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).

Are you still on 2.5mg Mounjaro @RedApplePie ? Still have good suppression and less food noise?

I remember you were almost at your next target 12 stones? Is this 2lbs preventing you from hitting that target?

I was reading some threads yesterday (was in pain, needed distraction). I came across a thread where two of the posters were experiencing the same thing you are. They were frustrated and wanting to give up (it had been ongojng for 2 months with one of the posters). A few posters responded that the same had happened to them - adviced them to cut back on workouts for a few days, increase their calorie intake and then after a few days go back to normal with counting the calories. If i remember which thread or find it again, i will link it here. They explained it shakes the body metabolism out of being complacent etc etc.

@TheEgg2 , that made me laugh.

I spent my time chatting with ChatGPT about it. Really interesting (maybe weird) but ChatGPT was strongly against me increasing my Mounjaro dose, told me how it works in my body and that i should instead increase my activity.

And went on to console me (re: pain)! And then reassure me the weight will come off with a 'whoosh'! I swear it used those words. I guess it can only give out what has been put in or what is out there on the internet. It can't make it's own vocabulary.

@RedApplePieAt least you’re not gaining weight, my weight has been yo-yo-ing like a demon. How about measuring or looking at some other indicator? My blood pressure is now at a point where I have a GP consultation to stop taking one of my BP meds so that feels like a win.
I agree with others. I sometimes find, and please, no judgements, a day or two off the wagon resets my weight loss….?

Thanks everyone. Yes, I’m yo-yoing between 13.3 (a sad day!) and 13.05 (a day when all feels well!) I was 14.6 or so to start with (dicky scales initially so not completely certain, but that’s about right). So I have lost weight but all of that was in the first 8 weeks. Im still on 2.5 of MJ. I still have some side effects on that so not desperate to go up and I’m not eating more so I don’t really need more suppression. I’m just hacked off with it all though.

I might need to go and ask Chat GPT to give me a bit of TLC 😀

I am having a frustrating week. I'm feeling no appetite supression at all and have comfortably eaten some fairly large portions which I wouldn't have managed a couple of weeks ago. I've also been snacking like a demon, with predictable results on the scales. I don't understand how the same dose can have such a wildly different impact from week to week. I've been kidding myself that I've embedded these new eating habits but they are entirely dependent on me not feeling hungry and not being permanently tempted but unhealthy treats. While my total weight loss so far is great (6.5kg) I have no hope of maintaining once I stop injecting.

I don't understand how the same dose can have such a wildly different impact from week to week
@Diddlydoowap I have the same puzzle. I've had two separate weeks when it feels as though I haven't jabbed at all. I thought the first time that possibly there weas some truth in the idea that the site of injection made a difference, but I'm now only using abdominal sites. This week has been really hard. Yesterday evening was five days after I dosed, and was the first time I felt full all week.

@nightowlerine How are you getting on with staying on .5mg? I decided to compromise and take .75mg instead of going right up, and it has had no effect this week. I think I will continue at .75 next week as well, as this week has been an aberration. (I hope.) I have eaten much more sugar than usual, Easter and a family birthday have pushed it my way. Maybe that needs to stabilise again.

@pelagra interesting you’ve experienced similar. I was wondering about injection sites - I have mostly done thighs so no harm in swapping to my tummy. Today’s challenge is an all day fully catered workshop - I’ll be trapped in a room surrounded by delicious carbs of every variety!

I had my first few jabs on my abdomen. Then changed to thighs. It felt less.
After a few weeks, i am now back to abdomen. And I feel it's effects are stronger.
I will honestly say that it may all be psychological for me, but i am sticking with the abdomen. (I probably have more subcutaneous tissue there?)

@Diddlydoowap , i read your post and my mouth watered! Sounded like heaven to me.
Not great for my chances off Mj, is it. That's the problem, i just absolutely love food.
Anyway, wishing you enormous willpower. Tell us how it goes.

Hey. I’m same as you. I started off 13 stones 13. Apparently im now 12 stones 13, but every
singke part of me looks exactly the same. Not a single person as said I’ve lost weight and neither do I feel I’ve lost anything apart from a couple of hundred pounds (££££’s) in the bank.
im on my 4th month and I’m so annoyed.
i hardly eat anyway so this is like a one meal a day thing for me. I don’t eat sugary or fizzy or fatty or oily foods. I cook my own meals.
im so annoyed and angry that I can’t even lose weight with bloody MJ. I previously had a personal trainer 3x a week for 2 years and I could not budge the size. I had a baby in between my personal training time but fks sake it just doesn’t want to come off me.
I had my thyroid taken out in 2018 after which I put on the 20 kilos and it’s just not moved since.
I literally put the weight in a week post thyroid op. I know because I had clothes tailor made for me for a family wedding. None of the items fit me 3 weeks post op. I blew up over night.

