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.)

Well actually it’s 13 stone 10 that I’ve lost, so not quite 14 stone but close enough! I know @Blondeshavemorefun it still amazes me every day, I can’t quite believe I did it, it doesn’t feel real, maybe that’s why I get so anxious when I overeat, I’m still convinced it’s just a fluke and I will put it all back on again!

You are absolutely right though @Choux one of the biggest changes is that I recognise when I’ve made bad choices with food and can get back on track immediately, whereas before I’d have thought oh well, might as well go the whole hog and eat junk all day/week/month! I am absolutely loving exercising every day as well which was impossible 13 stone ago! So even if I’ve had a bad day I am still exercising and doing my best to get on top of things.

Thank you all for this thread, the support is so helpful. I was feeling miserable and guilty yesterday but am so much more positive now after reading all of your comments.

🥰 that’s why these threads are so good as with people who understand

Thank you for this as this is me at the moment.

Lost 6 stone and have been maintaining for 7 months. Titrated down to 5mg but the disordered eating is back. Often the binging starts out of boredom, then I starve myself and over exercise.

Really hoped I’d be past this at bloody 50 years of age.

Just checking in as I stopped getting notifications! I've notlw put on a stone since being off mj, although 8lbs was a ski holiday! I've now decided to work with an accountability coach to try and stop the binge eating. I want to give it one last go otherwise I will be back on the mj. I'm not against being on mj but I'd hoped I could do it.

I'm annoyed with myself. I generally binge 5 out of 7 days hence the weight gain. I'm going to the gym 4 times a week, I'd say I'm feeling strong but I have a few injuries, probably because of my poor eating.

I'd love to be accountable to you all. For me that looks like no binges! AlthyI have been binge eating for as long as I can remember and this is why I started mj so I suspect I will be back on it soon. I really don't want to put any more weight on.

I like the sound of an accountability coach, how does that work practically?

I think I’m resigned that I’ll always need medication to manage my weight, I’m tapering and down from 15mg to 38 clicks of 12.5, I’m dropping a click a week. I’m definitely noticing I’m not making as good choices and buying more snack foods for the family. I think with mj if you start creeping with habits and have been in it for a while it is still hard to go back to your new normal. I need to fight to get back to my fibre and protein targets and regular bits of exercise. I know it works but I think sometimes I just get bored!

I don't know yet. We have 90 mins to talk through what I need and make a plan and then I check in daily, multiple times per day to stay on plan. I will give it a month. I think it's like having someone in your corner

The fact we are struggling to maintain really shows how obesity is a medical condition, not a willpower thing…
im really struggling with less than ideal choices at themomet and my weight is not going in the right direction…. Uurgh!!!!

This

so if we need mediations same way as someone needs asthmas pumps - blood pressure tablets etc then so be it

just obv have to pay for it

I’m maintaining now at a low dose (2mg) and for me it’s an alternative to using a huge amount of willpower. I have lost the weight with willpower before infact my pattern over the past 10 years has been;

New Year resolution must lose 10kg. Diet until Easter. Then regain by Christmas.

I lift weights, I eat a mostly whole foods diet but I have a tendency to overeaten when stressed and when not focused on logging food.

So, I’m a bit on the fence here. I have PCOS and a tendency to insulin resistance. Unless I keep carbs very low I crave and overeat then. But yet, if I use willpower I can lose weight and probably maintain (for a bit).

Please can anyone share a link for the best free calculator to work out calorie intake based on age, height, weight and activity level..i used one before but can't find it. It is something to to with TDE..I can't remember what that stands for!

Morning all.

Been reflecting on everything a fair bit over the last few days. It is going to have to be a serious commitment to our own selves to keep this weight off. Probably one that we are going to have to re-commit to on a pretty much daily basis. It is a bit boring and unfun at times. BUT, and these are big buts (but not big butts!!!), I know that hating myself and feeling so unhealthy is far worse. I am so much more able to do activities, I ache less, I can't feel my big fatty liver pressing on my lungs every time I bend over and my arthrtises are less inflamed and I'm just way healthier. I also like myself and my body. So when I'm feeling fed up, I have to keep reminding myself of how much better I am now, than I was and how great my clothes look, as an added bonus!

