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Weight loss injections/treatments

Discuss weight-loss injections and treatments, including personal experiences. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any treatments.

12.5 mg woes

21 replies

CloudyYellow · 11/05/2026 00:31

Have lost 5 stone since July. Need to lose another stone. Been on 12.5 mg for 4 weeks. Occasional diarrhoea but not too bad.

Unfortunately I am absolutely starving on 12.5 mg. Is the jump from 12.5 to 15 mg a good idea? I have always gone up the doses slowly but it is pointless using MJ at the moment as just binged for the first time since July as ravenous. I think part of it is due to having to go to 1000 calories a day as resting metabolic rate is only 1460 daily.

OP posts:
Safarisagoody · 11/05/2026 08:33

ok, I’m guessing you’re chair/bed bound, if you need to go below your bmr. Is this correct, I think it’s important to clarify your data points as a first step.

CloudyYellow · 11/05/2026 08:53

Not bedbound. I am 10 stone 11 and 5 ft 4. Quite sedentary exercise wise maybe 20 mins walking a day. I used a calculator that said 1460 calculator a day...

OP posts:
Safarisagoody · 11/05/2026 08:56

Bmr is your basic metabolic rate. It’s whay you burn just to exist. Your tdee is your total daily expenditure it’s the total cals you burn, my moving about etc. if not chair or bed bound your tdee will be much higher than your bmr. Even if relatively sedentary it’s likely to be at least 1800, which means your likely under estimating your cal intake.

RoseField1 · 11/05/2026 08:58

Is that your BMR or your TDEE? It seems very low. What number of calories have you been eating so far and has it been successful? Can you increase daily steps?

VelociraptorsVelociRapping · 11/05/2026 08:59

As pp have said you need to clarify for yourself if that's your BMR or your TDEE. Is there any way you can increase your activity levels?

YeahNahWhal · 11/05/2026 09:04

I wonder if there is a bad batch of 12.5mg OP? I'm having similar issues with food noise returning since going up to 12.5mg 5 weeks ago. I have lost 25kg in 15mo and have another 15kg to go. So disappointed because this does is more expensive too. Nothing to add, just solidarity 🤜🤛

SilenceInside · 11/05/2026 09:04

The obvious thing is to increase your activity levels if that's possible for you? As you're near to a healthy weight, continuing to be able to create a 500 cal deficit a week is much harder than when you were 5 stone heavier. So either you accept a slower rate of loss, or you can increase activity levels if reducing calories takes you very low and particularly if it's triggering binges even though you are on 12.5mg.

CloudyYellow · 11/05/2026 11:38

I have done another calculation that has come up with 1475 and need yo eat 1200 calories a day yo lose half a pound a week.

Unfortunately I cannot afford £300 per month for 15mg to lose 2lbs a month.

12.5 mg woes
OP posts:
VelociraptorsVelociRapping · 11/05/2026 11:46

Is there any way you can increase your activity levels, OP? I think this may be your only way forward if dramatically restricting calories is triggering binges. I sympathise.

SilenceInside · 11/05/2026 11:47

Here's another TDEE calculator from ZAVA:

https://www.zavamed.com/uk/tdee-calculator.html

I can't work out the figure for you as I don't know how old you are. Are you at the older end of the scale @CloudyYellow as that would explain the low TDEE and low total for losing 1lb a week?

15mg doesn't have to cost £300 either. Medicine Marketplace do it for £266 with no need for a discount code. There are a few pharmacies that do it for £259 with first time discount codes if you are happy to switch and haven't used them before.

IsItSnowing · 11/05/2026 11:56

I'm 5ft 4, 10 stone 5. I'm losing on 1400 a day. I do try and walk every day but don't always manage my 10k steps. I was struggling to lose until I started the walking - if I do 10k it is equivalent to approx 400 calories burned so I guess that's my deficit.

MrsMiagi · 11/05/2026 12:04

I am 5 ft 4 and was losing approx 1.5 - 2 pounds a week on 1200 calories. I am at maintenance now, on 1700 calories but still losing a bit because my activity increased so will up to 1800 calories soon. My BMR is 1200. The last stone took me months to lose, which is normal when there is less to lose. I lost 81 pounds total, I am 124.5 pounds now.
Do you mind me asking why your activity level is so low (ie disability?). I ask because my biggest losses came when i got my steps in. I sit or drive all day at work so i bought a walking pad. Best purchase ever. I dont use it while working but whevever i can i will ise it and thats really helped. I averaged 8000 a day. You need to increase activity so you can increase calories then you wont be so hungry. Is that possible for you?

CloudyYellow · 11/05/2026 12:16

Thanks everyone. I am 63. I work in a sedentary job. I walk my dog 3-4 times a day but she is old so spends most of her walk sniffing which gives her huge enjoyment.

OP posts:
CloudyYellow · 11/05/2026 12:21

SilenceInside · 11/05/2026 11:47

Here's another TDEE calculator from ZAVA:

https://www.zavamed.com/uk/tdee-calculator.html

I can't work out the figure for you as I don't know how old you are. Are you at the older end of the scale @CloudyYellow as that would explain the low TDEE and low total for losing 1lb a week?

15mg doesn't have to cost £300 either. Medicine Marketplace do it for £266 with no need for a discount code. There are a few pharmacies that do it for £259 with first time discount codes if you are happy to switch and haven't used them before.

