Low & Slow - a thread for those of us choosing to remain on low doses or due to strong side effects

[Saturnista]

Hi, I’ve been on MJ for 15 weeks now and have lost 21 lbs. I gave really struggled with fatigue. Headaches and feeling cold and dizzy. The weight loss has really slowed as I’ve dropped to 2 mg and then working my way back up to 2.5 mg and now just about coping with 3 mg. I’ve decided that im
going to stay on a low dose though as losing weight needs to be sustainable for me, I can’t afford to stay on it forever and I’m determined to not re-gain the weight i
lose.
im supported by my local pharmacist from whom I get 5 mg pens and click count my dose.
so, if you are having to or want to stay low and have a story to share ( especially if you have been successful getting to your goal weight and staying that way) please join us and we can support each other.
My top tip is THREE litres of water a day and electrolytes twice a day for the first 3 post-jab days.

I'm interested in this. Friday will be my 13th jab and I'm still on 5mg. Not planning to go up unless I really stall but still losing 2lb a week. I've lost 1stone 11 so far. I really don't want to go any faster even though I've got a few stone left to lose.

1.4lb average loss a week is a good healthy rate of loss. Well done for keeping with it when you've had a rough start.

I've been on Mounjaro for nearly 2 years and never went above 3.75mg. Never had suppression beyond the first few weeks but it was enough for me to sustain a healthier diet and calorie deficit.

It can be done on lower doses if you respond enough to work with them and make the changes you need to make.

My top tip would be - treat it as a tool not the whole solution.

This board is full of all the usual advice on - protein, sugar, carbs, fibre, UPF, hydration, exercise, habits etc so won't repeat them.

Good luck!

I’ve been on it for 2 months now never above 2.5mg - I’ve had gastric sleeve previously but the weight crept back on; so I think that is why I have really strong suppression. I think if I went up I would barely eat and then I know I would get dramatic hair loss…

Im happy staying on 2.5mg and loosing slowly- I’ve lost 4.5kg and feel better already. I struggle with protein intake- I’ve really gone off all meat/ chicken so need to supplement that and work on resistance training

Hi! Yes, I've been on 2.5mg for about 9 months now, and never intended to go any higher. Same as you op, I need this to be sustainable as I intend to come off when at goal. I've lost over three and a half stone, and I'm just over half a stone from goal.

I had suppression for a few weeks, but I haven't had that for ages now. But the MJ is working away in the background. My weight loss is slow now, but I would expect that so close to goal. And I've always been content for it to be steady anyway. I've had no hair loss (touchwood), or any other side effects associated with fast weight loss. Pretty delighted all round really!

Best of luck to you all. It's a brilliant step to take.

Hi @MoneyJo that’s a significant weekly loss and well done. Are you choosing to stay on 5 mg as it’s working so well for you and you’re not having any side effects?

Hi @Somethingsnapped really pleased to hear that you are so close to your goal. Has your weight loss slowed down a lot? Mine was all lost in the first 8 weeks and only 5 lbs in the last six that is a bit frustrating…..have you had any plateaux over the months or have you steadily lost?

Hi @PivotPivotmakingmargaritasgreat user name! Glad you’re doing well so far with MJ. I’m not a big meat eater and have been getting as much protein as I can either eggs, high protein yoghurts and loads of seeds and nuts that I have discovered I really quite like. Are you doing OK with side effects?

Yes I think that while I am still losing 2lb a week I'll stay on 5mg. To be honest it's not as easy as it was at first - a bit of food noise and not as full, but I'm focusing on continuing the habits started when I had more suppression/ fulness. I just kind of tell myself I don't snack, I don't eat biscuits, I don't eat cake and actually I still don't really fancy any of those things.

Hi all I have had a bit of a rough time on mounjaro but settling now on 1.8mg I think I am just really sensitive. I took the first dose end of Feb and was violently sick a few times the following day, thought it was a bug because my son had been ill so took it the next week and was fine but the week after that projectile vomited again. Since then I cut back to 3/4 dose and tolerated that well as long as I eat sensibly. Tried to up to 2.5mg and again ok the first week but sick the second this time pains and diarrhoea. I am sticking to 3/4 dose now unless I totally stop losing weight. I have lost 2 stone but have suffered for it. Got another 2 and a half stone to go. When it works it's great, not snacking at all, finding it easy to stick to 1200 cals and losing weight slow and steady, I am glad it's not just me as no one know in real life has had the same side effects as me. Low gluten and lactose seems to help too

I am also creeping along very slowly. I was on 2.5 for 14 weeks, now been on 3mg for 3 weeks. Really suffered the first two weeks on 3mg. Felt fluey and exhausted and spent far too much time in the bathroom. Last week (I jab on Fridays) was better so we’ll see what tomorrow brings. I think my weight loss averages at 1.4 but that was skewed by early losses, I think it’s now around 0.75 per week. However, I AM building muscle and lifting very heavy in the gym. I’ve lost a lot of inches and the trends on the body comp scales show I’m gaining skeletal muscle at a fair clip so my fat loss is actually a lot higher than my weight loss would indicate. While I sometimes do feel quite envious of the fast losses of others, I’m hoping I’m building something sustainable for me. My life at the moment though seems to revolve around drink water, eat protein, lift heavy and rest a LOT so I’m a bit of a fun sponge.

