Is there justification for continuing with Mounjaro no for MH reasons even when a healthy BMI?

[ThisNeedsToWork]

So my BMI is now 24, which I’m obviously overjoyed with. My eating habits are better and I’m exercising more. However, I’ve been here before; many times. One of my biggest issues is the food noise. I find it overwhelming to the extent that it actually causes depression. Over the years, I’ve tried anti depressants, none of which addressed the cause for me which was the constant obsession with food and eating. Taking Mounjaro has stopped that, dead. It’s been life changing for me. I had no idea the beneficial effects on my MH would be so profound. As an aside, my joints are so much better too. I’ve been down to this size a few times before in the last 10yrs with no real difference in my aches. So, my question is really whether it would be reasonable to stay on a low dose for the foreseeable not so much for maintenance but rather for the enormous benefits it’s had on my mental health?

I think you'd be unreasonable because you can get the same effects though diet. Don't go back to eating processed junk, eat whole foods and keep the carbs complex and low and you shouldn't get food noise. These injections replictate the effect low carb etc has in the body imo.

If you eat shite when you come off you'll just end up fat again and be trapped in an endless cycle.

I reached my goal in November 2024. I still take MJ. Ouskh are supporting my maintenance. I don't know if I'll be on it forever, but right now I continue to take it to maintain weight but to maintain how I feel. My weight loss still feels too new to do it without support.

Totally reasonable!

I am 6 months into maintenance and am staying on to keep the food noise (and frankly the alcohol noise!) quiet.

Of course that would be reasonable. It's a medication which has improved your health, why would you not?

I’m not sure you’ve understood what I mean. I can never get the same effect from dieting. I spent my 20s watching what I ate, eating healthily and exercising and yet the food noise was horrendous. It was always there. So the effect or benefit I’m looking for isn’t maintaining the weight loss, it’s being free of the food noise, which for me was overwhelming.

Utter shite!

Having low carbed for several decades, I can categorically say that this is not the fact. It may work that way for you but your experience is unique to you and not fact.

Not unreasonable at all. There's a reason it's allowed to be prescribed for maintenance and why so many people stay on.

Ignore judgy pp who has no clue how MJ actually works.

I'm sure this works for some people, and that's great, but personally whenever I've done low carb/Atkins/keto style diets the food noise becomes insanely loud. My brain starts shouting at me to eat carbs, craving all sorts of stuff I don't normally eat day to day. I remember having a huge craving for apples, which I don't tend to eat because they give me stomach ache.

Unfortunately not everyone's body and brain react in the same way. Fab if you've found the solution for you though!

Totally disagree with PP, if you can stay on this drug ie, you can afford it and find a good maintenance provider, I absolutely would.
This drug interferes with the dopamine pathway so as you say it takes away that noise, it also helps with alcohol addiction, and if I could afford to stay on it I would, but I can't.
I have been on every type of anti depressant going along with valium at times but nothing has calmed my brain like this drug.
I'm having to come off now as I can't afford it and those addictive thoughts are coming back, I actually at this point couldn't give a shit about the weight I would give my right arm to stay on it for the quiet and calm it's given me for the first time in 59 years.

It’s one of the reason I’ll be staying on for life.

It's very reasonable, and probably what I will do when I get to maintenance. Mounjaro is approved for long term maintenance. There is a known risk of weight regain for anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight so it is sensible to continue to take Mounjaro for maintenance to reduce the risk of significant weight regain.

Yes, that’s it for me too! This is the best anti depressant I’ve ever been on! And I don’t mean because I’m happier having lost the weight, I mean because it’s taking away the noise. I’ve lost the weight before and the noise remained-got worse often-but never have I felt this level of calm!

I think there’s a myriad of benefits to this drug that we’re going to hear much more about in the next 10yrs!

What do you think might be unreasonable about taking a medication which improves your mental health? It sounds a no brainier to me.

I guess it’s because I’m primarily seeing it as a weight loss aid and maybe struggling to justify it as, in effect, an anti depressant.

on a different note I’ve found it has massively helped my ADHD. I’ve tried antidepressants and also ADHD meds but MJ is the only thing that has helped me to feel mentally stable as well as getting me to a healthy weight. So no in my opinion you would not be unreasonable to stay on it if it helps you.

In your shoes I absolutely would stay on it. No reason not to really. I've already decided I'll be staying on it when I get to goal.

WI are not magic, they are drugs that have physical effects in the body. They function by mimicking a hormone in the body to control hunger, and many of the positive side effects that people report are due to improved insulin resistance, and improved metabolic health.
And there is a diet that produces that hormone, improves insulin resistance and improves metabolic health.
So, if you want to ditch the WI but keep the physical benefits take a look at a ketogenic diet and nutritional ketosis. Nutritional ketosis is used to treat mental health issues, food addiction and joint pain and and and the list goes on.
If you are interested in learning more, take a look at the metabolic mind youtube channel for info on how nutritional ketosis is used to in mental health treatment, and for more info on the broader effects on the body the Public Health Collaboration UK youtube channel is a good place to start.
No links, because we all know how to google.

Best wishes.

Exactly.

Absolutely reasonable, MJ is licensed for weight maintenance aswell as weight loss

Obesity is a chronic condition so just like other chronic conditions eg high blood pressure you don't stop taking the medication because your numbers are better as if you did your high blood pressure would come back, similar to obesity.

I'll be on it long term as well

I don't think that is quite right, imo. Obesity is generally caused by eating too much and moving too little. If you don't eat too much, you won't get obese again. It can be prevented, its not a given.

Obesity is a symptom, not a condition.

This is incorrect. You could read Why We Eat Too Much by Andrew Jenkinson if you want to correct your misunderstanding of this issue.

Also, what is the relevance if it is a symptom? Many people take medicines to alleviate symptoms.

@LizzyEm once you have become obese, there are changes that take place which make it harder to lose weight and to keep the weight off. Obesity may be preventable initially but once you have become obese then you are fighting a different battle. One that these medications help with.

I think we will see more benefits of WLI as time goes on. Only some have been studied so far but the results eg for cardiovascular health are amazing. If it’s working for you, that’s a good enough reason to stay on it imo.

Harder, not impossible. Its not a given that you will stay fat or get fat again.