Mounjaro Journey – 4 weeks in, 5mg

This week is the end of four weeks of taking Mounjaro and time to move my dosage up to 5mg.  I am hopeful that I’ll transition to the new dose without side effects.

The past few days here in SE England have been very warm (29/30 degrees) and this is set to continue for another day or two.  Heat diminishes my appetite, but I have been eating smaller portions.  The Voy App encourages me to take pictures of my meals, and I’ve found this a useful method to reflect back on how my portion sizes are reducing.

Weight loss is now:

START WEIGHT:  71.4KG (11 stone 1lb)
TODAYS WEIGHT:  68.9KG (10 stone 9lb)
TOTAL LOSS:  2.5KG (approx 5½lb)

I’m happy with that.  Moving away from the “loading” dosage of 2.5mg should result in a further reduction in appetite – but I have read accounts from individuals who haven’t felt like eating at all and have had to push themselves to do so.  I do hope this isn’t my experience, as I am half-French!  Whilst of course I enjoy EATING food, what I love more is the preparation of food and the experience of sitting down at a table with my OH and enjoying the results.  A chance to chat, enjoy the garden…

Looking at the image of my meals during the week, you may spot cake!  The gooseberries were harvested this week – so I made a gooseberry and orange drizzle cake (without the drizzle), gooseberry fool and gooseberry no-churn ice cream.  I have enjoyed one piece of the cake (the remainder is now frozen), one of the gooseberry fools – and a small amount of the ice-cream (probably a table spoon).

Blackcurrant “no churn” ice cream – enjoy wearing protected with an apron would be my advice!

Next to be harvested have been the blackcurrants and I’ve made a batch of no-churn blackcurrant ice-cream which was popped into the freezer…  I had to slightly adapt the recipe as I didn’t have very much double cream, so I substituted with cream cheese!  This appears to have been a success.  Woe betide dropping any of this on a white shirt though – best enjoyed protecting clothing with an apron!!

Whilst the ice-cream recipes are full of cream and sugar, they’re definitely nutritionally better than the shop-bought ice-creams, which are full of all sorts of additives.

 

Mounjaro Journey – 3 weeks in

Here I am part way through the third week of taking Mounjaro.

The injections themselves are painless and straight forward.  I’m presently on a 2.5mg a month dosage, which titrates up every month to enable your body to get used to it.  So 2.5mg, 5mg, 7.5mg, 10mg – then the option to go up to 12.5mg and finally 15mg.  Most individuals will remain on the 10mg dose.  If I find that the lower dose is suiting me and the weight is coming off, I have the option to remain on the lower dose as long as I want to.

Given that I have 15kg (about 2 stone) to lose, I’m very happy with 1-2lb (500g-1kg) a week.

Weight loss after 2 weeks (started on 2nd June) is 1.5kg (3lbs) which I’m very happy with. I’d be more than happy with 1lb a week. I have read other reports of HUGE losses initially, but my food intake has remained much the same as it was prior to commencing Mounjaro and I haven’t needed to make significant changes to what or the quantities I eat.

I discovered that the tiredness / exhaustion I have been experiencing for the past two weeks is probably a side effect of the Mounjaro (one of the lesser reported side effects). I’d been blaming the virus I have had for about a month which is still lingering (cough). Tiredness and exhaustion can also be caused by the lower calorie intake or disrupted sleep.  Over the past two days I’ve felt far less fatigued so let’s hope that’s the end of it!

I’m very happy that hunger levels are much reduced, as is my urge to eat in between meals. I’m just not snacking. I have my two meals a day, drinks, and often yogurt (full-fat Greek) with berries or fruit after my evening meal.

Over the past two weeks, by recording my food intake and studying my calorie history, I can observe that over the first week I ate under by 800 cals, the second week I was under by 1,300.

I am continuing to closely monitor my protein levels. The Voy app allows one to photograph and log the content of ones meals and provides an estimate of the protein one is consuming. 70g was my target today (I managed 91!)

