February 2026 starters

[Crossfitgirl]

Hi all, I have my first pen on the way and as far as I can see there is no starter thread for Feb, so I hope it's ok to make one.
All welcome whether recently started or looking to start this month - I think by the time mine arrives it will probably be February!
Hoping for support, experiences, recommendations, more support and the rest!

I am nearly 40, 2 young kids and full time job, starting on wegovy, with the goal of lowering my cholesterol (and reducing my huge belly).

@crossfitgirl I went up a dose this week from 2.5 to 5 and didn't have any side effects from it so fingers crossed you'll be fine. The only difference I've noticed is feeling fuller quicker at meals.

Congratulations to @ASkarsMissus , @DanaScullysLegoHair and @RedApplePie on losing their first stone. That's encouraging.

I initially thought that I would be struggling with my appetite days 4-7. But that lasted a short while. I have quite heavy appetite suppression on 2.5mg. I was going 4 - 5 days at a time barely getting one meal a day. So i had my 3rd dose at 9 days instead of 7 days. I will see how that works out for me. I am now day 5 into 3rd dose.

@TheEgg2 , reading your post made me realise that my feeling cold is mot due to the weather. I couldn't understand why I was the only one at home freezing all the time!

Glad you are feeling a bit better today. I also get mine from a local independent pharmacy and I have to say that for me, the slightly greater cost has been worth it for the reassurance of having someone on hand. I know not everyone feels that need this, but I was so terrified it’s worth it. She told me if I was sick to try gaviscon first, then pepto bismol but that if that didn’t work quite quickly to go in and she’d be able to prescribe me something to help.

That's good to know, thank you! I'm tempted to go up a dose early tbh. Voy clinician said I can do this with the 0.25 pen , then get my 0.5 pen a couple of weeks early. I'm very tempted, just not 100% sure. I've not really had any suppression this week at all. I am on my period though, so maybe that has contributed, but I'll see how I feel towards the end of this week. As up to this week I do feel like it's been helping a lot!
I did want to stay on as low dose as possible, but it's expensive to be not helping significantly now!

I’ve felt a big shift in the suppression this week, it has really tailed off and I’ve had to use a lot more willpower than I have in previous weeks. It’s hard as even though I’ve lost a stone I don’t know if I can do another month on 2.5. I’m tempted to do my golden dose on Friday as I am away this weekend and then get a 5mg pen from next Friday. It will just mean I’ve dosed early this week but I’ve read as long as it’s over 3 days since you last jabbed you are ok.

Yes, minimum of 3 days between jabs.

Well done @RedApplePie @Cookiedough123 @DanaScullysLegoHair @ASkarsMissus and any others I have missed on your 1 stone losses!

I'm still on about half a stone, so feeling a bit behind - but at least I haven't gained again like week 3. Though I fully expect to this week, as I've had too many sweets things in the lead up to my period. I need to hunker down tomorrow with good meals.

I had an absolute awful tummy last night after steak with peppercorn sauce and a chocolate cruffin DH shared with me. It lasted right through to the morning, almost like how I used to feel when I had gallbladder pain, it used to come on like this weird intense ache before going into a full blown attack. Like a really high up indigestion but it's a really specific feeling. It really worried me! It's gone now though so hopefully it stays that way. Had my gallbladder out in 2022 but I've always worried about bile duct stones (I had one afterwards, it was horrendous having that removed).

Anyway no idea if it's anything to do with my diet / weight loss / wegovy or just one of those things. Will wait and see.

For those suffering awful side effects still, I agree with the PP advising to maybe swap to wegovy for those on MJ. It's great that there are alternatives to try and I'm sure it's worth seeing if you get on with the other one any better.

I have been managing to stay fairly consistent at the gym without totally burning myself out - twice a week each week and all strength training. I do feel fitter and stronger.

Wish my tummy would go away!

Feeling super down in the dumps, as I feel like it's been a rubbish food week so far - how do I lift myself up a bit? I don't want to end up doing the same as what I always end up doing on diets and just restarting eating treats again because motivation and discipline just wears off.

Big win this morning! My visceral fat finally dropped from elevated to average. It’s right at the top end obviously and I know you can’t go by a single reading on body composition scales but it has been gradually drifting downwards for 6 months now, from the bottom end of very high, right through the elevated range, mainly with heavy weight training, but the 6 weeks on MJ has seen it make a real step change. I’m so pleased. I feel like suddenly I’m seeing real health impact. I’ve lost weight before ( haven’t we all 🙄) but this is the first time I’ve ever seen a green light on the visceral fat scale.

Hi @Crossfitgirl, sorry to hear you've been having pain, I can totally understand why you feel worried about it. Does it happen often or just after the other night? I'd personally put it down to the cruffin as I imagine it would be fairly hard to digest on an already slow-moving system. Have you had steak before on Wegovy?

