Talk to me like I'm stupid. I know nothing about injections....

[BG2015]

I'm nearly 57. Struggling to lose weight, unfortunately it doesn't come off as easily as it once did. In my 40's I'd only have to cut back a bit and I'd lose - not now. I'm 5' 8" and weigh just over 13stone. BMI is 28 and I have high blood pressure. Ideal weight would be 11st to 11.7 stone.

It took me 5 months to lose 10lb earlier this year and I was so disappointed after trying so hard. I swim 2-3 times a week and also walk. My diet is pretty healthy with plenty of fruit and veg.

I'm semi-retired so lifestyle has changed slightly. I do enjoy a couple of gins over the weekend.

So how do they work?
How often do you take them?
How do you know what calories to eat?
What happens if you have alcohol?
Exercise?
How long would I need to take them to lose 2stone?
What happens when you're at target weight?
How much do they cost?

Thank you

The cost does concern me. There's no way I can continue paying long term for it. I'm hoping a four-six month go at it will get me 2 stone lower and I'll carry on calorie counting and exercising.

When I'm in the zone I'm very focused.

I think 2st on 6 months is very do-able. I think maintaining, let alone losing more, off the jabs is unlikely.

I haven't got to maintaining without taking anything yet but if I start putting weight on I'll go back on it, and I've maintained on a lower dose in the biggest eating and drinking part of the year and after losing my mum to cancer, so this year has hardly been lacking challenges.

Given I was very slender and maintained that for years before I had kids (I was never naturally slender and always had to work at it) and I'm not trying to be anywhere near that skinny now, I have a good, manageable diet and exercise regime I'd say I have as good a chance as anyone.

And I'm so fit now. I just did circuit training today and kept up with people half my age. I was never unfit and have always exercised but the extra weight was holding me back.

My friend did MJ in 2024 and lost 3 stone. Shes managed to keep it off for 12 months. Shes a bit younger than me. I did maintain my weight really well for 2 years from 2014-16 but then I moved house and met my current DP. Fell in love, started going on holiday and enjoying life and the two stone crept back on. I've lost and gained the same 10lb to a stone since then.

i had lost weight about 2-3 years ago on a low carb diet diet & kept it off. But my mum became ill about a year ago then died in November. My eating went out the window.

Just need to get back on track. I run 5K 2-3 x a week & do lots of walking.

Medication will hopefully help me along the way & I’d like to micro-dose afterwards to help with maintenance.

@ChilledProsecco I think the UK patent for Wegovy is valid till 2031, so unless buying from elsewhere like USA/Canada where current patent expires in 2026, I doubt it will be cheaper here.
Not wanting to sound negative but I wouldn’t start taking it hoping it will get cheaper, or with very restrictive financial restraints.
In my experience all the people I know using WLI (in real life not on the internet) have ended up taking it for much longer than first expected and have either stayed on a low dose or returned after several months off due to putting weight back on again.
I just feel the need to be honest, having started myself thinking it would be a six month thing and I’m now 18 months in, I know there are people out there who have successfully stopped but perhaps it’s my age and being post menopause that it’s really hard to maintain weight loss, I find maintenance harder than the weight loss phase.
I think there are quite a lot of people here on MN like me who feel like they don’t really know if they will ever feel ready to come off, who are hoping to microdose or be able to take a pill form for long term maintenance and of course this means a continuing financial burden.

@Itscoldoutherethank you for being so honest. What are you paying for maintenance? Do you have to inject every week still?

I also use Med Express but did 7 months of Mounjaro and the past 2 months on Wegovy as its cheaper by £80. I had nausea and headaches as side effects but that was after I went from 2.5 to 5 in dosage. Sucking on ginger stem helped with the nausea. I stayed on each new increase for two months to let my body become adjusted to it.

I lost 1 stone 10lbs on Slimming World before starting on weight loss injections. In 10 months I've lost 3.8stone. I feel so much better, healthier, more energy and happier in myself. Its changed my life. I'm on 10mg.

Thanks for this thread OP it's answered lots of questions.

What I don't really get is, OK so you can only be prescribed WLI if you're over a certain BMI. But for those that qualify, and then in a few months drop to below that qualifying BMI, but still want to carry on or get a maintenance dose etc, how come they can still get it prescribed for them? Like at what point would the supplier stop prescribing?

@Thesummeri also thought about this.

Also, what do you do if you go out for a meal. My DP knows I'm going to start the injections but I don't really want to make it known to my friends. So I would have to order a really small meal and then leave it.

You just use a maintenance-friendly prescriber who will want to see evidence of your earlier prescriptions.

@Thesummer the whole point and the intended effect of the medication is for an obese person to get down to a healthy BMI. Prescribers don't cut you off the moment you stop being obese. Having a BMI of 30 or over is the starting criteria, not a requirement throughout. All prescribers will continue to prescribe until your BMI is in the healthy range, and then after that they will have individual cut off guidelines for if your BMI gets too low. Usually less than 22 ish or so. A lot of prescribers are happy to continue prescribing if your BMI is stable, for maintenance.

@BG2015 unless you make a big fuss, your friends are unlikely to notice that you are ordering and eating less. Or, if they do, you just say that you're not feeling particularly hungry, or that you are trying to eat less, or something along those lines. Diets are pretty traditional in January after all.

@BG2015 maintenance is like the rest of the WLI journey completely individualised, so it’s not a fixed cost, some people maintain on the dose they end up on, many slowly go down doses to try and get down to the lowest dose for cost reasons, some push out on timing maybe only injecting every 10-14 days, you basically just have to try and do what works for you.
Quite a lot aim to microdose by take half the lowest dose, but that isn’t officially allowed by any legitimate prescriber, and for cost reasons lots of people are taking smaller doses out of higher pens to spread the cost, again something that wouldn’t be recommended as the pens are then used for over 30 days.
Personally I’ve gone back down to 2.5 MJ but I’ve put about 4kg back on over the last 3 months, not from choice, but I feel like I’m suffering from diet fatigue so have slipped in my overall eating habits and I feel like I don’t get the same effects from the MJ as before.
I pay the standard price -£25 on the maintenance plan I’m on.
I may switch to Wegovy as it’s about 1/3rd cheaper, but I have MJ pens to use up first.

It’s not as bad as you expect, order wisely, eat the protein/veg and leave the carbs where possible. In summer I ordered a lot of variations of salads as mains. Tapas or mezze style is a great option if you can choose restaurant, as less obvious if you can’t eat usual quantities. You have to retrain yourself about it being ok not to clear your plate - or to ask for a box for leftovers!

Eating out isn’t an issue providing you choose restaurants or pubs that don’t focus only on carb or deep fried foods. I usually order fish or chicken or a vegetarian option with plenty of vegetables or salad. Ask for sauces on the side so you can control the amount. I usually leave the carbs (or eat a tiny amount). So for a pre Christmas lunch out I ate most of the turkey, all the vegetables and half a roast potato. No starter or pudding.

Christmas Eve takeaway was stir fried prawns with ginger and spring onions and one spoonful of rice.

I agree that small plates or tapas restaurants are good. I just tell people I’ve cut portion sizes if they ask. You’ll mostly find people aren’t bothered at all. Don’t stop eating out - it’s one of life’s pleasures!

I’ve been on MJ for 14 months and have lost 2.5 stone. Half a stone to go. I have no plans to come off as the research shows that most people gain weight again and as I’m hypothyroid and post menopausal I know it’s likely I’d be one of them. I will taper down and remain on a maintenance dose once I’m at goal. I’m with Oushk who are maintenance friendly.