August 2026 starters

[chocolatecoveredpretzels]

Hello everyone, I'm due to start on MJ in the next few days, and I'm feeling nervous!

I've been above size 20 since I was about 14/15 years old. The highest weight I've ever logged was 134kg, about 14 years ago. I'm currently 117kg. I also have issues with my heart caused by Cushing's, type 2 diabetes and PMOS.

In the past few years, I'm yo-yo'd between 125kg and 110kg three times. I know how to lose weight and can do it... but as soon as work gets busy or stressful, I fail and give up. I also have an issue with binge and secret eating.

I went for my annual diabetic review yesterday and the nurse basically used the whole time telling me about going on MJ, because my BMI is over 40 (well, as of yesterday's weigh in, I'm 39. something) and because of my other health conditions. I didn't have to fight for it, or request it.. they're just giving it to me.

Now I'm doing as much reading/ video watching as I can to clue myself up.

On my on-track days, I eat:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with some flavouring- chilli flakes or marmite or 15g cheddar.

Lunch: Chicken thigh fillet in some kind of seasoning mix, salad made of lettuce, pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, sugarsnaps, carrot. Sometimes 3 cream crackers and a laughing cow triangle as well.

Dinner: Varies- roast chicken dinner/ 5% fat mince spaghetti bolognese with wholewheat pasta/ beef burger without the bun with cheese, salad on half the plate, usually without chips, noodles with chicken and stirfry veg.

Snacks: Usually a portion of berries/ a nectarine/ cherries/ 25g peanuts at 4pm.

How does that sound?

I have a treadmill and run/walk at 6.5/6km/hr pace for 30 mins three times a week. The nurse said I should do some weights for my arms too.

Any recommendations for which day I should inject?

Nothing I can say for certain it's accurate, and it's actually honeymoon period not golden. My error. Response form gemini AI

"The "honeymoon period" with GLP-1 medications (such as semaglutide/Wegovy or tirzepatide/Zepbound) refers to the initial phase of treatment when weight loss happens most rapidly, appetite suppression is at its strongest, and "food noise" virtually disappears with minimal effort.
Duration & Timeline

• Peak Window: Typically lasts 3 to 6 months.
• The Trajectory: The absolute peak rate of weekly weight loss often occurs between weeks 8 and 28, once you titrate up from starter doses into target therapeutic levels.
• The Transition: Between months 6 and 12, weight loss naturally slows down as your body adapts to a lower mass and reduced caloric requirements. By months 12 to 18, most people reach a stable plateau.

What Characterizes the Phase

• Instant Satiety: Feeling full after small portions without feeling restricted.
• Absence of Cravings: Intrusive thoughts about food, sugar, or late-night snacking fade significantly.
• Effortless Deficit: Maintaining a significant calorie deficit happens almost automatically.

Why the "Honeymoon" Ends Passing the honeymoon phase doesn't mean the medication stopped working; rather, your body’s metabolic physiology adapts:

1. Metabolic Adaptation: As body mass decreases, daily basal metabolic rate (BMR) declines, requiring fewer calories to maintain weight.
2. Re-emerging Appetite: Slight hunger cues return to protect the body against starvation, though rarely to pre-medication intensity.
3. Receptor Desensitization: The brain and digestive tract adjust to the constant presence of GLP-1 or GIP signals.

Sustaining Momentum Post-Honeymoon

• Prioritize Protein & Resistance Training: Muscle loss drops your baseline metabolism; target high-protein intake and strength exercises to preserve lean tissue.
• Consolidate Habit Changes: Use the high-suppression months to establish consistent meal routines, sleep habits, and hydration patterns so they carry you through the plateau phase.

"

I have it in my head that the first 12 weeks are the easiest but don't recall where I read it. the 3 to 6 months I have seen referred to more then once.

That's why I told myself I will go all out with lifestyle intervention from day one, and I will try to milk the first 12 weeks for all they got. Depending how much I am losing I may up my minimum calories and focus more on the long ride after - basically if I lose more then 1% a week, I wont worry first 3 months but I will consider my options after. This is just what I plan to do - I am not suggesting it as good approach for anyone else at all. It's very individual.

