Moving on from Wegovy

[Candyfloss99]

I've lost 4 and a half stone on wegovy. I've gone from an obese BMI to BMI of 21. I'm so happy. It took me a year. So now I'm going to taper down and stop. Has anyone else stopped yet? I'm going to keep up the calorie counting and exercise of course to keep the weight off.

Hi @VanellopeVonSchweetz99 !

The food noise coming back has been difficult but it has an upside in that I'm interested in planning and cooking meals again. That makes it easier to think about my calorie budget.

For me the worst part is getting the "still hungry" signals when I know I should be done. And my sweet tooth is as bad as it's always been. It's really clear to me that the hunger signals aren't just in my head, they are real and a physical/biological trigger to eat more. I understand now that I'll probably be fighting this, or on some kind of maintenance drug, for the rest of my life. I'm just not getting the "stop eating" messages from my body.

I'm finding that I have to watch and track what I eat just to stay in place. I was away this weekend and I overate because we were eating out and with kids and friends (and I didn't have a fridge to portion out my leftovers!) But it's going to take me the rest of the week to recover from it and I'll have to be extra careful.

Luckily I am now much less interested in alcohol. A single glass of wine will last me all night. That helps too.

I am still the same, losing slowly now, under a stone left. I get hungry but I am not sure it’s an overwhelming hunger anymore. I am so used to it now it’s been months of living this way so I am not finding it as alarming or overwhelming as I used to. I do get a stop eating message when I feel full up. But yes watching and tracking is life now. I don’t think I can physically have any other life if I want to maintain this weight? I can’t go back to how I used to be.. that me is gone. Carefree eat anything I want and pay no attention or not think about it, doesn’t exist anymore.

If I am hungry I still get to choose what I eat. I was still hungry last night after dinner so I had Wholemeal toast with light Philli, so yes it was right up to my calorie budget and likely 50 cals over (which is fine don’t care about) but it wasn’t cake/crisps/fries/chocolate/biscuits like it used to be so I will take a win. I know my mistake was not eating meat with my dinner I had a veggie option and low protein so I was still hungry.

If I am going to eat a sweet treat I eat it with a meal I don’t eat them as snacks anymore as then I might be hungry and over eat them whereas eating it with a meal means I enjoy it but I am otherwise full up

I’m not going to get upset if I eat an apple or brown bread before bed if I am hungry or feel the need to restrict the next day as that for me could cause a binge/restrict cycle to start

*1 month update
*
I stopped taking Wegovy just over a month ago. Took about 2-3 weeks for the constipation issues to fade and I'm pretty sure it's completely clear of my system now.

Bad points: a) sugar addiction is a very real problem for me and I cannot be trusted not to have "just one more". I found and finished that Easter egg I hadn't touched. I ate all the kids chocolate they didn't want when we went away for the weekend. B) I have to track all my calories now - I'd stopped counting toward the end of my Wegovy journey because I just didn't need to. C) I have a vacation coming up and I know I will gain weight, that's a given now instead of being able to take it in stride.

Good points: I'd been expecting to gain half a stone/4kgs. So far it's been about 3lbs/1.5kgs. I had thought it was inevitable to bounce up right away. But I'm finding it relatively easy (so far!) to counter my bad days with good days and stay in the same place. This week has honestly been the first time I've actually thought "but I don't need to gain weight and I might actually just try to lose some more" instead of expecting getting fatter as just my inevitable fate.

And food tastes much better now, of course.

The real test will of course be longer term, so I'll need to check in at three months and see how it goes. Fingers crossed I can keep this up!

Well done @MorphandMindy
You're doing great.

I've reduced my dose to 0.75 this week, will do 0.5 next week and then 3 weeks of 0.25 before stopping. I'm about 6lbs away from my goal weight so will hopefully be there by the end.
I haven't noticed the reduction in dose yet and the Wegovy nausea is in full swing 😑

Sympathy @AhBiscuits I don't miss the cramps and nausea one bit!

Sounds like you are doing great. I think I'm going to be a calorie counter for life now too and I need to make sure if I put on a couple of pounds I get them straight back off because we all know how quickly they go on if you aren't being aware.

Really encouraging updates, well done!
I have two doses W 1.7 left, 4 lbs from goal weight. Last week I was 2 lbs from it. But I felt quite fatigued and decided to eat closer to maintenance + more carbs and sure enough some weight back on (water obvs, measurements not changed).
Yes, I'm going to have to be a calorie counter for life too, going forward. I can't say the thought fills me with much joy though. But the alternative is far worse.
Question: Cold turkey or taper off, once I quit?

I went cold turkey off it, I think it took a few weeks to completely leave my system anyway.

I'm currently tapering. I've got no idea whether it makes any difference rather than just stopping.

Those of you who have reached a healthy weight but still taking the medication, how are you getting it? My BMI is now 24 (from 31) and I've had to lie on the online pharmacy form since it was under 30 and say I'm heavier than I am. I don't really like lying and I'm wondering if they are going to ask for photographic evidence again at some stage.

I think I might end up being one of those people on Wegovy for life, because it regulates my blood sugar so well and I don't get those horrible lows where I'll eat anything just to stop feeling shaky. I'm on the full dose of 2.4 and losing, but only about half a pound per week now.

I really do not know. I imagine they will question you at some point if you are claiming you are not losing and on a high dose? You may also have to switch supplier. I don’t know how to answer this as I just don’t know what you should do, to be honest unless you are diagnosed diabetic your blood sugars should not be doing this if you eat a balanced diet so maybe you need to get a medical opinion if you are having hypos .

