Oh come all ye injectors, slimmer and maintaining, oh come ye, oh come ye to Thread Number Three! For all those who've hit goal, maintaining in whatever way they can / want to / aim to etc

[MargoLivebetter]

Welcome fellow maintainers to our third thread! Tis the season to be joyful and we do have reasons to be joyful, as we are still here. Not always the perfect journey and full of treats and temptations, but we'd have nothing to talk about otherwise. So hop on the Magical Maintenance Sleigh of Wonder and lets go! (Apologies to all those reading this for the first time in March! I got a bit carried away my festive season puns.)

It’s ok. I should always have been on them really. I’ve been on them in the past but stopped taking them as my mum said they made me very ‘flat’ around the kids. I reached out to my gp in November because I was definitely worse than my normal ( for me) levels of anxiety especially up to and including my period, also hideous mood swings/ crying in my car etc. Possibly a peri menopause thing ( I’m 41).

Can I just ask, how did you get over initial sickness.
I tried Wegovy for a week, just couldn’t handle the illness, vomiting, diahorea, nausea, the whole feeling of blah!
Does this usually last long?

@Pyjamatimenow so some of it could be hormonal eating too. Try a post-Christmas reset. If you "need" to eat, try and have a load of stuff that isn't going to trigger such strong insulin responses. How about things in the fridge like protein pots, yoghurts, crunchy veg, mini babybels, chunks of ham, protein snacks - you can get some nice ones now etc? Sorry, appreciate that probably sounds really dull and probably is nothing you don't know already.

@MargoLivebetter yes probably. Sorry. I’m just venting here I guess. It’s just never really hear people talking about maintaining at the point I’m at with dosages etc. I’ll get some bits in for myself and try and stick around here for accountability.

I’m wondering if the challenge is due to having lost muscle mass. Did you lift weights during your weight loss phase. I wonder if it might be worth considering a dexa (or at lease BIA scales) to determine if you are “skinny fat”.

@Pyjamatimenow please do stick around, you’ll get lots of support.

A lot of bingeing can happen when you eat a gateway food. Like you have the first bag of crisps and then the subsequent ones are just inevitable. So if you don’t eat the first one the binge doesn’t start. For me that’s biscuits and big bags of crisps. So I can’t have them in the house during the year as I would just consume them. Mj has helped a lot with that, but two years in this Christmas saw a lot more old habit return.

I try to have foods in with natural end points, small packets of popcorn, Cadbury delight bars, single servings.

If I can I try really hard to only take one packet and combine in with something healthy. I remind myself of what a portion is and try and track it.

Carbs definitely beget carbs, if you can limit them and look at your triggers you will be ok.

Remember it’s normal to struggle sometimes, January is a bastard and you’ve managed before so you’ll manage again.

Some trauma focussed therapy or HRT might also help!

Oh I’m sure I am skinny fat. I never exercise apart from walking everywhere

@Pyjamatimenow
I buy treats for my hubby and kids (in their 20s) I do on-line shopping and I hand them a bag of their stuff and I don't see it again. Then I have nothing to binge on.

So that’s likely contributing. Low muscle mass so low BMR. Less muscle for glucose disposal. Likely you have lost muscle during weight loss phase. Could you do weight training and eat more protein? At least then if you eat more carbs it will go into muscle repair. Warning that building muscle to good level takes a long time so not a quick fix.

Welcome @Pyjamatimenow. It’s good to have you here. Sorry you’re having a rough time of it at the moment, but congratulations on all the weight you’ve lost and how long you’ve kept it off. For me I really appreciate having a supportive thread where we can voice some of the difficult stuff. Maintenance has brought up a lot more emotional issues for me than losing did.

Another abused child here. I’m very glad you got good counseling, Margo. I’ve never found it a helpful experience at all and had rather lost faith in its potential.

Morning all, sorry to hear some of you are having a rough time of it at the moment, I hope things improve and you have a better week next week.

