The Saxenda Sisterhood

[Saxendastarter]

Hi all,

As the last thread is filling up I thought I'd start a new one so we don't get lost.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/4788207-im-starting-saxenda-this-week

This is the follow up from "I'm starting Saxenda this week" I'm personally journaling my way to a hopefully healthier and happier life. I'm journaling what I'm eating, the weight I'm losing (and gaining) and trying to see the positives outweigh the negatives on a daily basis. I'm joined on this thread and journey by many amazing women who are all very supportive and who are also sharing as much or as little as they like.

I'm finding I'm opening this thread instead of opening the cupboards, the fridge and the food delivery app on my phone and feeling less in my struggles and frustration and writing about my days makes me realize my life isn't all bad.

I'm thankful for all the voices in this thread and feel supported by the sisterhood of women from all over facing the same body struggles as I am.

I post some pictures and photos and I really like it when others do too.

If you're new please join us if you want to and let us know how you're getting on with your Saxenda journey. Come here for compliments when you deserve them and commiseration when you need some. You're welcome whatever your age, wherever you are and if you have 1kg or 10 stone to loose.

I've been on Saxenda for 10 weeks and lost 9.2kg (1st 6.2lbs) so far. I started at over 96kg and am now 87 and a bit. I have at least another 20kg to go to be happy with how I look - but knowing that the Saxenda sisterhood is here makes the journey seem less intimidating.

@ThisMustBeMyDream yes!!!! You are doing so well!!!

I just got back in the wee hours from 3 weeks in Prague and I didn't deny myself anything whilst I was there, or go crazy (but there were treats on a regular daily basis). I weighed myself, only 0.5k on! I'll take that!

But, am back on it now... fruit daily, eggs for snacks, lots of protein and early nights...

And... I am going to get on that rowing machine this week. That's my goal! You have inspired me!

i am still buzzing from
getting into a size 16 trousers.

I would love to be under 100kilos in a month. i've been teetering around 105ish mark for a while now... went up to 1.8 & 5 clicks today. Will try that for a while and see how I get on.

And yes, I am super lucky that the insurance here covers this, and that I have managed to get so much stock! After waiting for such a long time, I never thought that I would be so lucky!

I've come here today on my one year anniversary of Saxenda!
I can't quite believe that I've been on this journey for a whole year!
Today I am 12st 2.5lb.
I've lost 4st 10.5lb in a year. Starting weight 16st 13.
Bmi started at 43.1. Today it is 30.9.

I'm beyond thrilled. I'm still using Saxenda. I've just obtained another 5 pens from Manual with a 44% discount. At 1.2 that will last me now for 2.5 months. It takes me until just before I go on holiday. I'm really hoping to make my first goal of 11st by then 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞. I'll need to lose just over 1lb a week. I've managed to up my weight loss over the last few weeks after the stalling. I'm now back to averaging 1-1.5lb per week for the last month.

Now I'm getting close to my goal, I'm actually starting to reconsider dropping it by another stone. We'll see! I just want to get to where I was before right now and re-evaluate.

Phew. What a year it has been! ❤️

I forgot to add that my goal was to make sure that I wasn't fat and 40! Well, I'm 6 months from 40, and hopefully, I definitely won't be fat! I'm also far fitter than I was too, bonus!
And, this time next year... I should hopefully be getting married to the love of my life after 7 years together. I finally have the confidence to walk down the aisle in a beautiful dress with everyone watching. This time last year... hell no.

@ThisMustBeMyDream I had a code for 44% off too via email and stupidly missed the deadline. Do you know of a code that’s valid today?

Ah, no, I'm sorry. I ordered last Monday. I haven't had any more sent. 😫

@ThisMustBeMyDream I was dithering because I’d got one pen left and I’d already said I wasn’t getting any more as this second spell of saxenda hasn’t been anywhere near as successful as the first. Then I missed a few days of jabs and wham I’m up two pounds. It’s a mixture of a few more carbs creeping in and the fact that I was losing weight for an occasion and that’s now been and gone. Psychologically my head is no longer in the game so then I decided I was gunna get another 5 pens to get into the mindset of losing weight for health and not for the event. I had it in my head that I needed to do it by midnight then got mindlessly watching tv and completely forgot. Idiot!
Still I have one full pen so hopefully I will get another offer before that runs out

They do seem to put offers out fairly regularly, some better than others. I got my last pens from pharmacy online as I'd brought my dose to 1.2 from 3mg (side note: no discernable difference from the two doses. Exact same effect at this dose.) So 2 pens would last me a month at £150. Same price as full price Manual, but better for me to spread the cost when there was no offer from Manual. I've had 25%, 50% and 44% off from Manual so far (got the first pens from them in December). So they do regularly put the discounts out 🤞.
I do worry about coming off it. I think I need to get the weight off, then try and maintain without it rather than coming off before all the weight is off. It's going to be my biggest challenge I suspect.

