May Starters Thread 4 ~ Onwards & Downwards!

[PandaIsMySpritAnimal]

Hoping the lovely bunch of May starters thread 3 finds this new thread. Can't believe we are on 4 in the space of couple of weeks.

Thread 3 is now full so can't post the link for the new one there.

Checking in losers 👋
Love reading your posts and thoughts...so interesting and insightful.

I've ducked out the ball for 10 minutes and taking a breather. Very lovely, but nice to have some fresh air and a quick scroll!

I'm chuffed to say that I'm in the same dress that I wore to my last ball in October...except it is 2 sizes smaller and I'm back in a bra that hasn't fit in ages.

Happy Saturday night you lovely bunch...I'm going to head back into the silent disco 🕺🕺

Asda Liquid Talc works well for me and a bargain at £1.48…!

When I was researching using Mounjaro and wondering what would happen when I came off my daughter who is a lawyer but also qualified as a life coach, just because she is interested in phsyochology, asked me to try the Slimpod pods for a year. I agreed and I find the discussions really interesting. Not dieting but teaching yourself to eat healthily and knowing when you are full so responding to your own signals.
I am listening ever night, but as yet I don’t know whether they are working or not, as being on Mounjaro as well it is difficult to tell but I hope they will help me maintain a healthy weight once I get to my goal!
As you know I am a very slow loser, but I don’t know whether this is due to my past dieting habits, only eating 1250 calories a day and weighing myself all the time which I know adds to stress that doesn’t help.
I don’t get a wonderful suppression but my health provider thinks this might be because I daren’t eat enough to get a good suppression! It feels like I am on a merry go round half the time. Do I just try to eat normally and hope the suppression kicks in or do I stick to a low calorie diet as that is what I have always done?
I am hoping I can rely on the Slimpods to help me sort out my own mind and get of this treadmill of dieting when I know that all I have to do is eat healthily.

That’s another thing I like about Voy. It’s a bit like your Slimpods. They don’t encourage calorie counting or anything, just the balanced plate system. You can scan a photograph of your meal and it gives a breakdown of the nutrition. And they give you a phone session with a counsellor/dietitian to start off, who then checks in every couple of weeks by text. There is an AI counsellor that is fabulous and quick - I’ve had recipes, picnic ideas, exercise ideas, shopping lists, you name it from “her”. And they have a few “exercises” a day that are about changing your habits and mindsets towards food and dieting. I got the first two months at a discount and my husband is paying for the third month, but after that I will have to switch to a different supplier, which is a shame. But it’s £100-150 more a month. I initially chose it because I wanted all the support in case I needed it. Ironically I didn’t have any side effects at all so far! I get very little suppression and seem to be able to eat big portions, have spice and drink alcohol without issues. (so in my case eating more hasn’t kicked the suppression in). I’ve no idea what calories I’m eating but I’m eating very healthy - tons of fruit, veg and yoghurt especially! I’m really enjoying what I’m eating. I hope I don’t get a lot of suppression further down the line.

@DidILeaveTheGasOn thanks for your thought-provoking post.

Regarding the chafing, have you tried the chub rub shorts from Snag tights? They are excellent.

Hello to all you May starters. I began on 4th June but have enjoyed reading your thread to get inspiration from people a little further along!

Well, I had been thinking of going up to a 5ml pen next time (albeit with counting the clicks to 3.75) but here I am at four in the morning feeling horribly sick and just back from the toilet with terrible diarrhoea on Week 6 Day 2 of 2.5! I’ll see how the next couple of weeks go but I’m wondering if I should stay on 2.5 even longer. It’s annoying because suppression from days four onwards isn’t that great any more but I really don’t want to make myself even more unwell.

Busy week here just trying to catch up. On my 5th 5mg jab this week, and seem to have plateaued. Have only lost half a pound! Which is a bit annoying.
I have been tracking calories on my fitness pal this week and I’ve been under. A couple of days a bit too much under and it told me off for not eating enough. I’ve also done a bit of exercise too - which is new. Usually it’s just a bit of walking but I’ve done a fitness class and some swimming.
as a positive, I have got some lovely new outfits - mostly from Vinted but new to me and I am feeling good in them!
has anyone else lost their arse!!!???

