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.

Yes, that does make a lot of sense, especially about maintenance which I’m very worried about getting wrong. Funnily enough the top of my healthy BMI is 10.7 so that’s what I was aiming for.
You’re right that where we are now was pure fantasy land! I can’t remember when I was last less than 11 stone. 30 years ago I first went to Weight Watchers and couldn’t get back down past that. I’m now 10.9 and am already thrilled by dropping two dress sizes. I don’t want to go on forever, but I’m going to finish my current 5mg and see if that takes me to the low 10s. Given how slow it’s been recently though I might only get to 10.5 ish. After that, I am trying really hard to understand the dosage charts and work out how on Earth I will maintain.

Pleased with myself today :) finally reached my end goal! I've been tapering back down to maintenance for about 4 weeks and will jump down more today. Now to try and maintain!

Congratulations! That's brilliant.

Still a stone to go for me.

@SerafinasGoose yes to all of this! there must be something mysterious about that 13 st barrier, it's taken me weeks to get a pound or two below it and then vacillate a pound or two up or down. However I too am taking comfort from fitting into size 14 clothes and rediscovering a waist, it's a long time since I was able to wear trousers with a proper button up waistband without creating a billowing muffin top. I'm also loving revisiting old clothes unworn for years, enjoying some new dresses, and getting rid of the scruffy old stretchy things like leggings and tunics I've been hiding in for years. It's a wonderful novelty to enjoy clothes! I've got 18lbs further to lose to reach target/healthy BMI, and can feel and see it. But like you I don't doubt I will get there if I persevere, which isn't hard, even if not as quickly as I first thought. I'll take the victories!

Well done you! Amazing loss 🎉 How did you decide to start tapering, given you hadn’t quite reached goal at that point? I am really close and am not sure when and how to plan that stage.

Thank you 🤩
About 5 weeks ago, I was around 8 stone 10 and was feeling happy with where I was. Didn't want to lose too much more so about 4 weeks ago I went from 4.17mg (my highest dose) back down to 3.75mg where i've been for the last 3 weeks. I've not really noticed much difference but I will say i've had food noise for a while and i'm okay with that. I didn't want to completely block it out as it would overwhelm me when it came back! I'm snacking more but still tracking all of my calories and holding myself accountable. I have a holiday in the summer to look forward to 🤩
I asked co-pilot and it mapped it all out for me, very clever. It worked out a slow reduce by counting clicks and how long to do each dose for. I've taken 3mg tonight (should have been 3.15mg but I had to syringe and messed it up 😅) so this will be my next challenge for 3 weeks.

You're doing brilliantly! Am I right in thinking that you're no longer using wli too (or have I mixed you up with someone else)? If so, you're doing even more remarkably well. We started out pretty similar (height and weight). I'm at about 12 st 5 lbs at the moment, so only very slightly ahead of you. I'm still on 2.5mg. Also loving re-wearing clothes I've found that I haven't worn for over a decade!

Thanks for sharing, I need to try to get a plan together in case this can be my last 5mg pen. Is
co pilot an AI thing?

Hello again! Yes we did start at the same time and 12 st 5 is good going indeed - bit ahead of me. Yes, I totally fluffed up my injecting logistics, so that when I contacted the supplier and they asked for a pic to see what I'd done, it turned out I hadn't been injecting a thing and had wasted a fortune to boot. But as I seemed to be doing okay without and the thread was so friendly and welcoming, nobody seemed to mind that I stuck around.

I'd still turn to WLI if I had to. I had a fairly rapid loss - 2 st in four months, then barely anything since December. The flesh on my backside and abdomen was also dimpled and saggy, but as this does seem to be firming out a bit now, I think my body has been going through a longish process of readjustment. I'm prepared for the loss to be much slower now, and can live with that since the immediate priority has been met.

My health and mobility have vastly improved. Since my spinal rods were removed and I lost this weight I'm still not on blood pressure meds - it's higher than it should be but already lower than before; in any case it won't come down overnight. Cholesterol has also come down.

My problem was bingeing and a horrible sugar addiction - not helped by barely moving as I was so restricted by the rods. I'm never going back to that place again.

Glad to read you are feeling so much better, too.

@SnowWhiteisMyFavouriteyou are so close to target now. 42kg loss is phenomenal! Well done 👏🏼

Increasing your exercise is definitely the best option - the easiest way to do it would be adding a couple of hundred extra steps every day to your total step count, rather than trying to find time to add another run or gym session.

