Month: February 2026

Mounjaro Journey – Week 38 (5mg every 5 days)

flidfit Emotional well being, Maintenance, Mounjaro, Uncategorized

A good week — although it began with no heating. Not because the boiler had broken down, but because we were having a new “jumbo” radiator installed in our large open-plan kitchen/dining room. The room has never been properly warm. When we had our new sliding doors fitted last autumn, we removed two under-window radiators and knew we’d probably need to upgrade the heating.

In place of the old single-panel radiator, we now have a three-panel version which kicks out over twice as much heat as its predecessor. We’re already enjoying the difference.

On Tuesday I hosted a planning meeting for a local exhibition taking place this summer, showcasing images and written memories of the small green and parade of shops just around the corner from me — Christchurch Green. We have a modest amount of funding, so careful planning is needed: how it will look, how it will flow, and how we gather old photographs and memories from residents. We’re hoping to include recorded interviews and an online presence so more people can access and enjoy it. I’ve already received some lovely images and stories, which is encouraging.

Wednesday was a wardrobe-clearance day. My sister came to work with me and we whizzed through rails and drawers, removing clothes that are now two sizes too big. It’s a lovely feeling. I know better than to keep things “just in case”. My top half is now a size 14, down from a 16/18, thanks to losing 2 stone 7lb (15.7kg). Tangible progress.

Thursday brought an eyesight test. No surprise that I need a stronger prescription. I’ve ordered new glasses for computer work and another pair with Reactolite/anti-glare lenses to help with night driving and the early cataracts that are developing. Getting older is not for the faint-hearted — and it’s certainly not cheap.

I was wide awake at 4am on Friday and eventually gave up trying to sleep. I crept downstairs and got on with household chores as quietly as possible so as not to wake my partner. The day felt incredibly long, but I achieved a lot. I’m currently gearing up — alongside my sisters — to recruit a new part-time carer for Mum. We’ve decided to bring everything forward by two weeks, so I had to rejig interview dates, advertisement timings and tweak the documentation. We’re now poised to go live on 27th February with the aim of having someone in post by mid-April.

Meals this week have included spaghetti and meatballs; sticky beef mince with sweet potato wedges, hot honey and soured cream; katsu chicken and rice; trout fillet with vegetables and baby potatoes; and stewed apple with cinnamon topped with a flapjack crumble and custard.

On the Mounjaro front, I’m aiming for 5mg every five days, although my last dose worked out at 4.5mg because my “golden dose” was just short. I’m definitely noticing increased hunger and less appetite suppression. There’s a slightly strange part of me hanging on, hoping it will settle and I’ll be able to titrate down further — but it’s a delicate balance.

I’m at my lowest weight ever. I’m not trying to lose more, but I most certainly don’t want it creeping back up. Maintenance, it seems, requires just as much awareness as loss.

Perhaps this week has really been about recalibration. A bigger radiator to warm the space properly. Clearing out clothes that no longer fit the life — or body — I inhabit now. Adjusting prescriptions, adjusting plans, adjusting medication doses. None of it dramatic, all of it quietly necessary. Maintenance, whether of a home, a body, or a family support system, isn’t glamorous — but it is what keeps everything steady. And steady, at this stage of life, feels like a quiet kind of success.

 

Weight this week: 55.7kg (about 8st 11lb)
Last week: 55.4kg (about 8st 10lb)
Weekly gain:  0.3kg (about 1lb)
Goal weight: 55kg (about 8st 9lb)

The Art of Maintenance

flidfit Disability, Emotional well being, Maintenance, Mounjaro, Pain
March 2025 75kg (11st 11lbs)

There’s a quiet stage of life that doesn’t get celebrated very much.

It’s not the dramatic beginning.
It’s not the triumphant transformation.
It’s not the crisis.

It’s maintenance.