Don't beat yourself up about a few days of 'rubbish' food. It is highly likely your period/hormones are making you crave the foods that light your brain up. I always get a few days of what feels like out of control snack/chocolate urges before my period (in reality it's not, I'll just have a bit of chocolate where I'd usually not bother) and often get a dip in mood just after it ends. It sounds as if you were in that dip yesterday - how are you feeling today?

It's just a minor blip and we've only been doing this around 6 weeks haven't we? We're all still learning what works and what doesn't. We all know this isn't a linear journey and I'm sure we've all been here before, it is so easy to focus on the things we feel we've done 'wrong'. Don't let a few days put you off - you have successfully lost half a stone which is fantastic. It'll take time for us to adjust and reset our habits.

It seems to me from your previous threads that you're planning food really well and getting yourself in the gym/exercising. There is nothing wrong with a small treat here and there when the majority of the time you are having nutritious food and keeping an eye on calorie intake. Finding that balance is key, and something I am trying to do myself. We can't undo a lifetime of habits in a few weeks - if only.

I'm trying to take it day by day and focus on today only. I usually get carried away and want to be X weight by X date (as I've already said in a previous post) but I've realised it isn't helpful. It isn't about what the scales say, it's about making those small changes and being consistent in our actions. I'm sure we're all trying to set ourselves up for success for when we come off/down on the WLI and despite what you think, it seems you're putting everything in place to do this. Much more than I currently have!

Have a hug, have a reset and let's go 💪🙂

Congratulations @RedApplePie, that is a major win and a massive boost for you. Do you feel like you have more 'control' over your health? What a great incentive to keep going!

crossfitgirl I hope you are feeling better this morning. Try not to be hard on yourself - sometimes we only know what doesn’t work for us by testing it. I also think when you’ve had previous pain experience it can be very triggering and distressing to experience a similar pain again. i also think, from previous experience, that the 6 weeks point of any major life change causes a bit of a slump. We’ve done all the pre-thinking, we’ve lived through the adrenaline surge of getting started, body re-comp is starting etc, but at the same time it’s all not fully integrated and still feels like hard work and constant decision making with a long road ahead. If we get through this bit, I think by May we will all be in a very different place. Hope you have a better day today.

I do suddenly see the potential for real health change, rather than focussing on weight loss. Something I’ve never really thought about before in multiple previous attempts. It’s like the feeling when you’ve been really unwell and then one day you realise that you are definitely starting to feel better. Still a bit delicate but turning the corner. Before I have always chased the scale and everything is driven by wanting to be thinner. That strategy has been my default for about 40 years and I’ve done some really punishing diets and exercise schedules in that time. That chatter has quietened right down and is letting me plan in a different way. It’s weird. This drug isn’t all sunshine and roses by any means, but it’s buying a breathing space I’ve just never experienced before and at the same time almost feels like it’s working at some unseen, cellular level, so I’m in a sort of virtuous cycle with it. It helps me behind the scenes and at the same time it needs ME to help it front of house by giving it the right fuel to do even better. That all sounds a bit crazy and deep 😂

Congrats to all the stone losers! What an achievement already.

Week 4 for me I have lost 8lbs since starting which means I now have under 5st (4st 13!) to go. I haven’t planned any milestones but I will take this as my first and think of a few more! I suppose I haven’t thought of any because I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

I am also due my period and have definitely had less food suppression this week, or the urge to eat mindlessly is stronger I am not sure. I am an emotional comfort eater so feeling a bit “meh” in the run up to my period usually has me eating everything in sight. I have still been managing to stay at my calories each day so hopefully I can carry on and shift the mood soon!

Week 5 and first 0.5 WG jab done. Scales at 14.8. So another 2lbs off. Here hoping there are no negative side effects.

Had reason to celebrate last night so took the kids out for pizza. I’d normally have a whole pizza but went for the starter charcuterie board and a small slice from the kids - and that’s what I wanted to do! Also managing to do a wee treat once a week, so had a scoop of vegan dark chocolate ice cream and it was delicious. Tried a wee scoop of one of the kids and it was way too sweet. Also managing to say no to chocolate at work, where normally I’d be all over it. Wore a top to work I’d not worn since last summer and it was loose. Feeling so much better just getting that stone and a half off. Almost overweight now!

Well after 6 jabs at 2.5mg I’ve lost 8.4lb. Not to be sniffed at but not amazing either. The snacking and cravings have definitely snuck back in over the last couple of weeks so I’ve just braved my first 5mg jab..pray for me, I’m scared 😬 My app says I’ll have 6.7mg in my system in 48 hours 😳 the highest it’s been so far is 4mg so that is an almighty jump!
Now that we’ve seen some sunnier days I’m desperate to start shifting some of this weight so that I can wear nicer clothes as I’m currently stuck in a leggings and hoodie rut!

