January 2025 Starters Thread 9!

[meatyryvita]

Time to check in losers!

I’ve got a 7.5mg pen coming on Friday @discov , I think I’ve had 3x 6.25 but I’ll probably just have 5 this week after skipping a week and go back up to 6.25 for two weeks before moving up.

I don’t have a sweet tooth but I do sometimes feel like I lose the capacity to think about what I’m going to cook in the evenings, I’m finding Waitrose recipes really useful. I just add all the ingredients to my trolley in one fell swoop and screenshot whatever I’m planning to cook. As I’m cooking for three they’re not always calorie controlled but I just have more salad/no bread and I seem to do ok.

Since MJ I’ve lost the will to go food shopping/plan so using Waitrose’s recipes seems to be helping me. They seem to be really well balanced flavour wise.

Thank you, I’ll try and have a look at that. I think part of my issue is dd has quite a restricted diet, so most of the time I end up cooking something different for her and DH then something different for me and I just can’t be bothered with it all. Thinking of what everyone has to eat for every meal drives me insane. DD can be really difficult with food so it’s a really fine line between her eating or refusing to eat at all. DH can’t take over much of that side of things as he works horrendously long hours 7 days a week. Sorry didn’t mean that to turn into such a whinge! I need a personal chef 😄

That sounds tough @discov . My kids are old enough to cook for themselves, however 😫neither of them are that interested in cooking and I often find my lovely ingredients wasted so I tend to cook at home. DD does things like, put salmon in the oven to cook whilst steaming the baby veg at the same time, so you end up with freezing, overcooked veg by the time the salmon is overcooked and dry ready.

I have scales in this (last) hotel bathroom …. 92kg or a 3kg gain in three weeks. Hopefully some of that is water/bloating from the heat. I’m ready to go home now. We’ve slept in 8 different places since leaving home and I am really looking forward to my own bed!

@discov I really empathise, DS10 is unbelievably picky (I think it’s ARFID tbh) and I feel a lot of the time like I expend 90% of my energy on thinking about what will/won’t/might be eaten, and the repercussions. He’s a ballet dancer, and incredibly active, which is wonderful of course but also adds enormously to the anxiety.

Hi @Randomusernameforcode
I got to my goal at the end of May on 5mg and moved down to 2.5mg I find at this dose I gain and lose a couple of pounds over a week. I've got a really tight rein on it, I weigh daily so can see what's happening in almost real-time (I don't think our bodies work like that, I've eaten like a horse and weighed the same the next day and eaten normally and gained, but at least it can't get too bad).
My goal was 8st 7 (it was actually initially just to become overweight which I think was 9st 9, then it was 9st 4, then 8st 12, then 8st 7 and now I kind of have a desire to hit 8st 4). I want to keep my weight below 8st 7 and so far I have but my desire for sugar has returned and it's only my head stopping me from having extra (I'm eating twice as many cereal bars as I was when I was losing and I'm eating them multiple times per day)
I'm not sure whether I will come off them, certainly my intention is to spend a considerable amount of time learning the maintenance ropes. Figuring out what works (is it daily weighing or something else to keep an eye, calorie counting or meal planning or something in the middle etc)

So far I've learnt...

• 2.5 is the lowest dose I'm comfortable with right now, I may go up temporarily if I have weight to lose for example post holiday
• daily or several times per week weighing keeps me on the straight and narrow (although I still have fear when I step on the scales that the weight will come back!! Irrational as impossible overnight)
• meal planning is key (I've always known this but why don't I just do it!!!)
• consistency is also key. I'm currently trying to get in 10,000 steps on average per day, two strength sessions per week and I feel great on it. I've switched to wanting to build muscle and look good. I swear my skin is "snapping back" (there are limits it is still wrinkly but I think less wrinkly)

I think there are a few of us in this sugar spiral, I'm half tempted to up my dose a little to see if I can still maintain whilst stopping the sugar dive, but then I know it's not binging it's probably just my body trying to get to it's calories so I should just eat more (better, healthier) food.

Have a great day everyone!

Welcome back @Randomusernameforcode and your post just strengthens my feeling that I need to be staying on this. It’s reassuring that a prescriber took you on and good for them.

A cooler day today here so I’m going to blitz the house this morning and try and get on top of a few things.

I’m nodding along with the time spent thinking, buying, prepping and cooking food. I quite like cooking but everyday meals are just relentless. DS2 is still at home and ever since he could speak he’s asked what we’re going to be eating. It’s a family joke that has gone on too long. Luckily he’s the one that will eat anything and fussy DS1 catered for himself when he lived here.

Thank you @TomorrowPenny@whyamisuddenlygettingolder it feels like Groundhog Day most days when it comes to food. We did try Gousto for a bit which was really great at the start then dd went off it. She really struggles to make decisions so sometimes it’s easier to just make something without consulting her but then other times that doesn’t work. It’s just bloody exhausting! Sorry you have the same issue @whyamisuddenlygettingolder- you must worry so much if he’s so active. I struggle to get any protein into dd at all and she’s very un-sporty so can’t imagine what it’s like for you!

I have gained two pounds from my long weekend away. Shocking really. I am confident I can lose it in a week, but it does make me concerned about maintaining.

I did have about three alcoholic drinks every day. Toast instead of weetabix. Lunches out. I guess it adds up.

@Randomusernameforcode personal chef is my dream. If I ever win the big money lottery, that’s my main luxury. I cannot be bothered with thinking up meals all the time. How someone can do it for a living baffles me.

Edited, accidental double post.

