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.

Hi @FoxRedPuppy i have no idea what I’m doing really!! I was on 5mg when I got to goal. Dropped to 3.75mg and then went away for a wedding so ended up not jabbing for two weeks. I’m planning on staying on 3.75 every two weeks or more often if needed until Xmas - then I’ll think about coming down to 2.5mg. Then probably go to 1.25 like @MargoLivebetter I think I have enough pens to stay on for about a year but I do hope to stop eventually - I’m on Oushk’s plan where I can order if I need to so I will have the buffer of being able to order a pen for a good while yet.

They want both. Photos and to see you get on the scales

humph! So ended up using the bathroom a couple of times yesterday and first thing this morning… weighed in and I’m now back to my lowest weight 🤦‍♀️ I was aware that things had got a bit slow and I was feeling bloated so I’d had chia seeds for breakfast on Thursday followed by chia seeds in porridge on Friday which are my go to gut encouragers - sorry TMI. The thing is that MJ also makes me rush to the bathroom so now I don’t know if the scales have dropped because of MJ or because of dietary changes - and I suppose it doesn’t really matter - it wasn’t fat anyway.

Thanks for all the chat and reassurance yesterday though. I’m going to do bodypump this morning (because I love it!) and then prep for friends coming for lunch tomorrow - I’m even making a cake from the Fast800 books in an attempt to remain reasonably healthy! @MeridaBrave and @MargoLivebetter you’ve definitely inspired me to think about other resistance training though - I’m going to have a look at caroline girvan and have a think about what else I can be doing at home. Also I love the gym - when the kids are older I’m going to move into the local David Lloyd and become a 50 yr old gym bunny.

in other news, things got a bit silly last night and I ended up putting my 70kg husband in a fireman’s lift. I was able to squat him easily so I’ve definitely got some quads!

Wow @Incognitoburrito88 well done on lifting your dh! I always want to weight myself after a big 💩. I have a constant struggle with constipation due to medication and MJ has sometimes compounded that.

I do Caroline Girvan and running. I do t go to the gym as I’ve always hated gyms! I enjoy CG, although occasionally struggle with some stuff (chair squats- I can do about 4!, and renegade rows- can’t work out if it’s a strength thing or balance thing!). But I’m only up to using 5kg dumbbells (but I started at 1.5!)

I want to get a personal trainer in the new year, just once a week to work on strength (I have some lifting limitations due to a heart condition). Today the plan is a run and some weights.

Hope everyone is hanging in there.
This is my 4th week since my final jab. My moods definitely improved which is a relief. My weight is exactly the same but I’m tracking and aiming for minimum 100g of protein a day (my PT wants me to hit 120 ideally) I’m using the Ladder app twice a week and see my PT twice a week. It’s hard going but I’m desperate to maintain and for this to become the “new normal” my biggest challenge will be not letting one day off de-railing me as it’s always done historically.

Try and rethink as there is no such thing as a bad day. Food isn’t good or bad, ‘thin’ people sometimes have days where they eat a lot, they then balance it out over the week. It’s always been my downfall too.

I think that’s a really good point, days are just days and we have to balance things across the week.

@Thischarmlessgirl snap - I'm now 7 weeks post jab! Feeling pretty good - not losing, not gaining. It feels doable at the moment - but I haven't been on holiday or had Christmas since coming off it, basically a sustained amount of time when I've 'relaxed.' I think I'm learning, you simply shouldn't 'relax' the rules for too long - and remind myself if I overeat, I feel rubbish.

@Thischarmlessgirl and @Thelittlestranger good to hear that you are both doing well so far post MJ. Keep us posted, as it is really encouraging to hear.

All good for me. Horrible stressful day yesterday and the 1.25 kept me strong and I did not eat my way out of it. I had quite loud food noise, but not enough impetus to do anything about it - if that makes sense. It was there but not "itchy". I'm aware I probably sound a bit mental, but I don't know how else to describe it.

@Incognitoburrito88 chuckling at the image of you throwing your DH around!!!! It sounds as though you have some pretty strong muscles there 😁

@FoxRedPuppy personal trainer in the new year sounds like a good idea. I keep toying with the idea too, as I'm sure it would be good to get some fresh thoughts and ideas. I shall wait to hear how you get on with interest.

@MargoLivebetter
I know exactly what you mean about the 1.25mg dose. I've been maintaining on that for several weeks now. I couldn't tell you what it's doing really but just know that I feel settled, I don't want to eat excessively or badly, I enjoy my food but can stop when I've eaten enough and I don't use food as a reward or a crutch or a comfort. It's quite remarkable.

