For those not planning on staying on WLIs forever, what’s your long-term plan?

[Waitingforthesunnydays]

I’ve been on MJ for a year, lost the 4 stone I needed to lose and gone from a bmi of 30 down to 20. However, it’s become clearer and clearer to me that this amazing and life-changing drug is simply a quick-fix, just like the Atkins diet, Dukan, and every other diet plan on the planet. People can say all they want that “it helps you create lifelong healthy eating habits that you will continue when you come off it”. No it doesn’t. It takes your appetite away so it makes it possible (and extremely easy) to eat a healthy, low-calorie diet. When you come off it all those cravings are just going to come back and you’re just going to slip back into eating too many calories. That’s the reality. I don’t think I have a problem with food, don’t think I was “suffering from obesity” in the way people talk about it like it’s an illness (although for some extremely morbidly obese people I recognise that it is, and those people probably plan to stay on it for life). But I’m just a normal woman approaching middle-age living in a society with far too many high-fat and high-sugar food options that are far too convenient, that finds losing weight very difficult. I don’t want to stay on it forever. But I’m very worried about coming off it cos I know it’s inevitable that I’ll put all the weight back on. So if you’re like me, how do you plan to keep the weight off when you come off it? I’ve already lost more than I want to, to give myself some leeway when I put some back on, but I was thinking of stockpiling some MJ pens now while I’m still eligible and keeping them in the fridge (apparently they last up to 2 years in the fridge) then trying to control my weight with the odd low-dose jab here and there. But that will probably lead to yo-yo dieting, which isn’t ideal, and what happens when it eventually runs out? Does anyone know if providers allow you to stay on low-dose maintenance (say 2.5mg every 2 weeks) for life? I’d consider that maybe..

Joining to see what others have to say, but you are not wrong, I lost four stone too, I have been on a "maintenance" dose for the last year. I am still able to get it from MedExpress. I eat healthily, I always have, eating junk food is not an issue for me. I do love wine though and have a sweet tooth and those alcohol and sweet cravings stay away on MJ.

I came off it a couple of months ago, and within a month I was absolutely ravenous, worse than I remember before going on it. I have never eaten breakfast, ever, but found myself with low blood sugar first thing and being constantly hungry. I have had to go back on it, on a low dose. I have four pens stocked up, but I don't want to be on it for life.

It is a tough one.

I'm titrating down extremely slowly, by 0.5mg/month. I'm currently on 4mg - but my max was only ever 5. So it will most likely be 6-8 months before I'm off it completely. I'm hoping this gradual approach will help.

I can’t afford to stay on long term. I’ve calorie counted everything since being on MJ and plan to continue when I stop. I’ve also increased my exercise which again I will keep up. I know it’s going to be hard but I have to try it.

Also watching, only just started but need to be realistic for when/if I lose the weight

I reduced my dose and have put on a stone in the past year while ‘on maintenance’ 😕. Too worried to come off it but also feel like it’s doing nothing as I’m hungry most of the time.

I have no idea what to do long term as I didn’t think I’d still be on it at this point.

Up the exercise and get into the habit of burning more calories and build more lean mass now (which in turn raises your caloric requirements).

Slowly wean off the drug so that there’s no big shock of cravings when you remove the last bit.

Monitor weight so that if you begin to regain you can diet off the few lbs again and it’s not a huge mountain to climb again.

Remember that human bodies are designed to strive for the most fat the body has ever had - the biggest you are is set as the ‘safety level’ of storage fat by the brain. It will try to regain the weight. Which is why people feel worse than before - that’s why the medication is designed to be life long. Working against that drive will be tough.

I think the issue is believing the wli are some sort of cure, they're not they are medication to manage a condition.

I do disagree with you to an extent that this isn't a medical condition. Agree we live in a world where it's very easy to over eat but why do some people get fat and others don't? Do the slim people have cast iron will power or do their hormones operate properly so they can regulate their weight with normal willpower? Why have I been able to stay a healthy weight all my life but then gaining in menopause despite hrt?

I believe there is something hormonally wrong and so cravings and hunger too strong for the average person to ignore or metabolic issues which need intervention.

