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

[FlorenceNightshade]

A sparkly new thread for our chatty gang!

Hi, my name's DidILeaveTheGasOn and I have fallen off the wagon. I had to take a break from MJ for surgery and I've not gone back on. I have just had a new pen delivered and I still don't want to use it.

I'm comfort eating like a professional. Work is really, really tough at the moment. I'm so stressed out I've been grinding my teeth in my sleep and my dentist today said I'll need to have one removed. I'm drinking like a fish too.

I can't leave the house independently because of my knee and haven't been able to for a while. Surgery, and recovery, has been a bit more tough than expected and yet I've managed to forget I've had surgery twice and tried to kneel down to get something. The agony.

So, hi. I've been in free fall since the surgery 5 weeks ago, eating and drinking everything. I need to get started again. I am posting here to ask for encouragement, in whatever form it is available. I accept tough love, kindness, questions like 'who are you? Does anyone recognise this person?' Etc.

Oh @DidILeaveTheGasOn you sound so despondent. Unmumsnetty hugs to you.

Get all the unhelpful food and drink out of the house. Stock up with healthy stuff that you like. I know you can't easily get out to the shops but maybe someone can take you, or you can order a supermarket delivery. If it's not there you can't eat it. (Works for me!)

Drink LOADS of water. No room for anything else.

Tell yourself that you needed the break/extra food immediately post surgery but now you don't.

Order treats. Daffodils are cheap and calorie free. Could you afford to buy some lovely smelly things? Perfume Parlour dupes are really good and very cheap.

Very best of luck. You can do it. Keep posting.

@Apprenante it's funny how teaching manages to suck you back in isn't it?! 🤣 Best of luck to your granddaughter!

@ElsieJay Thank you! And yes 100% soup for the win - so good for when the MJ suppression is high.

@DidILeaveTheGasOn Welcome back comrade! It sounds like life has been chucking enough stuff at you recently without putting too much pressure on yourself about MJ.

@DidILeaveTheGasOn oh old friend! My heart goes out to you, it sounds like life a chucking a bucketload of curveballs at you. Chuck them back if you can but in the meantime, like others have said, can you get yourself a couple of healthy treats (daffy are a great idea, I have them here they are so cheap), is there a corner of your living room or wherever you’re spending most of your time, you can have a little tidy and make a little sanctuary with some puzzlE books or a book something to make nice and a tiny bit new to disassociate with the ‘free fall’ as you put it? Whatever you choose to do, you can do it, gentle kindness is order of spring. Look after you.

im dreading my jab tonight, put it off from last night. I will if you will???

Im sorry you’re struggling @DidILeaveTheGasOn. Why not draw a line. Give yourself a fresh start? Do the jab. Ditch the rubbish food and drink and limp forward. Then feel good that you’ve made a decision/change.
Im eating like an eating thing at the moment, but am trying to eat fruit, carrots and popcorn for damage limitation.

I don’t think my habits have changed at all these past months, still thinking about food all the time and snacking, but I’m choosing much healthier foods. Do you think that’s good or bad?

@DidILeaveTheGasOn Welcome once again and I hope you are making good progress with your knee. Hopefully the surgery means you will be able to be more active once the better weather finally sticks around. I find it makes such a difference to my own physical and mental health.

I think we can all only juggle so many balls at once and it’s no wonder that you have had to put the weightloss-project ball down for a while to tend to some others. It’s also fine. It’s safe and you can pick it up again if and when you are ready. For now your body needs nutrition to heal. In your shoes, I think I would keep going with the protein but otherwise have a break. The good thing is that you know you can do it and if you choose to, you can start again, but only when you are in the right headspace.

@DidILeaveTheGasOn !!! As I live and breathe, there you are! And giving yourself a right kicking, I note. You've been through a lot, be nice to yourself - sometimes only wine (and crisps and biscuits) will do. The sun will come out and you will start to feel better and then you can think about jabs (or not) and getting a degree of control over what you are choosing to put in your mouth. Getting better, physically and mentally, is the main thing. You might find after a bit, that the jab might help with both, but only you can decide if that's the right thing. In the meantime, I am right glad to see you. 😘

Ah sorry, @DidILeaveTheGasOn that's a lot to deal with. Baby steps: chuck out the worst offenders and give yourself a gradual detox. Don't worry about being healthy right away, just try not to be too unhealthy. Drink plenty of water and be kind to yourself - you've survived a lot recently. Maybe some chair yoga to help you feel a bit more exercise-y.

