At goal and don't want to lose or gain!

[AmythestBangle]

I have reached my goal with a steady loss since January. I never went above 5mg and am now alternating 2.5 and 5. I was happy with where I was but have now dipped a bit lower and I definitely don't want to lose any more. I still have a fine BMI but i am quite old and am looking a bit skinny and wrinkly! I have very high suppression even at low doses. Of course I don't want to gain much either.

Every single week I have lost around 1lb, even the weeks when I have had 2.5mg. I am concerned that even if I just stay on 2.5 (which my provider seems happy to continue to supply) I will keep losing. I am going away this week, for just over 5 weeks, and was planning to take my pen with me. I am wondering whether I should just leave it behind. If I put on 3 or 4lb I will be just fine, I will still fit in all my nice new clothes etc. More than that I'll be very disappointed. Wwyd?

I intend to stay on a low dose for life, so I would take it with me.

I was planning to, until I got to goal and just kept losing! Now I am wondering...

I really need to gain a couple of lb right now. Maybe take it either me but microdose?

You could microdose ?

I’m at goal and when I went on my last holiday for a week I put on 14lbs over the week (obviously mostly water) and it took me 5 weeks to lose it again. I did not overeat by much, basically I ate an ice cream every day but I’m very sensitive to sugar so gained so much water weight and bloated.

I found it stressful as I was worried it was ‘real’ weight though and wouldn’t miss a dose again, but would micro dose or have a lower dose. I’m not losing now though.

Continuing to lose after reaching goal is totally normal and to be expecting you can’t eat enough calories to maintain.

I hit goal a few weeks ago and have since lost another 5 or 6 lbs. I don’t mind this (actually prefer it!) but definitely don’t want to lose anymore so have started using a calorie counter again to monitor and am adding in the odd slice of sourdough or more nuts, a little extra butter/oil etc to make it stop.

I am up on 10mg though and haven’t started down yet. I would suggest that you drop to only 2.5 rather than alternating and see how it goes for a few weeks. There is always the option of halving that if needed or speak to your provider and explain your worries. They may suggest a different dosing schedule.

I would not want to come off for a period of weeks as I really value the other health benefits and the lack of wine noise in my brain!!

I am not at maintenance yet, but interested in your plan and what pharmacies are suggesting. Are you alternating 2.5mg and 5mg weekly or monthly? Is it a pharmacy approved maintenance plan and which pharmacy?

From reading my pharmacies info and from their previous Q&As, not my personal experience - if you want to gain, you could try sticking to 2.5mg for a couple of months and trying to steadily increase your intake of calories as a first step.

Treat it as reverse dieting, start tracking calories again to monitor that you are actually increasing them, if you don't meet your higher calorie target have something calorie dense such as mixed nuts to get there. If you find you cannot increase calories enough, then look to try <2.5mg.

I would try to take it steady giving your body time to get used to a steady dose and steady calorie intake and see how it reacts over a few weeks, don't chop and change.

The pharmacy was giving me 5mg until this month, then I got to goal and they said 2.5 from now on. I just decided to drop to alternating 5 and 2.5 last month as I felt I was losing rather fast and was nearly at my goal. Now I've overshot the goal! Counting calories sounds good, its what I did in the beginning to start getting the weight down, but now I have such appetite suppression that its almost impossible to eat enough!

I've ordered some protein powders etc. I think I will open the new pen on the day I leave and take 1.25? Then take it with me and see how I go. I feel great but I have to admit I look very thin. Esp as I am going to a place where I will be showing much of my body (swimwear etc).