@ThisMustBeMyDream thats my thought now , get the weight off and then try and maintain. It’s slowed so much recently though that I was comparing the cost v benefit and considering stopping. I’m only taking 0.6 and did try and increase to speed things up but the side effects were too much. It’s clear tho that 0.6 keeps me on the straight and narrow so I will buy more

My weight loss really stalled after Christmas. I ended up joining the gym on 11th March. I've been increasing my NEAT, going for walks etc. I now walk the kids too and from school on my days off (they are thrilled 🤣) for example. I can't say it will be so easy come winter, so I'm getting the effort going now! Last week I not only did 2 hours in the gym, but I also walked the 2 miles there and back again, as well as doing the school run on foot and running errands. I did 22k steps that day! I can't do that all the time, but I'm doing the best I can!
As a result, the weight loss is coming back. Although from week to week it isn't steady as such. I had 3lb off one week, nothing the next! Whilst doing all of the above. It makes no bloody sense! But there you go... here's my graph, first one is all my weight loss, second shows over the last 6 months, you can see the post Xmas gain, then the loss, then it slows right down, before starting up again!

@ThisMustBeMyDream . Happy Anniversary! Good to hear you are doing so well !

@ThisMustBeMyDream congratulations and well done!!! I needed to see this, I have been hovering around the same 2-3 kilos for over a month. I know exercise is the answer, I just don't want to do it... (but know that I need to!)

I love the graphs!!!

Do you know what is helping me get through it?! Taylor Swifts new album 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.
My very lovely other half who really is very lovely in all respects, but never gets me gifts or things outside of birthdays etc... he heard me moaning about my wired headphones not being practical in the gym. Well, I got home one day to find a pair of wireless headphones waiting for me.
They've been my absolute saving grace. Just having music on has helped the whole thing considerably. If I'm walking - headphones in. Gym - headphones in. Kids screaming? Headphones in 🤣.
So far I've had the new album on repeat since 18th April! Loving it! I've also got some books to listen to. But those are more for walks, not the gym!
This evening there is a local cycle event on. Me and the kids are going to go and give it a go! They have bikes there, run by the council. So we don't have the hassle of having to buy a bike rack that I can't bloody reach on my car (it can't go on the tailgate) as it is on the damn roof! (I'm 5ft 2!).
I've never been this active. 8 weeks in and I feel so happy. From the person who HATED exercise (I don't love it, but I no longer hate it!).

Ooohhh maybe I should invest in headphones too! (And listen to the album, I don't really know Taylor Swift!)

You are giving me motivation!!!

Today I hit that final new stone bracket! 11st 13.5! I'm 1/2 a lb from 5st loss. And 13.5lb from my first goal... and my lowest weight as an adult.
I can't actually believe it. The end is in sight... I am actually going to cross that finish line!
I can't quite believe it. A year in, no sabotage. I'm just amazed at what a difference a year can make!
I just had to share my excitement as I've wanted to be here for so long!

Manual have emailed with 37% discount today for anyone still wanting it! I'm going to get what I think will be my final 5 pens as my bmi is now 30.3 and no one at manual has responded to me about whether you can remain getting it once bmi goes below 30. That should cover me now to the end of my weight loss journey. Hopefully!!!
Today I hit 5 st loss! 1yr 2 weeks... I'm very very very happy! Took me 18 months on slimming world last time. And actually, on slimming world I had to give up at just under 4st loss and then start calorie counting as it simply didn't work.
Calorie counting is definitely superior for me. With my magic willpower injection!

