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?

"you" can achieve the same effects. Surely you are not that closed minded you think that means everyone can?

I have done that so many times in the last 30+ years. I genuinely hope you are someone who can lose then sustain it without medical intervention. Of course that is the ideal, but for many of us it has not been possible. We are all just trying our best here.

Once reaching goal maintaining is the hardest part, however you choose to do it. Good luck and well done on your loses so far!

Easy? From someone not even at goal and who has never actually achieved it? Seriously??

Respectfully, I don’t think it’s that simple. I had one of those DNA tests for Xmas last year, and they included a year of the premium health information. I was fascinated reading through, and one thing that jumped out at me was that I was at an increased risk of obesity due to my genetics! I hadn’t even realised this was a thing until that point. So genetics play a part in weight gain - surely you just know people where one person can eat everything they want and never gain a pound, another only has to look at a biscuit and they gain weight? If someone is lucky enough to be blessed with genetics that enable them to eat what they like, they shouldn’t be judgemental at others.

for years now I have been unable to understand how I can’t lose weight. My kids have even asked me “why am I so fat with how little I eat”. I don’t eat breakfast, occasionally (maybe a few times a year) have a light lunch of a sandwich or similar and then have a small evening meal - i can’t even eat
a quarter of the size meals i used to (I admit portions were too big before but I learned from my mum). I do have the odd snack during the day, and rarely healthy but not a massive amount of calories - my daily calories is roughly 1,200-1,500 a day. I walk 10,000 - 40,000 steps almost every day. It’s dropping off with the bad weather setting in, but I get out walking at every opportunity regardless. I bought decent waterproofs to allow me to do this. Despite all of this, I cannot shift any weight. I have been on the contraceptive pill since I was 16 - before that I was always a size 8. Since then, I’ve always struggled with my weight, although I have successfully dieted many times over the years. My doctor thinks it could be hormonal. My point is, you can’t just assume someone is fat because they eat too much. I’m not lying about what I eat. I don’t drink alcohol. I only drink zero calorie soft drinks. My body simply will not let the weight go. I don’t even think the injections would work for me as, whilst I do get food noise, I’m not physically able to eat anyway! And I don’t see how I can reduce down what I am eating any further.

I would love to see more research done on obesity and the causes - there absolutely will be cases where it’s just from eating too much…. But what has caused that person to eat too much?

to the op - I don’t think you would be unreasonable to continue a maintenance dose. I’m pleased they worked for you!

She’s never achieved it. If she had she’s not be on a diet now.

Whatever makes you feel better darling.

Ah, difficult call then. I'll be staying on a maintenence dose, but don't have any of these complex issues to consider.

Maybe this time she will. Maybe she won't, good on her she is still trying to fight her obesity (like we all are).

It would obviously be better if she was less closed minded, less preachy, more informed about what she is talking about, had better intentions and not assume she is the only person on the board who has every tried whole foods before, but we've probably all been (quietly) guilty of similar especially when we were at the "succeeding" stages of our obesity (whether with WLI or not).

She may understand one day - and if not at least she is burning some calories with all that posting! 😉

I know you mean well but I dint think we all have been similar. I genuinely can’t imagine coming onto a weight loss board, preaching to everyone about how to maintain your weight, how easy it is to maintain your weight, when I myself have never ever found it easy to the extent I was obese, diabetic, now on a weight loss journey and not even hit goal yet.

i think very very few people behave like that. I think the fundamental issue here is she is jealous people can get these drugs to maintain.

I’m confused why you’d think I felt bad, I’m at goal, have maintained for rhe last six months and can afford the drugs to maintain, I’m also not on line, fat and telling folks how easy it is to not gain weight.

Who said I didn't find it easy? Who said I struggle to maintain? Who said I'm fat? I'm still a little overweight but I'm not fat and I haven't been fat all my life and I'm not obese. I'm only a few lbs from goal so practically there. So if it makes you feel better to make things up, crack on.

Ah, you were offered ozempic, got t2 diabetes, all as a healthy weight. Sure thing.

Very useful and extremely interesting !
5 clicks from what size pen please?
I’ve been off it for 8 weeks now ( 3 stone down ; 1 more to go) after watching my hair fall out . I’m also getting a bit stiffer in places with more aches re-appearing alongside the remergence of sleep apnoea.
It’s so vital we let each other know what’s happening to us!