I've just taken delivery of 2 x 5mg pens from lotus. If I can get to target on my current 7.5mg pen (only using 5mg from it each time) I can titrate down by 1mg every 5 weeks for 20 weeks before I need to worry about reordering. My new pens still have the bonus dose - I understand some smaller pens are already being sent out.

Well done skinny @Apprenante ! 10/10 for you!

Hi guys,

After a bit of advice here. I have always had some varying levels of side-effects on the jabs, but after being on the jabs for 10 months now I’m getting very tired of feeling constantly low level nausea and fatigue. I don’t throw up or have stomach problems anymore but it just feels a little grinding. And the weight loss has slowed right down and the cost is mounting.

I guess my question is I’m thinking about stopping but I still have 20lbs to lose. I thought maybe a break would help so I can feel a bit better and have more energy to maybe exercise (I haven’t actually exercised much at all). My worry is that I read about other people who stop and when they restart MJ is not as effective if at all, any thoughts? Am I silly to think about stopping before I get to goal? What would you do? Plus, we are going to Japan for 10 days in two weeks time so I would miss a jab as well.

I have lost 55lbs so far with another 20 to go.

Any advice gratefully received from this group!

I've also been struggling with fatigue and not enough exercise @HKG . I've lost 20kg but I'm very wobbly. My plan is to titrate down gradually in the hope that the fatigue will decrease enough for me to exercise, without piling the weight straight back on. Would this work for you? I understand the cost is a factor, but I think it would be very difficult to come straight off and continue to lose weight.
I also read that stopping & restarting jabs is very bad for long term weight loss.

https://www.thetimes.com/article/de0d63e8-fa65-42ca-a927-20f7c112afc2?shareToken=0a9cd402047f255a11ef62c073e46c76

@SutekhsEars thabk you for replying! Yes, I think tirating down would be the best option too. Just take the longer break whilst we’re away but go back to 5mg when we’re back (I never went beyond 6.5mg). I wonder if I can start running again at 5…

I know you’ve mentioned above about hoping to get to target on your current pens, do you mind my asking how much more you have to go? 20 for me seems a lot and I hate the idea of being closer to goal than ever but not quite making it. It’s heartening to hear someone with similar experience though so thank you!

weighin this morning and have stayed the same again. 😓

Edited to say: thank you for the link to the article too - that’s pretty much exactly what I’m worried about. Defo not doing that then!

@DidILeaveTheGasOn You sound like you're doing what you needed to post-op, but the simple fact you came here and asked us to give you a kicking says you're ready to get back on with the jabs. As the others have said, get ready. Get all the good healthy foods in you like, make your house a palace of pretty flowers and nice smelling things, and then go for it. We're all here for you. Hope the knee is healing well, and that any rehab isn't too painful to do. You've got this. Sending hugs.

@HKG I dropped my dose down for a while when I got fed up of the SEs, and found that when I then went back up again that they weren't as bad and have managed to get up past 5mg now. If thry build uo again, I'll probably do the same thing even if it means another long plateau, as it just isn't worth feeling utterly rotten all the time x

I'm not 100% sure what my target weight is. I'm 72kg now. 66kg would be the mid-point of a healthy BMI for me, but I don't think I want to go that low. Maybe 68 or 70? You'd think I'd be able to get the last couple of kg of without too much bother, but I'm struggling and don't want to go above 5mg.
I was unwell over autumn & winter with COVID & chest infections and ended up taking more antibiotics than I've had in a decade, so I'm hopeful that now the better weather is here I can really concentrate on fitness.
Maybe try C2-5k when you get back from holiday before you jab again and see how it goes? Will you be doing much walking in Japan? You could make that week 0 before you start running.

@SutekhsEars ph you’re so close! That’s so exciting!! I’m sure as you say you will be able to do it with the better health now and lighter days. Everything crossed for you! What exercise are you planning back in? I got up to week 6 of C2-5k before I upped from 5mg so that is a great shout, and I love running for my head too. I hope to walk a lot in Japan, kind of depends on the kids too (8 and 12) who don’t love it but I’ve splashed out on two out of three hotels with decent gyms just in case.

@notgonnafail thanks for sharing this - this is how I’m feeling too so it gives me hope that you found it not as bad when you went up again. Did you manage to lose much when you went down a notch?