Individuals using Mounjaro for weight loss report that the “food noise” vanishes.  I had wondered exactly what this meant.

I’ve never been an emotional eater. But I am finding it really weird that previous “triggers” for me to eat between meals have just vanished. For example, there are some savoury crackers on the worktop in the kitchen in a clear storage container, and I might take 3 of those (around 100 cals) whilst preparing the evening meal. I didn’t “need” them, but the sight of them triggered me. If they’d been difficult to access and inside a cupboard, I may not have been triggered.  I am certain that most of us have had the experience of sweet treats “calling” to us from inside a cupboard!

I attended a wedding at the weekend, where tea and home made cake were on offer after the service (in the church!). I had taken a packed lunch to eat ahead of the wedding to avoid feeling hungry by tea and cake time (3pm).  I took a piece of ginger cake, and enjoyed a couple of bites. But then I just stopped eating it and gave it to my OH. The cake was lovely, but I realised that my enjoyment wasn’t what it might once have been and I was eating calories that I didn’t need to eat.

I am LOVING the experience of not feeling hungry or peckish.  I eat two meals a day which I usually eat at regular times.  Whilst serving my meal, I’m giving myself a smaller portion and feeling satiated before the end of that meal.  I can easily go from one meal to the next without in between snacking (and I only eat 2 meals a day).

My lunch is always prepared and ready to go by midday, but I have to make an effort to keep an eye on the time, as my usual stomach rumbles and hunger pangs that signify that meal time is approaching are no more!  Today, I’ve just eaten lunch (1.30pm) but I could have gone another hour or so. I don’t want to test this theory, but stick to my regular meal times (12-1pm for lunch, 5pm-6pm dinner).  My body needs sustenance.

Over the past 13 years I have been logging all of my food (yes, each and every item of food and drink consumed!) in order to work out how many calories I am consuming – eating to a calorie deficit.  But in order to lose weight, as a very short sedentary person, my calorie “allowance” is just 1100 calories per day.  Believe me, that is very low.

Using a weight loss website Weight Loss Resources I have worked on healthier eating habits and making lots of small changes to how, when and what I eat.  All of these small changes have become my new “normal”.  I will forever be indebted to WLR for enabling me to lose 4.5 stone (28.5kg) in 18 months.

It’s been nice to have a change of emphasis – giving less attention to sticking rigidly within my calorie allowance, which has – with the aid of Mounjaro, become simple rather than a daily balancing act!  I’m just not hungry or thinking about food but still very much enjoying my food when I do eat.

The image in this post are my lunches and dinners over the past 3 weeks – testament to the fact I am eating decent portions of healthy and colourful  meals that provide balanced nutrition and reduce the risk of cravings.  Increasing my protein consumption has been a really useful exercise for me.

If you’ve read this blog post and are considering using Voy and Mounjaro, please feel free to ask me any questions about my experience and if you use this link you’ll get 25% off your first order (and I’ll get 30% off my next order for the referral…)

Three days in – Mounjaro. Increasing protein and fibre

I’ve been very pleased with how things have been going.  I’ve started to look at my meal planning differently thanks to the Voy App.

I am logging meals and the App (AI) analyses the picture and description and gives me feedback on the composition, a “Balance Breakdown” – protein, carbs, fats, fibre, fruit & veg, added sugar and portion size.  It gives each meal or snack a mark out of 10 – it is also able to estimate the calorie content – eerily accurate!

It’s made me realise I need to focus a little more on protein – to ensure that the meal keeps me feeling fuller for longer.  It also identifies my “risk of cravings”.

Apparently, the average peak absorption from the medication is around 48 hours after the injection – the time when you can expect to feel the most benefit.

Around this time, something very weird happened.  My partner offered to make me a toasted crumpet with cream cheese and lemon curd, which I just didn’t want. I didn’t fancy it. Even if I tried to visualise biting into a buttery crumpet….. nothing. Now this was WEIRD.  Not usual for me, especially given this amazing topping combo – which if you’ve not tried it – you really should!

