Katetype2
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hello.
I reached a little milestone today - 65lbs lost. Really pleased with that and excited that the 5 stone marker is in sight.
I’ve been thinking about writing a few words on making Mounjaro (or any WL injectable) work for you. Now seems like a good time.
This is obviously not medical advice, but just what I’ve found from my own personal experience of being on Mounjaro since 13th Jan 25. This will just be some tips and suggestions. I will be saying Mounjaro below - but really this will apply to any of the injectables, such as Ozempic.
Before you start.
I would strongly advise anyone to start making dietary changes and if possible, lose some weight before you start taking Mounjaro. This will make the transition easier, plus it will help with habit formation for the future. Eventually, you have to come off the drug and some weight gain is likely - but you can minimise this by working on your relationship with food early and getting in to a good flow with healthy eating.
Follow the instructions.
I see a lot of people on social media experimenting with their injection sites, trying to get extra doses out of their pens and generally misusing the medication. This is a fools game. Read the instructions, only inject in to the areas the instructions give you and don’t take more than you need. You can put yourself at risk of disordered eating, as well as damaging your body. It isn’t worth hurting yourself.
Injecting yourself.
A lot of people are scared of the needle. I can honestly say that the needle itself is so fine, you can’t really feel it. I was a bit nervous for my very first shot and was therefore a little heavy handed - so it was a little sharp. But now, I feel nothing at all. Doing a finger prick test hurts 100 x more. I promise you that even if you are quite afraid of needles, you can do this. There will be a few who through severe phobias cannot do it - but for anyone else, you will be surprised how easy it is.
First few weeks.
You will start on a low dose to help build your tolerance. This is when you’re most likely to get side effects. The main side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation. Some people get gassy too. I personally felt nauseous and tired, and I sometimes feel cold for a day after injecting. But nothing I couldn’t handle. I would advise people to be prepared and perhaps take the medication when you don’t have much planned for a day or two after to begin with. Push through it and it will likely become easier over time. However if side effects are utterly intolerable, speak to your prescriber and consider what options you have. Again, it’s not worth being ill for.
Appetite suppression.
This may feel very strange to begin with - especially if you’re anything like me and can eat until bursting point! It was very strange to not want food at all at some points. However, this effect does wear off as your dose runs out over the week. You learn to manage this and use it to your benefit, but at first it can be a struggle to eat enough. Make sure you do eat enough though - under-eating for a long period will make you feel like garbage and can have nasty health consequences. To begin with, you may need to eat some calorie-dense foods (like nuts) to help get enough in. Eventually, the suppression won’t be as strong and you can comfortably eat your meals and be satisfied with no urges to overeat.
Some people report that their ‘food noise’ disappears - meaning that the constant thinking about food goes away. I still think about food a lot - but I care less. I can look at a McDonalds advert and quite fancy a burger - but the feeling passes quickly and I’m not bothered that I don’t have it. You just have to work out how it affects you and work with it to get the best results for you. Ignore what works for others because we’re all different.
Moving up a dose.
I moved up to the 5mg dose after one month. This is definitely a time when side effects can kick in, so be prepared for that. I think people seem to try and rush to get to the higher doses. I would personally recommend taking things slowly. I have remained on 5mg so far, as I am still losing weight and the appetite suppression is just enough to keep me on track, but not so much that I struggle to eat. Whilst I am on this sweet spot, there seems little need to progress to the next dose. Some people panic when they start getting a little appetite back - but, again if it’s just enough to keep you losing weight then you are good. Learning to deal with a little hunger now and then is a good thing - again, you are making good habits for the future by changing your relationship with food. Find your sweet spot and ride it out as long as you can before moving up. You don’t want to reach the maximum dose and have nowhere else to go too early on your journey.
You still have to do the work.
There is a stigma attached to Mounjaro and Ozempic. People seem to believe it is the easy way out and that it’s for lazy people. I would like to disabuse them of that delusion! You still have to remain on a calorie deficit, eat healthy food and if possible, move more to get results - the same as anyone else losing weight has to! The Mounjaro makes it a little easier to stick to - that is all. I personally don’t have any cheat meals or cheat days. I am very consistent and I think that is key to my success. Saying no to things is like flexing a muscle - you train it over time and it gets easier.
