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

[FlorenceNightshade]

A sparkly new thread for our chatty gang!

Well done @AlicesMum2025. I love how your motivation shines out.

Happy monday everyone! Really hard to be going back to work after two slower weeks but hey… someones got to pay the mortgage!
it is lovely to hear about success stories and see amazing changes in pictures! Well done all and may 2026 be the year we all achieve our goal weights!!

I’m the opposite, I’ve worked every day except Christmas Day over the holidays, it’s been really busy due to the weather, which is great (my cafe is outdoors) But I’m really ready for a rest. Not sure I’ll get one just yet. They finally released my mum’s body from hospital on Friday so I’m meeting the undertaker today and hope I can get that moving forward now. It’s been nearly three weeks and people think I’m being secretive about the funeral plans. I’ve also got to get my books finished with the accountant, who thankfully gave me an extra couple of weeks when mum died.

On a positive note, the weight really fluctuated over Christmas and new year, which bugged me as we’d obviously had a very quiet one. At one point it was up 4/5lbs. However today it has dropped off again, and looks like it may be a loss by Wednesday, weigh day.

@Gingercar I had put on 5lb over Christmas (even though I was being 'careful') but it all went away again with almost no effort. It clearly wasn't a real gain. I'm sure you'll have a loss on Wednesday.

@Gingercar Life sounds like it's been such a lot recently - not really getting a Christmas break on top of grieving must be so draining. Sending you much love x

@Gingercar so sorry for your loss x

Anyone with Pharmacy2U?

In the process of switching suppliers as having to be a bit of a price tart. I've filled out the online details, but was expecting to have to do photos/video or something, but nothing. Do they do that bit later?

Sending hugs @Gingercar xxx

Thanks everyone.

I think I have used Pharmacy2U (or 4u?) at some point. A couple of pharmacies have asked for photos a day or so later, when it initially seemed like they weren’t going to!

Thanks @Seahorsesplendour @ElsieJay @Apprenante @SutekhsEars @HKG @Gingercar

@Gingercar , I know from experience that losing someone around Xmas is particularly tough so be kind to yourself and try to rest as much as you can. Delegate if possible so that the burden isn't all on you 🤗

Good evening May jabbing friends! How are you all? I’ve nothing exciting to share but just wanted to say hi and check in on how you all are.

over here it’s the second day back at work and the back to work blues are very real! I’ve not been able to workout at all as work is a a bit full on. Still, it’s mid week so all to play for.

Hope you’re all having a good one, you lovely lot!

Lovely to hear from everyone and see the New Year weigh ins. I put a pound on but lost it quite easily so ecstatic with that! Since then I have been maintaining without much effort, but conscious next week I will be dropping down to 2.5mg as I am tapering off from my highest dose of 7.5.

I’ve had some pains in my feet and legs though and went to my gp. They think I have vitamin deficiency causing the symptoms and I’m having blood tests. Bit scary but alternative is gout so I don’t know which is worse. Apparently losing a lot of weight means toxins have to be released and can get stuck in your toes, so gout is not just for overeating and overweight, it is caused by weight loss too.
i will let you know when I get results but I hope to get to the bottom of it as it is very very painful!
well done to everyone who has gained less, maintained and even lost over the festive period. One really odd thing I have noticed, I bought, ate and wasted a lot less food!!!
Happy New Year losers!

Ahh that sounds rubbish PinkScot, sorry. Hope your GP can get to the bottom of it.

I've decided to increase my dose slightly to 3mg every 5 days (=4.2mg per week). I want to get to target by the end of the month, and it makes more sense to just do it. I feel that I'm wasting money by bobbing along losing/gaining the same kg. I have one unstarted 5mg pen and wonder if that will be enough to titrate down or if I should order a 2.5....🤷‍♀️

@Pinkscoti hope you’ll be ok and it is only a lack of vitamins. I have heard this a few times on podcasts when they invite one doctor for and one doctor against WLI. The “against” one always say that as people eat a lot less, they often lack vitamins… i will take a multivitamin right away now!
@hkgim back to work tomorrow (study leave now) and i am dreading it…. It’s still a new place of work for me (started in November) and so there are lots of “firsts” which i find emotionally draining. + my workload is very high 😭😭
i am making the most of today by going to the gym! Ive signed up to a new gym during the xmas holidays and it has been great. Im hoping i soon will be able to taper off my medication as well… only a stone to go

I feel the same! Good luck with the dose increase - have you much more to go? I’m losing like a half lb a week and it is super frustrating so I’m thinking about going up to 7mg a week. I starting splitting doses at the beginning of Dec but seems to have slowed the losses even though it’s a lot less SE. I’m willing to put up with some to get to goal. I’m about 20lbs off.

@Placestogo oh I am wishing you all the luck for the return to work! I hate starting new places, feel like I’m always ‘on’ but you will smash it and you are so doing the right thing, focusing on yourself today is perfect and fills up your cup for tomorrow! I’ll be thinking of you!