@pelagraI think it is going ok, happy to stay on it for this month but will go up next month if I am struggling. I definitely still have food noise but I can stop mid way through a meal when I am full which is still a revelation for me. Hopefully next week it will have built up in your system and you feel a difference especially if it’s back to a more normal week for you.

Not lost anything this week. Last jab done today. Feeling a bit despondent but let’s just hope I can keep the better habits up on my own. If nothing else, I’ve lost a stone I probably wouldn’t have lost on my own. Need to lose another; that’s on me. If I don’t put it back on I guess I’ve sort of won? At least I’m overweight rather than obese??

I wonder if we are all feeling a bit flat, if psychologically 10-12 weeks is hard on any weight loss Journey and our bodies are plateau-ing? Actually, google thinks so!

@Nushi21 , i feel your frustration.
Are you counting your calories? Wondering if you are not eating enough? What kind of meals are you cooking? Carbohydrate heavy? Are you on thyroxine? Is your dose optimised? Taken on an empty stomach same time every morning? What does your endocrinologist think re: weight?

Please, don't be offended, just trying to see if these questions can help tease out where changes can happen. You talked of having a personal trainer before but what do you do now for increased activity? What's your sleep like? Are you having some underlying stresses - home, work, relationships? Maybe instead oc one meal- three little small ones mixed with some days where you go long hours between meals?

It's frustrating when nothing seems to work but i hope something clicks this time, and soon. Don't give up.

I think you may be right Egg. We are past the stage of impressive losses and facing the reality of the long slog now with what feels like minimal payback. But even half a pound a week is more or less two stone in a year. Which is significant.

Hi all, sorry I have so many messages to catch up on! Sorry some of you are feeling a bit flat. I agree about that 10-12 week mark @TheEgg2.

I have moved up from about 0.3mg wegovy to about 0.4mg wegovy and I think I've hit the sweet spot of suppression without side effects for me.

My appetite has been very suppressed, but I have still felt hungry enough to eat small meals and cravings have subsided again. I have been REALLY careful with what I'm eating (only things I know won't set my stomach off) and have been stopping way before I feel full, and I think this has made a HUGE difference.

Breakfast was previously setting me off with the runs but now I'm making smoothies last all morning just having small sips, and same thing each morning. No diarrhoea, no stomach pain, no nausea. I've added cordial to my 1l water bottle and have drunk loads more, I think this has helped too! I feel confident enough now to maybe even go up to 0.5! I think making sure I eat regularly has helped too, so having small snacks. It means I don't inhale my meals when I do finally eat, which is what I think has been giving me stomach issues. Eating too quickly then getting too full without realising.

@Nocameltoeleggingsplease good luck coming off, are there any threads for support once off the jabs maintaining? I'm sure you've picked up some good eating habits and will be able to keep off the weight.

@Nushi21 I've just watched a really interesting video about macros, and how important it is to include fat as well as carbs / protein in every meal. Fat in particular helps you to feel full and prevent cravings and is still really important to include in each meal in small portions. You mention not eating fatty or oily foods - there's definitely something to be said about meal balance and nutrition rather than calories alone. I definitely don't get as many food cravings when I've had a really balanced meal. You may be well aware of this so please tell me to go away if I'm barking up the wrong tree!

100% that here. Progress has been painfully slow. I've lost 1 more lb since my last weigh-in. That is 17lbs overall. I know it is a decent amount ovetall but am a bit despondent about the now slow movement on the scales.

I have had my 3rd 1mg Wegovy jab at the weekend and have my 1.7mg jabs in the fridge waiting. I do feel I will move up as I still have the capacity to eat a substantial meal. My appetite is definitely greater in the evenings, I struggle to eat anything other than wholemeal toast first thing.

I have had a couple of stomach upsets. Went for an afternoon tea with family for a birthday (they don't know I'm on WG so was tricky). I ate half an egg sandwich and a scone with butter and jam, I dodged the clotted cream and cakes and was fine. However, in the eve I had a small mouthful of cheesecake that DP had brought back from the afternoon tea and immediately started with stomach pains and wind. It is good I know now that anything like cream/cheesecake will set me right off!