Last dose from first pen - I went up to 3.5mg for my 4th and for this my 5th from that pen, it was one of the old style pens.

5mg pen arrived today and I intend to go up to a full 5mg dose on that - it looks like it is a newer style pen.

Loss from first pen 1.6kg/3.5lb (less lost in my first month this compared to when I did my first stint). But, I am exercising a lot more than I was then, so I am hopeful that I have converted some fat to muscle which is really great. My scales aren't clever so only track weight.

waist = minus 2cm
hips = minus 4cm

Just written out my tracker through to end of Dec when I intend to stop as either I will have lost what I hope to or I will have stalled and MJ isn't as effective for me this time around.

I have approx 10kg to lose ideally but I would be happy with 8 as that would see me into the healthy BMI

Curious to see the efficacy of 5mg

Mostly I am working really hard to establish good habits and I feel really strongly that getting exercise right this time and then carrying on beyond MJ is critical for me. I think that they say it takes 3-5 months to build a habit so that it can be enforced and maintained.....at least I have now been going to a weights gym for a month now (at last) and I am also back on the C25K....again!!

Here is to keeping motivated and using MJ as a support tool... I am lucky that it worked well for the first 20kg lost before so, I see this as the 'final push'. I have the skirt part of what I intend to wear for my Jan wedding and getting it out is also motivating....still need to find the right top......

Keep motivated everyone and if you haven't done so already take all of those measurements and hang on to those before pics....even if the scales don't budge another measurement might please you!

That's same thing but little better explained I think - also AI response

The "honeymoon period" on GLP-1 medications (such as semaglutide or tirzepatide) refers to the initial phase—typically lasting from the first few weeks up to 3 to 6 months—characterized by rapid weight loss, profound appetite suppression, and the dramatic silencing of "food noise."
Key Characteristics

• Silenced "Food Noise": Persistent background thoughts, cravings, and mental planning around food often vanish almost immediately.
• Rapid Initial Weight Loss: Early scale numbers drop quickly due to significant calorie reduction and shedding water weight.
• Effortless Satiety: Feeling full after eating very small portions, making appetite control feel low-effort. Why the Honeymoon Phase Shifts After a few months, the intensity of this early response naturally changes as the body adapts:
• Receptor Adaptation: Gut and brain receptors adjust to ongoing GLP-1 exposure, allowing a standard baseline of hunger signals to gradually re-emerge.
• Metabolic Adaptation: As overall body mass decreases, basal metabolic rate (BMR) slows down by 10% to 25% to conserve energy.
• Pacing & Plateaus: Weight loss naturally transitions from rapid early drops to a slower rate (0.5 to 2 lbs per week) or temporary plateaus. Navigating the Post-Honeymoon Transition Moving beyond the honeymoon period marks the transition from drug-driven loss to long-term health maintenance:
• Protect Lean Muscle: Prioritize adequate protein (aiming for 25–30g+ per meal) paired with strength training to preserve muscle mass and keep metabolism active.
• Emphasize Fiber: High-fiber foods like vegetables, legumes, and whole grains slow digestion naturally to complement the medication.
• Adjust Mindset: Recognize that returning appetite or a temporary stall in weight loss is a normal biological response, not medication failure.

@MiaN I absolutely relate about the clothes.

When I'm losing, I always try to save money by getting as much as possible in charity shops (and not averse to using them anyway), but inevitably end up looking at new stuff as well. But I do have a lower internal price threshold for things I think I won't be able to wear for long, compared to if I thought I was stable.

Either way, it doesn't matter how many times I tell myself I am only going to buy things that fit properly and flatter me.... I always end up getting stuff that doesn't really suit. So I wear it once, or not at all, and eventually get rid.

I have pretty much got used to wearing 16's - started getting into them at the end of 2024. But now that I've started on the jabs and hopeful of shifting another couple of stone, I am back into "I won't buy loads of clothes now, or anything expensive, because I won't get much wear out of them."

