BMI under 27 - Off Label/less to lose

[ritala]

I am mid 40’s and just can’t lose the weight like I used to. I’m fed up of losing and gaming the same two pounds. I’m about a stone and a half more than my happy weight (where I would be approx bmi 23).

I have tried to find a thread for people who have been approved ‘off label’ Wegovy or Mounjaro with less to lose but couldn’t find one, so thought I’d start here. I have a BMI higher than 25 but less than 27 with a couple extra health conditions. Hoping to start after Easter. I’d like to stay with a very low dose if possible. Half a pound a week loss would be good for me. I really want to avoided side effects.

Anyone who is in a similar boat and wants to share experiences or ask questions, please join! X

Hiya, can I join? I’m one click away from starting the process with Voy - hoping to take mounjaro. My BMI is 27, weight is 11.9 stone. Hoping to lose 2 stone. Apple shaped and always struggled with my weight, also on the verge of high BP which was much more in control when I was lighter (which I haven’t been for about 10 yrs!). I’m nervous, and tbh it feels extreme, but I’m also excited to hopefully finally get a grip on my weight.

I'm going to start Sunday too @ritala!

What do you mean about micro dosing exactly, taking less at a time from the 0.25 pens? I was thinking it could be an option to do that if the side effects are too bad?

Great that there are quite a few of us now! There are lots of threads for people who have a lot to
lose, but there’s seems to be less for ‘lower BMI starters’ like us!

@aquitodavia- I read this article the other day and wondered if I should have tried to get on the ‘microdosing’ train first? Just to see how I get on with drug and see if it improves my other conditions. I’m just very paranoid about side effects. I guess I’ll see how I get on at 0.25 Wegovy and if it’s really bad, I’ll speak to the provider and see if they suggest a half dose for the next injection? You can tell I am someone who is anxious and already expecting the worst even though I’ve notice taken it yet! This is the article I am talking about https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jul/12/microdosing-weight-loss-jabs-off-label-glp-1-mountjaro

@KittyQuestions34of course you are welcome! You are the same as me - Apple shape. It is not a great shape to be but we roll with it. And we eat bread rolls with it. Well, I do - that’s what got me here.

I know what you mean about feeling like it’s ‘extreme’, but is it? We are still in the overweight BMI and now we qualify for the drugs, so it can’t be extreme? We have all done the right things of diet and exercise but the old tricks don’t work any more (not sure how ok you are but for me in my 40’s, I just feel so much has changed. My body is completely different to my 2020 body. It’s alarming!)

@ritala I’m planning on microdosing to maintain, but I’d like to get cracking with some weightloss so didn’t start with microdosing. I’ve done a couple of 2.5mg MJ pens. I probably could have stayed on that but I have a big holiday next month so did want to ramp it up a bit to try to get to goal! I’ve gone up to 3.75, but this feels strong, so I’m not planning on doing for more than a month. I don’t want to get too ‘used’ to it. I’m hoping to maintain on 1.25mg. I’m basically planning on staying on it, as you say I don’t think it’s extreme, and it’s helping me in other ways.

Thanks for that article, I will keep it in my back pocket in case the opening dose is too much. I have also read somewhere I'm sure - possibly on MN - about just micro dosing yourself from a regular pen, by click counting I guess, if I can find it again I will post it.

I'm in a similar boat, this is also partly why I've gone with Wegovy over MJ, not just cost but more to take it slowly, probably always remain on lower doses, and minimize side effects. The clinician at Voy said it was the best option for that, not sure on the nausea etc but certainly avoiding some of the worse side effects associated with rapid weight loss.

That’s good that the Voy clinician said that. Slow and steady is best for me too. I have the pen in my fridge and would start earlier but I’m out on Saturday and didn’t want to risk taking it before.

Has anyone told anyone else they are on it/thinking of going on it/about to go on it? I have only told my partner. I am fearing judgement from well meaning friends and family… I am a people pleaser so need to get out of that headspace. I know it’s no one’s business but mine but I’d like to be open about it especially if the weight loss is noticeable, which I expect it will be over time. Maybe I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

I’ve talked about it at work, obviously DH knows, but not anyone else. Can’t be arsed with the judgement, and probably sounds daft but don’t want my children to know. I have enough hang ups about weight due to how I was raised, I don’t want to confuse my kids. Maybe down the line when things feel more settled.

I haven”t told anyone and I’m not sure I will. As I’ve seen on other threads here, there’s so much judgment, I just want to avoid hearing that if I can.

I've told my mum and two close friends, I don't know about others, I fear judgement also. I've got one friend who has lost a lot of weight recently (and looks great) through strict diet and a lot of exercise, I think they could be pretty critical and see it as 'cheating'. But that idea in itself I generally find ridiculous and really revealing about the competitive feelings around weight in society!

I do also have a couple of doctors in the family and they were the ones that suggested it, they don't think it's silly or extreme at all, instead they think it's a wonder drug for lots of things - inflammation, heart, dementia etc - that most people would be benefit from.

As someone who has been on MJ for 27 months, let my reassure you that I had very minimal side-effects at the beginning.
Not everyone gets them.

It's usually diarrhoea or constipation. Some people get nauseated.

Make sure you have medication ready to use if you need it.