I think my main aim is to get down enough to feel I can train exercise and then get the rest of the weight off and calories up before I try to come off completely. I see myself on 2.5 for a while…

@HKG I didn't lose weight while I went down, but I didn't gain any either - but I've not had the blessings of good weightloss most of you have enjoyed anyway. I'd been on a plateau for about 4 months at that point anyway, so it seemed ridiculous to be feeling so rubbish and not losing, and I couldn't face upping the dose because of the SEs, so 'took a break' but rather than stopping completely I just went back to 2.5mg for a couple of weeks then titrated back up 0.25mg a week until I got to 5mg again and just recently started going up again. Weightloss kicked in again when I got to 4.5mg, and has been a steadyish 1lb a week since. I am hoping I'm just a tortoise and will get there eventually, but I still have a very long way to go!

@DidILeaveTheGasOn - welcome home !

You’ve had so much good advice upthread I don’t have anything useful to add, apart from paraphrasing @notgonnafail
“ the simple fact you came here says you’re ready to get back on “.

Have omitted the bit where you asked for a kicking ,because that’s the last thing you need right now.
Also the jabs bit, can see the pros and cons of recommencing when you’re feeling low.
So sorry your recovery has been slower than you hoped, that must be really frustrating.

It’s very easy to get into a spiral of misery.
I’ve been on a downer this week, doom-scrolling world events - have family in Cyprus - not in the military, thankfully.
Sending you a (possibly unwelcome but nevertheless heartfelt) hug xx 💐

Oh my gawd! Every December-January I try a wee digital detox and unsubscribe from emails, log out of social media and so on. This year I kept it up better than ever and im only just starting to log back into accounts now.

I have so much to read and catch up on, I hope you are all well and smashing it in your own ways. Looking forward to the inspiration I know is heading my way from you all x x x

Hello all

Really interesting chats as always - it can all feel a bit much at times. Don't you know about anyone else but I'm just so sick of trying to lose weight?!

I'm in a much better position than I was before - over 2 stone lost but it's felt like a real slog recently.

I've managed to lose 3lbs this week (I say "this week" but I've been so down that I haven't weighed for 3 weeks!)

I agree about the state of the world too - it's just a lot isn't it? DH is in the military which adds a level of worry. He's senior enough not to be likely to deployed any time but there's been a lot of last minute calls to the office and increased late nights. He's a very calm one though and always says not to worry or believe half of what's in the news. Hope that's a help to anyone who's worried.

I've got a couple more hours of work and school pick ups then it'll be the weekend...a nice quiet one planned here. I can't wait.

Hugs to you all x

@SussexLass87 thank you for sharing that about your DH saying try not to believe everything. I’m honestly finding myself doomscrolling increasingly even though I know it’s bad for me. I work for an international development agency and are launching appeals for the children in the conflict zones and the images we are seeing and the need out there is heartbreaking.

then I go back to thinking about why can’t I lose weight and feel guilty for my triviality!!! Argh!!!

Sorry @HKG , I had to get on with my day. I'm doing pilates and swimming. I've just started reformer pilates, which I love. I'll try to get some more walking in as the weather improves.

Ah I'm glad it helped a little - the world feels so sad and negative at the moment.

Your job sounds amazing - the world needs more people like you around.

I’ve stalled for a few weeks now. I don’t understand it. So frustrating. I don’t know if I need to increase dose?
I’m already on 10mg, a you can’t help comparing results with others achieving good results on much lower dose.

I have a spare 5mg pen and considered doing a top up dose or something with it, Along with the normal 10mg. Idk.

How do you find your appetite/control on 10mg? If it’s all going ok I don’t think going up a pen helps. But if you’re struggling with food noise etc I would try a higher dose. I’m on 12.5. I too find it amazing that a lot of people can stay on 2.5 or 5mg. But it’s not a competition- you’ve just got to work out what works for you..
I found counting calories for a couple of weeks to see how I was doing helped (I generally don’t) and cutting my portions a bit helped (I can eat and eat!), plus upping my steps a little, or walking faster/uphill. Might be coincidence but it bumped me off my plateau. And fired up my determination a bit.
I think I spend too much time on social media reading about 20somethings who have dropped six stones in five months. It doesn’t help!

@SignedUpAgain I’m in a similar position. No weight-loss for three weeks. I’ve been on 7.5mg for six months and have just ordered a 10mg pen. The biscuits have been clamouring at me from the cupboard and I’m finding not losing any weight at all so depressing after months of weight just falling off. My very nice DH, who has funded my Mounjaro odyssey as a 50th birthday present, listened to me fretting about it all and just shrugged and said, ‘Go up a dose, then. Get it done!’ He said he’d rather pay a bit extra for a few months than keep paying endlessly for the 7.5mg and it not being as effective.

In other news, I bought my first pair of jeans for about 30 years today. They are a size 14. A size 14!!! This time last year I was buying size 22 clothes and crying because I couldn’t do my trousers up. Amazing.