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.

Weighed in at 88.6 kg this morning, which considering I was 91kg a week ago is a huge weight loss - over 5lbs. I think a lot of it must have been water retention.

Took advice from here and avoided carbs and ate loads of protein and suppression has been good all week. Skipped lunch yesterday which was silly (had loads of meetings over lunch and just wasn’t hungry) but then was peckish on the way home so bought and ate a large bag of lentil tortilla chips (probably about 450cals and salty). That might be why I’m 100g up on my Wednesday weight check. Also, my period has started this week.

SW; 109kg
CW: 88.6kg
interim GW: 86kg

I’ve lost over 20kg and almost 20% of my starting weight. BMI has dropped from 40.5 to below 33, so still very much obese. I’m getting close to halfway to my ultimate goal.

I took the last drops/golden dose out of my 5mg pen today using a syringe and ended up taking about 3.5mg. Normally take 3mg. Hope the extra 0.5mg doesn’t make me ill. 😳

I’ll be starting a new pen next Friday but was pissed off to discover that the use by date for the new pen was 12/26. and my current pen is 02/27. In fact, I think most of the pens over the last few months had use by dates that were 2027, so I wonder if they’re getting rid of older stock? Realistically, I know it’s no big deal.

@Chopsy123 this same thing has just happened to me. Last pen had a 2027 date. The pen I just received is 12/2026.

Just took my jab tonight. Does anyone else absolutely hate the smell of the wipes? I've developed a real aversion to the smell, makes me feel sick 🤢

Still on 4.17mg (50 clicks) but I fell off the diet bandwagon over half term 😅 been exactly 9 stone for a few weeks now. Been back on the diet since Monday though so hoping i have a loss tomorrow, i'll update in the morning!

Some fab losses here as always 🤩 well done everyone

@JustPickleRick

I haven’t noticed if the wipes smell at all as they’re so tiny. Do you wipe your hands with one before jabbing? I only use it to wipe the pen end before putting a needle on and to wipe the injection site. I wash my hands with my normal kitchen hand soap.

I’ve opened a fresh one and can only just smell it if I stick it right under my nose. Maybe you’re very sensitive to that particular smell? Could you try a different brand?

In other news, I seem unaffected by the extra 0.5mg so that’s a relief!

I just wipe the top of the needle and my tummy too but I just get little whiffs and it makes me want to be sick 😅

Nice little 2lb loss this morning anyway which was nice to see and proves the diet works when I actually stick to it 😅

SW: 12 st 9
CW: 8 st 13
GW: 8 st 7

When I requested my next jab from Asda, I had a new question to answer. Am I actively losing weight, almost at goal weight or maintaining. First time i've been asked that and it's the first time since ordering my last one when I had to resubmit photos as my bmi is now healthy.

Interesting article in the UK Times today. Although, I feel that being on this forum has helped me enormously and I think we’re probably better informed than the average Jo on the jabs.

I was particularly interested in his view that you need to consider taking the jabs (albeit a lower maintenance dose), to maintain for about a year afterwards to re-set your body into accepting your better eating habits and thinner self as your new normal.

Hearing about some of the posters on this forum who stopped jabbing soon after reaching their goal and whopping the weight back on again fairly quickly, seems to support his theory.

https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/article/weight-loss-injections-nhs-wegovy-mounjaro-t5dvs87gn

Thanks @Chopsy123 , that's quite encouraging to me! I was sorting of assuming I might have to take a low dose forever, so it's quite positive to see a year recommended.

Hope everyone's having a lovely weekend! We finally had some sun in Cornwall so we went to the playground, swimming, and also a 2 mile walk round the village. My daughter scootered the whole way, even up some massive hills! We were proud of ourselves for being active all day :)

Reflections six months in! Went for a gym induction at the weekend with a view to taking up weight training to build back lost muscle and tone the baggy bingo wings. The instructor said he thinks the reasons my shoulders hurt is because while I'm in such calorie deficit my body and muscles are never recovering properly from the twice weekly aqua aerobics I do. I am in my 60s and tend to forget I can't push my body like I used to. This has made me evaluate the consequences of rapid weight loss. I've focused on the exciting losses on the scales and being able to get smaller clothes. I've never worried about the occasional times I've skipped a meal because I'm not hungry, or been positively glad just to have a small bowl of vegetable soup. I do eat healthily, but probably not enough. This can get careless. Six months in and nearly 3.5 stones down I feel really tired and have started shedding hair. I know this is not the MJ per se, but the effects of any rapid weight loss. It's made me reassess and realise I need to be more careful to up my intake of protein and complex carbs, and remember to eat even when I might not feel like it. Also just read a GP writing in The Times about older women using WLIs increasing risk to bone density, he stresses it's important to take it slow and steady. I've never gone higher than 5 mg, planning on increasing gradually from 4 to 5 over what I hoped would be the last 3 months to reach goal. I now realise that the focus is going to have to be more on overall wellbeing rather than fast results on the scales. Even if it means that last stone and a half takes longer than the planned three months to shift. Anyone else feeling it 6 months in?