Once the colder weather comes, I'll be in jeans 90% of the time, and I have several pairs that fit me great when I was 7lb heavier than I am now. I doubt that is enough of a difference to make them ridiculously loose.... and there are always belts!! But I'll probably get some 14's in a charity shop when I need them and hope I'll be continuing on to 12's.

I have promised myself that once I get to the weight/size I am truly happy with, and have convinced myself I am staying there (don't know how long that will take) I will splash out on some really good quality waterproofs and walking gear. No more cheapo Mountain Warehouse!!

Re doses - I also want to stay on the lowest effective dose for as long as I can. I feel I have already done most of the hard work on habit change and hope that will eventually allow me to come off. But ultimately my health comes first. I am trying to recast my goals in terms of waist measurement, visceral fat, and HbA1C. Not easy, when the scale has dominated my life.

I got in the rabbit hole of statistic, and some say the first 3 to 6 months, other say 3 to 6 months is best. But there is one very important caveat - "One very important finding: some people who were relatively slow responders during the first 12 weeks subsequently lost a lot of weight."

It's hugely individual. There is episode of Half Size Me podcast with Lyle McDonald and he has a book, other podcast talking about it that is worth a listen. He is bit mad to be honest, but well informed.

Thank you MiaN for the information, which is really interesting.

I would rather lose weight slowly and keep it off, but I am worried about this appetite suppression thing. I know I am currently on the 'starter dose' and I need to move up now, but by god the food noise is back. All I can think of is food and feeding my face. The first month was so blissful, and I am desperate the get that feeling back.

So glad I dropped my dose to 1.25 on Saturday after 4 days of horrible diarrhoea last week. 1st poop since weds was yesterday and was v loose which is not like me at all. Stomach uncomfortable today but thankfully the diarrhoea from last week has not returned.
Surprisingly suppression is still good for now. Energy levels are v low. Trying to increase my protein. Powders maybe? Any suggestions for bland veggie protein snacks from anyone please?

from the glp training I am doing, with my own words - more in 2 days. This was really only few minutes video

Letting go of the guilt is step one: using GLP-1 medication isn't a cheating or a cop-out. The medication can open the door , but you are still the one doing the actual work. You still have to buy the right groceries, prepare nutritious meals, stay hydrated, and show up for yourself every day. It’s a supportive tool, not a complete solution.
Think of this time as a golden window to build habits that last. Simply eating smaller portions of low-nutrient food won't create the vibrant, healthy lifestyle you actually want for the long haul. Use this momentum to fuel real transformation and lifelong healthy habits.

and affirmation - not the same but same message

I am satisfied and fulfilled. My mind is aligned, my appetite is balanced, and my body is designed to be healthy, fit, and strong.

Hi all, Tuesday jab day for me (jab #3) - I'm down 0.8kg this week, so I guess it's settling somewhat now. It's still hard to tell what's suppression and what's early-days determination, so I think I'll stick with 2.5mg for my next pen in the interests of taking things slowly. 3kg down overall since day 0, so that's great 🙂

I'm bringing exercise in again, good old Joe Wicks's PE videos 😂 We did all of his PE With Joe ones during covid, so I know that I can do it, it won't be too stupid difficult. Just got to actually commit properly - I'm starting off with doing them Mon/Wed/Fri...

I cook tofu in the air fryer with a spray of avocado oil and then some salt. It very bland so easy to dress up with a sauce if your stomachs up to it and if not then you can have it plain.

I also like the this isn't chicken pieces that come ready cooked in the deli isle they are high protein and fibre.

For breakfast I have a chia pudding with a tin of coconut milk blended with a cup of frozen raspberries/ blackberries before stirring a half cup of chia through, leave for ten mins then top with greek style yoghurt, fresh berries and toasted nuts for loads of protein and fibre to help with the toilet issue

@Mamatriesmounjaro thank you so much. I will give the tofu a go. Great idea.

