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).

Thank you, that's so helpful. I will have a look at an online ocado order, DH actually has a 20% off code so I might get him to do it! I think it will just make life easier.

I do batch cook sometimes, but I'm in a bit of a rut - it's mainly chilli or mild curries and I get bored of them. Do you have any favourite batch recipes? I follow the Batch Lady and i did get one of her books from the local library a while back so I could have another look at that!

At the moment though, ready meals for one would just make life so much simpler, save cooking and washing up time. I think it's necessary for a while, I'm feeling so burnt out!

Glad your headaches didn't last too long, and hopefully more losses this month!

@Crossfitgirl I agree batch cooking can get dull but I swear by https://www.tamingtwins.com/category/collections/batch-cook/ and Mary Berry also dues some simple ones including her macaroni cheese specifically for freezing…..used to bing that in a very low oven when taking my two swimming as they were all starving afterwards….im a big fan of frozen meat strips that I just chuck in a pesto sauce whilst boiling the pasta and I buy frozen chopped onions, Garlic, chili and ginger for curries - we ate a lot of Nadiya Hussain ones when they were little (they’re grumpy teenagers now and hate everything I cook!)

I think 🤞 that the danger period for my last jab has passed and I’ve been much better this week. I felt fluey on Saturday evening but nothing two paracetamol and an early night didn’t deal with. The main thing was the marked reduction in gastric issues. I used the enterosgel samples the pharmacist had given me, and my entire gut felt like it just calmed right down within a couple of hours. However, I’m hoping that the improvement was actually down to tolerance rather than the enterosgel because bloody hell, that stuff is more expensive than MJ per treatment! A box of 10 sachets is £25 and that’s enough for three days. I bought a box to have handy for next week but I will wait to see if I need it rather than take it straight away. This week I did Friday through Sunday on it because a)was desperate to avoid re-run of previous week b) didn’t realise how much it cost! However, suspect the improvement may have been down to the bloody gel as it wasn’t just a ‘oh, that’s manageable’ sensation, but a complete sense of my gut just calming right down and switching off its unhappiness. We’ll see. Hope everyone has a good week.

Hi everyone, sorry I've been a quiet lurker. I was losing steadily and feeling ok so I just read the posts in the main but now I need to ask about people's mental health.
I have been on sertraline for 10 years, declared it on my application and have been fine in general. I did find that I wasn't as motivated in terms of exercise and after a bit of digging, found that anhedonia ( a part of depression where you lose interest in things you've previously enjoyed) is common on GLP1. I wasn't worried about this as I was already medicated so just carried on.
The problem is that I have just come back from a holiday where I ruined the majority of it due to a sudden onset of anxiety. I couldn't eat or sleep, I felt so sick (and did throw up at one point) and was vibrating with adrenaline. I haven't suffered with this for at least 12 years and I'm concerned that there's a link with the injections.
Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

Hi, @Yorkshireteaalwayswins . I am not sure if it is like what you are experiencing but a few weeks back, i did have what seemed like a sudden onset of anxiety.

My heart will start beating fast, i will have a feeling of dread in my abdomen and I would be quite unsettled. It occured randomly, lasting about 1-2 minutes about once or twice a day. I did not like it, it was quite uncomfortable when it occured. I posted about it in one of the groups.

But as suddenly as it started after a couple of weeks it self-resolved.
I did some reading up and found it listed as one of the side effects of mounjaro. Also, said that it usually resolves without requiring intervention after a few weeks.

I do not know if this is the same as what is happening with you?
From what you wrote, it seems yours lasts longer than a couple of minutes and is occuring quite frequently per day?
Maybe get it checked out?

Thanks @Rosetime I’m glad that yours only lasted a few minutes and I hope that it doesn’t come back to you again. Yes mine lasted for most of the day, easing off in the evening. I’ve had counselling in the past and I’m not sure how much it helped but the anxiety just stopped happening. I’ve got 2 doses left of a 2.5mg and a 5mg so I might finish those and then stop.
With that in mind, has anyone taken a dose after skipping a week?

@Yorkshireteaalwayswins I'm sorry you've experienced that. I haven't had anything like that as such, I am also on sertraline for anxiety. I did have a period of increased anxiety but i could definitely relate it to increased stress and demands rather than the jabs. I do feel a little depressed but I think that's because I've not lost anything for a while, and I'm struggling with sweet stuff!

