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 on Mounjaro through the programme and I've stayed quite cautious with my dose too 😊 I had a bit of fatigue and felt chilly at times, but taking things slowly has worked well for me. I'd rather make steady progress and build habits I can actually stick to long term. 💕

Hi @Takethatter with the benefit of hindsight, I wish I’d followed your approach as I just kept on with 2.5 mg for 3 months and although didn’t have gastric issues, the headaches were horrible. Really well done on your 2 stone loss.

@RedApplePie hi to my fellow Feb loser thread-er. Did laugh at your “fun sponge” but you are just investing a year or so in your body and long term health and laying down a really healthy life so it’s worth it. I try and lighten up and have some alcohol and chocolate at the weekend to balance out. However, I’m genuinely feeling my middle-aged body is responding well to reduced food intake, alcohol and early nights! I’m trying not to get envious of others’ weight loss too.

@Somethingsnapped good to hear that you’re close to your goal weight. I’ve got a 5mg pen and take 3 mg from it so it’ll last me 8 weeks or so. I’m too scared to take a golden dose from it though as think it’s doing well lasting me that long. Do you mind sharing how long it’s taken you to neatly lose all your weight on 2.5 mg for some inspiration!

@BeWildPearlFishwelcome! Great to hear that you too are v close to goal and still losing 1lb. I’m personally having no issues with extending a 5mg pen for 8 week use with the support of my local pharmacist as it works out cheaper but it’s a personal choice.

Hi there @AmethystNuggetwell done on your weight loss of 2 stones. I agree with you about not getting skinny. I’m 56 and my motivation was to not have to take statins (cholesterol has dropped to average over 4 months weight loss), reduce BP meds (already off 2nd medication) and be able to beat my partner at table tennis (2 weeks in a row now after him hammering me for months!). I’m now even thinking about starting to lift some weights and doing Couch25k. A massive difference for me. I’m only frustrated with my slow weight loss out of pure envy and because I’m naturally frugal and impatient! Love the “geriatric BMI calculator”!

@Linda983hi, how much have you lost and how long has it taken you?

@Yellowsubmarine55 what an amazing weight loss and really good to hear you’re near goal. How are you planning maintenance?

@Moonjarosorry to hear about your loss and re-gain. I’ve definitely been there on previous diets. For what it’s worth, I’d try your local pharmacy, I was already using mine as have two long term health conditions and knew them well but the local contact and physical weigh in and checks are reassuring. I don’t split my dose as I feel that days 5-7 I’m really working without much GLP1 in my system and not being afraid to be hungry so I can handle continued weight loss/maintenance once I stop taking it. But it’s each to their own.

Hello @susiedaisy1912 that’s an incredible weight loss, well done. Could you try going up to 8.5mg, maybe? Or up the calorie counting / start a new exercise programme?

@DaineeeYes, think we are all taking it slowly and feel the long term habits are so important to lay down.

Just checking in. Now I’ve moved up to 3 mg I’m really feeling the cold and in my thermals - no idea how I’m going to manage come the winter! Looking like another 1 lb loss this week.
I was wondering if anyone has found any evidence or recorded experiences from people who have lost slowly at a low dose and then NOT put it back on when they came off WLI? I’d like to think that there is some…

Ohhh you are making me want to move up from 2.5mg - I’m really suffering with sweating and heat due to perimenopause so hopefully 3mg will help - thank you

Can I recommend listening to an obesity doctor called Michelle Gordon. She talks at length about obesity, menopause & GLP medication. She’s really interesting , knowledgeable and non judgmental. Disclaimer. I’m a regular MN user who’s been on MJ for two years.

I've been on MJ for 15 months. Spent 9 months on 2.5, then between November and January messed about with doses between 3 and 3.75 but never really settled. Moved up to 5 in February and started losing again. And hit 7 stone loss in May.

By the end of April I was thinking suppression was too high as was really struggling getting in 1000 calories a day (I'm 5 ft 10) so have messed about again for the last month and stalled. So back to 5 and really want to get the last 21lb off by the end of September so I can start with maintaining and all the joy that brings (!)

BMI is currently 29.6!

@JabbaJibba amazed you have that kind of “suppression”, at such a low-dose. Lucky you!

I’m really going to titrate down to a lower dose myself, from 7 mg to maybe 5 mg, or even less. This is because I think I am getting the side effects of fatigue for a couple of days a week after taking a jab, and I just can’t afford that level of feeling out of sorts with fatigue/nausea.

My suppression has never been all that much. For me Mounjaro has been more something working quietly in the background. Hence slow rate of weight loss. I am hoping at the lower dose it will still take the edge of my appetite - but I can’t go higher than 5 mg because of the side effects.

Maybe I will have to accept being a bit bigger, in return for feeling “better”? There seems no point in being slimmer if you can’t enjoy life?!

