Has anyone stayed on a low dose of Mounjaro rather than increasing?

[SherbetDipDap]

I’m currently in my third week of taking Mounjaro. I started at a BMI of 28-29, hoping to lose around 15-18kg so not a huge amount but enough that I was aware that I needed to get on top of my binge eating before it took over my life.

So far it’s been really great. It’s completely switched off my constant hunger and sugar cravings, I actually feel full and stop eating during meals, and I’ve had no side effects beyond mild nausea. I’m down about 5kg (trying to only weigh myself weekly and not fixate on numbers) and am eating roughly 1,200-1,500 calories per day.

I need to order my next pen. Would it be unreasonable to stay on 2.5mg? I feel like this dose is working well for me, and I don’t want to end up under fuelling for exercise (I train 5-6 times per week) or rapidly lose weight only to pile it back on again. Slow and steady is better than rushing things, right? My only concern is that I get to week 5 and find that it’s not enough and have to wait three weeks to go up a dose..?

Has anyone else just stayed on a low dose?

I take MJ for diabetes and am prescribed by NhS so the routine is different, but I have lost 10stone on it since Sept 2024 so am sharing as the dosing schedule worked for me both for weight loss and sugar control.

The NHS way is to only use the .5 doses as transition steps so they will only be prescribed for 4 weeks. Other than that though the protocol is ti stay on the dose that is working and only move up when weight loss stall, sugar levels rise or hunger retains to normal levels.

i did:

4 weeks - 2.5mg
20 weeks - 5mg
4 weeks - 7.5 mg
still on - 10 mg (I think that’s about 95 weeks)

I will be on MJ indefinitely as it has allowed me to completely stop insulin and metformin so I’ve gone from 2 injections and 4 tablets a day to 1 injection a week and from morbidly obese to healthy BMI. My BP is normal, my cholesterol is normal, my liver and kidney function tests have all improved to perfect range and I can exercise and go about my day to day life without pain.

I lost 30+llbs on 5ml mountjaro in just 4 months. I stuck at 10 stone losing and gaining the same 2lbs but my Dr changed my antidepressants and they're known for making you crave carbs and I've gained 3lbs in two weeks.
I don't know whether to ask her to up the dose of MJ or change my medication.
I have kidney disease so need to keep my weight down.

Before changing your dose do a reset assessment.

• Are you drinking enough clear fluids
• are you getting enough sleep
• is your diet well balanced. protein, fibre, good fats, complex carbs
• have you recalculated your TDEE since losing the 30lb as your calorie allowance has likely reduced
• are you doing some form of exercise to help boost your metabolism and retain your muscles. Even just a 20 min brisk walk, especially after a carby meal.

If you are happy that you are doing the above then you may need to increase but you’ve only had a small gain and in a short period of time which has included - change of medication, some ridiculously hot weather which could cause fluid retention and possibly hormonal/stress changes due to the medication change. If your also at the wrong point in your cycle then that 3lb could very very easily just be a temporary blip rather than a sign of things to come.

i have stayed on 2.5mg and saved money by ordering a 5mg pen every 8 weeks 😀

This is amazing. Are you in maintenance yet or still losing? Where did you start and what do you hope to get to

@Boreded I’m in maintenance now and have been for about 6 months, I started 19st 5lb BMI 41 and I’m hovering around 9st 9lb BMI 21, it goes up or down about 7lb based on hormones, holidays, stress etc. Gone from a size 22/24 to a size 10/12 and even bought a size 8 top recently.

You could be quoting my numbers. I started at 19st 4, down to 16st 10 so far (10 weeks and a couple of days).

I am aiming for 12st - I think I would be happy at this, but really my stretch is 9st 9 as this is what I was when I was super healthy and active.

When I grow up a want to be you ❤️

just keep going , if you have a bad day or few days just wake up the next day and get back into the swing of it. If you go crazy on carbs and find yourself in a starving hungry period then allow yourself a few days of eating as much as you need to to feel full BUT only low carb stuff, so plenty of protein, fibre and fat, no sugar! And drink loads of water or other clear fluids or eat a crap tonne of cucumber and other watery veg. Your body uses water in the chemical process that breaks down fat and turns it into carbon dioxide which you then breathe out, it also uses water to heal sore muscles. If you don’t drink enough your body will retain what it has.

Everyone thinks Mounjaro only works by slowing your digestion but it’s way way better than that, it’s main function is to regulate your sugar levels, it helps your body create more insulin in response to high blood sugar, it makes you more sensitive to the insulin you have and it reduces how much glucose your liver creates. That means you are less likely to store excess sugar as fat and having stable blood sugars reduces cravings for sweet/carby foods. The best thing you can do is lean into that and eat a low GI diet to make it as effective as possible.

