Late April ‘25 starters - thread 5

[wlinewbie0425]

Creating this in advance, as the old thread is suddenly moving quickly due to recent events. No matter what challenges lie ahead we are still making amazing progress - so let’s keep supporting one another along the way as we approach 4 months ‘on the pen’.

Saturday morning is weigh in time for me. Been 2 weeks since my last visit to the scales as i was on holiday this time last week. In those 2 weeks ive lost another pound. Got to be happy with a loss after a holiday. Total loss now 2 stone 13lb (41lb). Looking to lose a pound next week to join the 3 stone club x

SW 17.7
CW 14.1
Week 23? Loss 3lb
total loss 3st 6lb (48lb)

Honestly I feel like a new person!!!! Went clothes shopping this week in H&M (who am I?!) and for the first time in YEARS actually enjoyed it!!! I couldn’t even squeeze into an XL previously in there. This week I was comfortably getting in L and even some M - I could have cried 🥹
Well done everyone on the NSV’s and losses!!
Hope you all have a fab week!!

@BeachBodyAim Thats another great loss. Well done and congrats.

Well done everyone! And recent weighers @Scousebloke , @BeachBodyAim @slightlysmallerPoisonIvy @Merlin23 fantastic results!
Weigh for me this morning and lost 1.5lbs bringing total lost to 3 stone 5 lbs I think and it’s week 22. The scales flickered into the 11’s today but rested at 12 but so hopeful I’ll soon see the 11’s which will likely be my final stone bracket as I don’t think I could get 10 stone anything . It’s been years since I’ve been in the 11’s and even longer since I was in the 10’s so will be delighted if I get another 10 lbs off and low 11’s.
I am on an antibiotic this week and also have a cold and very constipated so aim this weekend is to get things moving again. Strange the doctor told me the antibiotic may cause diarrhoea but I’m having the opposite effect!
hope everyone has a good weekend !

@BeachBodyAim brilliant shopping experience, I’m now the same- I go into shops thinking what’s going to fit well to show off my weight loss rather than previously when my aim was big, baggy and long jumpers etc!
I haven't bought very much yet as I have no confidence in clothes or what to buy as still have the mentality that I’m too fat for any trendy or nice clothes! Also find it so hard to spend money on myself and clothes are so expensive so have been looking on vinted and few things purchased on the way. Thanks for @Merlin23 for the tip about sizing in brands I must try that app and see what it comes up with!

Have lost my holiday weight! One week to put on 5lbs; 2 weeks to lose it. Could be worse. Next goal is to lose another 4lbs for a total of 3 stone. I can do it!

Happy weekend all.

so lovely to hear your updates. Check us out, we are fabulous!!!!

looking at the posts from the last week or so has got me thinking about Late April, and where we all were then. What a journey!

I’ve lost 3lb this week, which is loads for me as I’m usually a 1lb a week gal. Feels like my weight loss is speeding up the lighter I get, which is odd and not at all what I expected.

im now 3 lb away from a 3stone loss, which is mind blowing.

And.. I’m also really enjoying clothes again. For so many years shopping has been an exercise is humiliation and shame for me, trying to find things that cover my body and disguise my weight. I’m now swanking about in lovely jeans and T-shirts, and fitted jumpers. I’m not hiding my body and it feels life changing. I’m confident , wearing cool hoopy earrings and lipstick in my day to day… I’m actually quite emotional about it. I never thought I would feel this way again.

Also, this weeks loss has inched me just into the healthy BMI range… a real achievement , as I’m only 5ft 2 and was deep in the obese category in April. I danced about my bathroom with glee “I’m healthy, I’m healthy!!!” 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I ran up the stairs yesterday , rushing about as I was leaving the house, and realised that my joints didn’t hurt or creak, I didn’t get out of breath and it’s easy peasy to do this now.

I started MJ to lose weight because I didn’t like the way I looked. But the changes I’ve seen in my health and wellbeing are so much more meaningful now. I’ve got an 18 and a 15 year old, I wanna be around and in their lives until I’m an old old lady . Being a healthy weight is something I can do toward this goal.

So as you can see, I’m feeling sentimental and giddy and so so fortunate today xxxx

NSV
After putting my measurements into the website I mentioned below. It said I should now be a size 12.
Went to the shops today. Bought size 12 trousers for casual and work. Also tried on a gorgeous Oliver Bonas jumpsuit in a size 12 fitted lovely, didn't buy it as I think/hope it won't fit in a few weeks. It was on sale too!
Took me 30 minutes to find trousers that wouldn't fall down to go out in this morning.
This jab has blown my mind.
I haven't been a size 12 since I was 14 years old.
Well done everyone!
Loving all the happy people.

Such lovely updates to read - well done everyone as we swish and sashay our way through life now 🎉🎉🎉

Brilliant losses and nsv’s on this super Saturday - go The Red Roses!