This week alone has been full of it. A new, larger radiator installed so the kitchen is properly warm. Clearing wardrobes of clothes that are now two sizes too big. Adjusting my glasses prescription. Tweaking medication doses. Bringing forward recruitment plans for Mum’s care. None of it headline-grabbing. All of it necessary.

For years, my life felt like it was about change. Losing weight. Recovering from injury. Adapting to mobility challenges. Learning how to live well in a body shaped by Thalidomide. Those were visible milestones. They felt measurable. Applaudable.

But maintenance is different.

Maintenance is choosing not to keep the size 18 “just in case.”
It’s planning meals because appetite suppression isn’t quite what it was.
It’s stretching daily, even when nothing hurts too much.
It’s booking the eyesight test before things become a problem.
It’s upgrading the radiator instead of just putting on another jumper.

Maintenance is a decision to stay steady.

With Mounjaro, the early months were about loss — weight coming down, food noise quietening, habits tightening into place. Now I’m at my lowest weight ever. I’m not trying to lose more, but I am determined not to drift backwards. That requires awareness. Planning. Honesty about increased hunger. A willingness to adjust rather than pretend nothing has changed.

Maintenance isn’t passive. It’s active stewardship.

The same applies to Mum’s care. To charity work. To relationships. To our home. Things don’t hold themselves together. They require small, often invisible inputs of energy. Quiet decisions made early enough to prevent bigger problems later.

There is a certain satisfaction in this stage. A maturity to it. I am no longer constantly reinventing myself. I am tending.

And tending, I’ve realised, is a skill.

It takes discipline to stay at a healthy weight.
It takes humility to ask for help when needed.
It takes foresight to recruit before there’s a crisis.
It takes confidence to throw out the clothes that no longer fit.

Maintenance may not look dramatic from the outside, but from where I’m standing, it feels like strength.

Steady doesn’t mean stagnant.
It means cared for.

And at this stage of my life, that feels like success.

Mounjaro Journey – Week 37 (5mg every 5 days)

flidfit Disability, Exercise, Mounjaro, Pain, Recipes, Travel & Holidays

A nice quiet week, ahead of what promises to be a busy one.

The most exciting event was a visit to our chiropractor. We tend to go every couple of months for a “maintenance” appointment. I first started seeing him just under five years ago after a fall on holiday in Majorca, when I tripped, fell forwards headlong to the ground, hitting my head on a wall on the way down.  Because of my shortened arms, I wasn’t able to break my fall properly and sustained a severe whiplash injury.

Immediately afterwards, I had no sensation in my legs and intense pins and needles in both arms — like shards of glass embedded in my hands. I was whisked off to hospital by ambulance. Unfortunately, unlike in the UK, there didn’t seem to be any assessment of neck pain or altered sensation. I suspect quite a bit was lost in translation, and perhaps the paramedics didn’t fully grasp that I had effectively head-butted a wall.

Thankfully, the fall happened right outside our hotel, and the receptionist — who spoke excellent English — came out to interpret for the paramedics.  I had to request that they fit a neck brace before they moved me, as at that point, I knew I’d damaged my neck and potentially my cervical spine.

I was x-rayed, told my neck was fine, and sent back to the hotel in a taxi. I was in excruciating pain and hadn’t been offered any pain relief. I took ibuprofen and paracetamol, and the following day, attended a different hospital where I was properly examined and given stronger medication. The remainder of the holiday was slightly marred by pain. On returning home, my GP advised me to go straight to hospital to rule out a possible bleed on the brain.

Thankfully, there wasn’t one.

That episode led me to our wonderful chiropractor, whom I’ve been seeing ever since. Treatment involves consultation, manipulation, exercises, traction machines, and six-monthly progress reviews with x-rays and posture imaging. The visits keep me relatively pain-free and have made me much more disciplined about daily neck stretches and limiting too much time at the computer. The staff are lovely too — we always feel genuinely welcomed.

It looks like an instrument of torture, but this neck traction became part of my regular routine for a while!

