Nov 25 starters - thread 2 - the one where we don’t eat everything in sight this Christmas!

[Springbaby2023]

Hi everyone, starting a second thread as the other one is almost full. We made it through month one, now here’s to a happy, healthy and lighter 2026!

@TaffyTabby It’s possible the 26s were too big for me to begin with. After years of trying to squeeze into small sizes when I had my kids I just thought f* it I want to be comfortable and went the other way 😅 but it’s nice that certain stores are opening up to me now.

Wow! That is such a big change.

I dont really know what size I was before. I think some stuff was too tight so I was covering with baggy tops but I need to go shopping and try some stuff on soon.

I have half a wardrobe of stuff I squeezed in before also that I was hoping to wear but have missed the boat and its all too big, can't wait to have a wardrobe clear out soon!!

They have approved already which is good, I wondered if they needed more photos as BMI 22 something now but they were fine, just needed to send proof of previous prescription (which was only about 4/5 weeks ago). So now I feel comfortable I dont need to order for a while and can hopefully order more sporadically with Lotus if I reach goal soon.

That’s really useful to know. I’m glad providers are being a bit more flexible and realistic about people having different maintenance needs.

You guys had updates about the pens changing? I knew they were soon, but interesting to have an email from suppliers saying they expect demand to increase ahead of that.

I’m signed up with a couple of suppliers and haven’t had anything yet @Springbaby2023.

I haven't heard of anyone receiving one yet, couple of false reports on MN recently but thats it. I am not sure of the reasons for it, other than greed from manufacturers. Will be interesting to see what happens.

I get a double benefit as my mum is prescribed it due to her diabetes/cancer meds so I have my own golden dose plus hers as otherwise she'd just throw it away. Saves a fortune.

I now have a couple of doses left in this current pen, 3 in fridge and 2 on way so that potentially will last me ages. I am planning on staying on current 3.75mg dose for a couple of months, then will go down to 2.5 hopefully through the summer then see what I can go down to.

On one of the maintenance threads someone was saying they use a 5mg for 1.25 and just make it last, no issues at all for them even over that number of weeks.

I imagine it’s to scare monger a bit and make people stockpile but it did work, I’ve got so used to ordering and getting a pen two days later I thought I don’t want to risk a delay! Seems to suggest that the new one will be with suppliers from April so basically all suppliers are using up their supplies of old stock then not restocking.

The amount of people on WLI now i just cannot imagine the profits being made, some suppliers seem to have dropped their normal prices recently but are giving less discounts/referral rewards. Just by buying those 2 pens from Lotus and doing a few things like liking some of their pages I have already got another £24 in loyalty points towards next pen which is nice. I hope they stick to their lower regular price as I am nervous about switching around once trying to maintain as I dont want to be refused.

I think my plan is to stockpile higher dose pens and use them over many weeks. I already have a 10 and 12.5mg pen in the fridge. Going to buy three more 15mg pens and the re-evaluate. I am getting 7-8 weeks out of a pen so works out as about £25 per week, which I am sure I am saving in not eating out or getting take aways as much.

Then I think I will join one of the providers where you pay a small monthly amount to stay on their books. I’ve heard you can be with Voy for £15 per month and they’ll let you have long gaps between orders as part of their maintenance plan.

But who knows what the landscape will look like when I get to goal. I am hoping I’ll be at or close to goal before my birthday (autumn).

Pharmulus I believe do the same but you need to order within 12 months. Voy is unlimited if you pay the £15, Lotus is 6 months but I am not sure if thats a definite rule. I may email a few providers over the next month to find out more.

Its tricky as you want to find a supplier that has regular cheap prices, some of them charge so much more but have amazing new customer deals. Its a bit frustrating.

I am using a 5mg pen over about 7 weeks at the moment, when I go down to 2.5 then the current pens will last about 10 weeks I guess so around £16 a week. I need to work out what I have in stock really and make sure the expiry dates are good. Most of my current ones are April 2027 so ages yet.

I’ve lost a little over 4lbs this week, but I’ve been struggling to eat, a mixture of very little appetite and just having been really busy. Total loss is now 4st 3.75lbs. I’m going to make more of an effort this coming week to eat regular meals.

At this stage 4lbs is great but nutrition so important isnt it. I have been so 'off' my great routine I had a couple of months ago. I need to make much more effort too.

Yesterday I didn't eat at all all day, completely forgot and I had 500ml of water and 3 cups of black coffee. So annoyed at myself as I was doing so well. I am losing weight still but no way is it maintainable without MJ!

@SexyFrenchDepression That’s the same as me. I think I had a few bites of sausage the kids didn’t eat yesterday and many, many Diet Cokes, but I’ve had both kids down consecutively with illness and a few other things going on, and without my brain telling me I’m hungry eating has been way down the priority list! I was in a much better routine at the start which I need to try and get back to.