Well done guys and gals.

And Team Europe in The Ryder Cup!

Excellent losses! well done everyone!!

@cannyvalley Whoosh weeks are fun! we're going to need a video of the healthy happy dance 😜 I'm picturing Carltonesque while wearing your magic tshirt, does that still fit or have you had to buy another smaller sized one? Congrats on reaching a healthy weight, that's a huge milestone!

@Scousebloke Losing even when on holiday is impressive, well done!

@bridgetreilly Yes you can!!!

@StartingApril2025 ooh that scale is such a tease with the flickering, next week you'll get it!!!

@BeachBodyAim happy tears when trying on new clothes is so much more fun than the sad because we're getting bigger and nothing fits kind!

Weigh in and jab day for me and I lost 2.6lbs this week, very pleased with that wasn't expecting two big losses in a row. Last week's good loss motivated me back into exercise so that's been feeling good (but achey!) this week. This week's goal is to get water consumption back on track, it's slipped a bit because I'm so damn cold.

This is very exciting news!!!!!!!!
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250918/Scientists-unveil-new-obesity-drug-that-reprograms-fat-and-energy-use.aspx

Well done @slightlysmallerPoisonIvy, great loss 👏🌟

Edited to add - very interesting article, thanks. Not sure I got all of the medical nuance but amazing how specific and targeted drugs are becoming in the treatment of obesity and weight loss.

This article is really interesting. Every female on my mum's side of the family has struggled with weight. And it has always annoyed me when healthy looking people judge and say eat less move more. This article shows that our bodies are our enemies and it is genetics for so many people.
Hopefully science will be able to help us.

Weekly weigh in and another 1lb off for me. Just over 30lb off in total. I need another 25lb to get into 'healthy' territory but I'm aiming for another 30lb to give myself some weight gain wiggle room. At my current rate it's going to take me until end of April to get there - I always said I would allow myself a year with the jabs, so I'm ok with that, but ideally I want it to be quicker. I'm thinking I really need to start tracking in earnest and ensure I've got a decent calorie deficit.

I'm still not really shrinking in dress sizes 😭 a few things are too big but a lot of stuff is still fine which is annoying. It probably means I was squeezing into them before but still 😖
I use vinted all the time, it's my go to whenever I see something I like in shops / online I check vinted first. I tend to sell and use the credit for something else, so for me it's like a clothes swap. The more I browse and buy odd bits the more I sell, it's all down to the algorithm.

Well done everyone on all the amazing achievements again this week.

Well done on your weight loss!
I have been measuring and my measurements were not moving. I had 6 weeks of the same measurements. Until this week. When my waist shrunk by 2 inches. I think my skin has finally given in and shrunk.
I don't know how od you are but my skin is definitely being stubborn. But hopefully it will give in and catch up.

@Merlin23 the judgey people who say eat less and move more have clearly never struggled with their weight and have no idea it's far more complex than that for many people. I have lipodema, in times of hormonal changes, puberty and pregnancy and peri, I pile on weight that cannot be lost through diet and exercise. Add on some medication weight gain and then chronic pain and fatigue making "just move more" impossible, plus of course the bit where I like food and eat too much junk. So yeah some of my weight is my fault and eating less and moving more is part of the solution, but it's just one part, and I needed the glp1 to quieten the constant food noise and reduce my pain and inflammation to allow me to move more and eat less. I'm so thankful that science has started to help us, even if it was accidental at first and they were trying to fix diabetes and found all these other benefits, the fact that they are now actively working on making weight loss drugs even more effective gives me so much hope that maybe at some point in the future people won't have to suffer with obesity and the judgement that comes along with it.

Great loss @PumpKim ! I think we are all guilty of squeezing in to too tight clothes and being in denial not wanting to buy the next size up so when we start losing weight it seems like it's taking a while to start going down in size but actually we are not taking in to account that we've probably gone down a size or two when our clothes start to fit more comfortably.

Yesterday was day 150 on mounjaro for me. That both feels like such a long time and no time at all!
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Just thinking about the article @slightlysmallerPoisonIvy shared about potential root causes/contributors to obesity, plus the trajectories we’ve all been on, and what lies ahead for us when we come to end of the MJ/Wegovy stage of our journey and have to go it alone. What have we learned over these past 5 months that will hold us in good stead for our futures? What good habits or practices do we think we’ve instilled into our daily routines?