Re: taking a week break, I have actually been thinking about doing this myself. My appetite is so rubbish, I don't actually fancy anything - except I always fancy sweet stuff. I'm wondering if I have a break, my appetite is better and I'm likely to eat more proper balances food and therefore not crave sweets stuff as much.

Can anyone else relate with this?

I am with Voy and they say you can delay by a week or two, but any longer than this and you would need to go back to the starting dose. My sister was on MJ and I know she's taken breaks when on holiday, and just resumed as normal. If that's any help!

That sounds so miserable and probably a bit scary. I’ve also been experiencing a fair hike in anxiety but life is pretty rubbish atm so I’ve assumed it was down to that rather than the jabs, as my eating seems to be the only thing in my life that is under any control atm. Although oddly, (or maybe not!)
I have actually been missing the self-soothing impact of food. I’m being so rigid with what I eat to avoid gastric side effects that all my usual self medicating options are gone. Which is also quite scary to think that’s how I was using food. I have been really missing the comfort of the snack drawer, even though I’m not actually interested in eating it.

I'm sorry that you suffer with anxiety too. It's so debilitating when you're in the throes of it, isn't it? I'm glad you know the jabs aren't causing yours. Could your craving of sweet stuff be psychological? We get so much satisfaction and 'good' feelings' from food normally but on the jabs we don't get that. Sweet stuff is more likely to give us that high so maybe that's why you're reaching for it?
The timing of my anxiety and the jabs could be coincidence, of course. It's just that I've gone so long without any anxiety and this is the only thing that I feel has changed. I think I'm going to go back on it though. If it happens again, I'll know for sure but I'm glad that I've lost what I have so far. Though losing 3lbs on an all-inclusive holiday is not what I wanted or expected!

I definitely miss the comfort of food and i knew this was something I was going to hate when i started this. It'll be worth it in the long run but I miss it right now. It sounds like you're doing great though so well done for sticking to the right stuff.

I'm not missing the comfort of food... I think because I haven't managed to not eat the comfort food! I'm so reliant on it. I haven't found anything to replace that little dopamine hit with. I did manage to avoid it in the first month, but I couldn't face it. Now, I want it again .

Have any of you found something else to replace it with? It's definitely a comfort thing.

I also have no appetite but can still stuff my face with sweet stuff! I’ve eaten so much chocolate the past few days 😕
I’m also feeling pretty low and absolutely exhausted 😴

Yes to this! The same applies to me first month managed to stop the snacking in the evening, but have gone back to old habits maybe not as bad but not great. Which has made progress slow 🫣

Week 15. The scales are saying 13.2. I’m a bit surprised as this week I’ve had a lunch out with wine and pudding so wasn’t expecting any loss let alone 2lb. Maybe the running is helping, it definitely helps with making me feel good. I’ve upped my exercise sessions to 4 a week which feels manageable just means I’m watching a lot less tv! Jab still working but the last few days of my week I really need to have a word with myself and not reach for a snacks of an evening. The date box got a battering last night!

Morning everyone, how are you doing? Can’t believe we have a bank holiday and then school
holiday with lovely weather forecasted, hurrah!
I’m on Jab 15 and up to the dizzying heights of 3mg with no nasty side effects, hurrah! And after a 4 week plateau I’ve actually lost a lb, thank goodness. Feeling loads more positive about my ability to lose weight although disappointed that I won’t be looking fabulous in shorts on holiday in a month.

I've also found it much harder to resist the urge to resist my “crutches” of alcohol and chocolate. My coping mechanism is buying the fun size bars of chocolate and eating lots of fruit and, if that fails, going to bed early and watching TV in bed or reading. It doesn’t always work but I know that my weight gain is due to these habits so I’m trying to power on through…..

I’m 35lbs down. My loses have been very slow recently but it’s because im
not eating much at all. All I have is some shreddies in the morning, a 50cal cup a soup for lunch with maybe a small brown roll and then a quick ready meal when I get home from work (I’m a nurse) really need to up my protein intake.