Speaking of muscles…
Rapid weight loss eats your muscles. It’s inevitable. If you are on a weight loss drug, but not getting your protein in and doing some strength training, you are doing yourself a disservice. Lifting weights is a game changer - especially for women and diabetics. Muscle uses glucose! We need muscle! Most people can do some kind of strength training. My own sister has multiple sclerosis, which severely affects her mobility - but I have her strength training twice a week in the gym and she is seeing improvements from it. I see all kinds of incredible people at the gym - some with really quite profound disabilities. If you can incorporate some strength training, even if relatively basic, then you will be doing something amazing for yourself.
Expectations.
Managing your expectations is essential when on Mounjaro. Some people will respond quickly to it, others may not respond at all. Comparing your journey to anyone else’s is pointless because everyone is different. If you do respond, weight loss may come quickly to start with - but as with any other weight loss journey, it will slow down over time. You may stall or gain. This is all normal. You just need to remain consistent and keep going - it will right itself eventually.
Attitude.
This is mostly personal to me, but I’m mentioning it because it may resonate with someone. Not everyone has access to Mounjaro or other weight loss drugs. It may not be prescribed in their area, or it may be unaffordable. I therefore consider it a privilege to be given the opportunity to use it. I am one of the lucky ones. I will therefore not waste this opportunity because a lot of people out there would kill to be in my shoes. Hopefully one day these drugs will be readily available to everyone who needs them. Until then, honouring the privilege I have been granted is incredibly important to me and definitely helps me stay on track.
Finally, I want to stress that these drugs are not a miracle cure that replaces hard work. If seen some posts on social media from people saying that getting on them is their ‘only hope’ etc. This is not a healthy perspective to have because it implies that you don’t have to change anything - just take the drug and all will be fine. Not so. Weight loss is completely possible without Mounjaro. It makes things a bit easier, but the results still come from you. So if you can’t get hold of it for whatever reason, it doesn’t mean there is no hope. It just means that you will have to work on your relationship with food a little harder. Totally doable if you are prepared to make the effort. You just need to start and don’t look back.
I reached a little milestone today - 65lbs lost. Really pleased with that and excited that the 5 stone marker is in sight.
I’ve been thinking about writing a few words on making Mounjaro (or any WL injectable) work for you. Now seems like a good time.
This is obviously not medical advice, but just what I’ve found from my own personal experience of being on Mounjaro since 13th Jan 25. This will just be some tips and suggestions. I will be saying Mounjaro below - but really this will apply to any of the injectables, such as Ozempic.
Before you start.
I would strongly advise anyone to start making dietary changes and if possible, lose some weight before you start taking Mounjaro. This will make the transition easier, plus it will help with habit formation for the future. Eventually, you have to come off the drug and some weight gain is likely - but you can minimise this by working on your relationship with food early and getting in to a good flow with healthy eating.
Follow the instructions.
I see a lot of people on social media experimenting with their injection sites, trying to get extra doses out of their pens and generally misusing the medication. This is a fools game. Read the instructions, only inject in to the areas the instructions give you and don’t take more than you need. You can put yourself at risk of disordered eating, as well as damaging your body. It isn’t worth hurting yourself.
Injecting yourself.
A lot of people are scared of the needle. I can honestly say that the needle itself is so fine, you can’t really feel it. I was a bit nervous for my very first shot and was therefore a little heavy handed - so it was a little sharp. But now, I feel nothing at all. Doing a finger prick test hurts 100 x more. I promise you that even if you are quite afraid of needles, you can do this. There will be a few who through severe phobias cannot do it - but for anyone else, you will be surprised how easy it is.
First few weeks.
You will start on a low dose to help build your tolerance. This is when you’re most likely to get side effects. The main side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation. Some people get gassy too. I personally felt nauseous and tired, and I sometimes feel cold for a day after injecting. But nothing I couldn’t handle. I would advise people to be prepared and perhaps take the medication when you don’t have much planned for a day or two after to begin with. Push through it and it will likely become easier over time. However if side effects are utterly intolerable, speak to your prescriber and consider what options you have. Again, it’s not worth being ill for.
Appetite suppression.