@Anseranser I've started Joe Wicks workouts too. Finding them just about right to fit in around other commitments and feel like I've exercised. I'm only on the beginners though. Good luck.

W1 -2.5kg
W2 -2.4kg
W3 -1.3kg
W4 -0.9kg

7.1kg, 15.5 lbs on 4 weeks is great.

Very happy with the result. Next 4 weeks will be challenging with week away in the middle but I am going to try to keep up the focus.I hope the slow down has now occurred and I get good steady few month with 3 to 4 kg loss. There are 15 weeks until Christmas, I would love to be under 80kg by then (-10kg) but 15 would be amazing. Honestly any steady movement in the right direction is win

I’m spending a day with my mum and sisters - we don’t live near each other, so don’t see them often. Last time I saw them was late July. My sisters say they can see a difference in my face.

We had a good chat about MJ. One of their sons is on it, another one’s daughter has recently started and thinks it’s amazing. One of my sisters would like to go in it but had been told by her doctor to wait until her thyroid level is sorted. Another would like to try a dose just to see the effects.

We also talked about wrinkly skin post weight loss. Everyone who has lost significant weight and is older has it to some extent. Everyone who is older has it, unless they’ve been lean and active throughout their life!

Basically - be guided by health, function and how your body works, rather than the mirror.

It seems pretty well documented that 2.5 is just to get your body used to it and 5 is when it really starts working. I can see more value in holding at 5 for as long as you can if you're losing on it (cheaper for one thing!), but I wouldn't be nervous about going from 2.5 to 5 if I didn't have any reason to be?

I've weighed - loss of 2.9kg so far. A lot of this will be water weight but I'm pleased with this given that I haven't been able to exercise regularly. I've ordered my second pen of 2.5mg but I'm thinking maybe I should have gone up to 5mg. Keen to keep on the lower doses as long as possible though. Feels like the right decision to start - my GP told me yesterday I have probably got fatty liver. At least I can tell them I am already making changes.

The lack of food noise is wonderful! Do some people really feel like this all the time without WLI?

direct quote form the Weightless book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weightless-Doctors-Weight-Loss-Medications-Sustainable/dp/1785046330

"If you’re prescribed semaglutide or liraglutide, you will be asked to start with a subtherapeutic dose. A therapeutic dose of a medication means that you’re taking an amount that will produce the desired effect (in this case, support significant weight loss and improve metabolic health), while a subtherapeutic dose is intended primarily to help your body adjust to a medication and may not spark big changes right away. But as with anything else in medicine, there are exceptions; some patients may lose weight even at smaller doses. You won’t know how your body will respond until you start!

However, if you are taking tirzepatide, the starting 2.5 milligrams is a therapeutic dose. Some patients lose meaningful weight even at this first dose. Patients tend to tolerate tirzepatide better than semaglutide, which allowed Eli Lilly to design the starting dose (2.5 milligrams) to be therapeutic. Since side effects are milder at the therapeutic dose, there is no need to begin with a subtherapeutic dose."

Plus, I am not looking at it from fear point of you. It's working for me right now, why increase? If it's not working of course, increase - but if it is no need to rush. Make most of each dose before moving to the next - they all level off at some point.

But also, if it's not the right dose and you feel it's not working - just go up of course, don't deny yourself the medication you need. It doesn't matter what is it for others, it really seems that is hugely individual

So, first pen finished and 1.5kg down....
But, today at my gym session - its a small group weights based group, and I have been going x3 per week for 5 weeks - one of the people who has been going for some time, came over and told me that she could really see a difference since I first started. The environment of this gym is really supportive, and we all work pretty hard, and it was nice of her to say - particularly as I was feeling pretty knackered. I thanked her and told her that I have a January goal!!!

Note to self (and to all I guess), whilst the scales might not move a lot, things can be changing....posture improvement for one.

When I was first on MJ no one commented until I had lost over 2.5 stone, and then I was asked if I had changed my hair.....But, it was mostly over winter and I was wearing similar clothes. I guess it is way more visible what is going on when I am in lycra! It just goes to show sometimes people don't notice the changes. But, I also think that sometimes people don't like to mention weight.