I wonder 💭 about odd things like that too. Maybe we would have made good scientists! Though I only lost two stone, and slowly, I suspect I would put it all back on, unless I used significant discipline. But who knows? 🤷‍♀️

I am hoping I can get to a point where I can be strict in the week and relax a bit more at the weekend. I know I will always have to watch what I eat. I friend of mine did come off the jabs and has maintained her weight loss, she hasn't found it difficult but I do think I will always have an issue with food.

some really positive news for me today is that I have moved into the 'overweight' bmi category. Never thought I would be so happy to be overweight! Still got 2 stone to lose but definitely feeling the benefits today.

I hear you - I’ve recently moved to overweight and I genuinely don’t know when in the last 20+ years I have been there….happy that I’m evolving from always being the big girl!!!

Morning, everyone. Haven’t posted in ages due to life just being so busy. How are people doing?
I’ve finally made it up to 5mg after crawling through the split-doses due to strong side effects. I’m 33 lbs or 2.5 stones down so just over halfway through losing between 0.5-1lb a week. I take a half dose from a 10 mg pen to keep the costs down. Exercise stalled a bit due to knee injury but otherwise I’m tolerating MJ much better than before.
I started wearing my old autumn/winter clothes this week and feeling so happy that my 16 top/18 bottom clothes are hanging off me and I’m definitely now in a 12 top/14 bottom, yay.
SW: 14st 4lbs
GW: 10st 4lbs
CW: 11st 13.5lbs
Would love to hear how others are getting on.

That's great. I went up to 10mg two weeks ago and am still losing 1 to 2 lb a week. I'm now down 3 stone 5 since I started in March. I haven't had any of the side effects people talk about and I'm sure it's because I'm just plodding along.

This thread just popped up to the top of my list again so thought I’d update. I’m on the February starters thread but it’s died away. I’ve just done jab 35, and I’m on 3.75mg. I’ve lost 40lbs so far and I’m just 5lbs away from a healthy bmi. I still can’t believe that really. I’m still not really sure where my goal weight will be, simply because I’ve already passed all my own expectations and have come further than I believed was possible. I’m still having side effects but they are manageable and overall I feel so much better. I wasn’t the heaviest I’ve ever been when I started MJ but I was well into the upwards trajectory of my yo yo cycle. I suspect I may be on it for a long time, maybe always. I get my F2F from my local pharmacy so I do see someone every month. The pharmacist has suggested I think about at least a year on it after I reach goal.

I’m a plodder on a lower dose. Although I’ve been on it for a while now. Been taking it for 30 months, still only on 8.33mgs which is the highest dose I’ve reached so far. Lost 7 stones altogether so I’m happy with that, but it’s taken me all year to loose this last 15 pounds. If I try to go up to 10mg I’m ill with side effects so have to crawl up the clicks in the pen incredibly slowly. Makes it a very expensive way of doing it but can’t see any other way 🤷🏻‍♀️. However overall I’m thrilled with the weight loss, it’s been life changing for me.

Hi, can I ask if I want to do 2.5 mg from a 5mg pen, how many clicks should I do? Thanks

Hi. I'm on wegovy thread but its very quiet now.
I've been on the diet since new year and wegovy since April. Only moved up to the second dose of 0.5 recently

Starting bmi 30
Now 23.8...

Bloody amazing drug.

I was size 14 + and now in size 10.
I look totally transformed.

Average weekly loss 0.78
My graph I'll share as I bloody love it . Thank you wegovy!
You can clearly see my holiday spikes. Previously I never went down after so gained 2.5 stone over 3 years

Half. So 30 clicks. Each pen has 60 clicks in them per dose regardless of the strength of the dose.

Great graphic

Thanks so much

Wow I had forgotten about this thread and it's crazy looking back, feels not that long ago when I last posted and feels like slow progress but looking back it really isn't. I am on 2mg now tolerating well and have lost a total of 3 and a half stone. 1stone and 4lb to go, losing about half a pound to a pound a week with no side effects and am happy with my progress. I must be very sensitive but now I have found my stride I would happily take Mounjaro long term. Micro dosing has been amazing for me
SW 14 stone 4
CW 10 stone 11
GW 9 stone 7

I'm so pleased to see this thread and see that you're all managing on lower doses. I tried to take wegovy but I couldn't even manage the starting dose. I tried to do a lower dose but I still felt awful. I'm hoping to try mounjaro now, and do smaller doses. Hopefully I'll have more luck.
Did anyone find a supplier that also sells extra needles?

My pharmacist just bungs a handful of needles in the bag every month, they aren’t rationed in any way and they don’t charge extra. Having said that I went on holiday and forgot to take needles 🙄. I went into the nearest Boots with the pen yo prove why I needed them, and the pharmacist gave me a few to tide me over abd didn’t charge. But a few medical supply places online also sell them.

That's good to know, thanks! I'll have to do a bit more research

I bought a box of these

“Insulin Syringes 1mL White Plunger with Needle 30 Gauge Sterile 100 Pieces/Box”

and honestly will not need to buy for years!

A bit more fiddly but I’d rather micro dose so they are needed. I’m currently on 3mg on a 5mg pen and so much more cost effective.

3kgs from goal weight of 65 kgs

Then I’m going to go down to 2.5mg and keep going down unless the scales go back to 69kg