As for my plan, I'll stockpile pens and titrate down, maybe increase time between doses too so I see what the less medicated me feels like. I think pretty soon wli will be available to most people so you'd be able to get a microdose when needed.

There are now plenty of pharmacies offering maintenance provision. You can compare them here
https://monj.co.uk/maintenance-price-list-for-mounjaro/

Personally, having lived with PCOS, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, watching my HBA1c creep ever higher despite my many successful (but short lived) dieting losses, I am delighted that there is now a medication that solves all those problems for me.

The fact that it also lowers chronic inflammation has had knock on benefits for my rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Sjogren's syndrome symptoms. Knowing that it is also dramatically lowering my risk of heart attack, stroke, liver disease and dementia I am delighted to be able to remain on it for the rest of my life, or until an even better drug becomes available.

I do not think it is a moral failing to have the kind of metabolism that predisposes you to type 2 diabetes, and then sets you on a slow but inexorable downhill slope towards blindness and foot amputations as you frantically do everything possible to lose the excess weight, only to regain it with an extra 5 -10 kg within a couple of years.

I’ve been going to slimming world as well as taking Mounjaro. It’s suited me well as I’ve learnt sensible eating habits along the way and have only put on three pounds since stopping Mounjaro.

I’ve just accepted I will stay on it tbh. I know how to eat healthily, I just find it really hard to ignore the cravings. WLI have been a transformation for my mental health not obsessing over my body and lack of discipline any more, it’s about more than just simply being slim or even just being healthy at this point.

I haven’t needed to go above 3.75mg to get to target (and only did that for a month) so I am hopeful I can microdose 1.25mg a week (as well as putting some effort in!) and I’m hoping that’ll be enough to take the edge off.

SwiftDr let you order every 7-8 weeks, so I’m hoping to buy a 2.5mg pen every other month. I’ve read it’s better to take a steady amount a week rather than a larger dose every other week.

Yeah I’ve heard this - that the biggest you’ve ever been becomes your ‘standard’, where your body is most comfortable. I don’t think upping my exercise will make much difference, it’s never made any significant difference to my weight. I do an insane amount of exercise and did the same before I went on MJ (strength training or HIIT 4 times a week, play a team sport at a fairly high level where my body’s working at 80-100% capacity 6-8 hrs a week, kick boxing a couple hours a week also). I do have high lean muscle mass but before MJ it was covered in layers of fat! And I was still a size 16 despite all the exercise. I wouldn’t say my diet was great but I also didn’t feel like I was overeating or eating that badly. I’m nearly 40 and it’s only in the last few years I’ve been unable to shift the weight, before that I had no problem losing weight if I put on a bit. Now it just feels impossible without WLIs

That's exactly how I feel. Still so hungry. 😞

I’m slim, I’ve been heavy through greed and carelessness. I lost the weight through giving up booze, counting calories to maintain a deficit (not a huge deficit, only about 250 calories per day, as my appetite is too big to manage more), rebalancing intake towards protein and increasing my step count and lifting weights. This is my life now. If I don’t do this, I gain weight. I used to be able to get away with a couple of weeks of indulgence, now two days makes me gain weight. So if I have a big lovely dinner out on a Friday, then I have to get straight back on a monitored regime on Saturday morning: no ‘fuck it, I’ll start again Monday and eat everything in sight over the weekend.’

As many have said, WLI is no different from other weight loss methods: if you return to the habits that made you gain the weight, back the weight will come. If your appetite was deregulated by hormones, insulin resistance, medication, whatever, and the WLI helped you manage your appetite by dealing with the underlying causes, then you probably need them for life, or you will gain.

@dailyconniptions@PissedOffNeighbour22 that sounds really familiar. I've been trying to maintain on a lower dose too, but battling hunger daily. (I do have some food noise, but also real hunger.) I'm conflicted about going up in dosage again - fear of it not working, and of the cost.

When I get to a weight I'm happy at and don't want to keep losing, go down the doses of Wegovy until I find the one that lets me eat at maintenance and then stay on that for a few months whilst really paying attention to what I am eating so I embed "this is a reasonable diet" as norm and then stop. There has to come a point where I do it for myself and that's the only way I can think of right now.