Thank you. This calculator gave me 1684 when I added in light exercise.

OP posts:
SilenceInside · 11/05/2026 12:26

So to lose 1 to 2lbs a week you'd be looking at 1684-500 which gives you 1184, so let's call it 1200 cals. But that depends on "lightly active" being accurate, and I think perhaps that the dog walks at an elderly dog speed may not be sufficient.

CloudyYellow · 11/05/2026 12:40

I am going to go for different type of walks with my dog and split into sniffing walk and quick-quick walks. She is 9 so as she has got older loves sniffing more but if I divide the walks into 10 mins sniffing and 10 mins quick-quick walks. She understands that terminology and knows it means no sniffing the ground. That should cover gentle exercise 3-4 times a week as I am out 3-4 times a day. Also tempted by a walking pad for when watching TV.

OP posts:
Gardengargoyle · 11/05/2026 14:16

Sometimes if I indulge in UPF "treats" at Christmas or Easter I find something about the combination of fat, sugar and weird crap like mono and diglycerides of fatty acids and gums manages to override the benefit of the GLP-1 injections. Within a week my insulin resistance wakes up, and I start feeling hungry all the time.

Fasting between 6pm and 11 am, concentrating on eating the widest possible variety of different plants, and using an online food diary to fiddle menus so that I'm hitting protein and fibre targets every day is hard for the first few days, and then somehow the Mounjaro manages to gain the upper hand and the weight loss picks up again.

It has got to a point where I read the ingredients list and put back nearly everything on the bread, cake, biscuit and cereal aisles.

I have certain foods that I eat every day. Kimchi and kombucha at breakfast, sauerkraut at teatime (rolled inside slices of vegetarian pigless ham today), and kefir with fruit before my eating window closes, as well as a handful of nuts, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, a square of 90% dark chocolate, and at least 2 servings of oily fish/week. Then I work out what else I fancy eating that day that will hit my 100g protein and 40g fibre target while staying within the 1400 calorie daily limit.

Mentally I've found it helpful that my mind is dedicated to working out how I am going to manage to fit in all the foods that my body needs each day, instead of thinking about all the things I'm not "allowed" to eat. So the general ambiance is one of abundance rather than deprivation.

I'm always hungriest in the morning so like to start the day with a huge breakfast. Today was a load of stir fried vegetables (hitting the olive oil target) and eggs scrambled with quark and cheese, with kimchi, with a buttered slice of pumpernickel bread with marmite, a glass of tomato juice and black coffee.

A mug of tea at lunch with a teaspoon of creatine, two tablespoons of collagen, with a square of dark chocolate. If what I've plan on eating for the rest of the day's meals leave enough calories I'll also have 15g of nuts and a portion of fresh or dried fruit.

I'll have protein (air fried tempeh or tofu, a fillet or tin of fish, and a salad made from sauerkraut mixed with a few nuts, and a bit of dried apricot or goji berries) for tea, followed by defrosted frozen fruit in equal quantities of kefir and Greek yogurt, with a couple of tablespoons of organic porridge oats, a pinch of cinnamon and a tablespoon of flax or chia seeds.

Then just herbal teas until bedtime, and black coffee with a pinch of cardamom in the morning until breakfast time finally arrives. Actually I am normally in the kitchen preparing breakfast by half past 10 so that I can start scoffing as soon as the clock strikes 11.

PearlsTeapot · 11/05/2026 17:40

I really recommend walking pads (you said you were considering one) and then your old dog can sniff away to his hearts content on your usual walks. I put an episode of something on and walk and it's so good, when I need a break I can just sit down for 5 mins before starting again (I am very overweight and hate getting sweaty). As you're watching something, the time goes by quicker. You don't need anything too fancy.

MeridaBrave · 12/05/2026 16:31

I’m also 5 4. I’d also be starving on 1,000 and it’s not sustainable. Add some protein shakes eg adding 2 will add circa 200 calories. Also try getting more steps and adding some weight training, maybe at home with dumbells. I lost on 1,400 and am maintaining at closer to 1,900.

Oceangrey · 12/05/2026 21:42

I'm 5'3 and 10st 1lb now. I'm taking 12.5mg. I'm 40.

I find I eat quite normally, as in a normal not a tiny amount, and still sometimes want biscuits, chocolate etc. But certainly smaller portions than when not on MJ.

I have lost 3st but it's now extremely slow, essentially I'm eating at about maintenance but if I put a little effort in not to have many treats then the scales slowly go down, and slow is fine now. I don't calorie count.

I would recommend eating more so you aren't hungry, concentrate on protein and veg and filling stuff.

I would also really recommend more exercise and particularly some weights because you will be losing muscle and it's really important for health that you keep it. It's crucial for mobility when older but also will help you burn more calories even when you are sedentary.

I just use dumbbells and a mat at home, lots of workouts on YouTube.

Safarisagoody · 12/05/2026 21:44

I think your cal calculation is off and you’re consuming more than you think. If you’re not losing on 1000 a day you need ro see a doctor. It’s likely you’re probably consuming an average of 1500 a day, and not very active, light walking doesn’t burn many cals. I also think you need to exercise more, building muscle is important as we age, and weigh and measure everything.

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