Today is my weighing day, and I’ve managed to stay the same as last week which I’m really happy with. It’s my first week on a lower dose (7.5) and seems to be doing the job so far 🤞. I’m hoping to move down to 5mg next month, but will see how I go over the next few weeks.

Well done @MummyInTheNecropolis

I’ve gone back to 5 today

awake 3/4am stomach growling

what is that about ? Keep happening and considering what I am eating /stuffing ……

Thanks @Blondeshavemorefun
What time are you eating dinner? Could you have it a bit later in the evening? Or try having a smaller dinner and then add in a small bowl of porridge before bed?

Hi everyone

ive put a pound on this week which means I’m still 3 1/2 pounds above my lowest. Annoying as it is, I’m hoping it’s exercise which I’ve really ramped up probably for the first time in my life! I’ve done 2 reformer Pilate sessions. 2 of the sessions from week 5 of couch to 5k and a home weights session. I count calories and have been eating high protein and fibre, around 1600 cals a day. I haven’t jabbed for 11 days so will do a 7.5 today albeit I’m not struggling with snacking/ food noise.
@Blondeshavemorefunso annoying for you, but agree. Can you eat later? Are your evening meals protein and fibre rich?

That’s annoying. Increase protein and fibre. Another idea is to eat a handful of almonds at bedtime.

Hi there. Well done for STS. I am on 7.5 and also going down to 5 in a month. ....so long since I was on 5 and it gave me the worst side effects but I guess my body is used to it now as I started August 2024. Good luck to both of us!

I can’t as I work nights

usually eat 7ish and happy to have a snack bar /protein drink 10/11pm if need be but have never been waking /starving early hours

I wanted to give 2.5 a month or two and quit after 2w 🙀😢😢

Lets see how the next two weeks of jan are on 5

Yes usually meals high in protein like chicken tuna mince

I’ve never struggled till went to 2.5 from 15
so hopefully going back it will work itself out

sorry you gained but you are still in your ballpark

@MummyInTheNecropolis great news!

@26inprogress whilst the pound is annoying, it is highly unlikely to be fat! All that exercise sounds fantastic too. How did you find the reformer Pilates. I do the normal Pilates and have been too chicken to try reformer so far. Was it tough?

Morning all. What’s everyone doing for breakfast?

@Pyjamatimenow at the moment, when I'm WFH I have:

1 Oat so simple sachet
1 egg
50 ml semi skimmed milk
frozen raspberries 20g
1tsp black sesame seeds
Total protein - 12g
Total calories - 258

All washed down with a giant mug of coffee 😋

@MargoLivebetter
I've been doing Reformer for about 4 months, once a week. I love it! I'm by far the oldest there (59) but classes are small (only 8 machines) and I stick with the same teacher as I like her. It is tough but it's also possible to adapt each exercise to your particular 'weaknesses' eg sit crosslegged rather than kneel, adjust the weight level of the springs. I'm supplementing with at home weights and resistance bands as too expensive to go more than once a week (£16 per session). I'm definitely getting some muscle definition now.

Can anyone tell me can I remove the last bit of wegovy with a syringe from the pen like you could with mounjaro. Struggling with the cost now after Christmas and don’t want to waste it!

I’m hoping not fat, it is annoying though as I’ve been eating really mindfully…
I LOVE reformer, it’s brilliant, I went to Pilates last year but found the teacher v slow and it was repetitive, so much so I stopped going. I’m by no means fit, I’ve never been into exercise and I don’t find reformer too tough, yes some of the exercises are harder but you can go at your own pace. Really hoping to get rid of some of this loose fat/ flab!!

in answer to breakfast q, normally I have 2 meals a day ( hangover from f800!) but when I’m hungry I have 100g total full fat yoghurt, chia seeds, berries of some sort and a tablespoon of walnuts. I was super hungry this morning so I’ve just had a slice of homemade granary sourdough, a tablespoon of peanut butter and a banana.