This may feel very strange to begin with - especially if you’re anything like me and can eat until bursting point! It was very strange to not want food at all at some points. However, this effect does wear off as your dose runs out over the week. You learn to manage this and use it to your benefit, but at first it can be a struggle to eat enough. Make sure you do eat enough though - under-eating for a long period will make you feel like garbage and can have nasty health consequences. To begin with, you may need to eat some calorie-dense foods (like nuts) to help get enough in. Eventually, the suppression won’t be as strong and you can comfortably eat your meals and be satisfied with no urges to overeat.
Some people report that their ‘food noise’ disappears - meaning that the constant thinking about food goes away. I still think about food a lot - but I care less. I can look at a McDonalds advert and quite fancy a burger - but the feeling passes quickly and I’m not bothered that I don’t have it. You just have to work out how it affects you and work with it to get the best results for you. Ignore what works for others because we’re all different.
Moving up a dose.
I moved up to the 5mg dose after one month. This is definitely a time when side effects can kick in, so be prepared for that. I think people seem to try and rush to get to the higher doses. I would personally recommend taking things slowly. I have remained on 5mg so far, as I am still losing weight and the appetite suppression is just enough to keep me on track, but not so much that I struggle to eat. Whilst I am on this sweet spot, there seems little need to progress to the next dose. Some people panic when they start getting a little appetite back - but, again if it’s just enough to keep you losing weight then you are good. Learning to deal with a little hunger now and then is a good thing - again, you are making good habits for the future by changing your relationship with food. Find your sweet spot and ride it out as long as you can before moving up. You don’t want to reach the maximum dose and have nowhere else to go too early on your journey.
You still have to do the work.
There is a stigma attached to Mounjaro and Ozempic. People seem to believe it is the easy way out and that it’s for lazy people. I would like to disabuse them of that delusion! You still have to remain on a calorie deficit, eat healthy food and if possible, move more to get results - the same as anyone else losing weight has to! The Mounjaro makes it a little easier to stick to - that is all. I personally don’t have any cheat meals or cheat days. I am very consistent and I think that is key to my success. Saying no to things is like flexing a muscle - you train it over time and it gets easier.
Speaking of muscles…
Rapid weight loss eats your muscles. It’s inevitable. If you are on a weight loss drug, but not getting your protein in and doing some strength training, you are doing yourself a disservice. Lifting weights is a game changer - especially for women and diabetics. Muscle uses glucose! We need muscle! Most people can do some kind of strength training. My own sister has multiple sclerosis, which severely affects her mobility - but I have her strength training twice a week in the gym and she is seeing improvements from it. I see all kinds of incredible people at the gym - some with really quite profound disabilities. If you can incorporate some strength training, even if relatively basic, then you will be doing something amazing for yourself.
Expectations.
Managing your expectations is essential when on Mounjaro. Some people will respond quickly to it, others may not respond at all. Comparing your journey to anyone else’s is pointless because everyone is different. If you do respond, weight loss may come quickly to start with - but as with any other weight loss journey, it will slow down over time. You may stall or gain. This is all normal. You just need to remain consistent and keep going - it will right itself eventually.
Attitude.
This is mostly personal to me, but I’m mentioning it because it may resonate with someone. Not everyone has access to Mounjaro or other weight loss drugs. It may not be prescribed in their area, or it may be unaffordable. I therefore consider it a privilege to be given the opportunity to use it. I am one of the lucky ones. I will therefore not waste this opportunity because a lot of people out there would kill to be in my shoes. Hopefully one day these drugs will be readily available to everyone who needs them. Until then, honouring the privilege I have been granted is incredibly important to me and definitely helps me stay on track.
Finally, I want to stress that these drugs are not a miracle cure that replaces hard work. If seen some posts on social media from people saying that getting on them is their ‘only hope’ etc. This is not a healthy perspective to have because it implies that you don’t have to change anything - just take the drug and all will be fine. Not so. Weight loss is completely possible without Mounjaro. It makes things a bit easier, but the results still come from you. So if you can’t get hold of it for whatever reason, it doesn’t mean there is no hope. It just means that you will have to work on your relationship with food a little harder. Totally doable if you are prepared to make the effort. You just need to start and don’t look back.
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