First week on Mounjaro: should I change what I eat?

[Mamatriesmounjaro]

First week on Mounjaro and no side effects so far - I am also still feeling hungry etc but then getting full more quickly, is that to be expected?

My question really is should I be changing the things I eat or is the idea the medicine will help me automatically not want to eat too much of anything so it doesn't really matter?

I'm vegan so aware of making sure I have enough protein etc and I eat a lot of fibre naturally. I do however love pasta, pizza, pastries, bread, crumpets! All these things that have got me to 105kg!

I've read a lot on here about going low carb, not drinking etc and it worries me as if I could do that then I wouldn't have needed the injections? Does that make sense? How is everyone else doing it?

I have used it as a tool to change my diet - I still eat carbs as part of a meal but try to have wholewheat ones where possible and I never eat things like crumpets and pastries. I eat a high protein kefir with soaked chia seeds and berries for breakfast. Fish and salad with grains for lunch and a 'normal' dinner - we always cook from scratch anyway. If I want a snack I have nuts or beef jerky. Mounjaryhas had the side effect for me of removing any interest I had in alcohol so none of that either. Good luck! My BMI has gone from 30 to 20 and I've never felt better.

I did change what I eat because, like you said, it was what got me to be obese.

For the weightloss journey I wasn't remotely interested in eating crisps, chocolate, cakes, biscuits etc so it was easy not to. I deliberately stopped eating bread though as one slice of hot buttered toast just makes me want another and another! I didn't stop eating anything else but I did reduce the amount of potatoes, pasta and rice I had on my plate.

Once I reached goal I started fancying some of the snacks I'd been disinterested in for so long. However I'm consciously limiting how much of it I eat now rather than the medication completely carrying me as it had previously.

Essentially whatever you choose to eat has to be sustainable for you in the long-term.

@Mamatriesmounjaro , I’m vegetarian but predominantly plant based. I gave up eating a lot of simple carbs before Mounjaro but still managed to get to a BMI of 35. 🥴 It’s so easy to rely on pizza, pasta etc.
I have used my Mounjaro journey as a path to a more healthy me I occasionally have pasta now (very rare) but it will be red lentil pasta, I don’t eat pizza, pastry or sugar. I’m not saying I won’t ever have the occasional pastry etc but they don’t form part of my diet now.
So I guess the answer to your question is what do you want to achieve? For myself I wanted more generally to be healthy so I’ve upped my exercise alongside carefully making sure I prioritise protein and fibre. If your only aim is to be a bit lighter Mounjaro will curb your appetite, you will consume less and lose weight. Be warned however that for those who eventually stop taking the medication weight regain is frequent, if eventually you want to maintain your weight loss addressing the content of your diet to regulate blood sugar is vital.
Good luck!

I found that if didn't cut down on fatty and sugary stuff I was basically sick. With diahorrea!

I used it to help me to stick to calorie deficit, did not expect it to work without any effort from my side. Made also sure I was getting my nutrients in and not wasting my calories on nutrient poor snacks or drinks.

Thank you all. My diet is pretty good in terms of protein and fibre intake and variety of fruits and veg but I eat too much and definitely too much bread. I do exercise but can do more of that, especially resistance.

I suppose I was hoping MJ would make it easier for me to not want those things, or as much of them. If I could track kcals and lose weight I would have done so without MJ if that makes sense?

Like I have lost the same 3 stone four times! But now I have four young children who I eat with and make family meals I don't have the time to weight all my individual bits and track the calories in the way I've done so in the past.

I'm worried if I have to do as much work on MJ as without it then I'm basically wasting money taking it?

Yesterday my meals were - porridge/soy milk/ berries/ hemp/ chia/ flax

Wholemeal bun with la vie jam, chutney and gherkins

Couscous/ lentils/ sweet potato/ broccoli/ sweetcorn

Homemade blackberry crumble with oats & hazelnuts

Today I've had two pieces of sourdough with peanut butter and a banana

This is pretty much how I always eat, although my dinner and crumble portions were a lot smaller and I had no desire to spoon the left over crumble directly from the fridge late at night... Which is a change!

Long term I really want to just add my years of healthy life - I'm 40 and have four kids all under 7 so really want to be around for them as long as possible and be healthy for as long as possible.

I have back issues, fatty liver, and some stomach issues so really want to lose the weight and reverse any damage of yoyo dieting since the age of 11.

Hopefully some more suppression kicks in and helps me kick the bread habit!

It's been a week. I'd give it a bit longer than that before deciding that you are wasting your money. The 2.5mg dose is not intended to produce significant weight loss, the medication builds in your system each week and so you may start to notice more effects as you progress through the first month. You are already noticing some effects, so you know it's doing something and your choices are different.

If it helps, I have not calorie counted at all whilst being on Mounjaro. I eat smaller portions, I don't snack and I eat fewer carbs. That's mainly down to a change in preference whilst on Mounjaro, as well as preferring to eat the protein and veg elements of a meal first before I feel full.

@SilenceInside that's exactly what I'm hoping for. Fingers crossed I have a similar experience - thank you for sharing

And yes, definitely not writing it off just yet! I just wondered if I needed to calorie count then what help I'm getting from mounjaro but hopefully it kicks in a bit more with the next dose. I'm only on day four!

2.5 isn't the therapeutic dose, it's just 4 weeks of letting your body get to grips with the drug. It can suppress appetite for a lot of people, but it will have more of a daily impact next month.

I did find I did far, far better by cutting bread and pizza back dramatically. I have the occasional couple of slices - maybe once a month - and similarly mad a pastry or crumpets a once a month treat.

MJ helps with portion sizes and the urge to snack ime, but it's good to keep a mindful eye on what your (smaller) food intake is made of.

It also gives people constipation so pulses and whole grain are more crucial than ever.

You dont need to count calories and the medication will make you eat less of the things you love. However when you stop if you havent changed habits and are no longer suppressed you will put the weight back on.

So most people use it as an opportunity to change habits, not cutting everything out but finding a better balance with the medicine to help.

You might find that your diet naturally changes/evolves as you go along.

The thought of pizza makes my stomach turn now as does cheese, anything sweet and fizzy drink. I have had a bit of cake but I felt very sick after that I'm not rushing to have another one 😁

If you know the diet you had got to where you are then use this as a motivation to alter slightly, so a smaller wholewheat pasta portion or a pizza that's on a thin base with lots of salad. You shouldn't deny yourself anything but naturally you might just go off things, or start loving things.

Hated yoghurt previously but now I eat it every day so it's very strange. I haven't gone low carb but have cut down drastically.

I've also stayed on the lowest dose for a year and lost 5 stone on it so just keep going and I hope it is a successful journey for you!