Any tips or shopping essentials for starting Mounjaro?

[willitevergetwarm]

After a lot of research I have just ordered my first mounjaro.

But there is nothing like getting it from the horses mouth which is why I am turning to you wonderful lot

Any tips?

Shopping lists? I eat almost anything

No need to respond if you don't agree with WLI or if you want to tell me to be in calorie defecit. I have tried everything but menopause is beating me every time.

If you've only just ordered it, hold off a couple of weeks before changing anything. It takes a while to kick in and you'll be on a low dose to get your body used to it.

Once your appetite reduces you will basically just need a bit less food/ smaller portions. You might not want snacks anymore (if you were having them before). You might want to up the protein, fibre and fat in meals to make sure you're getting enough, and add in a mullti-vitamin if you're not taking one.

That's it really - no need to over complicate it. Just see how you feel week by week as well with your appetite.

I would honestly just wait and see how you get on. People will suggest all sorts of things like electrolytes, protein shakes, collagen, other vitamins and minerals, OTC treatments for diarrhea, constipation.... none of it's necessary, really.

Only tip is to drink 2L of water, and really pay attention to your protein and fibre - if you're not eating so much because you're not hungry, you need to prioritise the nutrients you need and don't let yourself get constipated.

I had started lifting weights a couple of times a week to maintain muscle mass a little bit before starting mounjaro and I think it really helped as well - I never saw any loss of muscle mass or hair loss, anything like that. But that's good for your health, mounjaro or not!

Crackers and peppermint tea in the cupboard just in case you get a bit of nausea.

I wouldn't get anything yet as you might not need it. But food wise , eat your protein first, carbs like bread fill you up sometimes too much to start with.
Maybe a nice drink bottle so you always have water , to take to work .

Pepto Bismol! Just in case you may need it at stupid o’clock in the middle of the night. Works wonders.

Just noticed your username,not on mounjaro it won't,get yourself a big fluffy blanket!

I completely disagree with this. Before starting I went and did my food shop for foods that i knew I should eat, the foods I always ate when trying to lose weight before. Day one of MJ was the day I overhauled my eating and 18 months later I don’t look back. Eating smaller portions of a bad diet and taking vitamins to compensate is a terrible way to lose weight.

Eat lots of protein, cut down on carbs, cook from fresh. Avoid ready meals and takeaways.

I would have some rennies and immodium near by just in case you need them. Flax seeds, althought in peri I need them anyway. For food shopping look at things that are nutrient and protein rich but lower cal so protein - Greek yoghurt, chicken, various meat and then fruit and veg. Take multivitamins because MJ can reduce absorption.

Whatever works for you.

My experience is that many weight loss attempts fail because people try to do too much, too soon.

If you've been overweight for years, there's really no need to completely overhaul your diet the same day you start mounjaro - it's about one manageable step at a time.

Obviously, long term lifestyle changes are important, but doing it all at once tends to overwhelm people. OP asked about tips for starting and my tip for starting is to just start and not overthink it.

When the weight starts coming off, it becomes a lot easier (and more motivating) to think about overhauling diet and lifestyle.

I speak from experience, too, and different things work for different people.

The vast majority of MJ ‘fails’ we are seeing are people who haven’t changed their diet. I think if you want to commit to a healthier lifestyle you need to be prepared to do a decent food shop for day one. It’s far less overwhelming sticking to the changes with MJ onboard. Not changing anything at the start and losing weight means people are far less likely to change at all, and eventually their body will struggle with not being fuelled properly and if they come off the MJ there will be very little change of them keeping their weight off. Success comes from change and commitment. I plan to take MK long term but I know people can and do maintain when they stop using it if they have e changed their entire lifestyle.

Buy lots of protein, fruit and veg and avoid carbs.

Again, I just think different approaches work for different people. We basically agree lifestyle changes are important. I think for some people it's better to do it slower. It sounds like we've both lost weight so 🙌brill!

Not really. Eat whole grains, lots of vegetables and lean meats. Avoid alcohol, too much fat, fried food or sugar.

There’s no need to avoid carbs all together. I lost 20kg and never avoided carbs

I didn’t say all together but I cut back on them massively cause they made me feel rubbish. Bread and pasta especially. I’ve lost 35kg.

Lots of excellent advise. I would say be on the lookout for constipation as a fair few people do get this and it’s unlike any constipation you will ever have had. Fibre and lots of water essential but maybe also have some movicol on hand in case.

Agree with @BeAmberZebra constipation is really common, get something like tinned prunes,and drink lots,I went on holiday and had the worst constipation of my life, 😭 on the lav in a caravan,bad times.

Look up high protein meals. I am 9 months in and never had to use protein powder but I am a meat eater. We cook quite a bit differently now, a lot less pasta for example. You need to re-think your diet, that will be a long-term change.

I can't eat shop bought bread, I think it's the sugar content. So if I want a sandwich or toast for breakfast on the weekend I bake myself. You need to find out what triggers you but in general you will see that your portion size will reduce itself and you won't have any cravings for snacks most likely.

Nausea - a bit so I made sure I have peppermint tea. I already suffer from constipation so I have some stuff at home anyway. Never had issues with reflux or gas.

I treated myself to a larger water bottle and buy expensive teabags as I discovered lemon and ginger is a great alternative in drinking.

There are plenty of social media posts about the perfect protein meal, Chia seeds are often seen as the Holy Grail but for me they are the worst things ever, I can't eat them.

Also get some windeze in case you get the dreadful sulphur burps. It will disperse them painlessly

A water bottle that allows you to track your consumption, protein based foods that you enjoy, your favourite fruits and vegetables, senakot just in case!

I just bought my normal food shop and only ate the things that were nutritious and good for me.
I’ve always had healthy meals but fell down with crisps and biscuits and snacky crap.
As soon as I was taking MJ the snacking totally stopped.
I didn’t have any need to buy things I never used to from the outset.

Take photos AND measure. I only took a couple of photos at the start and always hid from family photos and I never measured so I’ve got little to prove that I was a fat little ball and now I’m not.

Oh excellent tip @daffodilandtulip - I took the photos for my initial application and have taken the same photos (side, back, front) in the same black underwear. Amazing to look back through (they are in a private folder in my photos 😂)
and also taken monthly measurements which were so good to look at in those first few months to have visual confirmation that even places like calves were shrinking. I think I do shoulders, bust, upper arm, waist, hips, thigh and calf. Gotten a bit slack with that though these last 3-4 months but I’m going to do it tomorrow and write it on my chart.