Interesting @threescoopsI’ve actually just ordered 7.5mg.

I’ve lost 2.5 stone in 6 months but has really slowed in the last two months. I’m feeling the expense of it so don’t want to be on long term and have another 1.5 stone to lose.

Hair is fine but I am tired, I’m 50 so it might just be that. I weight train but want to up that this month and maybe start running so I’m interested to hear that about recovery and will bear it in mind.

i’ve really found myself reaching for the biscuits recently and it isn’t doing much to stop me craving sweet things.

i’m also struggling to eat enough veg. I think I don’t understand what people actually eat!

What I’m trying to say is I’m not sure I’ve transformed my eating habits enough to sustain long term without the injections but need to make a concerted effort to find a way.

Planning 1 or 2 months on 7.5 and then work my way back down 🤞

At least the weather’s getting warmer 🤞and it will be easier to eat lots of salad stuff. 😆

@outofofficeagain @threescoops I am five months in and am starting to be keener than I would like on chocolate again, so I do have a few more cravings like that creeping in.

The other thing which worries me, body-wise, is my neck. I don't know if it would be described as 'turkey' but it's basically showing all the ligaments which go up my throat to underneath my chin and I hate it!

Like many of my historical attempts to lose weight counting calories, I am now bored of what I eat, having worked out a good intake of nutrients etc and what I can and don't want to have. So I need to give myself a bit of a shake-up for the last few pounds (am 10lb off a green BMI).

So many success stories - I think we’re all doing so
well. I’ve also been worried about how long I will have to stay on MJ so it’s good to know a year afterwards is typical. I don’t think I’m doing enough to change my habits, I’m relying more on not being hungry lately, so I need to work on that. The idea of not having enough calories has crossed my mind, I haven’t actually exercised properly in ages but when I was going to classes I was finding 2 in a row difficult when I’d previously managed them fine. I’m 43 so I know I need to focus on health rather than the scales, but it’s quite addictive watching the numbers fall and my clothes become looser.

I managed to mess up my jabs and I thought I had a dose left, when I went to do my jab on Sunday there wasn’t a full dose left (I’d done a 5mg dose from my 7.5mg pen when I first got it but then continued on full doses). So I had to quickly order a new pen which has arrived today, I’ve jabbed 7.5mg now but for 2 days the hunger has really crept in. I don’t think I’ve needed to eat bigger portions so I think that’s a sign that my stomach is getting smaller but the hunger was actually painful when it hit.

One been stuck on 14 stone 4 for a couple of weeks, I went away last week and have maintained. Again though, it wasn’t the amount I ate but it was the calorific choices I made with the addition of G&T a few times too. So I’m quite happy (and surprised I didn’t gain).

Going to try and salvage what is left of this week and really focus on being healthy. I’ve got a month until I go on holiday and I’m about 9lbs off where I wanted to be by then. I’ve got 3 stone to go until
my final target.

Hi everyone...
I'm still around...
Weigh day is tomorrow - but loss so far is 17.3kg / 38lbs. I did Me360 scan yesterday and measured.

Chest: -4
Waist: -8
Abdomen: -5.5
Hip: -5
L Thigh: -3.25
R Thigh: -3.25
L Calf: -2.5
R Calf: -1
FUPA: -5.5
Bust: -7.50 😥
L Ankle: -1.25
R Ankle: -0.5

Total inches lost: 50.45

I start 6.25mg tomorrow

I'm 56 and I started exercising a month before starting mounjaro, and believe my a lot of my inch loss is because I have been exercising (weights, body conditioning & cardio) from the beginning.

I've purposely eaten good sized meals all throughout, to:

1. slow weight loss to retain as much lean muscle whilst losing, because I DO NOT want any loose skin
2. to make the transition from using mj easier
3. to fuel my workouts

Well done everyone! It’s amazing what a difference 6 months can make.

Weigh-in yesterday and I was down another 1.5lbs on the week before, at 11 stone 5.25lbs (down from starting weight of 13 stone 10lbs). I always seem to weigh most on a Tuesday annoyingly as I was lower than that at the end of last week! But anyway, I’ve gone from BMI 30.1 to 25.0 on official weigh ins so it’s definitely a milestone.

