It’s time to Spring into the maintainers thread 4, where we don’t eat all the Easter eggs and undo all our good work!

[MargoLivebetter]

Welcome to our 4th thread of continuing all the good work we’ve done, believing in ourselves and recognising all we’ve already achieved.

Gosh I miss the quiet the jabs gave. I've been cutting out snacks successfully for the past week. Got back to the top of my 2lb buffer in Friday - will see where I am by this Friday.

Am about to sign up for a trail half marathon in September now I can run again, so let's see what happens there. Hopefully the extra mileage will make maintenance just that little bit easier.

@Incognitoburrito88 nothing quite like connecting with people over shared experiences

Today marks the end of my first week back on mounjaro so it’s weigh in a jab day for me and I am amazed and delighted to report that I have lost half a stone this week! 😱

Of course I haven’t lost 7lbs of fat, last week I was weighing myself off the back of a week of binges and feeling out of control with food, plus the heatwave, so most of it will be water/salt related, but still. It shows what a difference the lack of bingeing makes, and I am delighted!

Well done, so pleased! I also had a couple of bingey weeks and had put on 5 pounds. 5 days of eating normally and it’s gone! I jabbed 7.5 last week and wondering whether to maintain that or move back to 5. I’ve had a few stressful weeks, as well as being out lots and away with work. I’ve stopped the alcohol that was creeping back at weekends so feel more in control. Think
I’ve talked myself back to 5 and will
see how it goes!

Fantastic news @MummyInTheNecropolis ! Onwards, onwards back in the maintaining groove.

@26inprogress let us know how it goes. There's no doubt stress makes it harder. I hope things calm down and 5 will be enough.

@Blondeshavemorefun I see the Wegovy pills have been approved - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-glp-1-tablet-for-weight-loss-approved-in-the-uk

I know you were interested in this possibility. Lots of the prescribers look to be accepting pre-orders for delivery in July.

That’s great @MummyInTheNecropolis. A boost in the right direction

@26inprogress far easier to lose a few lbs then stones

im intrigued about mj pills. Not sure I want to swap to W

tho certain rules like to take on empty stomach - and daily so guessing the amount released must be tiny so Just under .1 of whatever dose if its usually .6 weekly

I’m maintaining on 2.5, but this week I’ve been sooo hungry. I can’t work out of the 2.5 isn’t working as maintenance or if it’s because I moved up weights in training and really pushed myself in squats!

I'm struggling to maintain independently. I came off MJ in September - my last prescription was August 25. I'd lost nearly 3 stone but it's now starting to creep back after a few months of stability - I'm not sure why as I'm not snacking at all, keeping off the UPF and having small portions - similar to when I was on MJ. I've put on about 5lb and I'm fighting the food noise.

I'd like to go back on MJ for maintenance but been refused by Lotus and Chemist4U (my previous prescriber) as they say the gap is too long since my last prescription.

Has anyone had any success in re-starting after a long gap or can recommend a pharmacy that would do this? I'm fed up of doing the consultation bit, paying for a low dose then being refused and having to wait for a refund.

What’s your bmi ? But sure pharmolous will take you on. They say up to a year - surely any one would start you on 2.5 anyway if been off

My BMI is now 25

I’m sure Bolt and Med express are both advertising on social media they will take you with a BMI of 25, it may be worth contacting them.

@Gingefringe as Blondes says, Pharmulous will take you, as long as you can evidence a prescription within the last year. It was about 7/8 months between prescriptions for me and they allowed me to start with them.

How's everyone doing? I'm glad it is cooler again in the dusty South of England. I literally didn't want to move last week and I like warm weather!

I'm hoping that the lack of posts means that everyone is toddling along happily maintaining with nothing to see here? 🙂

So, I bit the bullet and came off flex plan with Oushk and onto Conti. It wasn't as straightforward as I'd hoped as it's not clear what you should do, and in what order. However, I got there and jabbed for the first time in 10 months on Saturday.

Sharing why, as I hope it will be helpful for someone else in future.

In the past 10 months I have stayed within 5lbs of my goal weight - but in the last three months particularly, it has felt like a constant battle. I really didn't want to go back on MJ, as I felt like I was flying the flag for people who had come off and stayed off. And yet...the reasons why I have battled with my weight all my life have not gone away. I know how to eat well, I exercise a lot. But it felt like control was starting to slip away and I didn't want the 5lbs to become 10lb, like it has before. The difference now is, I have MJ to help stop this happening and I realised that I shouldn't feel guilty about being able to access that.

I've lost 3.5 of those lbs since Saturday. The battle has receded in my mind, and I'm calmer. Hurrah. Plan is to stay on for a few months, over my holiday - so I don't gain more - and come off again once I'm back in control.

So, yes, @MargoLivebetter I'm doing good. Thank you. Hope you are too 🙂

@Thelittlestranger good for you. We all have our own path to beat and I firmly believe WLI are one of the very helpful tools as and when we need them.

I’m all good, thank you. The half dose weekly seems to be my sweet spot.

