Mounjaro / Wegovy with > 5st / 30kg to lose - Alumni Maintenance Thread

[WeAllHaveWings]

Trying the new Community groups feature for a maintenance focussed thread for our Mounjaro/Wegovy with >5 stone/30kg to lose alumni 👩‍🎓

All Mounjaro/Wegovy with >5 stone/30kg to lose posters and lurkers who enjoyed the supportive weight loss thread welcome whether you have graduated to maintenance already or getting close and pondering what happens next!

I expect this thread will be much quieter than our main Mounjaro/Wegovy with >5 stone/30kg to lose thread (which has been running for almost 2 years now!) as it feels intensity drops when in maintenance, but it would be great to keep in touch with everyone now and again and how we are all getting on post-weight loss and what we find works / doesn't work.

I'll start the thread with Mumsnet maintenance posts most repeated practical maintenance advice gathered by asking CoPilot to look at the board -

🚫 Don’t stop abruptly – taper your dose and/or slowly space injections; stopping suddenly often means hunger and regain

🎯 Aim for the lowest dose that keeps food noise calm, not zero at all costs

🍽️ Expect appetite to return – hunger is normal in maintenance, not a personal failure

🔄 Don’t jump from dieting straight to “normal eating” – a slow reverse diet (adding food gradually) helps weight stay off

🍗 Keep protein‑first habits and the smaller portions you learned while losing

🏥 Check your provider supports maintenance (some stop prescribing below certain BMIs)

📏 Allow a weight “zone” (±2–5 lb) rather than chasing one exact number

🧠 Weigh less often – watch trends, not single‑day/week blips

🚶‍♀️💪 Walk regularly; add gentle strength if you can – movement supports stability and confidence

💭 Expect maintenance to feel mentally harder than loss – less scale feedback doesn’t mean you aren’t succeeding 💛

(Hope this works in the Mumsnet Community Group feature!)

I am so hungry. I can't feel full at the moment. And achy. My last 4 jabs were 4mg but may need to go back up a bit. I eat 125g protein, 25-30g fibre every day. 2-3 litres of water. But its not helping. I already allow 1800-1900 calories and so far havent gained weight but i cant stop the hunger. :( i wonder if its the change in weather, hormones (im 41) that are making this so hard?
I thought maintenance would be a teensy tiny bit easier because i can eat a more normal calorie allowance. Grrrrr. Sorry. feeling grumpy today and needed to vent.

I think I might have stopped taking Mounjaro - it's been 18 days since my last dose and every day for the past 4 days I think "I probably ought to jab today" and then really, really don't want to. Apparently the rebound hunger usually kicks in at around 3 weeks, so I'm getting increasingly tempted to just wait for it to start and see if I can get through it.

I've found a local nutritionist who is affordable and recommended, so I think I'll set up an appointment with her after next payday to look into setting up a good foundation for maintenance, planning in advance for difficult times and things going wrong, and for really nourishing my body after a year of calorie deficit.

And I'm treating this month as a bit of an old school diet, tracking what I eat more carefully and trying to lose a kilo or so if I can, rather than flinging myself headfirst into the scary new world of weight maintenance.

Welcome to the thread @SecondCircuit , and well done on reaching maintenance! 🎉

I’m currently with Swift Doctor, but I’ve also read good things about Pharmulous for maintenance. According to the Monj maintenance page, Pharmulous will let you go down to a BMI of 19.5, whereas Swift Doctor is 22.

I’d be tempted to have a consultation with Pharmulous as you are already with them, explain where you’re at, and ask how long they allow between orders/how flexible they are. I’ve also seen people on Reddit saying they also allow order breaks.

I had a consultation with Swift (£30 for 20 minutes with their Dr Bano) after I had a couple orders with them and was completely honest about my partial dosing, why I was doing it, and how many pens I had in stock. We agreed a 5 month order break so I could use some up, and I’ll order again at the end of October.

They told me they allow pens in use for 8 weeks, although when I spoke to them they suggested doing this by injecting every other week rather than partial dosing. I personally don’t like the idea of every other week, so I’ll continued with partial dosing. I’ve seen others on Reddit say they do partial dosing with Swift Doctor, although I’m not sure what they discussed/agreed with their provider.

