On it for life then.........😐

[Ihavesomeballs]

I've lost 11kg on Mounjaro. I wasn't obese to start with but I'm tiny, 5ft 1 inch. I'm now just in the healthy weight BMI. I stopped my 5mg dose for 3 weeks as I had to wait till payday to order my next pen. In that time I wasn't eating any more than usual but I put on 2kg. So I guess I'm on it for life......which sucks as it's bloody expensive. Anyone else??

That’s very interesting, is that through your GP? I have a friend whose BMI is 36 and her GP turned her down despite having 2 of the other criteria (high BP and something else), maybe it’s a bit of a postcode lottery with this too? She can’t afford to go privately but it seems the GP practice doesn’t want to pay either, which doesn’t seem fair.

No private through an online pharmacy. It's shockingly expensive since the price hike.

@Janus the NHS guidelines for prescribing by GPs or other local service is a BMI of 40 plus, with 4 out of 5 specific weight related health issues. That was decided in order to manage the cost and the practicalities of prescribing. The NHS could prescribe to anyone who meets the same criteria as for a private prescription(BMI 30, or 27 for some ethnicities or with a weight related health issue) but they have chosen not to.

Even online pharmacies take your height and weight though so are they just adding, say, a stone on to their weight to qualify?

Yes, simply lie. No proper checks in place that can't be worked around.

That seems very unfair to the person who may be very close to requirements but doesn’t quite qualify. I think GPs should have a case by case judgement.

Not all online pharmacies

They can't do that, they'd be swamped by people requesting it. I imagine the criteria will be relaxed as time goes on but for now hardly anyone is getting mounjaro for weight loss on the NHS. Needing 4 out of the 5 weight related conditions rules almost everyone out.

@Janus there will be several stages of rolling out the prescribing of Mounjaro by GPs. The whole process is planned to take 12 years as they gradually open it out to more people. It’s to manage the demand and make sure that those with the highest medical need are prioritised. It’s the same process the NHS does with any new medicine. It’s just amplified because there’s such high potential demand for this medication with so many people meeting the MHRA prescribing criteria.

I didn't say all!!!! Give me a break!!!

Over 90% of people on the jabs put all the weight back on much more quickly than other weight loss methods.

I’ve lost 7st and gone from size 18/20 to size 8. I have worked out that I was insulin resistant from years of yoyo dieting.. and this drug controls my blood sugar response effectively and I also know that without it I will put it all back on. So to me it’s a priority for my health.
I previously had high blood pressure 180/120.. now 123/70.
cholesterol of 7.2 now 3.7
painful knee joints requiring cortisone injections 3x a year. (No longer an issue)
sleep apnea to the extent I needed a mask(cpap) no longer required..

Horrendous self loathing. On anti depressants (citalopram) None now. I am very happy and self confident.

worth every penny. After mortgage and council tax this is my priority spend.

Would you be able to say where you have seen this researched or analysed, thanks.

I know but I am just pointing out there are a variety of sources and some will operate at a higher standard than others. Everyone makes their own choice with regards supplier but given the amount of fake stuff on offer people need to show some caution.

But surely that depends upon their approach to coming off the medication and lifestyle changes they make. I think in the early days people thought WLI were magic but now there is a clearer understanding about maintenance and different approaches.

That's the problem with using these drugs your better of doing it on your own and learning how your body responds to different foods
Used a tdee calculator to get your
Track your calories correctly
And stay in a deficit until you reach your intended goal
And plan your food and calories around your macros
Carbs and protein= 4cal per gram
Fats= 9cal per gram

It was reported here: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/14/people-who-stop-weight-loss-drugs-return-to-original-weight-within-year-analysis-finds

The researchers studied 6,370 adults in eight randomised controlled trials and three observational studies. Of these, 1,465 patients were taking semaglutide and tirzepatide – higher-dose jabs recommended specifically for weight loss.
Previous analysis of trials into the efficacy of different diets, not including drugs, by the same researchers, found that while people also regained weight after stopping diets, the rate of regain was much slower, taking at least five years to get back to the weight they were before.

This is a medical journal report of the same study.
https://trial.medpath.com/news/43f57e13252d8465/weight-regain-after-stopping-glp-1-drugs-occurs-within-two-years-oxford-study-reveals

A smaller study has looked at that the year before. Tapering off can keep weigt regain at bay for.six months.

https://easo.org/is-coming-off-semaglutide-slowly-the-key-to-preventing-weight-regain/#:~:text=New%20research%20being%20presented%20at,feelings%20of%20fullness%20after%20eating.

As these drugs are new, there will need.ro be more.research.

The cost will also fall significantly over the next 10-15 years once generic versions can be made and sold.

Thanks @FlowerUser. I think that losing the weight via medication is clearly the start of a long process and not the whole process itself. It may well be likely that people like me need to continue to take a GLP1 in some form or other long term in order to maintain the weight loss. It is certainly a massive relief to me that these medications exist and I don’t have to return to obesity, inevitably, after managing to get to a healthy weight.

If it was that easy they wouldn't have needed to invent these drugs.

Hi OP,

I got to to 12.5mg in August then had to give up due to the price hikes.

I'm still trying to eat how I was eating... Swapping salad for veg now, but my main meal is still chicken or fish.

I lost 2 stone originally and then went up 7lbs! Pretty much overnight! I'm menopausal and suffering so I tell myself it's water retention...

I'll have a couple of zero carb days and try to incuperate the 16:8 fasting regime. I'm now 2lb less than I was when I had to stop.

I actually feel better too, I feel like I have more energy, I don't have constipation. It is weird to hear and feel your stomach rumble after months but I know protein is key, whether I like it or not.

Crikey, I ate a packet of custard creams in 2 days and had a takeaway curry and Naan, it's not surprising the weight went up.

Like I said, a bit of mindfulness can bring it back down. I'm hoping to lose more now I actually have some energy.

Good luck and keep posting because support is a wonderful thing ❤️

Hi OP

Tapering might be your friend. And a flexible maintenance plan with your prescriber. I lost 3 stone on it, tapered down, then took a low dose every fortnight for a few months. I did put about 3kg back on, but my weight has now stabilised off it. Gym 3-4 times a week including HIIT and strength training, higher protein/moderate carb diet, minimal processed food/sugar, good hydration, alcohol only on weekends. I also use chromium and berberine supplements to try and balance blood sugar. I was constantly tired in the last few months of MJ because I couldn't eat enough to fuel properly, in all honesty couldn't wait to be done with it, but really wanted to maintain GW for 12 months on it as that seems to help reset the body's set point.

Strength training is also your friend. Lean muscle burns more energy even at rest.

Not on Mounjaro. It's nowhere near 90% and it's only a percentage of the weight lost that they regain.

A lot of variables there, such as the reasons for discontinuation and at which stage.

People need to stop spamming these threads with incomplete info.

Yep. As if people who tend to take this medication haven't generally spent many many years learning about their body and food.