For me, cutting out bread and learning to adapt around that is key. It’s all too easy, quick, and cheap to have toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, beans on toast for dinner, etc…removing that option means my answer to the second question has to come into play - food preparation. Over the past five months, I’ve made overnight oats for breakfast (in batches of 4 pots at a time), a huge bowl of quinoa salad that I can use a few spoonfuls of as the base for any lunch or dinner time meal, with a pack of mini chicken fillets cooked each week and put in the fridge to again use at lunch or dinner. Add a selection of cheese, nuts, and fruit, and I’ve got a mix ‘n’ match variety of food ready prepared that means I can avoid reaching for bread and save that for special occasions only. That’s a habit I must maintain…at the risk of my husband quoting that ‘failing to prepare is preparing to fail’ in my ear, I have to admit he’s right and I know I need to keep on with this after my supply of MJ runs out at Christmas-ish. How about you? What have these wonder drugs taught you or allowed you to make a part of your daily routine?

@Coventree
What I have learnt:-
I don't have to finish everything that is served when eating out.
I can eat off a smaller plate.
On my 3 workdays meal prep is the key.
I will be able to eat 400 to 500 calories more than I do now as I won't need a deficit.
Occasional treats are OK but not everyday.
I know it will be hard but I am hoping to be very motivated, but that is easier said than done when the food noise comes back.

All good points @Merlin23 😊…fingers crossed these strategies work for us 🤞

Ooh interesting... What have I learned? Have I learned anything I didn't already know in theory but had trouble putting in to practise?

I think my biggest lesson, as someone who has always been an emotional eater and would definitely use food to squash down unpleasant feelings has been that I can sit with my feelings and they will pass. I struggled with that at the beginning of this journey. What am I supposed to do with my feelings if I don't bury them under pizza... Feel them? Ew. It took me a while to figure it out and I'm still working on it, but in the last few weeks I think I've made a lot of progress and I'm hopeful that I can continue that without mj.

Another big lesson for me has been that it is ok to "waste" food. I do not have to finish the food on my plate. If I am eating more calories than my body needs, that is also wasting food. The only difference is that I am using myself as a human rubbish bin instead of putting it into the kitchen bin. And the kitchen bin is not going to gain weight if I give it the excess calories. So I've learned I am not a garbage bin and when I am satisfied I can stop eating and nobody is going to tell me off for wasting food.

I agree about meal prep and planning (but let's not tell your husband he's right!) That is something I now enjoy doing and it makes a big difference to have healthy food prepped and ready to grab. It doesn't have to be complicated and take a whole day of cooking huge meals to freeze, sometimes I do that but I also do the same as @Coventree with quinoa salad or bean salad which takes five mins to prepare and I keep some grilled or slow cooked chicken in the fridge too. I do still have days when it's easier to throw a microwaveable packet of whatever in the microwave, I'm never going to be a upf free type person cooking every single thing from scatch but I am making changes that feel sustainable for me. Pre-mj I would get home from a late shift too tired to cook or even decide what to cook and just eat peanut butter on toast or even worse chocolate biscuits and coffee for dinner so it's made a big difference to have nutritious food instead.

Another change is wanting quality over quantity. Pre-mj me preferred quantity over quality which meant cheap mostly carb based food. Many peole say their food bills have reduced so much it pays for the mounjaro but mine have increased, I'm eating less but I want more expensive, better quality, nutritious food. And chicken. So much chicken. I wasn't a big meat eater before.

STS this week.... it is TOTM so I'm blaming that but really I have noticed that a few too many treats and glasses of wine have slipped into my weekends recently so I need to stop that.

I am worried that when I stop MJ the weight will just creep back on as I am clearly no good at sticking to a good healthy diet when taking MJ so god help when I come off 🤔I am hoping that I can continue fasting as that is the one thing I have been trying to reintroduce since April, so I quite happily go until lunch until I eat, easier with the help of MJ though

Anyway, I will try better this week as I have a few social outings and a half term holiday to navigate in Oct, so need to do better this month!

Well done everyone on their losses and NSVs 😁

Great that you’ve got the awareness and know what you need to do (even if doing it is the issue 🤣) @dozywelshbird.

Oh I love that thought @slightlysmallerPoisonIvy - excess calories are wasted whether we overeat them or put them in the bin, and it does less damage to go with the bin option ❤️. That’s definitely something to hold onto.

Weigh day check-in for me

SW 87.65kg
CW 73.85kg
GW 65kg

So I lost 0.4kg this week... Not too bad..So that's 8.85kg to go until I reach my goal. I have 3 x 5mg pens in the fridge and I'm hoping that'll see me through to the finish line with a little bit of maintenance too. Fingers crossed!

Some nice NSVs this week. I think I can now officially claim to be a size 12, having bought some jeans and a couple of tops off Vinted in that size. I've not been a 12 for many many years, so it feels great... But also kind of hard to believe!

I wore one of these new tops to a party at the weekend. I saw lots of old friends who I hadn't seen in a while and I had a few comments about how "good" I was looking... So even though this is about much more than "looks", it certainly feels nice to have some positive reinforcement from friends ☺️