@Thelittlestranger thanks so much for sharing. I was talking to my husband about this last night. I’ve dropped my dose to 1.25mg every 2nd week now. I’m still maintaining fine - weight fluctuates but usually at the bottom of my zone of tolerance but I am very strict with myself about what I eat and if I’m honest I think my attitude towards food and eating is a little disordered. Husband thinks there’s no way such a small dose can be doing anything and I should just stop. I want to get summer holidays out the way before I consider stopping entirely. My husband’s view is I can just start again if needed which is all very well but I fear I will think I’ve failed if I come off and can’t maintain on my own. Which is silly because I don’t think you or @MargoLivebetter are failures.

it’s tough. I’m still so grateful for this drug and where I am now but it’s not easy. I am also exercising like a demon which I love and I’m seeing real muscle definition but I’m terrified I will get injured and not be able to maintain my current activity levels. Sometimes I think it was easier just sitting on the sofa with my book and a share bag of Doritos!!

on a more cheerful note I am wearing a pair of size 8 jeans. This is entirely due to Next’s ridiculous sizing in their current denim range but I’ll take it! I have never been a size 8 in my life!

@Incognitoburrito88 that is great news that you are maintaining and a big whoop to the size 8 jeans!

I honestly don't think there can be that many overweight women in middle age who don't have a few food issues. I think that the feelings of control that MJ gives us is probably one of the best things about it (for me anyway) and if you want to continue on the half dose every two weeks because that feels right for you, then do it. Only you can know if it is helping or not. And maybe it is more psychological than physiological at this stage - but I don't think that really matters. Do what works for you!

I'm 18 months maintaining now. I've never in my life achieved such a thing. It is a flipping miracle and I still cannot actually quite believe this is my new reality. I do feel that I am slowly but surely re-wiring new eating patterns into my mind and the half dose has definitely made that possible, so that is what success looks like for me.

Hi everyone

Been awol for a while because life! I’ve resigned from a toxic job and had a gynae op yesterday so had to not take MJ for 3 weeks ( although found out yesterday I could have continued!) anyway I’ve been eating like a demon 😫. Not been weighed but can feel it, will jab later (5mg) and back on it.
@Thelittlestranger i hear you, well done for doing what is right for you and for losing already. I don’t think there’s any shame at all I. Stating in MJ, I have no plans to come off as long as it works for me, even 3 weeks I could see the difference and it wasn’t good!
glad half dose working for you @MargoLivebetterand well done for maintaining for 18 months. That’s amazing!!
@Incognitoburrito88you have to do what works for you, you could experiment and see how things go and know you can go back on.

have a lovely weekend all

@26inprogress sounds like you have had a lot going on. Hope you are ok post-op and relieved about no longer working somewhere that sounds like it must have been horrible.

Plenty of time to be getting back on the MJ and press reset! Look after yourself and make sure you rest and recover. 💐

I'm still maintaining at my original goal weight, six months off the jabs now and am comfortably fitting in 8/10s. Still can't believe I'm now the size I was as a teenager when I thought I was fat!!! Have now added exercise in properly and have re started couch to 5k which I haven't tried since lockdown. It's so much easier with the weight off. Hoping to tone up what I consider to be my flabby tummy and get my fitness levels up.

@Booksandcheese that sounds fantastic. Good luck with Couch to 5k. It is all so much easier without the extra weight. You’ll be like a gazelle in no time.

Thanks @MargoLivebetter you are always so sensible and measured in your responses. You are right - I need to do my own thing which I think is continuing on my teeny tiny dose for the next few months.

@Booksandcheese six months off is fantastic - well done. Have you found maintaining difficult? How often do you weigh yourself?

@26inprogress sounds like you have been through a very difficult few weeks. I agree you need to be kind to yourself and at least you know the MJ is there when you need it. I love the fact that there is a way to stop the loss of control that can sometimes come at a difficult period in our lives.

@Incognitoburrito88@26inprogress I think we have to be kinder to ourselves. When I was jabbing and losing, I always said that once I came off, I could always take it again. It's why I paid £15 per month to Oushk, to have the peace of mind that I could go back on with no problem.

The narrative around jabs and weight loss is so skewed and judgemental. I have people in my life who would love to have a jab to lose a few lbs, but can't because they haven't ever been overweight enough to go on it in the first place. So, there is a jealousy and a judgement involved in the fact that I have been massively overweight, and because I was 'weak enough' to get there in the first place, now I get to have help with my poor willpower. Of course, this is never said, but this is how I feel...

Anyway - here we are. Fighting the long game in whatever way we can. When I look at my exercise routine, it boggles the mind that I would need jabs to remain at a certain weight. But, I figure that's where I'm at. And if my 'maintenance' is jabbing for two months out of every 12, so be it.

Solidarity and strength to all 💪

@incognitoburrito88 I weigh myself once a week. (I used to worry I weighed myself too much so didn't bother but, I then used that as an excuse to ignore my weight) I am finding it ok, i used the time on mj to really address my issues with food so now even if I do have a slip up I don't beat myself up and just get back on it the next day, rather than saying fuck it, and giving up. I'm going out for meals and just making sensible choices.

I've recently been put on medication that can cause weight gain, so I am now making sure I meal prep and getting exercise in, even if I don't feel like it. I'm also very lucky that my DH is my biggest cheerleader and makes sure I don't beat myself up for perceived failures and is happy to support my new healthy(er) eating and exercise.

I’m still 5lbs over target, I lost decent amount when I first restarted a few weeks ago but now I’m just losing and regaining the same pound 🙄

I’m going to go back up to 5mg for a while and see if that helps. I’m going on holiday at the end of the month and I really want to be back to target by then but I think that’s probably unrealistic now sadly. But even if I can lose 2-3lbs before then I’ll feel much better!