Thread 2 because we have reached our goal weights and we want to maintain not regain. We might be going cold turkey or titrating down or staying on!

[MargoLivebetter]

Can't believe we filled up a whole thread! Welcome to thread 2.

On a positive note to start us off, I've lost 1lb of the two that I gained from my autumnal apple crumble caper. Filling full of resolve and pleased to know I can gain a pound or two (which is of course completely normal) and then lose them again.

Just back from a weekend away with friends and have managed to maintain. However, it wasn’t as difficult as expected. There were 10 of us away, and it turns out that 7 of us are on WLIs! I was so shocked. Myself and 3 others were obese and obtained through a legitimate source, the other 3 were either just overweight or normal BMI and have been getting it through dodgy sounding sources, apparently just for a few months so they could look their best in a bikini. I don’t know how I feel about it tbh. Setting aside the unregulated source which makes me feel very uncomfortable, the idea of people of a normal BMI being able to access it so easily does concern me. It feels like an eating disorder epidemic waiting to happen - but at the same time I can’t quite work out how it is different to me continuing to take it now I have reached a normal BMI. It was an eye opener for sure, I hadn’t realised that usage was so widespread even amongst eligible people I know, let alone people who are not even overweight!

@sylv165
Wow, that is surprising. I still only know 1 person IRL (my male hairdresser for t2d) but I guess as I don't tell anyone, I don't encourage them sharing either. I have just fessed up to a good friend as she's obese, post-menopausal, hashimotos, gastric issues and I hope she'll think about it as nothing else is working.

I too worry about future eating disorders. It was very hard to stop losing, even on a very low dose, and it struck me how someone could just carry on regardless. We also know that plenty of people with eating disorders have managed to get prescribed by lying or omission.

I guess it's not my circus, not my monkeys but can envisage a day when regulators get a lot more angsty about maintenance prescribing, at the same time as prescribing for non- obesity related conditions widens.

I’m more concerned about dodgy sources, esp if it’s not a licensed pharmacy. Even more so if it’s something to be reconstituted or supplied decanted.

re: the people just a little overweight (assuming legitimate source) taking depends I think on circs - and similar concerns with formerly obese people eg - are they eating enough protein and calories to maintain muscle mass.

I get it from an online pharmacy so totally legit but I only just qualified at a BMI of 27 (was close and ate large carby meal, drank a lot of water etc for fist official weigh in). I had high cholesterol and PCOS - becuase I have high muscle mass from weight training I didn’t really look especially overweight, although interestingly my cholesterol is now in middle of healthy range. So even some “not so obese” people can be getting from legit sources.

@KrankyKumquati think it is probably a lot more widespread than you think. I decided to be honest about it this weekend because I haven’t seen some of them since last Christmas and knew they would notice the weight difference and the fact that I wasn’t eating and drinking as much as normal. It was only once I admitted it that the others started to fess up. We are school friends that are now dispersed across the UK so it’s not like it is just a trend in the particular area I live in, and it is clearly very easy to get your hands on it with no questions asked outside of the legitimate routes (and at a cheaper cost!).

Seeing the numbers going down on the scales is so addictive and it is always tempting to convince yourself to just lose a couple more lbs. I agree I think there will be a point where regulators tighten up on maintenance, but that would be pointless without also cracking down on unauthorised suppliers.

I think this is why I feel so conflicted. We are all aged around 43-45 so at that point in our lives where perimenopause is kicking our butts, we are time poor due to kids/elderly parents and we’re just not able to drop a few pounds as easily as we could have 10 years ago. So I don’t necessarily have an issue with my non-obese friends taking it, because I completely get how they are feeling. But it just feels a lot easier than it should be for them to get their hands on it, they have no clue where it is coming from and there is absolutely no monitoring to make sure they are not losing too much. Leaves so much potential for abuse.

It does amaze me that people are prepared to inject stuff from unregulated sources. I’m prepared to stretch a pen beyond 30 days but I would never use a decanted substance.