Toasted buttered crumpet with full-fat soft cream cheese and lemon curd

Other meals that have scored well was a concoction of mini spicy Italian sausages with onion, celery, roasted red peppers, mushrooms and Bold butterbeans (very superior and worth the extra price!) This earned me a score of 8.

 

Today’s lunch was a poached salmon and prawn salad with pomegranate salad dressing.  I bolstered my fibre with a mix of wholegrain basmati rice and black beans.  This rewarded me with a score of 9.5 and the feedback “So balanced – amazing!  Fantastic mix of protein-rich salmon, prawns with greens for balance.  Great fibre and low sugar make this a delightful and balanced dish”.

 

Weight loss injections – Mounjaro

It’s been a little quiet around these parts lately.  I’ve been struggling.

The weight loss has plateaued at about 70kg – 14kg (2 stone) more than I’d like it to be (my goal weight).  Which is 57kg.

The additional weight isn’t particularly noticeable to others, but I can feel it.  It impacts my mobility, and it probably increases my pain.

I had three holidays in a row (December 24, January 25, and February 25) – my weight jumped from 69kg to 75kg!  I have managed to shift some of that (currently 71kg), but it’s becoming a slog.  My measly calorie allowance for weight loss (1,100 calories a day) leaves me feeling hungry, and I turn to snacks.  I am still meticulously weighing and logging all of my food and drinks.

A couple of small snacks (usually afternoon and evening) are enough to push me over the upper limit.  It’s quite depressing…

I began to research weight loss injections – which do seem all over the news at the moment…  I found articles about the psychological process of turning to medication to assist with weight loss and to accounts from those who are already using the medication.  I also booked a call with the Thalidomide Trust’s GP, who alongside her role working for the Thalidomide Trust, works for the NHS in Tier 3 weight loss services, working with dieticians, nurse prescribers and others offering weight loss services and care to the NHS.  Whilst it is likely that weight loss injections may become more widely available via the NHS in the Summer – and that I’d be eligible (with a BMI 30+), I just feel I can’t afford to wait any longer for the weight to continue to (potentially) creep up any further.

I’ve been very happy that I have never returned anywhere near to my start weight (88kg in 2012) but my age and likely deterioration in mobility and fitness are working against me.  Food and calorie counting have taken over my every waking moment!

It was after a lot of research and discussion with others that I have made the decision to try out Mounjaro and see whether it can help me in the way that it’s helping many others.

“Patients could achieve at least 20% weight loss after using tirzepatide for 72 weeks (18 months) when combined with healthy lifestyle changes”

– which, should I achieve – will take me to my goal weight.  I have already made the healthy lifestyle changes, my head is in the right place…. I now just need that little boost!

It is possible to pick up weight loss injections via on-line pharmacists, but I have opted to sign up with Voy, which alongside sending out the prescribed medication provides me with a network of support and further advice should I need it.

My first delivery arrived over the weekend (posted out in a refrigerated/insulated package) and yesterday was my selected day to take my first dose.  You take one dose each week, for four weeks starting at 2.5mg – which is gradually increased each month  (so 2.5mg, 5mg, then 7.5mg, then 10mg, then 12.5mg and finally 15mg) depending on how well your body tolerates the dose and the body’s response.  There can be side effects – however, there are resources on the website to help you in managing and dealing with these.

So the first injection went into my system, yesterday – so far, so good.  I don’t feel any differently yet, but it’s expected that you start to feel the effects after about a week.  I’m looking forward to the “food noise being switched off” that so many report!

In the meantime, I am making full use of the Voy App to monitor my meals and try and tweak the balance of those meals.  I’ve already identified that I have probably not been eating enough protein each day to keep me feeling satiated and full (to prevent between meal snacking)

Join me on this journey and message me here via the Blog – or privately if you’d prefer.

Oh, and if you feel inclined to give Voy a try, let me know.  this will take you to a link for 25% off your first order (and I’ll get 30% off my next order in return….)