stone. I was shocked but I think it really could have been swelling.
I just can’t see how the dose will make a difference because it’s ultimately about food intake.
i have become obese because of massive overeating.
I am now under eating and really trying to exercise a lot.
I am disappointed that in 3 weeks of dedicated hard work I have put on 1-2kg

But yes the healthy choices are something I’m proud of. That’s a massive accomplishment for my poor body

Ive been seriously ill in March and in Jan this year

How many calories are you eating daily?

around 1000-1500

im not counting everything but I have around two meals of 400 ish calories and then some fruit and seeds and drinks

None of the hard work you've done has gone to waste though, it will all help with your overall health and fitness. And it will, eventually, show on the scales. If you've been seriously ill twice this year already, you're still recovering from all of that so please don't be disappointed due to numbers on a scale.

Thank you so much you’re really kind

Sometimes it happens, it's really annoying but I find that weight loss sometimes stalls for a while and then suddenly you lose 3lbs out of nowhere. You're doing the right things!

You need to be very accurate with calorie counting. It’s so easy to underestimate just how many calories you are eating. If in doubt weigh everything. Eventually you get used to the measuring and weighing so can do it by eye. For example weigh out a bowl of cereal and measure the milk, then photograph it for reference.
If you are allowing a certain amount of butter a day, weigh out that amount and put it in a dish or container for your use only. It just means you won’t be tempted to use more. Same with milk.
Meal planning helps. We have a Dominoes pizza very occasionally so I plan my days eating around this.
Also remember that you can’t exercise away extra calories. If you have a gadget/watch that claims to calculate the number of calories you have used, it tends to include the BMR so what appears to be an extra Mars bar is actually only a small slice of it, the rest is your BMR.

I’m honestly eating way under my daily use of calories.
I have a huel drink which is 400 calories
a protein porridge and a banana which is around 400 calories and then some seeds or small snack.
coconut water
maybe kombucha
For an example.
I’m not eating normal food.
I’m using prepackaged Waitrose porridge just to not have to think about food
some days I eat less than 1000 cal
some days more

The above is for the whole day- I realise that looks like breakfast list!

A small handful of seeds is likely to have 150+ cals. Again weigh the portion so you can be more accurate. If you are having several handfuls through the day it will mount up.
You really need to eat proper food with veg and proper protein.
You also need some whole foods rather than just protein powders.High protein supplements, unless you are an elite athlete using it to help recovery and bulk muscle is not a good a great source of protein.

You've lost 4/5 kilos in 6 weeks and you're basically starving yourself and you're complaining it's not working. Jeez Louise.

She's lost 4/5 kilos in 6 weeks. Have people missed this?

No I specifically commented on it in my second post.

Indeed you did. Apologies!

Weight loss slows pretty quickly whoever method you use. I think you just have to treat it like a marathon rather than a sprint.
I’ve given myself 12 mnths to reach my target. It may take longer but by the time I get there my eating habits will hopefully be permanent and therefore I can maintain with little effort.

It’s doubly hard because I’m post menopause and take hormone blockers for breast cancer. But I’m determined to get to a point where my weight no longer increases the risk of further cancer. It’s good to have a solid goal that is not purely vanity based.

Im back down below my pre cancer weight so only have about 10kg to go to reach healthy BMI. By then I may be able to stop the hormone blockers so maintenance may be simpler.

Try eating a more whole food diet than just protein supplements. And focus on the long game not short term weight loss. By whole food I mean real foods. You could have a big salad with chicken and a salad dressing instead of a protein drink.

Thank you so much and I wish you all the best with your own weight loss.
my need to drop weight is also due to serious health issues but it’s incredibly hard.
i agree with you about the proper food. The reason I’ve been having the protein drinks is because I’ve been so busy and out of the house so I’ve grabbed them to take my mind off what to eat.
but I will try to stock up on more sensible whole food. I don’t want to make my health any worse

Starving your body on 800-1000 calories a day will wreck your health. You run the risk of getting gallstones, losing your muscle and your hair among other things. You need to adjust your expectations! Do you understand that you've lost 4/5 kilos in 6 weeks and this is a lot of weight to lose?