September 25 starters - new year, new trousers.

[outofofficeagain]

We won’t make it to Christmas without a new board.

Well done to everyone for getting this far and thank you for your company.

Here’s to a healthy and happy 2026.

I’ve also experienced similar virus symptoms and others close to me this past week.

personally, I would just take the 5mg as if it happened to be a side effect, I’m guessing your body may have adjusted to the slight increase for next dose. if symptoms repeat after jab day, at least you would know & can make a choice to decrease next time round.

@threescoopscan you not order the pens every 4 weeks (to keep them sweet) and carry on micro dosing on 4mg and keep the stock of unused pens stored in your fridge until you need them? No need to go up to 5mg if you don’t think you need it. That’s what I’m doing for now.

Yes that’s what I’m coming round to, but really hoping not to contribute to being unwell any longer!

Certainly can, and think that’s what many of us will be doing, but that could lead to growing an expensive stockpile! You can get 6.3 x 4 mg doses from a 5 mg pen.

I’m more than halfway to my goal with 2 stone to go and conscious that at some point this summer there could be a discussion about tapering down. Presumably they will advise moving down to a 2.5 mg pen. (I’ve got one of them in my fridge as well 😆) at this rate we’re creating conditions for a thriving black market in a valuable commodity.

Or maybe we’ll never be able to come off it completely and be grateful for every backed up pen in the fridge….

😆 that was one of my 12 yr old boys who warned me of that possibility! I’m 5ft 3. I’ve been cycling doses for the last 4/5 weeks as I felt 3.75mg wasn’t cutting it. So I do 50clicks one week, 55 the next, 5mg I have tried twice but it gives me a horrible headache. So I end up getting 6 doses from one pen.

Ooo we're very similar then. The dose I took last night is the equivalent to 50 clicks so i'll see how I go and maybe try your method. You've had some good losses recently with 3lbs. I keep having g 1lb losses. Today i've lost another 1lb, 0.2oz off 2lb though so i'll blame all the crap I ate last night 🙄

Weigh-in today and I’m at 11 stone 8 lbs (starting weight was 13 stone 10 lbs, goal weight is 10 stone 7lbs).

This means I met my second target of the year which was to be 11 stone and something with a single figure by Valentine’s Day so pleased with that! We’re going out for dinner on Friday and have booked a babysitter, so looking forward to putting on a dress and feeling nice.

Weirdly my weekly losses seem to have sped up the last two weeks - I was losing a pound a week all through October/ November/ December so it’s been a shock to have two weeks in a row of a 2 lb loss!! Not sure what to put it down to as I’ve been eating the same and on the same dose (50 clicks from a 5mg pen). Possibly exercise - I’m training for a 10k run in 4 weeks and the mileage has been increasing but otherwise no particular reason for it.

I seem to have plateaued again over the past two weeks and am trying to work out what's changed. I had bad side effects for my first month on 5mg (I'm on my third 5mg pen) so really don't want to have to move up again.

Someone commented on my weight the other day, the second person to express huge amazement/happiness for me at how much they can see that I've lost. I still maintain I would never point this out to anyone for fear of offending them but maybe that's just me...

My 5mg really isn’t working very well anymore. I did a month on 2.5, a month on 3.75-4mg and over 3 months on 5mg. Taking my jab on day 6 worked for a while but it’s just not working too well now and my peri symptoms have returned which MJ had previously shifted.

I bit the bullet and increased tonight but only to 6mg. No idea if it’ll make a difference but I want to take the lowest dose that’s effective.

Well done everyone with your successes 🥰

I’d mentioned before about having issues with bleeding between periods. The nurse checked my cervix and it appears healthy and swabs came back clear although they were just checking for an infection. I’ve got to keep a diary over the next month and if it keeps happening the next step will be a scan.

I noticed a difference between 5mg and 6.2mg, @Kazzaa46. I've taken that dose 3 or 4 times now I think. I'm still feeling reasonable suppression, but that niggly food noise is starting to creep back in. I'm not being as careful with my food choices, which is something I'm working to resolve this week. I can't eat big portions, but I haven't been eating as much fruit/veg/protein so need to work on that.

On the positive side, I am feeling more like I'm a "normal" overweight (still obese really) person rather than the ridiculously overweight person I was before. I feel stronger and more in shape.

