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!

I have reduced my dosage today. I’ve taken 45 clicks of my 7.5mg pen which is just over 5mg I think. No side effects so far, but I’ve never really had any. Will see how I go on the lower dose. I just love having no food noise anymore… feels like a switch I didn’t even know I had has just been turned off.

If the noise comes back, I’ll take a top up dose to go back to 7.5 mg. Although my OH is now asking for the other15 clicks as he’s stunned with how much weight I’ve lost already and he wants to join in!

I read that the 8mm is the best size for drawing out the medication also. They are pretty easy and I don't feel them going in really. Bonus of not going to the gym enough is that there is a fat for it to go in 😂

Do you mean that the pen will only give you 4 doses no matter if each dose is less than 5mg ? So as I’ve given myself 3 x 3.75mg will I not be able to get another 2 doses out? Just under 5mg each?

Yes you can get 5 x 3.75 out using normal clicks as that is 225 clicks. You can then get approx 2 more 3.75mg out using a syringe.

Thanks but I’m being dim! I’m looking at going up to 5mg next week and the week after to finish the pen but that will be a bit less than 5mg each as already had 3 doses of 3.75 (which is 11.25mg.)
But want to ensure the pen will still work as normal??

Generally you can only get 240 clicks out of the pen normally, plus a few more for priming. Sometimes you can twist it hard to get a last bit out, not sure if that works more than once though. I havent done that, I've just used a syringe instead.

There should be just over 26mg in the pen so you can probably get 3 x 3.75 and 3 x 5mg out of it.

Thanks so much and presumably use the regular needles but a syringe for the final dose?

Yes thats right. Although 3 x 3.75 and 2 x 5 is 255 clicks so you may not get the 2nd 5 mg dose out so could use syringes for doses 5 and 6 if you can't do the hard twist.

Argh I’ve put on another lb today. Definitely think I’m going to have to go up to 7.5mg for my next pen, not looking forward to side effects on that.

Yes hopefully if the appetite suppression kicks in on the 7.5 more that'll help. This is always my issue with losing more than half a stone as I just cannot sustain dieting longer term any more as the novelty wears off very quickly.

@SexyFrenchDepression Yeah it’s after the novelty of the initial weight loss isn’t it. Before Christmas I was like ‘woo I’ve lost a stone’ and now it’s cold wet January and I still have to keep going 🤣 I have started exercising again this week though so hopefully that will help as well.

I may take 7.5 from my 5mg pen next weekend if I’m still struggling with not much suppression / lots of food noise. I started a new 5mg pen today so worked out I can still get two 7.5mg doses out of it before next pay day so I don’t have to wait until next month if I feel like it’s not working. Would rather have to order a week earlier than just have a four week plateau.

@Springbaby2023 Do you have suppression straight after the jab? Not advocating it and I’ve not done it but I think some people are splitting a 5mg dose into two 2.5mg dose and injecting midweek as well to space it out.

@user593 never thought of that! It’s only really the last week I’ve noticed it. I never had great suppression compared to some people but this week it’s almost felt like I’m not on it at all. I’ll see how this week goes.

Just in case it helps anyone - did my 1st 5mg Thursday PM . Still no side effects although ( sorry if tmi) had a slightly loose stool about 2-3 hrs later , maybe unrelated
Definite suppression but making myself eat small 3 times a day - losses are slow but steady.
Total loss -1stone 5lbs since very end Oct.
Eat more for energy than desire - I did have a bit of a dizzy spell in the shower the other day while washing my hair .. had to get out as lie on floor , worked out I’d only had 350 cals all day so had some porridge with a banana and felt better straight away.
How many calories are you all reaching truthfully? The TDE calculations seem quite high ?