@PinkScot oh no! That’s rubbish! Not what you want at the beginning of a new year (or anytime really). I hope the blood tests come back with a passing issue and quickly. Sending healing wishes!

@HKG I have less than 4kg or 8lb to lose. I should be able just to do it, but I've put on 1.5kg in December - it's ridiculous!

OMG I am at my goal weight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's been seven months and 7 days
Since I took my weight loss jab
I go out every day and sleep most nights
Since I took my weight loss jab

Now the weight is gone, I can do whatever I want
I can wear whatever I like
I still eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant
Happy that food noise got on it’s bike.

'Cause nothing compares
Nothing compares to this.

So happy and grateful for the support from our little May gang.
I'm going to very slowly try and taper down over the next few weeks and see how this goes. I'm open though to staying on a low dose longer term and the more I read, the more I think that budget permitting it might be the best thing for my health.

@PinkScot Sorry to hear your news. I am usually fairly sceptical about the lack of vitamins theory, as it's often pedalled by those who are anti-WLI who somehow manage to miss that most people losing weight successfully are very mindful of their dietary input and have a good input of vitamins and minerals. That said, there are some vitamins - B vitamins and pernicious anaemia springs to mind - that are not related to diet but can cause neurological symptoms such as pain and loss of sensation in extremities. Whatever it is, I hope it's easily sorted.

@HereIGoOnceMore - Wow , fantastic update !!
Nothing compares 2U ! 🥳🎉🍾

Will have that as an earworm for the rest of the day now I reckon.
I’m in the same position as you,1lb to my self-imposed target weight.
I have one 5mg pen in stock, which I’ll start on Saturday - intention is to jab 2.5 every five or six days (will keep it in fridge) - like you
I am happy to stay on a maintenance dose long term, provided there are no more massive price hikes.
Having been overweight since childhood, almost 16 stone at my worst, I’m apprehensive about ditching MJ completely.

Thank you @ElsieJayand congratulations to you too. Your thoughts about maintenance sound similar to my own, but I’m so happy after all these years that I’m in this zone now.

@HereIGoOnceMore congratulations on getting to goal - I found it a bit scary but a month in now I'm getting used to it :). I tend to have a day when I do the normal pared back eating and a day when I might have a little treat and I still weigh myself every morning - have to stay on track. We are going away for 2 weeks in the Spring so I won't be able to weigh there I will have to be mindful not to overdo it but also enjoy myself.
In terms of the vitamin deficiency I was surprised as I have been eating very healthily, greek yogurt and fruit for breakfast, chicken or tuna salad for lunch and a normal family meal for tea like spag bol or roast chicken and veg - just calorie controlled in terms of portions to round 1200 - 1400 a day. I had multi vits but I didn't take them every day I used to forget maybe every other day to be honest. I wonder if it was just that fact I had been absolutely resolute and stuck to it for so long without a blip that I had worn out my supplies, a victim of my own determination! We will see what the testing reveals.....maybe its gout then I will feel like Henry the VIII 😂

Good morning, all - hope the storm last night hasn’t caused any problems for anyone.
We seem to have escaped the worst of it, thank goodness.
Just home from WW , gained half a pound which is disappointing as was hoping to be at target and have my little “award ceremony”.
Looking back at the tracking app,my protein intake has taken a dip over the past ten days so need to address that.
Onwards and downwards !

@PinkScot - I’m also surprised at the vitamin deficiency theory : my husband used to suffer occasionally with gout, GP couldn’t find a definitive cause as none of the known risk factors applied to him. Lack of vitamins was never mentioned.
In the end ,it was assumed to be hereditary. He now takes an Allopurinol tablet daily and hasn’t had a flare up for nearly three years.

Oh that’s frustrating ElsieJay. You’ll get there next week.

I went to the funeral of an ex colleague today. She died suddenly the day after my mum. Very sad, only 60. They asked people to wear their airline uniforms. But they’ve changed uniforms since I left. I did consider wearing the old uniform, but the weather swerved me into trousers and boots. I asked one of my friends who had left the same time as me if she’d thought about wearing it and she laughed and said only the hat fits nowadays. When I got home I dug my old uniform out and tried it on. I’d not worn it for five years, it had been really tight when I left and I’d put at least two stones on after I left. But when I put it on today I could wiggle the skirt on and off without unbuttoning it!

What a result @Gingercar! And I'm so impressed that you've kept it. Maybe you should wear it just to show off? I think I've got my wedding dress somewhere but as it was more than 50 years ago I think the chances of getting in to it are 0. I'm nearing the weight I was at 19 (a child bride!) but NOT the shape.

@ElsieJay here's an award for you 🏆. Half a pound is neither here nor there, so you deserve it.

I’ve got the previous uniform from the 90s too. That one really would be a challenge as I was a size 10-12 then. They’re nice to keep. Good memories.
Ive got my wedding dress too, but it was a lace up one, so easy to expand if you gain weight. It’s also the reason I’ve never put it on since - I can’t do it on my own and doubt my husband could.