5 lbs in 6 weeks is great as that is nearly a pound a week, which is the recommended rate of safe weight loss ( 1 - 2 lbs a week is considered a very healthy rate). From everything I've read, it always seems to be quicker for people when they start, and then slows down to a more steady rate.

Mine definitely slowed down after the first 3 or 4 months, and now that I'm close to goal, it's often only about half a pound a week. I'm happy with that though. As long as I still see progress, however slowly, it motivates me. I weigh myself every two weeks so that I see progress on the scales a bit more obviously! I haven't really had any plateaus so far (touchwood), except for the odd week or two a couple of times, that usually coincided with a holiday or weekend away!

Joining!
I started MJ in January and have lost just over 2.5st (36lb), 6lb to GW. I've really noticed less suppression over the last month but am still losing 1lb a week.

I had to reorder last week and for the first time picked 5mg, but now thinking I should try 2.5 for another month. Like everyone else, I'm trying to work with hunger and get into better habits

You could just take 2.5 from your 5 pen for a couple of weeks @BeWildPearlFish and see how that goes.

I lost weight very slowly. Maybe I was a slow responder to Mounjaro, even. Took me nearly a year to lose 2 stone. But side effects were minimised to tiredness and occasional nausea as a result. (Apart from a horrible skin rash at one point). I definitely felt in a minority on MN when I started, when it was common for people to lose a stone a month.

I’m on 7.5 mg currently. If I went up to the maximum dose of 12.5 mg or 15 mg, I am pretty sure I would feel quite unwell, even if it was just extra tiredness and nausea. So there is a kind of trade-off. I also don’t particularly want to be whippet thin. Happy to be a size 14. Currently 14-16.

I have stabilised at around 12 stone for the last 6 months, fairly effortlessly, which is one stone more than the highest BMI range for my height. However, I am in my 60s and it is well known that it’s healthy for older women to have a higher BMI than standard.

I still get fatigue and occasional nausea a day or so after injection, which can be annoying. I also think it would be good to lose another 10 lbs, say.

So - I may change my dosing to take, say, 6 mg every 5 - 6 days to see if this helps to achieve this - whilst hopefully also minimising side effects. I think one has to be a little careful as the half-life of Mounjaro is five days.

Also, I’m trying to focus more on exercise now that it is a bit easier with the 2 stone weight loss.

For anyone who is interested it is called “ the geriatric BMI calculator”. According to that, I am in normal range! 😁

I started on 0.25 as well and it was very gentle for me at first. My medical service explained it’s mainly to let your body adjust, so I didn’t feel much straight away either. Dose increases were based on how I was getting on rather than rushing it.

I started in March 2025 and responded really well and spent a year at the 2.5 dose, losing just under 5st. Felt very abnormal for not increasing dose every month.

But I'm glad I didn't as I increased to 3.75 to lose the last bit and just hit 6st. Only a few lbs to goal and I will head to maintenance.

I was led to believe it's the deficit not the dose that results in wight loss so I was easily able to keep in my calories so stayed there.

That's really good @Yellowsubmarine55

I totally agree that it's the deficit not the dose that counts.

I'm trying to pluck up the courage to return to the jabs (lost about 1.5 stone in half a year and then gave up due to side effects). I've almost put all the weight on and I'm as unhappy in my body and eating habits as ever. I never went above 5mg before. I'd like to microdose and perhaps split the dose too.

Could I ask what pharmacies people are with and how they are splitting the dose? (I know you said it was a local pharmacy for you OP). Also, where are people getting spare needle tips from?

I started with Lloyds but switching to bolt due to cost. I got 5 needles with the pen with Lloyds and have been taking 3 quarters of dose of a 2.5mg pen. I can't even tolerate 2.5 but it's working for me micro dosing. I get 5 doses out of one pen so I don't need extras so can't help with that. I stuck with it despite side effects because I really felt it was this or nothing. I had tried everything else.

2 years in and I’m still only on 8 mg a week as my stomach can’t handle anything higher. Lost 6.5 stones in 18 months but have now stalled for the last 6 months. I’m going to have to either accept this or try to increase the dose slowly.

Thank you @Takethatter. I’ll definitely be starting on 1mg to ease myself in.

I seem to be fine the first week I take 2.5 but then not if I take it again. Does anyone else find that? I am not even going to risk going up again now unless I really stall for a good few weeks. I have got another 2 and a half stone to lose