@tinyemmy looking forward to hearing what your accountability coach has to say. Hopefully, we can incorporate some helpful tips here too.

Without wishing to sound like I'm being gushy, I honestly think each and everyone of us who has lost and is still maintaining - in whatever way we can - should be giving ourselves way more credit for the effort it takes. We are winners against all the odds loaded against us. Hang in there everyone!!!!!!

@MargoLivebetter thanks for such an inspiring post 💐💐💐

Hi all, I’d like to join you all if I may. I’ve spent most of my time on the 10 stone or more to lose threads (hi @MummyInTheNecropolis) but now I’m in need of some maintenance support as well.

I’ve been obese for as long as I can remember, 11stone at 11, 12 stone at 12 and so on, history of disordered eating, I would restrict for days, then binge, then rinse and repeat, would ‘steal’ food as a child and generally had a miserable childhood.

Highest weight was 21st 7lbs, managed to lose a bit on my own and started Mounjaro at 19st 2lbs in October 2024. I’ve moved my goal weight a few times but settled on 9st 8lbs which I hit last Friday and now I’m ever so slightly terrified 😳 albeit I’m the happiest I have ever been in a very long time, this new me is totally mind blowing and it’s been a long time coming (I’m 59 this year).

My rational mind is telling me that I can do this, I spent years doing 5:2 intermittent fasting and I know that this helped me to maintain weight pre MJ (I just stopped losing as I overate on the days prior to fasting), but the last thing I want is to go back to the old disordered eating ways. I haven’t counted calories at all since starting MJ, it makes me miserable and after all these years of trying I know roughly what I’m consuming and I have consistently lost every week since starting. The thought of not losing, not seeing a loss when standing on the scales is really frightening (l’m a daily weigher, but record weight on a Friday). This feels harder than losing 12 stone, which I once thought was impossible, yet here I am.

I was on the highest dose but have so far titrated down to 10mg, I did try a month or so taking 8mg every 5-6 days but with the pens changing soon I’m toying with stretching out the 10mg dose to every 8-9 days and reducing by 1 mg every month. I have given myself 12 months to try and come off completely.

sorry! This turned out a bit longer than I expected, but reading through these threads has helped me a lot so thank you all…

Congratulations and welcome, @Iwouldratherbesinging! I’m too tired this evening to say anything sensible, but what you say about finding this actually more challenging is very relatable. It’s also probably the self-insight you need to succeed.

@MargoLivebetter never leave us! Your messages are so appreciated.

Hi @Iwouldratherbesinging and welcome, I could have written your post, my weight history is so similar to yours (lifelong obesity, disordered eating, binging etc). I also weigh daily and record on a Friday, and I am also struggling with not losing anymore.

I’m down to 5mg every 2 weeks now and have maintained since December. I’ll be honest, it hasn’t been easy. Food noise and urge to binge are back big time but I am managing it with a couple of ‘treat’ days a week (which I admit sometimes do turn into a bit of a binge) and being on track the rest of the week. I also really miss the high of seeing the numbers drop each week, but am trying to retrain my brain to find joy in not having gained anything, particularly if it’s been a difficult week.

I’m still just finding my way really, and you will too, it just takes time. I think this will be a lifelong journey for me, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to eat like a ‘normal’ person but I will keep trying!

I second this. Your posts are always so helpful @MargoLivebetter - I have had a much better week after your pep talk last week! Thank you 💐

@Iwouldratherbesinging welcome and congratulations on getting here! You must be feeling amazing having lost so much weight. That's fantastic.

We are all giving maintenance our best shot here and it looks a bit different for everyone. Post as much or as little as you want and ask away. Some of us have been keeping it off for quite a while now.

I am back to my upper zone of tolerance!!!!! Getting over the stonking cold has helped and I stuck to my own agreement with myself and did some exercise every day. Feel like I'm back on track again.