I realised that the best way to get hold of it was to let my weight drift up to the point I was eligible for the online pharmacies - and as I had high cholesterol and a PCOS diagnosis this was at a BMI of 27.

As it happened a formerly overweight friend offered to sell me a genuine kwikpen from his “stock” but I realised that once I used one pen I’d be even further away from the normal prescribing limits making it harder to secure a longer term supply.

I only know one person using WLI (no-one else seems to be losing any weight) and she was initially on wegovy precribed by her GP for diabetes. Her diabetes and my desire for maintenance means that we now have a very similar lifestype approach. We often meet up for a walk or a swim whereas previously it would have been for cocktails. If we eat together we cook each other our favourite high protein low carb no-UPF recipes, and if we go out for lunch or dinner we get excited about finding restaurants with food that fits out eating styles - no more pizza joints!

It is hard to find the excitement about staying the same weight, and the same measurements. After a year of progressively getting back into my smaller sized clothes I've had to accept that at my age and stage in life (mid 60s) even at this weight and BMI 22.5, there are some things i will just never fit into again. I have the most gorgeous evening dress from 30 years ago - I can't imagine any ocassion requiring it but it reminds me of my younger, more exciting life, and I still have it. I think my rib cage has expanded and the dress will never zip up again. I can see how it could be tempting to keep going, just for the heady feeling of that long-ago dress fitting, but I am happy at this weight and size, and I'm determined to keep to the new lessons of how to eat, for the sake of my long term health and a very long old age!

Thank you @GLP1Girl for your detailed reply. I'm training - 1 hour swim, 3/4/5 hr cycle, runs. I fancy toast and butter rather than a chicken breast and roast veg 😋especially in the afternoon. I've never made a protein shake in my life. I really have to say I haven't been careful enough about nutrition, off or on MJ. I think it's true to say that I don't eat healthy because I don't prepare the right food - shopping or prep.

For me anhedonia was a persistent SE - also a physical coldness and fatigue. We were on holidays in Spain and my legs would be cold.

I'm largely over Covid now - but it has taken 3-4 weeks. My healthy 15yo DS got it too and he developed shingles. Apparantly very rare at his age - so a rather nasty version of covid.

I'm on the mend but will definitely go back on MJ the minute I get home from this event. I plan to behave myself and hope that I can stay on a 2.5 dose.

That is a lot of exercise for which you should eat carbs. You definitely need protein but no reason to add protein shakes, just make sure you have protein with most meals. I have a protein yoghurt because I like them most lunch times but otherwise cheese, meat, nuts...
I put on weight because I was binge eating sugar, this has now stopped. I still eat sugar but not sharer bags every day! You need to stop the thing that put on the weight but you still need to enjoy your food

Returned from a week away. Only put on 2lb. Glad I had done the work to get back to goal weight before I went away. Should shed those 2lb again in no time. Definitely going to try and drop a few more to give me a bit more wiggle room.

If I've missed any new joiners - welcome and sorry for not saying hello individually. I'm trying to catch up with my horrific work inbox, so a bit short on time for now.

Just found you all again!
Im happy to report 6 months in to maintenance... I'm still, well, maintaining!
I had a slight creep out of my 3lb tolerance range, so I've cut cals for a couple of weeks and now sit nicely back in my tolerance range. I've got 3 weeks before my husbands 40th, quickly followed by my own birthday, so I plan to stay in a slight deficit for the next 3 weeks to allow for some enjoyable meals out, and to enjoy the food gifts that will inevitably be given.
I've been off meds since July, after hitting maintenance in March. So I'm thrilled that I'm able to cut when needed. I admit to being a little frightened as to how it would feel. But to my surprise, it has been perfectly manageable. I suppose because I'm thinking in terms of cal cut for a few weeks. Where as when I started this, it was years to lose!
My maintenance with 6 hours excercise per week is 1900. I'm still counting cals as this seems to keep me in check. I'm thinking to try and balance any special occasions (we only ever eat out or get takeaway for a birthday, or big special occasion like anniversary) by sitting at 1800.

