Starting Mounjaro, nervous, also not telling anyone

[Elliebird2]

I’ve been approved for mounjaro privately and it’s been shipped today. I’ve done it because I’m now obese. I’ve tried everything since my daughter was born (she’s 3.5 now) and I’m just getting bigger. You name it I’ve tried every type of diet and I can’t stick to it and I feel so ashamed. I feel ashamed that I find it so hard but the food noise is terrible and I’m consumed with thoughts of food and I know it’s something I need to work on long term but I need some help before I get even bigger.

i have an autoimmune condition so being obese isn’t good for me. But I’m feeling extremely nervous about taking it, i can’t tell anyone as I know people will judge me for it. My husband won’t understand as he won’t like me spending the money and he also has a “just do it” attitude to losing weight so won’t understand why I need the help. But he’s different to me and doesn’t think about food so he does find it easy. I just don’t.

It’s taken a long time for me to take the plunge to take this journey on these injections and I have to try.

I guess what I’m asking is any tips for someone new to these and very nervous? Is anyone else taking this without their partner knowing?

Firstly well done on taking control and making this choice for yourself. For me and the vast majority of posters on this board we would describe it as the best thing we ever did for ourselves and only wish we had started sooner.

Find the August 25 starters thread, it’s great having people who are experiencing it all on the same timeline as you, but don’t hesitate to seek support from those who’ve been on it longer too - as you just have 🙂

I understand the hesitancy around telling people - you won’t be the only one here who hasn’t told their DH. Hopefully in time you will be able to. I think it’s better that someone close to you knows in the very unlikely event of a medical emergency - if you really don’t have someone you feel able to tell yet then make very sure your GP knows so it’s recorded on your health notes (I’m not in England but I think if you are it will appear in your app soon). The online provider should notify them but that’s not always the case. I’ve only told DH and a very small number of friends - but made so many great online support buddies so I don’t need to bore anyone in real life!

For your first jab, don’t be panicked about tales of horrid side effects but equally do be prepared in case you do feel a bit poorly. It’s a good idea to eat ‘clean’ for at least 24h before the first jab so you don’t have anything spicy/heavy in your stomach. Keep really well hydrated. I got things like rennies and Imodium etc and had no need for them. I did feel a bit tired and mildly nauseous after jabs for a while - but I mean v low level morning sickness sort of feeling - eventually worked out it was when I was hungry but didn’t have the normal cues. Eating little and often works much better than big meals if that’s the case. You will be amazed how hard it can be to make sure you eat enough sometimes!

for me and many here, the reduction in food noise was virtually overnight… but that’s not the case for everyone so don’t worry if it doesn’t happen immediately, it seems to be different for everyone and it might take a higher dose before you feel it. But when you do it’s hard to overstate how much of a game changer it is.

good luck and well done on taking this step for your health and wellbeing 🙂

Here they are https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight-loss-injections/5378761-august-25-starters?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

Well done for taking this step. I didn’t tell my DH (or anyone else) when I started. It felt a bit odd to be taking WLI on the sly but I just felt I wanted to get started without having to discuss with anyone (having done lots of reading). After a few weeks I did tell DH and now he’s on WLI too! I have still only told DH & DC. It’s no-one else’s business.

i found the cost was covered by the drop in food bills but would be happy with the expense anyway as it’s made so much difference to my life.

My main advice is don’t feel pressured to increase your dose unless you need to. I started at 2.5mg every 10 days and started losing weight on that. I moved up to 2.5 weekly and have stayed on that and lost 4 stone. There’s no need to increase your dose if you’re losing weight on the current dose. Obviously some people need a higher dose to lose weight, but not everyone. I’ve lost 1 to 2 lb a week which is as fast as I’d want to lose. No side effects.

Also I recommend reading Why We Eat (Too Much) by Dr Andrew Jenkinson (also on Audible). It will help you understand obesity and why you (and millions of us) struggle to lose weight and hopefully reduce your feelings of shame. He explains so well why obese people are fighting against their bodies’ survival instincts and so are doomed to failure. We’re so lucky that we have WLI now to help us lose weight.

@Elliebird2 I have not told anyone except my DH. What you need to consider is how he will feel when you eventually tell him. If it was me I would pose it as a “I have decided to do this, I know you won’t approve but I didn’t want to do it in secret and I hope you will support me”.
best of luck I have been on 9 weeks and lost 20lb and it has helped a lot that my DH knows. Join the August group for support.

Well done, you'll wonder what you were worried about in a couple of months, I would say as a PP, educate yourself around what you put in your body and how it affects your hormones, the biggest thing I have learned is that not all calories are equal, I now prioritise protein and veg without thinking. I'm now at the very low end of bmi and I'm finding it easy to have a good relationship with food. I don't snack, and do IF it's a no brainer. I haven't told anyone either, including my oh, I would say that it's easier to do that if you can pick up your package from royal mail, gives you more control as to when it's delivered, and the questions about what's in the package don't arise, it goes in a face cream box in the fridge til opened then in my bedside drawer.
I have had some side effects, occasional nausea, vomiting, constipation, all remedied either with pepto bismol and or prunes.

I’ve had no side effects at all. And I haven’t told anyone. My husband is a lovely person but he’s got a 28 inch waist, the same as when I married him 25 years ago. He doesn’t eat cakes and things because he doesn’t want to so he doesn’t have to think about weight or try to eat a healthy diet. So, I don’t think he would understand really and I just wanted this to be something for me.

I told him now as he won’t appreciate it if I hide it from him. He took it better than I thought. He still thinks it’s “cheating” but at least he knows now so if I do have side effects he knows why. I’m not great at hiding things from him and it’s eased an anxiety I was having about hiding it. Not telling anyone else though.

Good luck on your journey and I hope it’s smooth sailing for you.
I have been on mounjaro for 16 weeks and it is literally life changing.
There are some wonderful helpful kind people on this board and tons of excellent advice.
I also have a slim DH who doesn’t really understand why I need WLI to lose weight and is of the ‘eat less move more’ mindset. But he is supportive and I’m glad he knows I’m on it. I haven’t told anyone else and the more I read some of the comments from ignorant angry people the less inclined I am to talk about it in real life for now.

It’s no more cheating than using patches or gum to help give up smoking. If you were a smoker he’d support you using those to give up for the sake of your future health - or at least I would hope so!

I think not telling anyone is really dangerous/stupid.

If you had an adverse reaction or were taken ill suddenly, nobody would be able to let medical staff know what medication you are on.

Good for you! I haven’t told anyone else either and at least now you don’t have to hide it in the fridge or worry when packages arrive! Best of luck to you!

Im currently waiting to be approved, keeping my fingers and toes crossed! You sound exactly like me, i'm also worried to tell my partner as he doesn't agree with them but I need to do this for me. I want to feel happy in myself again! When are you going to start? Its been 3 days since I submitted my application but not heard anything back yet, will be so gutted if its turned down!

My DH has the same attitude as yours to weight loss - thinks it’s just a giant failure of will power to be overweight. But 2/3rds of the population can’t have suddenly in one generation all lost all their will power. And almost all those people have plenty of self discipline when it comes to their job, their parenting, and a zillion other things they do successfully in their lives. It’s the environment, the food around us all the time, etc.

Really what your DH and mine are telling you is that they are in the lucky few who aren’t hit hard by food noise. In the same way most of us can have a glass of wine and put the rest of the bottle away can’t understand alcoholics who would drink every drop in the house and be u able to stop. It’s just luck.