Hi @Fullofpudding gosh you have lost a lot of weight, well done ! I had a minimum of 56 lbs to lose and only just hit 21 lbs so only just over a third of the way there.
You don’t say what your calories are but people swear by the TDEE calculation minus what you want to lose per week. Loads of water and upping protein as much as you can too.
And, thanks for being a nurse, by the way, I’m in social care and see a lot of great nursing happening around me.

Wow @Fullofpudding that’s a great loss, well done. I’ve found drinking lots more water is helping. I thought I drank loads but actually it just wasn’t enough. I drink at least 3 litres of fluid a day now. Are you able to do any batch cooking so you’ve meals in the freezer for when you come home from work?

Yes, I'm also finding that the bad habits are creeping back in. While I managed a balanced diet the first few weeks, I'm now relying more on the easy things, like protein puddings, rather that cooking from scratch, etc.

I'm still eating less overall, and, as I have so much to lose, I'm still losing at a good pace. But at some point I'm going to need to maintain, so need to put those good habits in place.

Weigh in day today, week 14. 17.4kg down (38 lbs).

SW 122.7 kg (19 at 4 lb)
CW 105.3 kg (16 st 8 lb)

I’ve just had my 3rd golden dose of my 3rd pen. I’ve lost 34lbs in total but quite easily have another stone to lose to be happy to stop. I’ve had awful gastro issues with explosive water like diarrhoea which this week has finally seemed to sort itself out although I have massively cut back spicy food this week. I was waking up in the night multiple times needing to use the toilet. I’m thinking of doing 1 more pen at 7.5mg but can’t believe the prices! It’s going to be at least £200. I’m also due the dose next Saturday but worried about getting it posted in the current heatwave coming up. I did tell myself I wasn’t going to get another pen but I have been stuck at the same weight for 2 weeks now. I am not eating different but I was doing 10000+ steps a day and daily walks and now I’m struggling to get 5000 in after going back to work after maternity leave. I also thought about changing to wegovy but asking for the next dose up so I’m not doing another similar dose to what I’m on now or just biting the bullet and paying for the one more month of MJ..

Once again tentatively celebrating getting to Monday without adverse effects, so hopefully that’s me settled on 3mg now. To be honest, not sure how much early satiety and reduced appetite I’m actually having, and how much is down to me just being ultra careful to mitigate side effects. I’m quite motivated not to have to spend the weekends in the bathroom! People keep telling me I’m looking tired though, which isn’t doing much for my self esteem. I wonder if I’m getting Mounjaro face. I wouldn’t have thought so as my losses are very slow and steady but I have lost my extra chin!

Height 5 ‘7”
SW 14 stone 6
CW 12 stone 9
GW undecided - somewhere between 10.6 and 11.6.

Currently with Voy but looking for a different provider as Voy is so expensive. Need an “off label” prescriber though as my BMI is 26.
Currently paying £220 for 5mg but need to go up to 7.5mg but that costs £270 which I can’t justify.
Can any of you lovely people recommend your provider? Offer codes welcome too!

Morning all, hope you’re enjoying some rare bank holiday sunshine!
@RedApplePiemy stats and approach are so similar to yours.
Height: 5’, 6”
SW: 14st 4lbs
CW: 12st 10.5lbs
GW: 10st something

I’m also tolerating 3mg although worried that my 4 week peak period is going to be when I’m on holiday abroad.

I was telling some friends about it got the first time on Saturday and they were amazed that had stuck on it whilst feeling dreadful but v encouraging about the slow weight loss as think that’s the best way. It made me realise that although I alternate between being frustrated about the slow losses and scared about the side effects that this is hopefully going to make maintenance easier, at least that’s what I’m telling myself!

@InstantRegret oh my goodness, I’m paying £140 for my 5mg pen. I’m with my local pharmacist and he price-matches ASDA and Boots where I went for my first two pens. Have you thought about using your local one?

@RedApplePie , that's some good weight loss.

I am having a much slower experience. I do get a bit anxious when i am having stalls but otherwise l think going okay...albeit slowly. I don't feel any different bidy wise but mentally I feel happier. That's because i am more active (10k steps/day minimum and strength training anywhere from 0 - 4 times a week).
No loose skin problems so far. Lost about 10kg since starting Mj.