Loperamide 2mg is best for diarrhoea. You can get it on Ebay for a fraction of the cost at a chemist's shop. It's the active ingredient in Imodium.

LINK

CINNARIZINE are very good for nausea.

They're Stugeron at the chemist's.

Don't try to tough things out. It's always best to hit side-effects on the head immediately.

But as I say, you may not get any SE.

Most people don't.

Right I am jumping in! BMI 26 and a bit with high-cholesterol. Have been on MJ for just over three weeks/four jabs. Started at 1.25mg as was super scared of side effects (I have emetophobia and have received therapy for this!); fourth jab last night 2.5mg. Have lost five pounds so far. Target is to lose another stone.

well done @Franks55! How are you feeling on it?

Thank you for these recommendations! Good to have back up.

Feeling much better now the side effects have resolved. I started on Monday, felt fine until Tuesday afternoon then had appalling gut ache and diarrhoea until Thursday morning. ChatGPT suggested that was perfectly normal and that people with a lower BMI / better insulin sensitivity may be less tolerant of GLP-1s than those with a higher BMI.

I stuck to a bland diet and water. Peppermint tea helped. Last night we went out and I managed steak and salad with a small wine and had no ill effects. Eating normally today and no digestive problems.

Hi everyone- I started Ozempic 4 weeks ago with a BMI of 27 and elevated cholesterol. I have since lost about half a stone and my goal is to lose another stone. That will bring me back to the weight I was for most of my adult life pre COVID and perimenopause. Only my husband and best friend know I am on it as I know everyone will either tell me I don’t need it or it’s dangerous and not meant for someone with only a bit to lose.

I have just been taking .25 mg per week and it has worked amazingly well. I have had only constipation as a side effect but I’ve suffered from that most of my adult life so it’s no surprise. Only a tiny bit of nausea and some fatigue, which is to be expected given I’m eating less.

i have been sticking to 1300-1450 calories a day and it is really not hard at all now my appetite is under control. Honestly I find the reduction in “food noise” almost more beneficial than the weight loss. I have never had a true eating disorder but like many women, spend much of my mental energy constantly assessing what I “can and cannot” eat on a daily basis. Now I can just take it or leave it and if I’m not around food I forget about it. It is truly liberating! Of course it would be great if I could just achieve a zen like state of body acceptance through mind power alone etc but I’ll take this as a second option, no problem!

Absolutely fine! A bit of constipation and bloating, and it’s hard def helping me eat less/better. I have always been a big water drinker (3 litres a day!) so I think that’s also helped.

I think I’m nearly convinced to give it a go! I have struggled to find sensible voices about WLI to date - everyone seems to be either selling it (so overly positive) or damning them to promote “eat less move more”.
My issue is that I hate calorie counting, but on reflection I think it’s because I end up hungry after a week and falling off the wagon, so don’t last long enough to see results. I guess I’m also worried about not being able to keep up with my fitness, either feeling tired or losing muscle. I suspect I’ll just need to time my eating with workouts and keep up the protein. Great to hear of everyones’ experiences.

I don’t think anyone over sells it. Simply all of us have tried everything and not been able to get the weight off and keep it off. So to find there is now a safe medicine that allows it is life changing.

Remember 80 percent of people have no side effects, most lose weight in a safe consistent manner ie 1-2lbs a week, they just loose it consistently, the drugs bring other health benefits, and it’s a revelation to not be hungry all the time.

so of course people are delighted, it’s literally life enhancing, very few people want to be fat. And very few people on the drugs haven’t tried everything else for years before hand and failed.

so to find yourself not just healthier than you’ve been for years, a healthy weight and loving your body again, is not something they are going to hide.

I hate calorie counting too but this makes it easier because I’m not struggling to keep my calories low enough. And if I have a meal out or at a friend’s house and can’t work out the calories, I’m satisfied with a half portion and don’t stress if it means I go a couple hundred calories over that day. Oz has also significantly reduced my desire to drink alcohol so that helps to keep it all in check.

Im not calorie counting. Admittedly I’m probably not losing as fast as I could if I did (about 12lbs in 2.5 months) but I’m just eating what I want. The main reason I’m doing this is I don’t want to feel like I’m on a diet, I find calorie counting miserable. I know what I should and shouldn’t be eating, the jabs enable me to naturally make choices better.

Took my first Mounjaro injection last night. Well actually around 12:30am as I was massively overthinking it. Mainly the actual injection itself but it was so simple and the needle barely even counts as a needle, it’s tiny! I feel fine this morning, will see how I get on throughout the day. Aim is to stick to 1800 calories which is a 500 deficit for me.

No it’s not good at all. Or pleasant feeling so queasy 🤢 I couldn’t eat any more and yesterday only managed about 900 kcals. I aim for around 1100 on weekdays but by the weekend the drug has usually worn off so end up eating more. When I started MJ I was so terrified of SEs that I took half a dose (1.25mg), but didn’t have any effects so a couple of days later took another 1.25. I did that for the first two or three weeks then started taking 2.5mg. After that it was basically trial and error, trying a number of different doses between 2.5 and 3.75!
A brilliant app that many people use is called Shotsy. You can log your jabs, weight, calories, SEs, etc. and it also estimates how much of the drug is in your system each day.