@DidILeaveTheGasOnexcellent post. For chafing, I was influenced by Ashleigh Huish (she’s very funny, size 18, does lots of try on videos etc) on instagram to buy this: https://ivyverdure.com/products/irelief-by-ivyverdure-60-gr-all-in-one-stick
it is really good. Discount code is ash15

Another day, more side effects!

Felt much better as the day wore on yesterday and had friends over last night so had half a glass of wine, my first since starting in May.

Good god I've been up all night with intense nausea and a horrible full feeling in my stomach. The worst yet.

Clearly increasing the dosage is coming at a cost so I'm going to drop down next week to 2.5mg.

On the plus side my friends were very complimentary about the weight loss and said I was looking great so ill take that!

Wine does not agree with me on MJ. I can have a few glasses but any more than that and I have to take Imodium 😳

D3 of my highest dose (3mg). Nausea thankfully not as bad as @Sallycinnamum's last night but I did take a sick bowl to bed just in case.

@AccidentalPrawnYouFool saggy bums is something I often notice on reddit photos. I do a big glutes workout once a week at the gym, but tomorrow I'm starting to add some short daily exercises. Starting small and working up.

Thank you for all the anti-chafe recommendations, I'm ordering!

@DidILeaveTheGasOn I wear Wirapa long legged shorts under dresses. Come in a huge range of colours and made of cotton. Or the chamois cream that cyclists use.

Roll on deodorant is a good tip too.

Stats update, 8 weeks

SW - 11st11 (bmi 31.2)
CW - 10st3 (bmi 27.0)
TW - 9st (bmi 23.8)

Genuinely really amazed at myself and this magic drug as my perimenopausal body wasn’t remotely on board with weight moving at all before this!

I moved up from 2.5 to 3.75 last week. Only SE from going up has been renewed suppression - which had just completely tailed off on the 2.5 and I really noticed the difference going up.

@dc82 your stats are very similar to mine although I don't think I can get down to 9 stone!

Despite feeling bloody rough at the moment it's been amazing seeing the weight come off.

I'm going swimming tomorrow. 20 lengths with pool fins should sort out arse-sag!

Cool - I didn't realise that swimming was good for building your glutes. I should have done more swimming at the spa.

I think so @Mounjour . My glutes always feel rock-hard after a good training session.

At a function. Wearing really nice blouse before it is too big, very roomy now. Size 18 light blue boot cut jeans. Blouse is flattering, jeans 'current' but make me look the size of a caravan.
Trying to be sociable and bubbly and in my head, a constant loop of,
'Size 18, size 18, size 18, size 18, size 18.'

So much internalised/external shame attached to my weight and size. And it is so LOUD.

Im sorry to hear that @DidILeaveTheGasOn it will take time to undo all the psychological damage of obesity.
i feel so much better now ive lost a little bit, it makes me really sad to think about how i used to feel only a couple of months ago.
We had DP’s birthday party last night and it was so much fun! Lots of people complimented me on looking good but no-one made a comment on my weight. I ate very little and drunk so much i had to walk the stairs to the loft (bedroom) on all fours! 😂 Also wore some high wedge shoes, first time in a long time, so good to feel like i can have fun again with dressing up.
Today a friend gave me lots of clothes (shes moving abroad and having a clear out). Lots fits well and a few will fit me in a stone-time! 😅 she gave me a pair of denim shorts and they fit me 🥳

Love that @tostaky!

So much of my self-worth is tangled up with being a certain size. It's been a shock to be on the other side of that.

I’m not sure I can see 9 either, if I’m honest. I’m not too fixated on the number and more just being a healthy weight I can sustain (the holy grail). Fingers crossed you feel a bit better tomorrow!

@DidILeaveTheGasOn just sending you a virtual hug. We are so hard on ourselves aren’t we?!

Can entirely resonate @DidILeaveTheGasOn. I’m over the moon with what I have lost and I feel great , but then I realised I need to loose that again at least! And then I think I shouldn’t feel as good as I feel about how much I’ve lost and how I look 😫

So my last injection day I injected my hip/ bum where there’s plenty to grab ☺️ and I’ve had so few gastro side effects compared to the last 5mg I injected into my stomach. Will try there again , knowing that if the side effects ramp up as the medication builds I can take slightly less next time.

on another note - does anyone wear a garmin watch? My sleep this week has been awful and shows my body in a state of stress rather than relaxation alllll night. I wonder if it’s the medication? Or likely just age / lifestyle etc.