My 2.5mg mid-week top up worked well and I had good suppression right up to Monday. Almost too much actually. But then I jabbed a full 5mg for the first time on Monday (I’ve been doing 50 clicks from 5mg since December) and worryingly that’s feeling borderline not enough now. I had a real craving for sweet things yesterday and ate a load of the children’s gummy bears after dinner which I’m not very proud of!!!

I do wonder if it’s linked to increased exercise though. I’ve been training for a 10K run which is happening this Sunday and after the longer training runs I have had quite sore muscles and sometimes felt light headed. So I wonder if my body craves the sweetness when my muscles are trying to recover. Dunno!

I’m going to give 5mg more of a chance though, especially as I’m now (just) under a stone away from my target weight, so I don’t mind going slowly.

I can’t believe that we’re talking about 6-month check-ins already. I started my journey at 122kg and this morning my scale was showing 87.2kg. That’s 35kg or 5.5 stone gone.

I have gradually increased my exercise. I started with the exercise bike, then added walking, and now I’m walking/running 5km 5–6 times a week. This has allowed me to keep my calorie intake around 1400-1500 with a good deficit. I’m currently taking 3.75mg, 5-6days a week, so I’m not following the rules, but this is working for me. My suppression isn’t the strongest, but I don’t have the constant food noise either. I can have sweets, etc., in the house and I don’t eat them all 😄 and I’m feeling good!

I’m sorry to hear that some of you are struggling with a lack of energy. Maybe try to shake up your food plans a bit? Increase protein? I’m getting my protein from salmon, tuna, chicken and cottage cheese. I prioritise protein over carbs and usually have it with greens, spinach and broccoli. Carbs are so calorie heavy and give me cravings, so I try to avoid pasta, potatoes, rice etc. I’m constantly having discussions about this with ChatGPT, which is actually a very helpful tool!

Re: vitamins, etc. I have been taking iron, biotin, magnesium and pumpkin seed tablets. I’m paranoid about my hair, which has always been very fine, so I use Plantur 39 shampoo/conditioner with alternating treatments of Kerastase hair serum and Scandinavian Biolabs serum. Not sure if that’s working, but it’s not doing any harm either.

So that’s my story so far. My next milestone will be getting into the low 80s/13st (ish), and then I will reassess the journey. My “ideal” weight is below 70kg, which I haven’t been since my early 20s. I’m 50 now, so I’m not sure if I want to/can go that low. Let’s see.

Oh, and I’ve also taken my photos on the body scanning app, this is my Sep vs March profile.

Everyone has done so well! I have a couple of days left before my six months, so I will give a final number then.

My goodness @SnowWhiteisMyFavourite, that's a MASSIVE loss in 6 months! I love your and @maz99's photo comparisons! You both look great ❤️ I don't have good measurements for that, but I can certainly see a difference in my progress photos (won't burn anyone's eyes with those though!). Looking at photos from last summer I'm shocked with how big I was, especially as I really didn't think I was that big!

Congratulations on being at a healthy BMI @OneDayIWillLearn Sugar will make you feel hungrier, but I bet your run was the big driver!

Good luck with your holiday plans @familyornot! I'm sure you can make that target 🎯

@Pinkbox, don't worry about your neck! We are supposed to see ligaments there, just most people are too overweight to show them! I'll be very excited when I get to where you are ❤️

Been happier going out for longer walks this week now there are a few rays of sun between the clouds! ☀️

@SoUncertain Some of the photos I saw of myself at the end of last summer were the kick up the ass and the main reason I started on mj. I wasn’t in a bubble thinking I was slim, but I also hadn’t realised quite how big I had become. My clothes still fitted because they were size 24!!

I was slim until my mid-20s, but with a lifestyle change (working, eating out more and moving in with my now husband) I put on extra kilos and reached nearly 70kg. But I was happy and it didn’t bother me. Then in my early 30s came my first pregnancy, and I never lost all the weight I gained. After my second pregnancy I put on even more weight and again didn’t lose it. Over time the weight gradually kept increasing. I wasn’t exercising enough and the Covid period definitely didn’t help, so here we are.

I’ve worked really hard to change my eating habits, reduce portions and increase my exercise, and I’m determined to keep this weight off from now on!