Hi @ThisMustBeMyDream . Congratulations on your continued wieghtloss. You might remember I reach my goal and stopped taking saxander 9 months ago . The weight has stayed off I’m happy to report. Just to answer your query , I was able to get Saxander well after my BMI dropped below 30 . I suppose once you are a patient they let you stay on it until the end of your journey ( mine happened to be when my weight reached a BMI of 25 so I’m not sure if they would have given me more pens because I didn’t ask ) I’ll keep popping back to see how you are doing . Chuffed it’s working for you . X

Hi @Footgoose, I'm so chuffed for you! Well bloody done at losing and then maintaining! I really needed to hear from someone who got the weight off and kept it off after Sax! So thank you!
How have you found maintaining? I'm honestly shitting it about that part! I'm not even sure what my maintenance calories are going to look like!
Also, thank you for answering my query about getting more sax! My bmi is now 30.2, so been feeling a tad stressed! Good to know I can probably get it to my target weight now!

Hi @ThisMustBeMyDream . Maintaining has been fine . I don’t feel I’m missing out . I stick to 1400 cals most days . That drops to 1000 once or twice a week , give or take the odd week when I can’t manage it because of social events . I sit down all day long for my job and have almost no opportunity to get up and mov hence the lower end of the calorie scale for me . It’s easy enough to do though. Mostly by cutting carbs .
Some weekends I do eat more calories but it balances itself out by the end of the week again .
i look forward to your goal weigh pictures. I bet you are looking bloody fantastic already !

I'm currently on 1290 cals, so I'm kind of thinking 1500, with allowance for weekends to 1800. It's difficult to know as when I maintained last time, I didn't track anything!
It will be an experiment I guess! I'm wondering if I'll need to add breakfast back in once off Sax. That will take care of the extra cals in itself I'm guessing!
I feel fantastic, and what is amazing now is that every single loss feels better and better as I feel more back to myself. I'm fully back in all my old clothes - 12s and 14s. If I drop to my new goal of 10st, I suspect I'm going to need a bunch of size 10s... which I've never been in as an adult! And that thrills me to think about!
I will defo update with pics when I get there!
I'm keen to tone my tummy and arms, so that's where my next focus is going! If anyone has any good tips, I'm all for them! I've no loose skin, but I do have an overhang from my c/s 22 years ago. I'd love to reduce that right down! And my arms aren't toned underneath either 😪.

Today my BMI hit the sub 30! It's something I've been waiting for for ages!
Little goals ❤️.
I'm 11st 10 today. 5st 3lb loss in 1yr 1 month. 🎉

@ThisMustBeMyDream . That’s a cracking mile stone ! Congratulations. Bloody brilliant .

So... my insurance has approved me for Wegovy so I will start soon! Has anyone else changed over?

I'm still going on the sax @justsaxy. Just ordered another 5 pens from Manual with 44% discount.
I did a try on of some summer clothes today as I'm now 7 weeks away from my holiday so if I needed new things, I need to get thinking about it. Turns out I need new swim wear, both my costumes look ridiculous. My 2 high waisted bikinis don't look quite right either. Ffs!
I did take a pic today of a dress I wore 8 years ago on a first date. I felt great that day. I will have been a very similar size to now. I must admit it gave me a real confidence boost and a kick up the arse to keep on going as I'm so close to goal 1! Please ignore the fact that it is un-ironed and I look somewhat dishevelled and unpolished! It was just a quick try on! I can't quite believe I'm at this stage now tbh. I'm 9lb from goal 1 of 11st. No way am I stopping there though now. I'm going to throw the gauntlet down and say I'm going to get to a bmi of 25, which is 9st 11. I have never ever ever been that weight since age 16. I was pregnant at 16, and never got my weight back to a healthy bmi after that. I'm not going to get there this year most likely. I think it will take me in to next year as I can't really lose more than 1-1.5lb a week on average, and as I get smaller that will get slower. I also need to take in to account that I'll put a couple of pounds on over my holiday which will take 2 or 3 weeks to lose no doubt and similar over December. If I can get to the low 10 stones before my 40th early Nov then I will be delighted! I'm going to aim for mid feb for my final target weight.
Eeeeeeeek!

This is another before photo that I found also, to compare with current! It was actually taken a month in to Sax, and I had already lost a stone. But I didn't have many full length when I was at my biggest.

Fabulous @ThisMustBeMyDream . Sorry I didn’t check in sooner to see your progress.

Im at an annual event this week. Last years pictures recently appeared as a Facebook memory. Was a good reminder of how far I have come .