Other than the above I’ve more or less maintained my MJ lowest with very little effort and actually still don’t hear the food noise. BUT my mantra today is ‘don't start (eating sugary crap) and you won’t need to struggle to stop ‘ and it’s true.

The hair loss is due to the weight loss, not the drug, it is temporary, and comes back very quickly after your weight stabilises. You do end up with tufty bits as the hair grows back, but it grows v fast. It starts growing back within 3 - 6 months of weight stabilising.

basically when you lose a lot of weight the body tries to preserve itself and the hair follicles shut down, meaning you shed a lot more hair. Not everyone gets it. When you stop losing weight they reopen and the hair regrows, my weight has been stable about 6 months now and the tufty bits are a couple of inches long. Think it started coming back a month or two ago.

Sure it’s a ballache, but it is temporary, and happens with any significant weight loss, ie slimming world, fasting, weight loss injections. It’s just more commonly discussed now as so many millions of women are losing signficant amounts of weight. This time next year it will be healthier than when I started, as it is all new fresh hair.

id urge anyone to just keep going with a steady weight loss in the drugs, as being a healthy weight is critical for our health. And the hair regrows fast, re growth seems to be much faster than the rest of my hair. And unless we intend to stay fat, then we are always going to have to go through it.

How quickly did you lose the 3 stone?

I eased off on the dose after 2.5 stone loss when my hair started shedding more.

I was on 1.25mg initially for 7 weeks then 2.5mg and now dropped down to 1.875mg, i feel amazing, so much more energy with the few extra calories I'm eating, but still totally off sugar, and still losing slowly.

I figure if I'm going to be on it forever it doesn't matter how fast i lose, even 1kg a month is 12kg a year which is near enough 2 stone, which is no small amount.

Hi just out of Curistoty what is your maintenance dose? I’ve lost over 3 stone now and all been on 2.5 when I get to where I want to be think I will carry on because it’s changed so much for me

Thank you so much ! You are like an Angel of Hope 😇. I’ve a Big Birthday coming up in 7 months so would ideally like to look better not worse (!) so this is very welcome advice .

thank you for replying
xx

I lost an average of 1.1lb week and it took 28 weeks to loose 3 stone . I started MJ at the beginning of Feb 2025 and noticed hairloss mid July . Quit MJ mid Sept after plateauing and wanting to get my hair growing again but today it’s still shedding a lot .

I slowly dropped to zero MJ over 3 weeks , so I’ve been jab free of it in my system for 8 weeks now but I never went above 3.75 mg the whole time I was taking it. 2.5 mg was my fave dose tbh . So I never went high and still suffered hairloss. I also ate lots of protein but probably did don’t eat enough in the first few months ….

As said earlier it’s the weight loss not the drug, it starts to regrow within 3 - 6 months of weight stabilising.

The ketogenic diet doesn’t suit everyone.

I’d been on it for two years but came off due to low blood sugar, sweats, increased heart rate and anxiety. I feel much better with some carbs

I hope so I look like cr@p up top 🤓

I have to say I don't ever want to come off it if I don't have to. I don't currently have a provider as I stockpiled before the price increases, and I have plateaued for 6 months (BMI still 26) but if I wasn't on it I know exactly what would happen. Life is SO much easier now.
Not just the getting up and putting on anything and feeling like I look ok because I'm a fricking size 12 - that bit is brilliant - but the reduced pain (I have osteoarthritis and already had a hip replaced at 48 so that pressure being taken off my other dodgy joints has really helped significantly)
I sleep better. I don't get the shakes ever (I suspect I had low blood sugar often before, although I never consulted a gp about it) My skin is better because I'm conscious about drinking more water.
Its just. Better. And I CANNOT go back to how I was. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to find a provider now that will put me on maintenance once I run out though. We shall see. I'm still technically obese because I'm mixed race.

Did your hair recover despite continuing with MJ ?

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/speaking-of-psychology/id705934263?i=1000736396184

impact of WLI’s on mental health !!

It's early days, i only dropped the dose 6 weeks ago.
My energy levels have definitely recovered.