I’ve been feeling that way too a bit this week. Terrible nutrition today and yesterday. Really want to try and get into healthy routines in preparation of coming down/ stopping as at the moment I’m only losing weight because of the jabs rather than healthy choices. Not helped by being too busy to do a proper food shop so just keep grazing.

I’m feeling the same way, it’s like I’ve lost interest and can’t be bothered with the thinking about food and nutrition. I’ve rated lots of beans on toast recently and a few biscuits yesterday.
Can anyone tell me, where do you find out what the pharmacies that offer maintenance charge as a subscription fee? Or do some of them not charge? I’m just thinking ahead.

This week I have had under my calories for sure but I am certain if I are like this every week I'd be ill or would stop losing weight.

Yesterday I had a protein yoghurt, McDs chicken tikka wrap and then a jacket potato with bolognaise, day before protein yoghurt, 4 percy pigs, steak and veg, day before, protein yoghurt and a thin & crispy personal pizza from dominos (at 11pm whilst building furniture).

But, I have lost 2.5lb which is the most I've lost for weeks!

1.4lb off 3 stone now, 3.6lb till official goal, 5/6 lb off what I'd like to get to so I can then find my maintenance calories etc without going too much over goal weight.

I took photos yesterday for the first time, its very weird seeing the difference, but I am hating the before ones so much now, they seem so much worse than when I first took them. Definitely need to tone up though as I dont look how I want to. I am annoyed I have not been on it with my weight training for last 4 months as I would look so much better but I need to stop worrying about that and motivate myself to look good by my holiday in June! 3 months weight training with lower body fat should make some difference to my wobbly bits 😂

I think most dont charge, I started a thread on here and had some good info but prices have changed quite a bit this last week or so.

The monj website has maintenance provider info.

From what I can gather Pharmulus, Swift and Lotus are all good with no monthly fees.

I have just ordered from Lotus, I will email them go clarify but from what I can gather you can go up to 8 weeks and stay at same dose, or 6 months if over 20 BM8 but likely to go back to 2.5 unless you can prove stock pile. I wont mind going back to 2.5 for maintenance as hoping to have around 1.25 for. maintenance.

I have 4 x 5mg pens in stock now and had planned to buy 1 more. Which I will probably do from another maintenance provider (likely Pharmulus).

Both Pharmulus and Lotus are around £170 as their regular price which is significantly less than most but I want to be able to guarantee to buy a pen with a BMI of 21/22 so I am going to email them both to discuss. Lotus have a good regular customer discount, you get points for spending with them plus discount for buying 2 pens (but obv no good if you want to buy less regularly).

Its a bit of a minefield!

Oushk are £15 a month I believe but you can just order whenever, I am sure there are prescribing limitations as presumably cant be on high dose and go back to it after say 18 months, they were also higher price for pens.

@SexyFrenchDepression thank you for this. I was under the impression that you had to pay to be in a maintenance scheme, so that’s good. I have a stockpile of 3x5mg pens currently and Bolt offer a discount to buy 2 together, so I think I might do that this month then swap to a maintenance provider as I’ve got a lot to be getting along with and hope to be finished with the weight loss in the next 3 months or so, only a stone and a half to get to my target.

Big day for me today; I’m now in the next stone down bracket! 🎉🥳🙌🏻. I’m still only losing just over a pound a week - my average is 1.3lb according to app. I don’t think I’ve weighed this little since before I had my dc and my eldest is 31 in July!!! Never thought I’d be this weight again!!!

Boo though! Tried on some smaller size jeans and I’m now too short for regular In my new size and have had to re order in short. Despite what Next say in their info. ☹️

How tall are you @tobee? The sizes make no sense to me. I would have thought I was a ‘regular’ at M&S but jeans come up short. Congrats on the new stone bracket!

It’s a great feeling isn’t it! I finally got into my wardrobe and opened up my lash load of old clothes to find some size 10 jeans and 12 are now looking baggy. Only to find they are so old fashioned!! They are honestly about 10 years old as that is easily the last time I was this size and they are def dated.

I think I’m going to struggle with dressing for my age (50) and not reverting back to my old style and looking like mutton dressed as lamb!

Well done on this week’s losses everyone.
Would you believe that after doubling my dose by mistake on Monday I’ve gained weight for the first time since being on the jabs 🤣.
Mightily relieved as that was my only side effect though!
Ive just had my next pen delivered so now have three 5mg pens in the fridge.

Thanks @user593 I’m 5 ft 4. Next say regular is 5 ft 3 to 5 ft 6. These were flares and bootcut jeans which are always tricky but I still don’t want to be stepping on my hems and forever wearing platforms 😁