@ThisMustBeMyDream amazing news!

Awww thanks for being so supportive. Well done on small gain. I am away for 18 days. Food not an issue but I love a drink on holiday 🍸👍❤️ Not too worried though. Got 3 10 mg pens ...so up to December. Maintaining at 8 St 7 but only 4 ft 11!

@MargoLivebetter thanks so much for this thread. Really appreciated 👏 💐 ❤️

I’m in my first month of maintenance, so have been titrating down and leaving longer between doses.

I am going slowly. Down to 9mg from 12.5 and 10 days apart instead of 7.

It’s going well so far. My weight has fluctuated between 8:11 and 9:1 which is a bigger variance than I expected, but obviously it’s just month one.

I think I will reduce dose more but keep the gap at seven days and see how that works.

I still seem to be losing the odd lb here and there. But I don’t really want to lose anymore weight as don’t want to look scrawny and I’m lowering dose slowly was on 15. Now 7.5. Will do 2mths on this and go down to 5

well that’s the plan

Hello @Zempy welcome to maintenance (if you haven't posted before). Sounds like you have a plan and it is going well so far. Keep us posted.

Thank you @Azuresky68 . I don't really drink, so that's not my temptation but a vast range of delicious buffet food is another story!!!!

@ThisMustBeMyDream that is all sounding really good and you've built in contingency for upcoming celebrations. I have a feeling that is what it is going to be all about.

@Blondeshavemorefun glad to hear you are going well too. That's a significant reduction for you, so it is good news that you can still shedding the odd pound here and there, although I appreciate you may not want to anymore.

I’ve taken it slowly. 15
to 10 to 7.5. But yes annoying I still lose the odd lb as don’t went to lose any more tbh

tho guess gives me a leeway If I gain more on 5 or even stop

I've started to move down and have been on 5mg for a few weeks ... and just started losing again after making no changes. Don't know whether to move down to 2.5 as that's not meant to be a proper dose. Not sure what my next step is. Happy with my weight although I still have a visible tum, but worried that they'll stop prescribing now my bmi is 21.

I’ve taken 2.5mg the whole time. BMI is now 21.9 so time to stop losing I guess, don’t mind another couple of kg. I’ll probably go down to 2mg to see how that goes.

@daffodilandtulip
The same has happened to me as I've reduced dose from 10mg over about 11 months. I kept thinking 'ok, this is my sweet spot' and then a month or two later, I'd be back to lots of appetite suppression and satiety (to a lesser extent) and my weight would drop again. So, I've continued to reduce dose 0.5 or 1mg each time this has happened. I'm now at 1.25mg every 7 days, my bmi hovers around 20. I don't care about 'proper doses', I'll just take what's necessary for me and I'm with a pharmacy which is ok with my bmi (although doesn't know about my microdosing).

I'm BMI 22 and pretty stable (up and down a couple of pounds) on 2.5mg. Time to try out the next level of my strategy - one month on and one month off. I hope that will give me real sense of how I manage my hunger or any cravings that re-emerge, and see whether I can stick to the smaller portions, no refined carbs (or minimal refined carbs), almost no sugar, and stick with an ongoing 'diet' (in a good sense) of healthy proteins and fats, lots of veg, some beans and pulses, nuts and seeds.

So I'm going to complete October on 2.5mg, then nothing for November, then back on 2.5mg for December. I'm really hoping that I can maintain a steady weight and BMI during November, but I think I'll appreciate being on MJ to help with moderating during all the December festive temptations.

I think towards the end of October I'll have another maintenance call with Oushk so they know what I'm doing and keep me on their books even if I'm not ordering any pens.

Sounds a good plan

Good to know that 2.5 is effective for some people. I’ve got one own left and I’m travelling so don’t want to mess it up, but think I’ll try 2.5 next month then.