That’s good news it has helped and it’s good you have the option to increase again slightly if needed. Sounds like you are doing so well even if things are becoming a little harder. I always have found too that effects start to lessen after about a month on a dose. I’m similar with bad habits creeping back in. For the first 3 months on MJ I had no interest in junk food but over the last 4-6 weeks I have no issues being able to eat chocolate, takeaways and wine 🙈

I took the 6mg on Tue night and did find yesterday (Wed) that there was higher suppression as the day went on. I managed to eat all my lunch but could only manage half of my dinner which hasn’t happened in a while. I actually felt a bit ‘off’ like can happen when you increase your dose e.g minor headache, low level nausea and I was surprised how much difference that extra 1mg made.

Just 1lb down this week and I’m 91kg on the button. Slightly disappointed not to see a zero after the 9 but a loss is a loss and it’s all headed in the right direction. Bit of weird week eating wise. I’ve found the suppression very strong so had a couple of days where I barely ate, and I’m not sure I’ve been making great choices where I have eaten. Work has been very busy as well and when I’m at home I can be bad at taking breaks. Had nothing all day on Wednesday except a small banana then thought I should eat in the evening but was too knackered to cook anything so got a takeout. Just a Vietnamese pork and noodle salad thing - didn’t even eat it all. They included free prawn crackers which I was going to ignore then ate yesterday when I needed an afternoon snack because I hadn’t had any lunch. Bah! This awful rainy weather hasn’t been helping.

SW: 109 kg
CW: 91kg
interim GW: 86kg

Still plateauing. 13 st. Very, very irritated by now. I've lost nothing since 26 December. The good news is that after a couple of weeks having increased to 1500 cals per day, I haven't put anything on. Hopefully that will be enough to avoid a rebound and a period of regain.

Frustrating, though.

Are you drinking plenty of water?

Maybe all this cold weather is making our bodies desperate to cling on to every last pound!? And things will get moving again as the light and weather improves? My loss has been pretty slow recently. It's still moving, but just half a pound here and there more often than not.

You and I started out at a similar place, and we're about the same now. You're tall too, aren't you? I'm 5'8". On my last weigh-in, I had finally broken the 12 stone barrier by a smidgen... I was 12 st 13 and three quarter lbs! My goal is 12 st.

SW. 14st 12lbs
CW. 12st 3lbs.
total lost 2 st 9lbs.

I’ve lost half a stone since Christmas which is pretty slow going, although I’m doing zero daily exercise so I know I need to make much more effort there.

That’s very frustrating @SerafinasGoose . I don’t know if this will be any help but I’ve been doing a few things with the aim to avoid plateaus based on a book I read a few years ago and a Michael Mosley show I saw. Touch wood! - I haven’t plateaued yet and weight loss has been steady and not slowing as I’m nearing healthy BMI as I expected.

First is to vary the amount of calories I'm having across the week and to have a day or two a week with no calorie deficit at all. The idea being to avoid your body adjusting your metabolism downwards because it ‘knows’ how many calories it will get and/ or going into starvation mode.

Second is exercise. I know people often downplay the role of exercise in weight loss but for me I feel like it has a massive impact! I’m sure I saw on a Michael Mosley programme years ago your body still has a raised metabolism for something like 14 or 16 hours after you’ve stopped exercising. Plus having more muscle burns more calories and raises your metabolic rate. I started running again in late November and it feels like it is really be helping with momentum.

The last one is doing a loose version of intermittent fasting (again Michael Mosley inspired!). I aim to have a 14-16 hour period of not eating in every 24 hours, which for me usually happens between about 9pm at night and midday-1pm. I just have a coffee for breakfast. I’m not strict at the weekends though. I can’t remember what the logic was but for some reason it’s also meant to help keep your metabolism rate high.

Oh and aiming for slow weight loss (1 to 1.5lbs a week), again to minimise the risk of ‘starvation mode’ kicking in and your metabolism slowing down.

Anyway sorry you may well know and/ or already be doing this so apologies if so!! Must be really frustrating so I feel for you - hopefully you’ll be losing again soon 🤞

Thanks for all the tips @Somethingsnapped (good to see you still here, BTW) and @OneDayIWillLearn.

I'm doing most of these: have been doing the intermittent fasting since the beginning and always do drink lots of water anyway and I do exercise. The only one I haven't tried is bumping up to no calorie deficit a couple of days a week (unless I eat out). Might be worth a go!

This too shall pass. The one thing I know I won't be doing is going back to where I started. NSV is my focus for now, as is wearing all the clothes I couldn't fit into before.

A bit late with my posting this week!