Morning all, is there any rules around delaying your next jab? I'm due to jab tomorrow bit still feeling rubbish ans have strong suppression from my first 5mg jab, I was thinking of dropping to 2.5mg again and doing it on Sunday instead

Well done on all of the losses! Hubby has lost just over 8lb in 6 weeks, he has a lot to loose so doesn’t mind it being slow as he’s worried about loose skin. He did 4 weeks at 2.5mg then has done 2 at 3.75mg; he gets good suppression for 5 days & his only side effects are ‘eggy burps’ so he won’t move up to 5mg until he stops loosing or becomes more hungry.

I believe it’s quite acceptable to move days. I started on Thursday mornings then moved it to Friday afternoons as Friday mornings I need to really be on the ball and didn’t want difficult toilet moments. No issues at all with moving.

Yep it's perfectly fine to delay it a few days. This is what I'm going to do when I go up a dose, it coincides with a weekend away we have planned so I'm going to take it 2 days late when we get back as I don't know if side effects will increase or not. I don't want nausea or diarrhoea while we're travelling! I imagine we'll also be eating crap as we're going to a theme park and staying on site.
You can also move it forwards as long as there's no less than 3 days between doses.

@RedApplePie the visceral fat loss is great! How are you measuring that? I feel like I should have taken some tummy measurements as I only have weight and how my clothes fit to go by. I can totally relate to what you say about it giving breathing space. It's an adjunct that is making the process so much easier, to make the right choices.

I feel a lot better now, and the suppression almost feels like it's come back - maybe it was just my period and hormones! I honestly felt so hungry and cravey (I know that's not a word 😂) but the scales haven't gone up, and I've just tried to get back "on it" without dwelling on it too much.

@DanaScullysLegoHair thanks so much for your reply, it honestly made so much sense and made me feel so much better. It's the first time I've had steak in ages actually so it could have been that, and definitely the cruffin. I'm feeling a lot better and haven't particularly wanted to eat anything sweet since, so hopefully it was just indigestion.
I am a bit paranoid about the gallstones thing as it really was horrendous at the time I used to have the "attacks".

You're so right about being ok with having a small treat now and again. I've definitely deprived myself in the past then just ended up wanting ALL the sweet things and it just doesn't work. I know it's healthier to be good 80% of the time and allow what is just normal life - a treat, a meal out etc, otherwise it's just not going to stick.

I'm also very much of the opinion that the scales don't matter, but it's hard not to watch them now - I do need to make some other measurements. I will try on my goal dress again and see how far it zips up. My jeans do feel a little loser - maybe I will measure my tummy. My appearance hasn't changed yet but like you say, it's only 6 weeks or so. I can't expect things to happen quickly, and I have maintained that I want to lose slow and steady from the start. And I am!

Anyway, thanks for your words of encouragement, very appreciated. X

4th jab this morning, and I used a bit of the golden dose to have 3.75mg. Even after a few hours that extra dose has been a game-changer! Appetite suppression already, when previously I've had no effect until day 3. I find it amazing how differently people react to the same medicine. On 2.5 I have had limited suppression for 3 days out of 7 and the only side effects are poor sleep and feeling cold all the time! (I read recently that red-heads are much more resisitant to anaesthesia and need approx 20% more for the same effect so maybe there's a connection - I'm a ginger!)

Weigh day number 5 for me and im 15lbs down. I ended up doing my jab today but just 2.5mg so fingers crossed I'll be okay

Hi everyone
I took my fourth dose on Tuesday and was very disappointed to have only lost 0.4lb in the last week. Not even half! That was tough to see but all you can do is keep going. Ive lost 8lbs in 3 weeks so its still good but I was greedy and wanted more.
I have been pretty lucky with side effects so far but today I'm feeling really sick. For the first time, I had to put down my chicken wrap as I thought I was going to have to bolt to the bathroom (sorry if TMI!). I'm drinking water to try and calm my stomach but it's not been a fun day.
I'll be trying the golden dose next week which is scary to think of using an actual syringe rather than the pen but I'm determined not to waste the remaining dose!
Well done on everyone's losses, hopefully I'll join you soon!

This is very weird but I had to log back in and I seem to have a random username! I was notellinganyone on this thread! Anyway - took 5th dose of 5mg today - have lost 9lbs in 4 weeks which I’m happy with but finding it hard to predict how I’m going to feel. Appetite suppression was good this week but I was exhausted for four days. I did nothing all weekend and then dragged my sorry carcass to work Monday/ Tuesday and only started feeling human on Wednesday so am a bit trepidatious.

And now my user name has reappeared! I am now no longer obese as of this morning - hooray!