May 2025 Starters Thread 7 - Ending the year as we mean to go on ✌️

[FlorenceNightshade]

A sparkly new thread for our chatty gang!

I dropped my dose down to 1mg twice a week for a while as I was struggling with SEs and exhaustion on top of my usual chronic illness stuff, as well as seeing disordered eating patterns and behaviours taking over and making my mental health a mess. It was just too much. As I also wasn't shifting past 107kg it all felt a bit pointless. But, I didn't want to stop completely. I just dropped it low enough so I could eat and regain some balance with my nutrition, relationship with myself, no SEs etc.

I had only made it to 5mg spread over the week anyway, so it wasn't a massive drop, just enough so the levels in my body could drop enough to get back to a dose I knew I'd been ok with.

I think it helped, as I am now slowly moving up the doses again and am back at 3.5mg spread over a week. I'm still losing and gaining the same 1-2kg I have been since Jul/August, but have rekindled my love of beany salads and have the energy to meal prep a bit more now, so eating healthier options is easier.

Whether I will ever get to a level that gives me suppression and no food noise, I don't know, but this dose is definitely helping my inflammatory markers (recent bloods were excellent) and as that was my number one priority for taking MJ when I started, I am happy with that.

Of course, a bit more weightloss would be nice, but I can't go back to the disordered eating and obsession I was feeling before my little 'break', so I'd rather remain the same weight but feel more in control, which is where I feel I am now.

@notgonnafail gosh it sounds like you had a really tough time but well done for sticking up and doing the best for you. I dont think they have a french equivalent for “whatever works for you” but i find this idea really helpful. Only you know what is best for you.

Jab day for me today - i am losing and gaining the same 1kg every week… frustrating… must be the 5 margaritas last night! Oh well… at least it was fun!

@Placestogo It's taken me 50 years of being a good girl, suffering with perfectionism and excessive rule following to learn that I just can't do stuff the way others do. I'm AuDHD and chronically ill. Listening to my body is my only priority now (much to many people on my life's annoyance as I'm not saying yes to them and their needs all the time and am looking after my own!)

One of my 2 jab days too. Wish my losing the same kilo over and over since late July was down to a margherita or two! Hope you enjoyed them. I'm sure your whoosh will come.

Loving the NSVs & SVs! Hope people are enjoying their new clothes.
@DidILeaveTheGasOn whinge away if you need to. I think we've all had a bit of a moan here since May.
I've decided my plan until 1st January is to menu plan and drink water. I'll stick to the same dose then have a restart in the new year. If that means a few snacks over the next 3 weeks, so be it. I want to stay a healthy weight long-term, so for me that means I have to include treats in my strategy.

Sigh. Moved from 3mg twice a week to 3.5 this week and was extremely sick this morning and again just now. Back to 3mg it is!

@VashtaNeradapoor you - not fun… when things are settled you could try 3.25mg if you still wanted to go up.

Since losing weight i am extra cold. A friend recommended M&S heat gen vests and leggings. Gamechanger! I even slept in a long sleeve top last night! It is meant to be very tight but it almost feel like a compression vest, which is like a hug in a tshirt! I love it!

Morning
Hope I’m ok to pop back and say hello after so long!
I still read and have loved seeing your victories, both scale and non scale.
im now 12 weeks off MJ and have maintained my weight (it fluctuates 3lb up and then I wise up and it’s back down)
Ive had a holiday away with constant cocktails, lots of festive events, and the small matter of my gallbladder removed.
hunger came back pretty quickly and I definitely have to be very mindful of not falling back into old habits. But I really feel that MJ helped me to break the toxic cycle I was in.
a whole new wardrobe helps too as I would have nothing to wear if I gained it back 🤣

That’s great to read @MyScaredCat well done on maintaining. 👏👏

Just about sneaked another lb off this week, which is good as last week it was a loss due to a tummy bug, so at least it stayed off.

Hope you’re feeling better today , @VashtaNerada . 💐
Well done on another pound off , @Gingercar!
And great to hear from you , @MyScaredCat - you’re doing brilliantly , hope you have the best Christmas ever xx

Lovely to read everyone's updates. I put on a pound last week, which I was really indignant about until I sat down and made a list of my assaults on the biscuit tin, how many gallons glasses of wine I had drunk and totted up how many calories were in the homemade Korean fried chicken DH made for dinner at the weekend. By the time I had finished doing my sums, I was delighted to have only gained one pound, not six.

I am back on the path of righteousness this week. Lots of water, lots of protein, plenty of salad.

Hats off. It’s good when you can work out where you’re sliding and rein yourself in.

Measured this morning , although my weight loss has been slower than many on this thread I’ve lost 2stone 5lbs since May 9th.
Also an inch off my bust (wish it was more!), 5 inches from my waist and 6 inches from my hips.
This time last year I wouldn’t have believed it possible.
Onwards and downwards! 🥳

That's sounds pretty impressive @ElsieJay. I haven't measured at all, I just go by the size of my jeans.

BTW I tried to give my old jeans in sizes 18, 16 and14 (all in very good condition) to the local charity shop. I had 4 carrier bags full but just took 2. They grudgingly agreed to accept them but said to put the rest in a textile recycling bin as no one wants to buy jeans. Who knew?