@SnowWhiteisMyFavourite and @SoUncertain - I’ve also been looking at photos from last summer this week and it’s weird, like you say. I knew I had put on a lot of weight and I was unhappy with it at the time (and it was a particular holiday photo that finally pushed me to place my first MJ order - while we were still on holiday in New York!). But looking back I still don’t think I really saw how big I was and how different my face looked. The fact I am still wearing many of the size 14 clothes I was somehow just about fitting into now is also a bit sobering as I was a big size 16 and probably really an 18. Yes some of the size 14s are a bit loose now but in truth I can see now they are closer to how they are ‘meant’ to fit the way they are now, and I must have been really squeezing myself into them which cannot have been a good look.

Can I ask how people have arrived at their target weights? I’m starting to slightly question mine. Healthy BMI starts at 11 stone 4lbs for me and when I started I would have absolutely taken reaching that (which is now roughly where I am) and stopping there if needed.

However I entered 10 stone 7lbs as my goal weight as it’s the lowest I’ve ever got through ‘normal’ dieting and thought it would give me more wriggle room. I got to that particular after a long stint on weight watchers in my twenties and maintained around 10 stone 8-10lbs for five years after that, and seem to remember feeling good at that weight - BMI would be 23.1.

But while googling various things like TDEE during this latest process I keep coming across figures for ‘ideal weight’, which for my height would be something like 9 stone 10lbs. But what even is an ideal weight?? I was going to dismiss it as a made-up idea but then found an NHS source referring to it: https://www.nhstaysideadtc.scot.nhs.uk/Antibiotic%20site/pdf%20docs/IBW%20Table.pdf

I haven’t weighed that since I was in my early teens though and I feel I would look very different if I got to that weight - though maybe it doesn’t matter if that’s good for my health? I still have quite a lot of fat even on the cusp of healthy BMI, so I suppose I can believe I could lose another stone and a half and still be very far from skin and bone.

I guess I just don’t know if i have a good enough reason to be aiming for the target weight I’ve chosen. I’d be interested to hear anyone else’s thought process to compare notes!

I haven't looked into ideal weights @OneDayIWillLearn, although I guess i should. I don't think I've ever been at a healthy BMI as an adult, or certainly not recently, so I just set mine to a BMI of jussssst under 25 and I'll go from there!

I am a fairly stocky build anyway, so think a BMI on the lower side would look quite gaunt on me. Plus I am working on building muscle. I actually have my gym induction tonight! I've really improved my swimming strokes lately too, and can run up stairs without huffing and puffing. It's nice to feel healthier even while still far too heavy!

I'm questioning my ideal weight at the moment too. @OneDayIWillLearn How tall are you? I'm 166cm and according to BMI charts my “ideal” weight would be somewhere between 51-69 kg (or 57-62 kg depending on the chart). Realistically though, I don’t think I’ll ever get there, it would take me back to my early 20s weight.

My first goal weight was 95kg/15st, which was basically just a random number. My current goal is around 80kg(ish)/14st, which would move me from obese into the overweight category.

I actually chatted with ChatGPT about it because I don’t want to feel like I’m dieting forever. At some point I’d like to try maintaining, just to see if I can do it. I’d also love to be a bit more toned instead of having bingo wings and an apron belly. I already have them, and I know the more weight I lose the more noticeable they might become so need to work on muscle as well.

AI suggested that if I’m not chasing the “perfect” BMI, aiming for around 75kg might be a good middle ground. That way if I gained a few kilos I’d still be under 80kg, which mentally feels much better than creeping back towards 90 if that makes sense.

So I’m thinking once I get to around 13st I might switch my goal to clothing size instead. If I could fit comfortably into a size 14, I’d be more than happy. I started from size 24, I’m now size 18 so a few more sizes to go.

I'm on a similar journey to you @SnowWhiteisMyFavourite - started over 19 stone, size 24, now a bit over 14 stone and just fitting into an 18. I haven't been lower than this since having children in my 30s and I don't know what I weighed in my 20s - maybe 12 stone? I've always been at least a size 14-16 since I was a teenager. It felt completely unrealistic to hit a healthy BMI when I've never been that low before, so my initial goal was 15 stone, then 14 stone, then I suppose my next one will be 12 stone. I'm very short so I just can't imagine ever reaching my 'ideal' weight, I really don't think that would be healthy or realistic for me. I plan to just take things as they come.

Thank you

I personally think the recommended BMI for my height (5'7") is too low. It doesn't take into account the amount of lean muscle that I naturally have.

Also, I prefer an athletic build and I feel that the middle of normal BMI (65kg /10st 3lbs) would make me look like I'm anorexic. So, I've settled on 79kg (12st 6lbs) which is 10kg higher than being in the middle of the normal range.

So, I'm going to focus on waist hip ratio and stop when that reaches a healthy measurement.