Saxenda, Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro advice and support #8

[Dollybird]

That's generally the whole experience for me since being on MJ. Feeling full quickly and satiated. I still get cravings for nice things, which I have when I want to but after a small amount, I'm done. I wish my brain would do this without having to pay for a drug to do it for me but hopefully I'm learning new life skills to take it forward for life when I finish MJ.

I feel this too! Wegovy has changed my life and I sound like a sales person for it but it really has! I don’t have joint pain anymore and my confidence has improved . So much so , I went for a promotion at work that I never thought I’d get and I’ve got it ! I know weight shouldn’t dictate how we feel about ourselves but I’ve finally found something that works and it’s boosted how I feel . I couldn’t stick to a diet with the food noise that I had before going on this medication. I would snack a lot and reach for chocolate and crisps. I still get the craving but can have a few and feel satisfied . It took some getting used too , especially when I was a plate clearer by nature and I was leaving food on the plate . People noticed I wasn’t eating as much and I haven’t admitted to being on the jabs as would get so much judgement . Obesity is stigmatised
I still get the session the morning after I inject but I rather that than constipation . It is expensive but I’m not buying the treats or takeaways now so it kind of breaks even as my food shop is less . But I wish it was cheaper

 

[mindlessness]

Echoing @fishyfishfish and her wise advice - it can take time and I wouldn’t get disheartened if things are slow early on. Give it three months, move up a few doses, focus on getting in nutrients and lots of protein, drink lots of water, then see how things are at 3 months. These meds aren’t magic and they’re not going to work exactly the same for everyone.

For example, my weight loss was slow early on (but on the plus side I didn’t really get any side effects) and I am now down 62lbs as of this morning’s weigh in!

 

[ScottishMammy92]

Just ordered my 1.0mg for month three. First time they've asked me to upload a photo so hopefully they'll accept it. Always worry when reordering that they'll say no actually you don't need it and cancel it. As my BMI now isn't obese it's overweight I'd worry they'd refuse it. Fingers crossed...

Week one - 12 stone 1 pound
Week six - 9 stone 2 pounds

 

[ScottishMammy92]

Never been so cold in my entire life I cannot heat up - had the fire on all morning, my oodie and fleecy joggers (I'm working from home) and I've just boiled the kettle for my hot water bottle I look like I'm preparing for a bitter winter! I mentioned it at my last doctors appointment and she just said yeah that can happen I'd rather be cold and nearly 4 stone lighter though so I'll take shivering

 

[Ladybird90]

AHHH I’ve just done my first doae of MJ! I’ve been putting it off all weekend having doubts and worrying about the needle. I did my measurements this morning and my waist measurement terrified me, I think I’ve been in denial. So I just went for it, I’d got myself worked up about the needle but I didn’t even feel it. I’ve had to lay down as I feel so dizzy from the relief of it being ok (this is normal with anything needle related )

7 stone to go…

 

[Dollybird]

I’m part of the slow and steady crew , so don’t be disheartened if you have a plateau or a slower loss than you expect . I am on the full dose Wegovy now and feel my weight loss is slightly quicker . I went to a body scan for first time before I started and my visceral fat and reduced significantly. I have heart disease and diabetes in my family so this was the main one I wanted to reduce as I was so high. The drug works and has changed my life .

just because it works for me doesn’t mean it will suit everyone . I have been lucky with minimal side effects but I do poo a lot looser (tmi sorry!) and I drink more water , probs what causes the looser poo I do feel tired on injection days now I’ve lost some weight but the bigger picture, my life has improved massively. I meet up with friends more , I went for a promotion at work and I got it, more confidence in myself has helped every part of my life .
Cheering you all on

 

[katycat]

Hey everyone! I’m approaching this feeling just totally fed up with myself and my life at the moment. I was referred to the weight loss programme more than a year ago and after regular chasing up, my gp has fast tracked me to tier 4 weight loss management. I’m yet to hear anything more but understand that this is medication/surgery depending on progress. Everyone on here seems to be saying that even if they want to prescribe weight loss medication though it’s likely they can’t due to supply issues if I’ve read correctly?

I’m considering buying privately now because I want to improve my chances for fertility and I can’t keep putting life on hold!

Has anyone had experience of being on the top end of BMI and losing weight through one of there? I’m thinking of going for Wegovy but it’s all such a minefield. Also how did people decide what diet to follow?

I'm in a similar situation (apart from the fertility thing). I got referred to WMS a year ago, but since then I've heard absolutely nothing. Not even a letter saying I'm on a waiting list and giving a rough indication of timescales. I'm at the upper end of the BMI scale, and I've just had to go on BP medication, which was the point at which I decided to bite the bullet and pay. I chose Mounjaro simply because it's supposed to be slightly more effective, with slightly fewer side effects, and I reckoned that was worth paying a bit extra for.