Solidarity with all of you feeling a bit flat. Lets hope we'll all pick up again soon and see the results we'd like.

Good luck all 🙂

I got some of my summery clothes out today to assess where I am (nothing fit last year which didn’t particularly matter as we weren’t away but we have Portugal booked for July. I bought most of them three years ago when I was in the ‘success phase’ of one of my constant diets). Anyway - nearly everything fit ok. Might fit better with another stone off but perfectly wearable. So that was a bit of a boost. Plus I need to keep reminding myself that the loss I’m seeing on the scales is less than the actual fat loss I have on the body comp scales as I’m lifting hard. To be gaining muscle while losing weight is a definite plus even if it means the scales aren’t as friendly as I want! Even my DH said today that all that lifting was paying off as my shape was noticeably different. My lipids are also hugely improved and well within the normal range. Still haven’t seen a 12 on the scale though!

That's great! Well done, and I'm glad you're really feeling the difference. It's so great to feel and look better in your clothes , and be able to wear stuff again! And that DH has noticed a change too!

Do you mind me asking your weight lifting routine?

I have started doing a bit of power lifting now at the gym (deadlifts, back squats, and push press) as it's the sort of thing I used to do at CrossFit haha. But I'm struggling with a consistent routine. I have a few go-to dumbell exercises for arms and legs but I'm only going to the gym twice a week so I'm not sure how helpful it is, and I'm doing different things each time I go 😂 and basically just doing what I fancy each time.

I work with a personal trainer twice a week (yup, throwing everything at this this time as fo not have it in me to diet again!), and she programmes a further two sessions for me to do in my other two sessions. Every week I work on the big three: deadlifts, squats and bench press as core work. Round that I do, over the course of the week: lat pulldowns, cable rows, flys, farmer’s carry, sled pushes and a range of Tricep/biceps/delts. The gym is two miles away so my cardio is fast walking there and back. She has me on a protein target of 120gms. Basically my life has become work, eat chicken and exercise these days!

That is really impressive dedication, @RedApplePie sounds like you're smashing it!

Week 10. I’m 13.13 on the scales this morning. Feels amazing. I’ve also been trying on clothes at the back of the wardrobe that didn’t fit and now look great on. Also bought a new top from UNIQLO which feels like a win - used to shop there when I lived in London 25 years ago. I’m really impressed with all the gym going efforts, I’m sticking to 3 sessions a week with one weights and 2 cardio. Hoping to be actually out running 5k in the wild rather than in the gym soon.

Well, after all my moaning yesterday, I weighed again and have lost another 1lb. This puts me in a new stone bracket - down to 11st 13lb. My BMI is now 27.8, was 30.8 when I started.

I was looking at the picture I had to send in to Voy before getting the Wegovy and yep, I look as miserable as sin. I don't feel that way about myself now, just frustrated at the slowing down.

I definitely feel much happier in my clothes, and some jeans I was bursting out of at Christmas are now loose on my waist. I can look at myself in the mirror and not feel absolute disgust. Must keep reminding myself that slow and steady wins the race!

I will hold my hands up and say that I still have a lot of work to do on my eating habits. I know damn well if I stopped the Wegovy right now that I'd soon slip back in to my old ways. I do make better food choices, I don't snack and am better at stopping eating when I begin to feel full but it still takes a decent sized portion of food to fill me up.

I am wondering if I should use a small plate and pile it up to trick my brain? Anyone have the same issue?

@DanaScullysLegoHair I put on weight because my portions were too big, I snack when stressed and bored and had a bread roll with butter habit after my dinner. I was also a secret snacker and made poor choices, eg a daily packet of crisps. I was still going to the gym and walking lots but the food all caught up with me.

I use smaller plates for smaller portions but I’m still eating decent sized meals, it’s just that I don’t have any extra like I used to. Eating minuscule amounts is neither healthy or sustainable. But I’ve put lots of work into changing my eating habits because that’s what’s going to make this work in the long term. So I’m making salads for lunch at work, or taking a sensible portion of leftovers, using dates as my sweet treat instead of biscuits or chocolate, eating one course when out, having one small slice of cake instead of a huge one. Upping my fluid intake with fizzy water.

You are so right about slow and steady. Pal of mine lost 3 stone on MJ in 3 months, stopped, it’s all back on in 3 months. She ate virtually nothing for 3 months, then retuned to normal service.