I’m planning to order 5mg once my order break is up and hoping it gets approved as it works out much cheaper 🤞

My approach to maintenance has been to play the long game and take things very slowly. I’m in no rush, as I have enough pens to last well into next year, and I feel that if I ever do come off it, I’ll have a better chance of maintaining if I’ve stayed at this weight for a long time and given my body time to adjust to its new set point (hope that theory works!). 9 months in, it is slow, boring and has it ups and downs hunger wise, but I am trying to nip any bad habits in the bud before they spiral again by having a weekly review/update excel when I jab.

@MrsMiagi Vent away! 💗

That sounds tough, especially when you are doing so well, much better than me, at ticking all the boxes to try to encourage that feeling of satiety.

Do you notice any patterns to the hunger? Is it constant since you dropped the dose, linked to your monthly cycle, or after certain types of meals? I wonder if very high protein/low carb meals might leave you feeling less satisfied too?

@UnimaginableWindBird Hope it goes well and keep in touch to let us know any hints and tips you pick up as you go along!

I sometimes feel my now small dose isn't doing anything and it is just a crutch, but then I think it must be. I have decided though, after post Christmas being difficult for me the last two years that I will stay on it until at least the end of January then have a think at that point what is next - continue or trial a break.

I have been reviewing Nutracheck and I wonder if I have spotted where I may be going wrong.....
I used the 'easier days' option to give me more grace on a Saturday but you can't set the number of calories yourself. More recently i set easier days for both Friday and Saturday and I think thats made things worse. It makes me go too low during the week vs weekends. I don't think my body likes the jump in calories at the weekend, to the sharp decline.
I will go back to steady calories each day and see if that helps. My carbs have been quite low too, so my meal prep yesterday had a good amount of wholewheat couscous.
Maintenance can be tough! I worry what the winter will bring, i always gained weight in winter :(

@MrsMiagi sounds as if it is worth a try!

"I worry what the winter will bring" - soup! Lots of warming, chunky, homemade soup!

Thank you for a warm welcome @WeAllHaveWings and your insight into prescribing practices of Swift. It sounds like they are flexible and accommodating and I hope Pharmulous will prove similar.

I feel no difference having gone down to 5mg from 7.5 (same level of suppression) but it’s only the second day so it may well change towards the end of week. We shall see.

Bear in mind @SecondCircuit the going down will be similar to going up, levels will decrease over 3-4 weeks before levelling off again.

Indeed, I need to remember that. 🙂
Thank you @WeAllHaveWings

Hi all, I'm doing so shit I've given up posting on the other thread as I felt like I was just whingeing to be perfectly honest!
About this time last year I was very close to maintenance then DM and DH became ill at the same time. DM is mid-90s, very frail with multiple ailments and Dad died years ago so I feel like my life since then is spent being her full time care co-ordinator and it's far more stressful than I thought it would be. DH had a cancer diagnosis but has responded well to his treatment and is, fingers crossed, ok for now.
I've gained about 5kg over that time (so am now about BMI 27.5) despite being on 15mg for most of it but am trying to stay positive as I'm sure I'd have gained a shedload without it.
I was feeling quite low about it all but I'm still here and trying which is a start

Hello @QueenOfHiraeth , good to hear from you. I remember you well, your struggles, busy schedule of caring but also your valuable input on the other thread.

Don’t beat yourself, it is what it is, we all have our slip ups. (Ask me why I’m awake at 3am! Overindulged last night, had too much of too salty, too heavy beef stroganoff washed with too much beer far too late last night. Result: bloated to high heaven, can’t sleep. Apology for TMI).

Sorry to hear of your DH health scare; I only recall your ailing elderly DM, That must have put a huge strain on you and be a big worry. Glad to hear he is responding well. .

This MJ journey is uneven and probably different for all of us. Mostly we hear of success stories as it’s then far easier to talk about and share. But I’m sure there will be others with varying degree of less positive experiences.

At any rate, having achieved bmi of 27.5 is great, you are very close to healthy bmi; and I’m sure you feel and see the difference even now. You have done rather well I think.
So stay positive and hang on here @QueenOfHiraeth 🙂♥️
I find support and general kind spirits of these threads absolutely invaluable.

So sorry to hear things are rough for you @QueenOfHiraeth . I think only gaining 5kg should definitely be considered a win in such tough times. Well done for persevering.

I had my video consultation with SwiftDr and very impressed. I've been approved for a bundle of 7.5 & 10 and it'll be despatched today Because my last pen with my current pharmacy was only a 5 they couldn't give me a 10 bundle but I anticipated that so this is the next next option. I'll dose 5 from them which will give me 14 doses in total - 6 from the 7.5 and 8 from the 10. I'm saving both on the cost of the pens compared to my current place, and in split dosing.