I'm midway through week 3 and I've lost 13 lbs, so I'm very happy with the results. The effect of the medication has been mind-blowing - it's like a switch has been flicked in my head, and I feel like what I'm now experiencing must be what it's like to be 'normal'. I use that word advisedly - it's not like your appetite disappears completely, or you suddenly become totally indifferent to your favourite foods, but all of that now seems totally manageable and in proportion. That's been my experience so far, anyway.

Without wanting to sound judgemental, I don't think these drugs should be anybody's first option for a quick/ easy fix, because they're expensive and there are side effects. But if you've got a significant amount of weight to lose, and you have long-standing issues with food/ weight that you have genuinely tried hard to address through diet without success, I think they may be a necessary medication in the same way as, say, antidepressants are for some people. Including potentially being a long -term thing. Now that I've experienced the effects, I don't remotely feel like a 'failure' or a 'cheat' - in fact in a weird way I actually feel vindicated, if that makes sense?

Anyway, sorry for the long reply, but hopefully some of that might be helpful.

 

[caremum]

To all the newbies starting take photos. I didn't and am a camera avoided. Saw a photo of me caught unawares full length and couldn't believe it was me. I leave a normal figure. First time ever.

 

[Louanne]

Really happy. Completed 1st week on Mounjaro, a paper from feeling cold, no real negative side effects, and I've lost 5lbs, 1" from my chest and 2" from both my waist and hips.
Second injection done

 

[Lalalalaaaaaa85]

I was a big drinker. A binge drinker and if I’m being brutally honest with myself probably borderline functional alcoholic. The reduced interest in alcohol
Is by far my favourite thing about these drugs. I’m free of food noise but I’m also free of wine noise too and it’s liberating

 

[candyfloss99]

I did the most silly thing. I took 1.7mg wegovy (which I've been on for ages) then decided it would be a good idea to eat an entire packet of jam cream biscuits. I actually passed out on the bathroom floor due to the stomach pains and diarrhoea!!!! I woke up on the bathroom floor with whooshing in my ears, convered in sweat, and could hardly see. Oh my goodness it was awful.

 

[tallulahbelle]

Ended up in boots this morning so had a weigh in, another 3lbs down. So that’s 10lbs in exactly a month.

 

[ScottishMammy92]

Wow that's amazing and really reassuring. How long were you on it and how much did you lose?

I'm about 2.5 stone down and have been on it since January

I started in February and my start weight was 12 stone 3lbs. I'm now 7 stone 10lbs. I worked up to 1mg then stopped when the pen ran out so never went above that dosage

 

[mindlessness]

I’ve decided to go it alone, I just can’t afford it. I had an order in with chemist-4-u and they wanted to send pics because they couldn’t access my nhs records. I just thought what am I doing so said no and they cancelled it

Have you visited the Weight loss/transformation threads here? They're super supportive and motivating and might help as you continue on your weight loss 'journey' (journey feels so cheesy to write, thus my use of the quote marks!)

One day I really do hope these medications are made available more broadly on the NHS and HSE so more people in the UK and Ireland can access them. The prices currently suck.
---
After finally last week reaching 50lbs lost after a month's plateau I am down another 4.5lbs this week! Very pleased. If things continue in this trajectory next week I will no longer have an obese BMI.

 

[candyfloss99]

My mounjaro was approved this morning and dispatched today so I am hoping I can start my first dose on Friday. Should I eat a lot of protein on Friday only or is this constantly throughout?

Also is "food noise" feeling hungry/wanting to eat?

I'm really looking forward to starting my journey and getting to know you all more in the coming weeks.

You need to eat high protein through out and for the rest of your life really to stop the weight going back on.

Food noise is not feeling hungry, food noise is always thinking about food and always thinking of what you can eat even though you are not hungry. Like opening the fridge and eating something absent mindedly or eating a whole packet of biscuits even when you feel really sick from them.
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Are people concerned that by not eating much on these medications the weight will go back on again when you stop the injections?

I stopped taking the injection for good at Christmas and haven't put any weight back on. I've continued to lose.

 

[fishyfishfish]

Welcome back! We’ve updated the title to include the newest injection available in the UK. Pricing summary will be added when I get a minute.

 

[Jlau]

Hello! I started my MJ journey last weekend and had my weekly weigh in today… I’ve lost 8lbs! I haven’t had any negative side effects so long may that continue I feel like I’ve finally found something that works for me after years of struggling with my weight. Hope everyone is having a great weekend

 

[petitspois]

Mine has just arrived and I've hidden it in the fridge to start tomorrow. Just had to tell someone

 

[freddofrog]

got my 1.7 wegovy in the fridge ready for next week.

i’ve lost over 2.5st with just one to go now. feel miles better physically and mentally! i actually crave salad now which is bizarre, normally make one big salad for lunch and graze on the leftovers for dinner because i can never finish it. actually feel confident to wear shorts in this nice weather now!!

hope everybody has a nice weekend !

 

[JuneJuneHannah]

Right folks. I'm official. First Mounjaro injection done. The needle really is tiny isn't it