Another suggestion would be to look at your Macros, I found having my protein Highest, then moderate carbs, moderate fat and aiming for 30g fibre per day gave me the best results.

Well done @JustPickleRickhow have you found tapering down? I’m reducing by 5 clicks at a time and finding the lower dose is giving me stronger suppression!

I've found it okay so far but deifnitrly feel hunger which has made me pick at times. I'm down to 3mg now. I've hit a snag with my pen supply now though as asda have said no more :( need to order through a maintenance website now. Thinking of using lotus.
Here's the co-pilot (AI) programme that was created for me to taper down:
To bridge the gap between 3.75mg and 2.5mg, we can use a "mid-point" dose of 3.125mg. This creates a very smooth glide path, helping your body adjust to the return of natural hunger signals without the "rebound" effect.
Using a 5mg KwikPen (where 60 clicks = 5mg), here is your customized step-down schedule.

The "Smooth Glide" Reduction Plan
This plan uses 3-week blocks to give your biology time to stabilize at each new level before dropping again.

| Phase | Duration | Clicks (5mg Pen) | Equivalent Dose | Strategy |

|-|-|-|-|---|

| Current | Now | 50 clicks | 4.17mg | Baseline |

| Step 1 | Weeks 1–3 | 45 clicks | 3.75mg | Your first jump. |

| Step 2 | Weeks 4–6 | 37–38 clicks | ~3.15mg | The "In-between" bridge. |

| Step 3 | Weeks 7–9 | 30 clicks | 2.50mg | The standard starting dose. |

| Step 4 | Weeks 10+ | 30 clicks | 2.50mg | Increase gap to 10 days. |

Why the "Bridge" (3.15mg) Matters
At 5'2" and 8st 10lb, your metabolic rate is now lower than when you started. A sudden drop from 3.75mg to 2.5mg is a 33% reduction in medication. By inserting the 37-click (3.15mg) bridge, you reduce that jump to two smaller, more manageable shifts.
Monitoring Your "Maintenance Window"
Since you are at your goal weight, use these rules to decide when to move to the next step:

• The Green Zone (8st 10lb – 8st 13lb): Proceed with the plan as scheduled.
• The Yellow Zone (9st 0lb – 9st 2lb): Do not reduce clicks. Stay at your current dose for another 2–3 weeks until weight stabilizes.
• The Red Zone (Above 9st 3lb): Go back up by 5 clicks (e.g., if you were on 37 clicks, go back to 42) for one month.

💡 Quick Tip on "The 5th Dose"
If you are using the UK KwikPen, many users find there is a "5th dose" left in the reservoir after the 4th standard dose. If you choose to use this (using a separate insulin syringe), ensure you are maintaining strict hygiene, as the pen is technically only validated for 4 doses/30 days.
Would you like me to help you calculate exactly how many calories you should be eating at 8st 10lb to ensure you don't keep losing weight during this taper?

Back from a lovely 8 days in Rome. Plenty of walking but also plenty of carbs consumed (curse the Italians and their love of cake at breakfast). I pretty much ate what I fancied but more mindfully than I used to. I jabbed while out there, which may have helped a bit, but with the exception of one day when I had strong suppression I found I could eat past the jab.

Anyway weight is back up at 85kg, which given it was 83.8 kg two weeks ago isn’t too bad. However my weight had dropped to 82 point something shortly before we left (but that might have been a weird fluke as it was a big drop in a short time), so against that benchmark it’s a more disappointing gain. I’ll jab again today and hopefully once I’m back in a routine, things will head back in the right direction.

On the plus side I enjoyed looking slimmer in some old and new clothes (size M trousers from Primark!), feeling I had a pretty flat belly in my swimsuit but best of all having energy and stamina to really enjoy myself. I was bounding up the steps and hills of Rome like a mountain goat.

@SerafinasGoose Yes, I remember now. At least if you spent a fortune on the wasted pens, you have since saved a fortune doing it without the pens! Well done! You are doing amazingly well. You must feel fabulous now, without the rods, and with the weight loss. And perhaps the plateau is actually a good thing if it's giving your skin a chance to firm up. So far my weight is still moving, but it is very slow these days, about half a pound a week. I'm very happy with how it's all going though.

@SerafinasGoose i had completely missed that you are not on mj. That’s incredible how well you are doing without. Especially with not bingeing and managing sugar cravings. The latter is the main issue I’m worried about when thinking about maintenance. I have dealt with portion sizes but I still fancy something sweet after the dinners etc. I have always had a sweet tooth and I don’t think that’s going to change.