To prepare yourself it’s worth asking for gift vouchers for Xmas. Once you get to about 13st, you’ll notice the clothes sizes change more quickly, I had to lose a good 3-4 stone before I needed new clothes, now 7lb is the difference between a size 8 and a size 10. They call it the kitchen roll effect, take 1 sheet off of a full roll and it’s imperceptible, take 1 sheet off a nearly empty roll and it’s obvious. Oh and I have still not gotten used to how small clothes look on the rack, I pick something up and scoff thinking it won’t fit over 1 leg and then it bloody does fit or is baggy, it is remarkably weird. Collarbones are wonderful, armpits go hollow and become difficult to shave and one day you’ll run up the stairs then suddenly stop and realise you a) ran up the stairs, b) your knees don’t hurt and c) you’re not out of breath.

I actually had a nice reset recently when it was slowing down. Went on holiday, ate in moderation, came back 4.8lb heavier, but then lost that and another 3lb in the next week. Have another one in a couple of months so expect to do the same as I’ll be walking 20k steps a day in the blistering heat, so hopefully I can eat a bit more, but then have my body/diet get a good reboot and rebound.

How have you found your skin? I’m presuming I’ll need surgery to remove the apron and put my boobs back where they should be. Have you looked into it yet (or done it)

Ohhh what a fab idea to order a five mg and make it last eight weeks! But aren’t you suppose to use the pen within thirty days?

Do you just leave the pen sitting at thirty clicks and use from there the following week? Can you order a pen every eight weeks via medexpress?

No - because you only twist it out thirty clicks (before you inject) and then push the end in as you inject.

For info op i have been on 2.5mg since the end of October. I’m around two and a bit stone down. I have no intention of going up the doses as I do think I need to be able to cope with a bit of food noise and chose to eat sensibly. I want to lose about another half a stone so I didn’t have a huge amount of weight to lose. It’s just becoming expensive now and was intrigued by the 5mg lasting eight weeks.

Honestly my belly looks like a melted candle and my nipples are fast approaching my belly button but I was obese in primary school. I first went to weight watchers when I was 11 yo and I weighed over 11 stone then so I weigh less now than I did in primary school. I have lived 32 years in overstretched skin it was never going to be taut and toned.

i sometimes daydream about surgery but i look and feel fantastic in my clothes, I’ve never worn bikinis or crop tops so don’t miss not wearing them now and I can’t justify the cost or downtime that would be required for a 360 body lift and boob job which is what I’d probably need. I’ve attached some pics, they may take a few minutes to get approved but they show the truth. I have noticed some improvements in arm and thigh skin as time goes on, my double chin is completely gone and that’s toned up nicely with lots of moisturiser and patience.

@SheilaFentimanso it will twist again to thirty clicks to get the other 2.5 out the following week?

I haven’t tried it but I believe that’s how it works !

I’ve lost over 8 stone on 2.5 and have some suppression but it’s more that I have lost the desire to eat too much. I can still enjoy a big meal if I want too. It really is different for everyone.

This is an amazing job, you look awesome. You look like you have a very similar starting shape to me, my stomach just had a teeny bit more of an apron hang a think. Maybe I am shorter than you (5ft 6 here).

I bet you are so proud of the changes you’ve made, and you definitely should be. And the candle tummy is a sign of how far you’ve come and how well you’ve done.

I WFH so I think a bit easier to recover, and have stopped booking holidays (last one is summer 2027) in prep for potential downtime for surgery at the end of 2027 into 2028. I don’t know for sure that’s what I’ll do, but I do know for sure that this is the first time I’ve really believed I would actually lose the weight. I’m hoping for 12st by my 40th next year, then pushing further for the 9st 9 for the 2 digits by the summer 🤞

The pen lasts until the expiry date if you keep it in the fridge. Once taken out the fridge and left out the fridge it only lasts 30 days.

Yes

Yes, as others have said, absolutely. I did a month at 2.5, then up to 5, in hindsight 5 was way too much for me and although the weight dropped off I was struggling to eat enough (a very new concept!). Got to where I wanted to be in 5 months. Tapering since May on 3.75 and now 2.5 and plan to drop again in the next month. It hits differently for different people, so adjust accordingly x

@TheGreyBee don’t forget that the 30 days usage countdown also applies once you’ve started using a pen, regardless of whether it’s kept in the fridge or not. Anyone using an open pen past 30 days, whether kept in the fridge or not, is going against the manufacturer instructions. It’s up to each person to decide if they are happy to do that.

I didn’t realise that. I must have misunderstood the instructions. However, I have had any problems at all using a pen kept in the fridge for 60 days.

Thanks for your message @SilenceInside

Oppps. Haven’t had!

@TheGreyBee it’s on the paper leaflet that comes with each pen. Many people misunderstand it.

I’m sure the pens are probably fine for longer but the manufacturer hasn’t got the evidence to prove it for patient safety so they won’t be suggesting it until/if they do get that data.