The weather this week has been rain, rain and more rain — until Saturday, when we were treated to bright blue skies and sunshine. It was bitterly cold though. The log burner has been on all day, most days, and turned down low overnight.

On the Mounjaro front, I’ve definitely noticed an increase in appetite and a drop in appetite suppression. I’m mindful not to let that derail my efforts. I plan my meals carefully so they’re ready to go, which prevents me from reaching that point of ravenous hunger where anything in sight seems appealing. The 5mg dose still takes the edge off, thankfully, but it’s a reminder that the habits I’ve built over the past decade really matter.

Cooking has been simple and satisfying. I made a delicious tomato soup using tomatoes from last year’s harvest — pulp that had been cooked and frozen. A small bowl is incredibly satiating. We’ve also had salads, prawn stir-fry, sticky beef stir-fry, and steak with mushrooms and onions.

I dusted off the bread maker and made a couple of malt loaves — far superior to anything from the supermarket. Once cooled, I slice and freeze them in two portions so we can enjoy them over several weeks. We took one over to Mike’s grandson’s family on Sunday, which was very well received.

A quiet week perhaps — but the kind that quietly reinforces routines, resilience, and gratitude.  Time to appreciate home-cooked food and my love of cooking!

Weight this week: 55.4kg (about 8st 10lb)
Last week: 56.1kg (about 8st 11.5lb)
Weekly loss:  0.5kg (about 1lb)
Goal weight: 55kg (about 8st 9lb)

Mounjaro Journey – Week 36 (5mg every 5 days)

flidfit Air Fryer, Eating Out, Eating Out, Mounjaro, Recipes , , ,

An industrious week. I’ve caught up with friends, chatted to an online group about my weight loss using Mounjaro, organised a small “team” to carry out a floor repair, and rounded things off with a nice dinner out and a bit of pie purchasing — because balance is a crucial part of life.

Talking about Mounjaro with people who have no experience of using it was interesting. Unsurprisingly, they wanted to hear about the reported side effects: gall bladder issues, pancreatitis, muscle loss, hair loss and even vision loss. As I tried to convey, these side effects are rare and are often linked to rapid weight loss rather than to the GLP-1 medication itself.

My own weight loss has been steady — around 500g to 1kg (1–2lb) a week — which is generally considered an ideal rate. I certainly haven’t experienced any of the more alarming side effects. Those I have had (tiredness and extreme thirst) were either short-lived or entirely manageable.

I do sometimes wonder why the media seems so focused on the negatives of GLP-1s. Presumably, headlines sell better than nuance. Among the GLP-1 users I interact with, the overwhelming narrative is positive — not just physically, but emotionally as well. People talk about enjoying appetite suppression, but more than that, the relief of being free from the constant food noise that used to dominate their thoughts.

On to my floor repair project.

As a Trustee for a charity, we’ve recently been given use of a neglected retail unit in a shopping mall until it’s repurposed (for apartments, I believe). The space is rent-free and we only pay utilities, so technically we could ignore the state of the floor — and the water dripping through the ceiling from the mall roof above. While I wasn’t prepared to investigate the roof leak (we’ve had a lot of rain recently), the floor felt like something we could tackle.

Previous tenants had ripped up joints between sections of laminate flooring, leaving a groove around 2cm wide and 1cm deep running almost the full length of the unit — about 25 metres in total. The charity staff had done their best to make the space welcoming, and that mattered because members of the public visit the unit for free NHS Health Checks and wellbeing support.

This is a partnership between the local health and voluntary sectors, aimed at people who are often harder to reach — those from different ethnic backgrounds, ex-military, ex-prisoners, people facing financial hardship. Alongside health checks, visitors can also get support with other aspects of life that impact their wellbeing.