@66babe I’m the wrong person to ask as I’ve been on 1200-1600 since taking MJ which is a lot higher than most people on this thread I think! My TDEE is 2300 though and I do a lot of exercise. According to my Fitbit today I’ve burnt 2700 calories. I think if you’re struggling to eat enough calories to the point where you’re feeling light headed then it might be a sign that the dose is too strong? Apparently you are still meant to be able to feel hunger at times.

@66babe I have around 800-1000 calories, occasionally more. My TDEE a few kg ago was 977 if I wanted to lose 1.5-2lb. I can't remember what site i used though, a poster on here recommended one. Some of them bring it out under 800 cals so dont recommend that amount. It generally seems to work for me.

I didnt lose much this week 1.3lb but I haven't been well so haven't eaten well and havent moved much, it has made a big difference as from tues to the tues before I lost over 3lb as was out walking and hosting for xmas.

I should have said 2,300 is my TDEE just to maintain, not to lose 😅. It’s 1,600 for 1-2lb a week, excluding exercise.

I’m not calorie counting, I think I’d drive myself mad if I did, but I mostly eat two small plates of protein (egg, chicken, lamb), rice, lentils and chickpea salad a day. I’ve always been very good at eating the same thing every day and not getting bored of it! My downfall is I don’t drink enough water and I’m still drinking Diet Coke, but I’ve stopped drinking coffee.

That’s really helpful, thank you all.
Think I’ll find a decent site and work out for a 2lb a week loss
I don’t think the dose is too high but thats interesting to consider
I’m going to up the exercise this week as I’m on AL and see how that goes
Does anyone have a recommendation for a good TDEE for weight loss tracker ?

2300 would be lovely if that was to lose 😂 my maintenance is about 1700 but I'll reverse diet after to figure out what works for me. I am hoping I can just find a natural swing of things like I used to. So doing as I please at weekends if I'm out then eating well during the week. Need to get the whole family invested in cooking rather than last min takeout or convenience cooking.

NSV for me today. Did my bra up on the tightest setting!! I'm really hoping my cup size will diminish as well because my breasts are a bit of a touchy point for me - I look like my dear departed granny in that department. Large and low slung 😬 😁 I loved my granny but what is ideal in a cuddly grandmother is not the image I'm going for for myself!!

I haven’t stopped the injections completely, but I’ve gone from weekly jabs to once every two weeks. Over Christmas, I did have a slight gain – about 4 lbs – but I’ve already lost 2 of those almost overnight since getting back home.
For context, I’m on 12.75 mg and have gone from a BMI of 34 to 22, and from a size 24 to a size 10 in 14 months on the jabs. Over Christmas, I stayed with my DD for two weeks, and she did all the catering. There were lots of foods I wouldn’t normally eat if left to my own devices – lovely meals, bacon butties for breakfast, Christmas nibbles for lunch, full dinners in the evening, and then the chocolate assortments came out while we watched TV. I also love mince pies (she bought them just for me!) and enjoyed the cheese board too. So yes, I indulged and enjoyed doing so!
The good news is that since coming home, I’ve dropped 2 lbs already. My plan is to stay on the injections until January 2027 – I have enough to last without buying more. My weight is now in the healthy range, and I’m no longer diabetic or dealing with high cholesterol, which feels amazing. But I’ve noticed that when I stretch the gap to two weeks, my hunger really comes back, so going cold turkey just isn’t an option for me right now. I can’t risk my diabetes returning.
I don’t have the money to keep buying injections after 2027, so I’m hoping by then I’ll have learned good eating habits to maintain things. It’s hard, isn’t it? Anyone else in the same boat?

@Jenasaurus I think you may have meant to comment on the Nov 2024 starters, we only started in November 2025.l so are a way off maintaining. That’s a brilliant loss though, well done you!!

Wow. A size 24 to a size 10! That is just amazing. Well done. You must feel like a new person.
And I wouldn’t even feel slightly bad about Christmas if I were you. Everyone deserves a treat now and then and if you can have a bit of indulgence at Christmas, when can you. It also sounds like a fairly moderate indulgence!