I have set myself a Lowest Goal Weight of 8st 7lb which would take my BMI to 21.1 whilst I navigate maintenance and how that will look for me.

I seem to be on a 2 weekly weight loss cycle just now, Week 22 saw my smallest loss to date on the scales; however I have definitely had my biggest NSV this week. Standing in front of the full length mirror and loving what I see! Stripping back all of the fat has unveiled a rather impressive figure.

Im not sure if my bank balance is going to think this is a victory, but I now need to buy new everything. 😳 I have no idea what size I am, I keep trying to convince myself I’m a 12 because I can’t comprehend me being less than a 12, but the baggy leggings, oversized T-shirts suggest otherwise.

Week 22 results:

SW: 12st 3lb
CW: 9st 0.4lb
GW: 9st 1lb - TARGET SMASHED 5/2 🎯
LGW: 8st 7lb

Week 1: -6lb
Week 2: -2lb
Week 3: -1lb
Week 4: -2lb
Week 5: -3lb
Week 6: -2lb
Week 7: -0.5lb
Week 8: -1.2lb
Week 9: -1.4lb
Week 10: -3.6lb
Week 11: -3.1lb
Week 12: -0.3lb
Week 13: -2.9lb
Week 14: -1.8lb
Week 15: -3lb
Week 16: -1.7lb
Week 17: -1.7lb
Week 18: -0.4lb
Week 19: -3.1lb
Week 20: -0.4lb
Week 21: -3.4lb
Week 22: -0.1lb

Total Loss: 3st 2.6lb

I am also going to try being less strict a couple of days a week so thanks to the person who mentioned this. I managed to lose a whole pound last week, so I am counting that as a win after two weeks of plateauing!

In other news my new jeans hang down too far in the crotch area so I have had to wear a belt for the first time in 30 years! I initially got the next size down but they had a lot less depth from waist to crotch so took them back.

I am also taking heart from the PP who mentioned it being Winter. That probably does play a role in what our bodies want to do.

I now have 11lb to lose to get to my target weight so I suppose this last bit will slow down, as my body is probably feeling much better and can’t see the point 🤣

I’m heading out to buy some new basics today, everything is too big and I feel scruffy. I have no idea what size I am, I think maybe a 16 (I was 22-24) so I think I’ll start with 18 and move down if I need to.

Unfortunately I’ve plateaued recently, I had moved to 7.5mg but it made me feel ill and so I went back down to 5mg. The first week I did this I still
had a loss but last week I only lost 1lb and this week absolutely nothing. I’ve also been hungry and fancying all the snacks I’ve been able to resist for months. So today I’ve jabbed with 7.5mg and I’ll
just have to deal with feeling crappy. I’m on holiday the week after which will involve a swimming costume, if I can just shift a couple of pounds to get towards the next stone bracket I’ll be happy. I’ve met my next target but it’s taken me a lot longer. My next target should be my final weight but it’s 3 stones and 3lbs so I’m thinking I might need another interim to keep me motivated.

I’m 5 stones 8lbs down from my starting weight, with 4 stones of that being on MJ. I just need to keep going!

@familyornot well done on your loss! I’m on the same trajectory as you, I’ve just gone past a 5st loss. I started at a plus size 22–24 and now I’m a size 18 in the normal range (White Stuff, M&S etc.). It was a great feeling to buy new clothes so enjoy your shopping trip!

What’s your target weight? My next goal is 13st, and I’ll reassess the next steps when I get there.

@familyornot@SnowWhiteisMyFavouriteWell done on your losses! That feeling of passing a milestone is amazing isn’t it. I had four stone to lose and now that I’m into the last one of those it’s a bit of a plod. I am using Vinted (with tags) while I move through sizes I may not stay at.

It's all felt like a bit of a struggle since January, but now having another one of those phases where the weight just falls off - I feel all soft and squidgy around my stomach and torso, the scales are going down and so are my trousers unless I hoik them up with a belt.

@familyornot I hope you had a successful shopping trip, and found your new size!

That’s brilliant @UnimaginableWindBird sounds like you will be in need of a shopping trip soon!

I went out clothes shopping this morning and discovered I am now officially a size XS (6-8).

As my weight loss is pretty slow at the moment, I decided to measure my waist and hips as I haven’t checked them since I measured myself at the start. Also, I’ve taken no photos as I hate seeing myself in photos so it’s hard to ‘see’ the changes IYSWIM.

I've lost 6.5 inches off my waist and 5 inches off my hips. Woohoo! 🥳

Really happy to see those numbers going down. ☺️