Thanks, @Apprenante xx

To echo what you said about charity shops - we were in our nearest town (not a big town by any means) yesterday , there must be half a dozen charity shops along the high street and four of them had signs stating they couldn’t accept any donated clothes until further notice .
I had a wardrobe declutter last month and the breast cancer charity I support collected 3 black bin bags of clothes and bedding from my home.

Really @Apprenante ? I live in jeans in winter. We have a very active off-brand Freecycle Facebook group here - you can usually get rid of clothes bundles really quickly. Like @ElsieJay says, charity shops don't always accept donations.
Well done on shrinking, Elsie!

Hi all great to hear the victories including the small gains vs large ones!!! @DBatteryBand loving the sound of homemade Korean fried chicken!!

@Apprenante i got jeans from a charity shop last week and love them!!! Maybe try a different one after Christmas! I think lots of people get rid of clothes before Christmas!

@ElsieJay great inches loss!! It’s such a good feeling isn’t it!!!

@MyScaredCat congrats on maintaining! How was having your gall bladder out?? My dp is on the waiting list for this!

Congratulations on the continued losses folks. It’s good to hear everyone is keeping on buggering on. What a determined lot we are.

@Seahorsesplendour the op was fine. I had a very easy recovery. Worst bit was the pain from the trapped gas they use to inflate you for keyhole surgery!
I’ve had issues since though. I’m 7 weeks past it and still having pains that feel the same as before to me. I’ve had an MRI and am meeting my surgeon next week to see what’s going on.
it definitely hasn’t been a straightforward case of gallbladder out and magically everything is better

Hi everyone, I've just caught up on the thread and it's great to hear about all of your victories, and that those who are having a bit of a tough time are sticking with it.

I mainly hang out on the >10 stone loss thread, although I'm not a frequent poster there either, but I thought I'd pop in here to say hi.

I'm still on 3.75mg and it seems to be working ok. I've lost 6 stone (well, rounding up from 5st 13.5lbs!) and my BMI has finally gone down from class III obese to class II. I actually weigh in kg and my interim target is to get to 40kg off by 31st December (88lbs / 6st 4lbs). I have 2.2kg/5lbs to go so fingers crossed I make it.

I've got a plan for Xmas to make sure I don't go completely off the rails, but at the same time still enjoy it.

I'm struggling a bit emotionally at the moment but I'm hanging in and am hopeful that I'll pick myself up again soon. I'm probably just tired and need a break from work, which thankfully I'll get over Xmas. Being on MJ and having so much weight to lose feels like I'm carrying the mental load of a full time job, and I already have one of those! I'm a student too and I workout 6 days a week so my head is in so many different places. It's a million micro-decisions every day and I'm a bit over it at the moment.

Sorry for the whinge, but I know that you all get it and, as much as they try, people in my real life just don't really understand.

I feel you about this - I've had a few low periods of just being sick of always thinking about weight loss, SE, avoiding my trigger foods, trying to avoid heartburn etc etc etc.

I think the price increase just piled on more pressure with this? That need to optimise each week so you don't waste the money?

As women we all carry so much anyway - especially at this time of year - work, school Christmas festivities, tired snotty kids who carry every germ and big imaginable, obligations to wider family. Argh the list goes on.

Anyway. Have a whinge, get it off your chest and know that we're all paddling alongside you. Not in the same boat, but companions on the journey x

I’m on another festive day out. Have managed a three course meal quite easily plus mulled wine and a latte, plus one of my husband’s mini donuts! The jabs just don’t stop my appetite! I chose as healthily as I could, but still!!

Oooh dear, @MyScaredCat - didn’t realise you were still having pain even after the surgery. Hope they can get to the bottom of it soon. Good that you can reassure @Seahorsesplendour about the op her DP is waiting for.
@AlicesMum2025 - you’ve done incredibly well at what sounds to be a very stressful time, and you have plans in place for dealing with Christmas too - wow !
Please feel free to whinge along with us. Only a couple of people know I’m taking MJ, so these threads have been an absolute lifeline.

We’re having some work done in the house at the minute, so have industrial quantities of biscuits for the builders - I don’t normally buy them, as have never met a biscuit I didn’t like.
More willpower needed, Santa, please ! 🎅🏼

The May 2025 Cohort Flotilla !!

Just a quick check-in as crazy busy today, lost another 1lb so just 4 more to target .
It’s the last WW class before Christmas next Friday, doubtful I’ll lose that 4lbs in a week but will do my level best .
First class of 2026 is 2nd January, which hopefully will keep me mindful over the festive season … . 🤞

Well done on the loss @ElsieJay
ive increased my dose to 2.5 every 4 days 2 weeks ago and ive lost 1kg so far so all good. Except that the last injection was from a new pen and i am so nauseous i have barely eaten this i took the jab. It makes me wonder if the first two 2.5mg jabs were a bit off because i stretched out the pen for longer? I just dont understand why i didnt felt any nausea the first two injection with an old pen and im feeling awful with this new pen…
i hope thats not the case because i have now a collection of 7.5mg pen that i was planning to stretch out to make them more cost effective…