That’s very interesting to hear. Thanks for sharing @GiveMeWordGames .

@QueenOfHiraeth I remember looking after my mum after my dad died, so many conflicting emotions - obviously love, wanting to and privileged to be caring for her, but also a sprinkling of resentment followed by guilt. It is so hard. Especially when you have so many other people and things that need you too it is absolutely emotionally and physically overwhelming when you never get time in your head for just you and your own problems (for me it was menopause). Hang on in there, be kind to yourself, recognise like many women dealing with all these conflicting priorities for others, you are just amazing.

Glad you got on well with SwiftDr @GiveMeWordGames . Dr Bano was really approachable. Did she approve the split dosing? She wasn't keen on split dosing when I spoke to her, but did say 8 weeks was fine.

I will be reordering from them towards the end of the month and wondering how to word my order comments.......

I said I understood they were "flexible". She said something similar to what you describe - that they were ok with 8 weeks. She then went on to say that one option in the future, instead of dropping to 2.5 (which I'd said I struggled with hence wanting to stay at 5), was taking 5 every 2 weeks instead.

So she didn't exactly approve or disapprove, just sort of redirected a bit. 😁But really we both knew I was going to split dose and jab weekly. I'd already said 5 was my happy place but unaffordable long term unless I use 10mg pens for 8 weeks each.

It occurs to me I might have to source my own needles soon. In-person pharmacy always gave me plenty of extra so I've got a small stash but I'm guessing I won't get 8 needles per pen from SwiftDr.

@GiveMeWordGames you can buy pen needles from anywhere, even Amazon. Just google the brand, length and gauge you are used to.

I buy my own as I was sensitive to the BD viva ones I was getting, SwiftDr use carepoint needles I haven’t tried them yet as I still have box of own which I know I won’t react to.

Edit - just counted and I have 15 carepoint pen needles so looks like they send 7-8 in each of the 2 orders I’ve placed so far

Oh, cool. I'll check the brand and wait to see how many I get.

Thank you to all for the kind comments. The conflicting emotions are such a big part of it @WeAllHaveWings it's a relief to hear others understand that and trying to balance it with life in general.

Went to see doctor today as for the past year I have been having a bit of a dull feeling in my lower legs coming and going, always blamed it on my long hours desk job as it was usually ok in morning but got worse as the day went on, but it is getting more persistent and from waking, despite trying to stand often, move more.

I had to lie down on his couch and closed my eyes while he poked me with a big needle....................I barely felt it, sometimes never felt it at all 😮 Bit worried now to be honest as I never realised it was that bad (having not poked myself with a big needle in my legs recently!), but I've to go back in for blood tests next week and will see what that brings. 😟

On a more positive note Dr was lovely (haven't seen this Dr since ds(22) was a newborn), he kept saying how amazed he was at my weight loss as he hadn't met anyone who had lost over 9st on Mounjaro, and asked me if I was proud of myself 😳.

I said, not really proud as such as I wouldn't have been able to do it without Mounjaro flicking the switch that allowed me to change my habit, and once it did it was fairly straight forward. He told me I should be proud, which I relented and said I was more pleased because losing weight had probably saved my life which he agreed with. He said how much he wishes he could prescribe it to patients but they are just not allowed to here in Scotland.

I'm sorry you're having health worries, @WeAllHaveWings . I hope it all comes back nothing to worry about.

I hadn't realised how much you'd lost. I know what you mean about not feeling proud exactly but fucking hell, 9 stone+. That's a bloody achievement. Well done.

My pens arrived this morning. That's less than 24 hours from the order being approved. Impressed! I'm curious what people do with the woolly insulating stuff? I don't have a compost heap. Not sure it qualifies for council food waste bin.

I have a big box with around 20 wool pockets in it too, I keep meaning to send it to puffin packaging to recycle but I haven’t got around to it yet. I tried twice to put some out for the birds to use as nesting material and they weren’t interested.

Yeah DH suggested that and I pointed out it's entirely the wrong time of year. 😁 If we had visiting hedgehogs I'd wonder if it was good hibernation material for them but unfortunately due to the topography of my garden, we simply don't get them.

I might see if any neighbours are into composting.

My dh has just said we could use them to plump up the sofa cushions ……. 🤔. It’s an idea, maybe.