@Atalosswhat2do i have been reviewing my macros over the last few weeks. I think I have become more relaxed with my calorie counting. I still track everything but the accuracy might be questionable. Focus is on protein and fibre, and still keeping carbs and fat low.

and I think it has helped, scales have moved and I’m in 70s, just: 79.2kg this morning 🎉🎉🎉 I’m averaging 1500-1600 cals and based on my tracker, my average total burn is 2400 so plenty of deficit even if one metric is over reading and the other one under. I will continue to do what I’m doing, trying to trust the process 😄

I’ve plateaued again for the last 2 weeks and not lost a thing, (7.5 for 6 weeks) then at the end of last week (I jab on a Sunday) I was feeling extreme hunger, it was actually painful and it was even there when I was eating. I took that as a sign my dosage just wasn’t enough, I was due to order yesterday so I’ve gone ahead and ordered 10mg. I think I’m being impatient and perhaps learning to manage the hunger and work through the calorie issue would have been the better option, but to be honest it’s so expensive and knowing that the last 2 weeks have been a waste is galling. I’ve got 2 stone to go, so I’m really close (I have lost 6.5stone, 5 with MJ). My money situation is also changing drastically at the end of May, I had hoped I’d be at target and able to taper down but it doesn’t look like that’s an option for me just yet. Although my money situation is changing, my time situation is also changing which is a very good thing. I’ll be able to get to the gym and classes, walking and having time to shop for food mindfully. I do honestly believe that the main issue with my relationship with food and nutrition is modern living and this high pressure lifestyle that dictates every move.

I’ve also run into a few issues with friends, or perhaps not actual friends. I’m not sure if others have found this, but I’ve always been the ‘fat friend’, certain friends have always taken me under their wing and given me support to lose weight and it really cemented my friendships with them. At the time, I felt that they were great friends and really helpful and supportive. Anyway, I started MJ and only told my mum and husband, it wasn’t anyone’s business but my true reason for this is that I didn’t believe it would work and couldn’t face the constant weight monitoring from everyone and the shame when I wasn’t losing. Thankfully it’s worked, and the friends I thought I had have all but shoved me out, it’s like I’ve affected the dynamic and one in particular has just left me out of everything. It started when a mutual friend asked her if was on ‘skinny jabs’ and she said no, when she told me I explained I had been on MJ. Things changed, she asked me how she hadn’t noticed - I don’t know why she didn’t notice, everyone else had. I haven’t seen any of them in weeks. Another of my friends is concerned I’ll ’go too far’, again quite patronising and insulting, I’m not doing this for attention - I have a clear and strict goal in sight which I’ve discussed with my dr.

I guess dynamics change within friendships but I didn’t realise that my weight would ever be a factor. As I don’t need ‘fixing’ anymore I don’t seem to be required as a friend (I should add that those friends are all heavily into fitness as part of their work and social life). I’d have thought I’d be less of a friend to them previously as I couldn’t do all of the active things they do, but now I can.

I realise we sound like school children. We are all in our 40s, so I’ve just got on with it.

On the positive side; we’ve booked a holiday! This is the first time I’m not dreading the heat, having to wear shorts, the small plane seat (and not being able to put the tray down), and just all of that really. I haven’t been abroad with the children as a not obese person, so that will be a new experience for me.

SW: 18 stone 6
CW: 13 stone 5
TW: 11 stone 3
Started: 21/9/25
on 7.5mg currently

@familyornot I just want to give you a big hug and say “well done!!!”
6.5 stones is a massive achievement and you should be very proud of yourself. (You don’t need validation from those wassocks as YOU know you’ve done incredibly well.)

I’m so sorry that some of your friends are being twatty and they do sound very childish and immature in their attitude towards you and the medication. In their 40’s? I think they’re behaving like 4yr olds! Would they be so dismissive if you’d been taking the medicine for diabetes? Hopefully not.

The good news is that all the new friends you make will only know you as a normal healthy weight person and won’t patronise you in that way. 😁

I’ve happily told the world and his wife that I’m on the jabs (over sharer!) and if anyone made a negative comment, it’s washed right over me as I can’t remember any. 😂

As a side note, you could try taking your 7.5mg dose every 5 or 6 days instead of moving up to 10mg as it will keep a higher dose in your system and it won’t drop so low after 6 days. I jab every 6 days and this works well for me.