I love cooking as such, but deciding every day what everyone else in the household will eat is such a pain.
Well not totally fair, DH cooks too, but still - his stupid employer won't allow flexibility or WFH and mine does, which means most days I'm home earlier so makes sense for me to do it. And we do eat a very varied and healthy diet, i have a ton of cookbooks and always trying out new recipes.
But there are also plenty of days when I tell everybody that fridge and stove are that way, I can't be arsed. Kids can do some basic stuff, but will start cooking with them more, it is a life skill and I don't want them to be like a roommate l had once, who was 25 and could not fry an egg.

@HeidiNotSoHeavy my 38 year old SIL could genuinely burn a pan of water. I will never understand the no cooking thing! Well actually I do as MIL literally did everything for her (and still does…) and she didn’t move out until a couple of years ago and even then it was only next door 😬 My DH is a chef which makes it even more ridiculous - and also ridiculous that he isn’t cooking me and DD every meal haha!

Wow 😲@discov a DH who is a chef!!

We've done all the cooking together stuff since they were small, but ultimately I'm a foodie and my kids are not. They consider themselves fine cooks and are very happy to eat what they produce. I'm largely not so happy with what they do to the lovely ingredients I supply 😂, bar one or two dishes.

Currently DS makes a fab paella when he is here, DD makes this once a week on a night when I cba. I also really struggle with their food choices - carb central - not for me more than once a week.

@TomorrowPenny yes isn’t it ironic how I say I need a personal chef and technically I have one, but he’s too busy cooking for everyone else 😂

I wish we still had the laughing reaction @discov .

I often wonder if (when) my DC will start to care about planning food. Even now (on MJ) I spend time looking for recipes and planning out nice food for the week. Currently in the form of three or four Waitrose recipes a week, but always planning nice food to eat.

Last week we all took turns to choose what sort of restaurant we ate in. I chose sushi, Lebanese and a fish restaurant. On one of DS's nights his choice of dinner for all of us was ...... 'I'd like sandwiches for dinner tonight', 😖 all 6'4" of him, flipping fab u lous. I imposed the right to veto our restaurant choices after that one 😂, on the basis that I was paying and I need to eat something nutritious for dinner.

Morning losers! How is everyone doing today?

Hi folks!
having a lovely holiday, couple of cream teas consumed already 😊 But I've had them instead of lunch so I'm hopeful I won't have gained (too much) at the end of the week.
I've managed to get back to doing some exercise this week, been to the gym, swam, walked and walked. Feeling it in my legs!

I think that’s the difference @MJalltheway. We can choose to have a cream tea rather than lunch instead of having both.

Just done my third half dose every five days and it’s working well for me. No side effects and I’m back losing again. Shotsy tells me I’ve lost 1.2lbs since my last jab but official weigh in is on Friday. Initial goal is so close now. Only 1.2lbs to lose. I’m on Oushk's conti maintenance plan already and they know I’d like to lose a little more. I’m still thinking about 8.10.

Love a cream tea @MJalltheway
amazing @Jins

I need to start thinking of maintenance - I think Voy are starting to. I may stick with them even though more expensive- it’s been so straightforward.

week 26
15mg
SW 12.2
CW 9.9 and a half
GW 8.12

I’ve increased strength training - still a bit rubbish but I’m trying ! I haven’t really got my meals right - too much snacking but I’ve always preferred that to meals. So now I’m 12lbs ish to goal, I’m going to try harder to get the balance right. On holiday in 4 weeks really hoping not to gain loads.

Have a great day everyone.

@MJalltheway another cream tea lover here! My dd is leaving primary school on Friday and I’m doing her a fancy afternoon tea in the garden as an after school surprise, but really it’s just an excuse to make some scones and buy clotted cream 😂

@Jins fabulous, I am so pleased it’s working well for you!

I am still eating too much at the minute. We had McDonald’s last night as we got home late after DD’s leavers concert and I polished off the lot PLUS an ice cream and then had a small slice of cake as it was DH’s birthday…

My 10mg pen has been approved so that’s on the agenda for this Friday. I am worried about moving up for some reason even though I’ve been completely fine every time. Maybe because I’ve been on 7.5 for 3 pens now (I think?). I definitely need to do it so I can lose this last 11lbs. I am sure it will be fine and I’m worrying about nothing!!

I came across a reference to this study on the BBC yesterday. I can’t find the article now, but this guardian one covers the same content. I’m really disheartened to hear that they found that all users put all of the weight back on within 10 months of stopping injections. 😱

www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/14/people-who-stop-weight-loss-drugs-return-to-original-weight-within-year-analysis-finds

We’ll be ok if we’ve changed our habits ? Let’s work on that - we’ll be the outliers!

@PolkadotdashI am not surprised at the survey results. I am positive I would gain all the weight back if I stopped completely.

I have a few more pounds to lose then I’ll start trying to maintain. I think it may take a few weeks of trial and error to figure out the best dosage to achieve maintenance.

@Zempy I agree. I would put it all back on if I stopped cold turkey. Its so strange that this is now an issue 😕 I never actually thought I would get near to goal and this would become a concern.
@BlueLimes @Polkadotdash what an interesting article. It clearly shows that even since that was written attitudes to maintainance have changed.
My plan is to take the rest of this year to slowly get to goal. Reducing my loses from 2lb a week average to 1lb a week. And then to maintain that using MJ for a further year gradually reducing the dose to give me a new set point. With a view to being completely off it by end 2026. I don't know if this will work out but I am within spitting distance of a healthy weight which I haven't been in years. I really don't want to go back. I am enjoying being less. Saw a photo myself taken yesterday and I was 'normal ' not skinny but certainly not fat. I really enjoyed that feeling and I don't want to go back.

Hello everyone, I am now home which is actually very nice 😊.

My holiday weight gain has reduced from 3kg to 1kg. Fingers crossed for less of a gain first thing in the morning.