Thanks @MummyInTheNecropolis , @Azuresky68 and @ShrankLastWinter . No one in real life knows, so saying it "outloud" somewhere and knowing that there are others out there living this experience too makes all the difference for me.

Accountability coach was good. We are starting with identifying who is in charge when particular behaviours happen. For example if I'm tired and I say to myself, it's ok you've had a bad day it's the nurturing parent. If I think I've blown it I might as well eat them all it's the child. So much deeper than your usual set a timer for 20 minutes. That's just not going to do the job for your Chimp brain (for those that have read the chimp paradox, I need to dust off my copy). I need to give my chimp something it wants. And then there was the ownership. I need to own that I'm the one that's put food in my mouth and I am tracking everything that happens regardless so I can see and own what's happening.

The other thing I've realised, which is quite sad, is there were many photos of me during May and December when I was slim. Very few before and after. I need to lose the weight so I can take part fully in my life again. We will be doing work around my why's.

I feel very confident that I am going to be successful with this method. I've still got mj in the fridge and in fact the PT at my gym thinks everyone should go on it 🤣
So maybe I will too, but if I can fix this without mj then that will just give me more tools.

I will do the month and if it is as good as I think it is going to be I will make sure I share details here. I've not owned up to having been on mj, although I don't think it's an issue, she has clients on it. I'm not sure really, there's probably something in that...

That sounds really good @tinyemmy . Looking forward to hearing how it all goes.

@tinyemmythat sounds brilliant, so pleased you’re feeling positive, really hope it works.
well done @Iwouldratherbesingingthat's incredible!!!

@MargoLivebetterthanks for the words of encouragement and sharing your journey. It really does help!

I’ve had lots of ( exciting!) stuff going on this week, after being out of work for 8 months I start a new hopefully fab role in Friday so have been clothes shopping and celebrating and have put on 3 pounds, I know I haven’t and it’ll go when I get back on track, this is maintenance life right! Not beating myself up but do need to rein it in. I’m also wondering what to do about my next pen, I’m on an Oushk maintenance plan but haven’t ordered from them since stockpiling during pengate! I used Bolt last time. My BMI is 23 so I should be fine but does anyone have any recs? Thanks

@26inprogress I’m with medicine market place as they’re one of the cheapest and they don’t seem to have an issue with me having gaps in ordering. I had a 2 month gap last time and they didn’t question it.

I had a big NSV today - I was invited to the GP for an over 40 health check up and went this morning. The nurse seemed genuinely excited with my results - she said I’m the first person she’s ever had who came out as healthy in every single category! My cholesterol was the lowest she’s seen, my risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease is almost non existent and my heart age is lower than my actual age which is apparently quite unusual! She printed off the results for me and told me to go home and frame them 😅. I’ve had lots of NSVs along the way with MJ but this is by far my favourite. Knowing what a massive difference I’ve made to my health and wellbeing makes it all worthwhile.

That's fantastic @MummyInTheNecropolis . Frame it and remember to congratulate yourself daily on your achievement. Never heard of Medicine Market Place, so heading off to check them out.

So many positives to hear! Well done @26inprogress and your coaching session seemed to have gone down really well @tinyemmy
Food noise is unbearable at the moment and i was thinking hey it is “only” food noise, i dont have to act on it, it will go away, i am not hungry. I am in charge here.
i feel it related to what you discussed with your coach, like who is in charge and why… it confirms that i am on the right track!
one odd thing i have noted since reducing my dose, is my joint pain has gone!! Very odd…

Thanks for the warm welcome ☺️, I haven’t really done anything differently this week apart from adding an extra teaspoon of toasted seeds to my Greek yoghurt and berries breakfast, it still all feels a bit surreal at the moment!

Medicine marketplace and pharmolous are same in price I think

tho of happy with larger gap that’s interesting

Pharmolous will let your order if you show /prove you have a stash

maybe keep old pens and take a pic of 3 of them and say you have a stash. They won’t know they are empty