I only did 2 months on MJ: on 2.5. Lost a stone. I’m getting the next stone off on my own. I’ve lost another 3 pounds in 3 weeks which is about my rate.
I’m hungry but coping. I can’t eat anything nice at all and I can’t drink alcohol. I’m just seeing food as fuel. I’m calorie counting everything. I’m 49 and peri.
It’ll work but it’s not fun.

Sadly if you are someone who loves food then every day will involve hunger and longing in order to stay slim. My friend has kept her weight off for a decade and has to work at it every day. I’m gonna stay on a low dose or I WILL put it back on, I love food. That is just who I am. This isn’t a temporary thing, it’s the rest of our lives
I think most will have to stay on. I think lots will put the weight back on without it.

I went cold turkey after 3.5 stone loss due mainly to the cost so it was never going to be a long term thing for me. I can’t get into debt for it really. I lost that on 4 pens.
My BMI was 24.8 when I stopped on Feb 15, 2025. I’ve been off for almost 15 months now, I still weigh weekly and work out 5 days a week and keep an eye on things.
I initially gained 6lbs within 2 months after stopping but I’ve lost that and many more. My BMI this morning is 23.4.
I’ve learnt to cope with the food noise and hunger by volume eating so meals that are low in calorie but filling, lots of vegetables, protein, etc. It’s worked a treat.
I see each month off the jab as a bonus. I’ve created a routine now. If in future, my weight start creeping up, there are lots of maintenance providers now prescribing to new customers with a BMI from 27 so I’m not worried about needing it in future and not being able to access it. I just know I won’t just sit back and make my BMI return to 30+ without tackling it.

I am maintaining, I really tried to focus on nutrition and balanced eating when using the pens and having head space to do so with no cravings. I’ve gotten into a habit and eat similar things focussing on protein and fibre. I’ve also changed my habits around weekend treats, not stocking up on bags of sweets and crisps and opting for small treats bulked out with huge bowls of fruit and crudités. I really have changed my diet. I fluctuate the same 4lbs up and down but monitor my weight closely and haven’t gone over this.

i've not changed the foods i eat but have changed the portion sizes. i'm hoping that will be imbedded in my memory.

I've been on monjouro now for 9 months and am just a couple of pounds away from my goal weight, having lost closer to 4 and a half stone.

I'm very worried about maintenance, I just can't afford to stay on the injections long term so am planning to gradually reduce my dose down and eventually stop. I'm on 10mg at the moment (but have struggled with this high a dose so am moving back down next week).

I've changed my diet and portion sizes so am hoping to stick with that when I stop the injections and I need to up my exercise, I'm going to buy some weights and start exercising at home.

I wonder if it’d be feasible to do one larger injection monthly for maintenance rather than smaller weekly ones? The idea of injecting monthly rather than weekly is a lot more appealing

Is it medically advisable to keep taking it for maintenance if uou are now a healthy bmi and not pre diabetic or any other health issues?

And what about the cost? Its so expensive. Its becoming a class divider. All the stories here about why are some people able to regulate their hormones and weight and others cant, therefore need to use WLI, thats simply missing the point to me.

Its between folk who can afford it and others who cant.

And I cant afford it and im bitter about that.

My plan is to gradually wean off over a number of months. I've never taken more than 5mg and will reduce gradually using stockpiled pens to allow my body time to readjust to being this weight. I've deliberately stopped at a weight I have easily maintained in the past, rather than trying to get into a "healthy" BMI which doesn't work for my body type. I'm someone who weighs a lot heavier than they look. So I'm hoping the fact I've been this weight comfortably before, my body will remember but I'm also aware it won't necessarily work like that, especially in my 40's!

I have PCOS and history of gestational diabetes meaning I'm at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, so things I'll be trying in addition to healthy eating/increased protein and strength training are reintroducing fasting, taking supplements to help regulate my blood sugar (eg.berberine, inositol - maybe apple cider vinegar to help with cravings), trying to manage stress levels better and prioritising sleep.

I really hope I don't have to resort to WLI's in future but if I have to take a maintenance dose I will find the money somehow because the health benefits have been amazing.