The challenge was to create a repair that cost very little (there’s no budget) and would last until we eventually have to vacate the premises. I supplied the materials, tools, and food to keep morale high. My partner, my sister, and my personal assistant Sam worked solidly for five hours — with a break for a healthy lunch and a drink — and the results looked surprisingly good. Fingers crossed it holds up for the next three or four months.
The lunch out was in the company of two friends I’ve known — and kept in touch with — since secondary school, which always adds an extra layer of warmth to any meal. We ate at the Rising Sun, where I chose the pork escalope “schnitzel”, served with green beans, crème fraîche potatoes, brown butter, parsley and a lemon sauce. Once again, it was acceptable rather than amazing — perfectly fine, but not something I’d rush back for.

Thankfully, dessert redeemed the whole experience. A forced Yorkshire rhubarb crumble with rhubarb and elderflower ice cream was absolutely spot on, and as ever, the company was excellent — which really is the main event.

As we’d parked the car directly outside Sweeney & Todd’s Pie Shop,

it seemed positively churlish not to pop in and buy a few pies for the freezer. One pie will easily do both of us, so we chose three fillings between us: steak and ale, steak and mushroom, and lamb and mint.

The shop has been there forever. I distinctly remember visiting in my twenties — over forty years ago — and it hasn’t changed at all. But the pies are legendary, so why would it? Some things don’t need updating.

As for cooking this week, it’s been a good one: lovely trout fillets (so quick and easy they’ll definitely be repeated), blueberry air-fryer muffins (one bowl, 12 minutes), and a one-pan meal of red Thai curry chicken dumplings.

Video to follow.

Weight this week: 56.1kg (about 8st 11.5lb)
Last week: 55.9kg (about 8st 11.2lb)
Weekly loss/gain:  +0.2kg (about 0.25lb)
Goal weight: 55kg (about 8st 9lb)

Mounjaro Journey – Week 35 (5mg every 5 days)

flidfit Mounjaro, Recipes

This week has been all about experimenting in the kitchen and keeping things interesting. One highlight was a bavette steak marinated in tamarind and soy, loosely following a recipe by Nigella Lawson. It was quick, simple, and surprisingly good value – £5.50 for 300g of steak, which feels like a win given current beef prices. Bavette is a brilliant cut if you treat it kindly: flash pan fry in a really hot pan, a proper rest (around 10 minutes) and slicing finely against the grain make all the difference. The tamarind and soy not only help tenderise the meat but give it a deep, tangy savouriness that really delivers.  I served it alongside some “Vibes” (cross between chips and ridge cut crisps), firecracker chilli flavoured.

I also made a sticky spiced beef, adapted from the turkey mince recipe I shared a few weeks ago.

This time I added finely chopped red peppers and used oyster mushrooms, which worked beautifully and added extra texture and depth.

Alongside that, I batch-cooked three small chicken, leek and mushroom pies with puff pastry lids – perfect for low-effort and popped into the freezer to enjoy at a later date.  I love pie, but shop-bought ones are so calorific and usually very disappointing.  The pies worked out at 396 calories a portion and were packed with large chunks of tasty chicken thigh meat.

Looking ahead, this week’s planned meals include stir-fried vegetables in a Thai red curry tomato sauce with chickpeas and vegetable gyoza dumplings. I’ll share photos and verdicts once I’ve road-tested those.

On the Mounjaro front, I’m still on 5mg every five days, but I’m considering dropping slightly further to 4mg to see how that impacts my appetite suppression. I’ve also nudged my goal weight slightly down to 55kg (8st 9lb), giving myself a bit of breathing space and future flexibility – which, at this stage, feels like a sensible and kind move.

I’ve now cancelled my future monthly Mounjaro prescriptions. It does feel a little scary to take that step, but I also know I’m not jumping off a cliff without a parachute. I have two 10mg pens safely tucked away in the fridge, which should see me through the next four months, giving me time and space to taper gently, listen to my body, and build confidence in doing more of this under my own steam.

Weight this week: 56.2kg (about 8st 12lb)
Last week: 55.9kg (about 8st 12lb)
Weekly loss/gain:  +0.3kg (about 1/4 lb)
Goal weight: 55kg (about 8st 9lb)