I am short(ish) and aim to have lost in the region of 5stone/30kg in total, and due to the break of a year it will have taken just over 2 years if I hit my end of year targets. Some of you I am sure are aiming for more than that, and more quickly so the change really will be dramatic.

I definitely believe that exercise is my key, and that it will be my maintenance tool this time. MJ is my kick start for this final stage and resetting for long term good habits. I tried home based stuff but I wasn't consistent. I need the accountability of turning up and also I need to be pushed. If you are hesitating about the exercise side of things there might well be something out there that suits you. I had been looking for ages!

I saw my mum and sisters yesterday and today - not seen them since late July, before MJ. One sister said she could see a difference around my face and neck, and the others agreed. They did the usual thing of expressing scepticism that I needed to lose much more. So I asked one of them outright whether she thought I was too thin, and she said No without any hesitation. Just as well, really, since my BMI is 29.

My motivation today of zero, more late period hormones than the medication but I am going to get up and try to get going.

I’ve finally hit 3kg lost (context on why I’ve said finally in a moment) and I’m due the 4th jab on Saturday.
The final 0.5kg took about 10 days to come off and I’ve noticed a few lifestyle things that probably influenced that in case anyone is interested in my rather boring observations.

One thing was that I drank (in moderation) Wednesday of last week. Although it didn’t have a noticeable impact on the scale, my sleep was then poor quality for 4 nights according to my garmin which was interesting.

I also ran a 10k race Sunday, it was hilly and I was exhausted after. I’ve found myself a bit susceptible to snacks for the first bit of this week (not helped by my husband buying snacky stuff!) and I was feeling like I was sliding backwards. But I’ve woke up feeling much brighter this morning and dropped down below 90kg. And that’s even with a little snacking yesterday!

The average BMI for women in my demographic (55-64) is 28.8.

As of this morning, mine is 28.7.

I can’t tell you how happy this makes me, given that at one time it was 48.5.

When we got to lunch time yesterday, I was absolutely blooming ravenous, having fasted the previous day, We went out for lunch and the service was slow. I had some tomato and basil soup (utterly delicious) and just one of the 3 little slices of mini baguette which came with it, then a chicken and bacon salad. In the evening, home made chilli with cauli rice, guacamole and cheese, then berries and Greek yogurt. No extras. Completely satisfied. Looking forward to another great day today.

I did shorter then normal walk and will sneak in my exercises through the day. I would love to know if this is my normal pms tiredness, even more so that I am late or is it my body telling me that it's time to up my calories recently. Currently I only make myself eat more if my protein is under 100 or my calories are under 1200 and I find my carbs need to be over 140 or my energy dips. But I don't think eating that, for my activity level is something that I can do for an year. I had just over 1600 so I don't shoot for the minimum, I have given myself 1850 as longer term calorie goal. I will have to wait few days I guess to figure it out

Interesting topic re loose skin. I am trying not to think of it - I take fish oils and use body creams and if I have loose skin I still want to be healthy bmi and loose skin vs no loose skin and obese. Healthy wins. I had very small breast and I gained so much weight there, so probably that would be most bothersome when I lose the weight but look - I am fed up being obese. I want the weight gone.

have a super healthy side effects free day all - chat later!

My village FB page has just had a local fitness trainer post to they've got spaces in their classes. Maybe I should sign up for Pilates 🤔 It's a shame most of the things that appeal to me clash with work meetings, but Thursday evenings and Friday mornings are doable...

I've just ordered my second pen too - I've had zero side effects on 2.5mg (and not much in the way of effects that I'm certain of at all) so I've requested 5mg this time.

The loose skin idea bothers me a bit too @MiaN, but like you say I'd rather that than continue to be obese. I've been using a great deal of moisturiser over the last 3-4 months as my skin has got unbearably itchy, especially over my hips and sides. It's probably a perimenopausal hormonal thing, I imagine. At least I've got it there to use on my belly if (when!) it becomes necessary 😂