Enjoy shopping for your holiday wardrobe and if you hear any more stupid comments, just smile serenely and say nothing. You’ve got this!! 🌟

I went to a fashion show yesterday evening. 😁

One of my sewing buddies has been doing a ‘sustainable sewing’ course at the local college for 3hrs a week since January. They had to traipse round the local charity shops in the second week and purchase stuff to upcycle. My friend bought a blue and white print cotton duvet cover and she made it into a pair of trousers with a side zip and also a wrap over skirt. The tutor had bought a white to grey ombré style duvet cover and made it into a very nice dress. All the ladies involved (mostly over 70) haven’t been garment sewing very long and they had to wear their outfits inc. accessories (hats, bags, jewellery) on the runway. They also had to borrow clothes from the charity shops last week to wear on the runway to demo that the charity shop has potentially nice stuff ready to wear that doesn’t need altering. The stuff will be laundered and back on sale this week. Certainly gave lots of food for thought if you’ll pardon the expression. 😉

Thank you so much for your kind words, they’re lovely to hear. And also the word wassocks is brilliant 😂. I’ve got one dose of 7.5 left so I will jab a day early and see if it works, thank you for the advice - I can microdose from the 10mg if using this method works. Onwards and upwards (or maybe downwards is a better word in this situation!?).

Just taken my first 10mg jab. Weight was 84kg this morning, so down on last week but it had dropped to 82.9 earlier in the week. I feel like I’ve been boomeranging around the same few kilos for a bit, not helped by milestone birthday and holiday. Was also out for dinner with friends on Wednesday, so wine, a few chips, some bread. But mainly I don’t think I’m getting the suppression I was, or for as long. I’ve been feeling much hungrier, particularly towards the end of my jab week. This is all a bit depressing. Like it’s a magic spell that wears off. I could have eaten a horse on Wednesday.

Hoping the step up 10mg gives me the boost I need to get out of the 80s and into the final stretch.

I had another week with no loss this week, after a small loss last week. I think my total loss for the last month is 1.75-2lbs so really not moving much now. But then (depending what I consider my goal to be - changes daily!) I am within 5lbs of target weight.

I have definitely noticed 5mg has been less effective this month though. I have another 5mg pen in the fridge but had decided to order a 7.5mg one to go onto next to try and get to goal. Except when I went to order it last week and saw the price difference, I baulked!! I’ve had quite a lot of extra expenses this month so feeling a bit like I could do without another one….it made me think maybe another month of maintaining or slight loss would be ok.

Still haven’t decided though.

It hasn’t been a great week - I’ve been away with work and not sleeping well, which both complicate things on a food and appetite front! But my average step count was just shy of 15K, so hopefully that’s balanced things out a bit.

@OneDayIWillLearn @GhostOrchid

If you don’t want to move up a dose, you could try jabbing a day earlier?

I’ve been jabbing every 6 days for the past few weeks and as it builds up in your system and the suppression doesn’t drop off a cliff by day 6 and it stops me getting too low and wanting to binge.

Official weigh in day for me. Another 3lbs loss this week, which takes me to 12st 4lbs. Tiny bit short of a total loss of 7st, which I’m hoping to get to next week.

Going back to basics has helped. I’m weighing my food again to be more accurate with my portions. I think I really had started underestimating my calories. I also upped my protein intake. Exercise remained pretty much the same, so something is working again.

One challenge this week was chocolate. My daughter bought a Cadbury’s & More chocolate bar with Biscoff. After one bite, she decided it was too sweet for her so I was left with it. And it’s sweet, but it is so lovely. I split it into 3-square chunks, bagged them up (someone did this with Easter eggs in one of the treads here, thanks for the idea!) and those have been my treats this week. 3 squares and 153 cals per day. Had to have a good chat with myself not to demolish the whole bar at once, but I made it! Willpower in training 😅

@OneDayIWillLearn @GhostOrchid just like @Chopsy123 I’m jabbing every 6 days at the moment due to same reasons: suppression is more consistent. I don’t have very high highs but neither I have very low lows. I can keep my meals quite consistent throughout the week. I’m on 4.75mg at the moment.

Congratulations @SnowWhiteisMyFavourite . That’s amazing! and it’s great that you’ve done it without even going up to 5mg.

I’ll definitely think about more regular dosing. And I should absolutely get back in the tracking habit as I’ve probably been slipping. So far 10mg seems to be giving me reasonably good suppression but somehow I feel psychologically hungry. The gloomy and cold weather is really getting me down. Feel like we’ll never s the sun again.