That's good to hear @KrankyKumquat . Long may it last!

I love hearing about those of you maintaining on really small doses. It give me such hope!

Great such small doses are working. I hope the same will happen to me but I def feel hunger on 5

Me too. Im hoping to go down to 2.5mg in the new year then potentially halve it until I run out.

Hi everyone, can I join you all?

I’ve read the whole thread over the last few days and feel like I know you already! I’ve been on MJ since the end of April, losing half a pound under 4 stones, mostly on 2.5mg.

I’m now intending to go over to Pharmulous for one or two pens for the last 7lbs before starting maintenance. I will do this next week when I return from Cyprus.

Your stories have been so helpful to read. It’s great to see so many different ways of doing the same thing!

Welcome @Nearlyhadenough good to see you here and well done on all that you lost. What's your plan for maintenance?

I've been more or less the same weight since July (maybe 1lb more on average now). I last saw my dsis in July then she came to stay this weekend. "you've lost a bit of weight" she said. No, not at all. But I think over the last 5 months things have sort of consolidated and I look smaller. Bodies are strange things!

I'm half way through my month of no MJ and it is going OK. I've had the odd hungry day, but it has not been sustained, and it was really nice to have a lot of food enthusiasm when I was menu planning, shopping and cooking for dsis.

I went out for tapas with my friend yesterday. Between us we left about half the patatas bravas, one of the gambas pil pil, a couple of the boquerones. It is such a new thing to eat 'enough' and then stop. Previously I would have hoovered up every scrap - a 'can't let it go to waste' mentality, but also an inability to look at food and not eat it.

Planning to do one month on (2.5mg) and one month off for a while, and if that's successful move to one month on and two months off. Or maybe one on/ one off on 1.25mg... We'll see.

I'm finding it difficult to trust that I might eventually be OK without MJ, and also anxious about any of the maintenance rules changing. I ordered another 2.5mg pen from Oushk (been with them for a year+) and I found myself worrying over every detail of their online consultation process. There are clauses that say if you've not ordered for 6 weeks you have to send a photo. I didn't send one and it was all approved OK.

With my one on / one off regime, I've got enough pens for 8 months, so I need to relax and trust that, with the evidence, one of the providers will prescribe for me next summer.

@20bloodypounds great to hear that all is going well so far and you enjoyed an evening out in a tempting environment!

Also sounds like you have given yourself plenty of options for ensuring long-term success too by having a stock and being on the books with Oushk. I think you need to trust that you have covered your bases - or whatever the appropriate analogy is! 😁

Interesting maintenance approach - I like the idea of knowing it's there in a month if it all goes tits up. I've ripped the plaster off, but I still have a pen left over in the fridge as back up in the next six months in case it's needed. Its my safety net.

@20bloodypounds I worry about stopping and then not being allowed to restart too. I have a stockpile which I want to use up, but I also feel like buying another couple of pens maybe before the bonus dose goes away. At some point though I do need to stop buying pens for a bit and risk it! I wouldn't mind if I had to restart on 2.5 as I'm only on 4mg now.

I was with Oushk for a bit, but got really put off by their crazy socials, is it better now?

I’m with Swift now. Can take up to a years break. If it’s more than 8 weeks need to start again on 2.5mg but that’s fine for me as I’m still on 2.5mg (although taking from a 5mg to save money). I’ll probably keep on ordering with 8 week gap at 5mg whilst the pens still have the bonus dose then will take a break to use up what I have.

How is everyone managing food noise? Mine is well and truly back.

I am managing not to gain (so far) by using extra willpower. The MJ is still working well on satiety, it just has me a bit worried that I will start to gain as we all know how hard it is to deny the food noise indefinitely. I have found myself succumbing and eating more snacks & non-nutritious food lately but have been able to stay roughly within calorie limits.

I could dose up, but I don't want to as I've been maintaining for a few months - I'm trying to gently drop down. Wondered how everyone else is doing as maintenance plods along?

@OneThirdLessI wish I had something helpful to say but as you know I’ve gone back on a small dose to silence that bloody food noise! I’m going to stay on to get through Christmas and January. Then I’m going to come off again and consider hypnosis.

What dose have you got down to?

I have been poised to order a new pen, despite being unsure if I can due to my last order being June. My last dose was during August. Since then I am about 5lbs up but it is very stable. Over 12 weeks off. That includes a holiday, family visits, usual life that inhibits healthy eating! I am slowly gaining confidence I can maintain without.