I used to get this but now I don’t as I regulate my own blood sugars using my food intake and I do not have diabetes

Many pharmacies are happy to keep prescribing until you hit BMI 23 if you have been on it the whole time. My BMI is 26 now and my supplier has no issue, I've never lied.

I have this question too, they all want doctors details too. Where are people getting it from

Thanks - I did get a medical opinion years ago but I'm not diabetic. If I eat a lot of protein it helps, but the Wegovy is so much better. I need to find the minimum dose which will keep my blood sugar stable - provided I can keep getting it prescribed.

I wondered if the Zoe app might help as it's a personalised plan. I'm just a bit wary of stopping Wegovy in case I can't get it again. Although it is costing me an absolute fortune (both the medication, and smaller clothes!)

When I was on Saxenda, the supplier (I think it was My Pharmacy) were really strict and refused to sell it when I wasn't technically obese any more. I thought that was odd, as surely the point of taking it is to get down to a healthy weight.

When I switched to Wegovy I over-stated my weight and used a picture I found on the internet to build in a bit of slack, so I could look like I was slowly losing weight but still remain obese on paper. I would much rather not do this, but the medication has been a game-changer for me.

I can’t really advocate or support using fake photos of other people to deceptively obtain medication I’m afraid. I don’t know how I would feel if you were fraudulently using my photo of me being obese unknowingly to get medication

So you could manage it through your diet if you tried but you aren’t going to try? this thread is support for those who plan to stop using it maybe you would have better luck and advice on the threads of active users?

If you aren’t obese I can understand why there are barriers. This was always going to be the problem with this medication through private prescribers and although there has been chatter about using it long term that’s applying to diagnosed diabetics not for WL as it’s been advised it’s 2 years and many will abide by this and encourage you to try to learn to live without it. We don’t really know the long term issues with this medication long term we could all be sitting on a time bomb.

eating protein is to manage hunger is basic nutrition as you know

Its your call good luck

Wondering about tapering versus just stopping also…though may have no choice as had been getting it (in Ireland) from MyBMI and they seem to have closed my account without contacting me or any communication at all. Anyone else in Ireland recommend an alternative supplier?

Hi op,

Wanted to ask a question if that's ok? Did your pharmacist keep prescribing you until you got it BMI 21? I have heard they stop prescribing when you get to BMI 25. So seeing if some pharmacies prescribe for longer.

Thanks.

I was getting my wegovy from Zava so once you are on the 2.4mg pen they send you out 3 at once. I was only taking a 1.6mg does so those 3 pens lasted me 18 weeks so I think last time I ordered I was BMI 25 then i never needed to order again. Hope that helps.

I don't think people are getting it. I think most people stop when they reach a normal BMI.

There’s definitely a difference between prescribers in the UK and Ireland. The NHS has recommended that you only take Wegovy/Mounjaro for two years, but I don’t know what that’s based on. And UK prescribers seem to stop prescribing when you get to a healthy weight which seems counterintuitive- maintenance is the part where most people fail - not the weight loss part. You’d nearly be better losing weight with Slimming World and then taking medication at goal weight.

Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have stated that these are life long medications, like blood pressure medication. My doctor was very clear with me stating that I shouldn’t start this medication unless I’m willing to take it for life. He said that there may be a small group of people who can stop taking it and maintain their loss but it’s probably the same number that maintain after any kind of diet e.g. 15-20%. I didn’t ask about tapering or maintaining on a lower dose as I know there simply isn’t any trials on that yet.

it seems borderline negligent for a doctor/pharmacy to stop prescribing it after a set time or at a set weight - it goes completely against the manufacturers guidelines and doesn’t appear to be based on any evidence.

To be honest I'm so glad to be off it and don't have to stay on it. I've got so much energy now I'm off it, no heartburn, no nausea. Thankfully I'm maintaining as it broke my habit of binge eating everynight or overeating at meals.

I'm down to 0.25mg now and will take that for another couple of weeks and I'm done.
I keep waiting to be ravenously hungry but I'm not yet so the low dose is still doing something. I can now eat more and not feel ill. My energy is returning. I've spent 6 months struggling to find the motivation to do anything but I'm running and gardening and not feeling inclined to spend hours on the sofa.
I went to a party this weekend drank and ate a lot. The scales say +1.5lbs but hopefully that will be gone in a few days. I guess the odd splurge is OK as long as I immediately address it. I'm trying not to stress about it.

I had my first big test of being out of routine last week when I went away. I couldn’t calorie count as nothing worked that way and there wasn’t always the best food available.

I did gain a couple of pounds but the important part is, when I got back to my normal routine (which I missed) I did not just carry on ‘holiday mode’. I feel more confident now I can have a holiday mode for a short time and then back to normal mode. It’s made me realise that you could easily turn every weekend into holiday mode though so you can’t just switch off your routine at weekends and go wild or I would be back at square 1 within a few months.

I also didn’t snack between the meals. I just ate at mealtimes, even if they were not my usual types of food. I did also drink alcohol but I also felt more able and motivated to alternate them with non alcoholic drinks.

Joining in again - I've been tapering down since the beginning of January and took my last dose 10 days ago. I am definitely more rumbly-tummy than for months and as @Menora has said many times. The lifestyle changes have to be permanent.

Stepped on the scale this morning and tipped over 69 kg for the first time since January

I really never want to be as heavy as I was and know that having the conversation with myself daily about portion control and self regulation is key.