Emotional well being

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 34 (5mg every 5 days)

flidfit Emotional well being, Healthy Swaps, Mounjaro, Recipes , , ,

My gradual reduction in my Mounjaro dose continues to go quietly and reassuringly well. I’m currently taking 5mg every five days and, so far, I’ve noticed no real drop in appetite suppression. I do get a small flicker of food noise in the late evenings, but I’m managing it — partly because I don’t keep snacks and nibbles in the house, and partly through a very conscious determination not to undo the good of a day’s thoughtful, nourishing choices. That feels like a small but meaningful shift in itself. And of course, I always have my faithful raspberry, chia seed and Greek yoghurt pudding to look forward to as my evening treat.

Last week we enjoyed a particularly lovely slow-cooker meal: a pork steak casserole. The pork steaks are marinated in a deeply flavoured mix of cumin, smoked paprika, olive oil, sriracha, chilli, fresh ginger, garlic, rice wine vinegar and soy sauce, then slow-cooked until tender. As they cook, all those smoky, spicy, savoury flavours sink right into the meat. I added chopped mushrooms towards the end, along with a tin of black beans, letting them soak up all that flavour.  The recipe used to inspire this dish (which I adapted slightly) was this one:
BBQ Pork steaks in the Slow Cooker

Black beans are such a nutritional powerhouse. They’re an excellent source of plant protein, which supports muscle and tissue repair and, especially for those of us thinking about weight maintenance with GLP-1s, helps keep you feeling fuller for longer. When paired with meat, they provide a beautifully balanced amino-acid profile, making the whole meal more satisfying and nutritionally complete. They’re also very high in fibre, both soluble and insoluble, which supports digestion, feeds healthy gut bacteria, helps regulate blood sugar and slows the absorption of carbohydrates — meaning fewer energy dips and less hunger between meals. That steady, gentle digestion is particularly helpful when appetite is suppressed. On top of that, they provide magnesium, potassium and iron for energy, muscle and heart health, along with folate for cell renewal and zinc for immunity. Add in their polyphenols and antioxidants, and their naturally low glycaemic load, and it’s hard not to love them. I’ve already ordered another two tins in this week’s shop.

This is exactly the kind of food I want in my life now — not diet food, not deprivation, just deeply satisfying, nourishing meals that support the long game of maintenance and feeling well in my own body.

In other news, I treated myself to some new body scales.  These link to an App, which also appears to link to my Shotsy App which is handy.  I hop on every morning first thing and my weight is automatically entered into the App.  It’s this Renpho set

They also measure BMI, body fat, skeletal muscle, fat free masssubcutaneous fat, visceral fat, body water, muscle mass, bone mass, protein, BMR, and give me a metabolic age.  Not very impressed that my metabolic age is 67 (I’m 63)! I’m not particularly bothered by any of these figures. That’s not denial, it’s discernment. I understand my own body after living in it for 63 years and caring for it with discipline for 14.

What’s planned for this week? Another quiet week with plenty of time to cook and experiment in the kitchen.

Weight this week: 55.9kg (approx. 8st 12lb)
Last week: 56.8kg (about 8st 13lb)
Weekly loss:  0.9kg (about 1lb)
Goal weight: 57kg (about 8st 13lb) (-1.9kg / -2lb)

Mounjaro Journey – Week 32 (7.5mg every 5 days)

flidfit Air Fryer, Eating Out, Emotional well being, Mounjaro, Recipes, Sweet Treats, YouTube

I did it. I reached my goal weight.  It’s taken me just over 7 months (32 weeks) but I did it!

And if I’m being completely honest, it felt a little underwhelming.

Not disappointing — just quieter than I expected. No fireworks, no sudden sense of arrival. Just a number on the scale and the realisation that life carries on much the same as before.

That in itself has been an important insight. For so long, the focus has been on “getting there”, as though everything would somehow feel different once I arrived. Instead, it’s made me think more about what happens next and how I want this to feel long term. I’ve decided to lower my target weight slightly and aim to lose a further couple of kilos, not as a push for perfection, but to give myself some breathing space and flexibility as my body settles.

I don’t have any immediate plans to reduce my Mounjaro dosage, but I’m confident that will happen in the coming weeks and months. There’s no rush. Right now, this feels like a period of consolidation rather than change.

It’s been a good, steady week. Things have returned to their usual rhythm, and I’ve had the headspace to catch up on all the small jobs that get pushed aside with Christmas and New Year. I even found comfort in simple, practical routines — cooking a large lasagne and portioning it up for the freezer (six portions) felt quietly satisfying.

Less about control, more about care.

I’ve been spending some time sketching out outline plans for a series of YouTube videos — a way to share the behaviours and changes I’ve gradually incorporated into my life over the last 14 years that have made my weight loss not only possible but sustainable. When I step back and look at the bigger picture, it’s quite astonishing. Since starting my journey in February 2012, I’ve now lost a total of 5 stone. I currently weigh just under nine stone, and for the first time in my life, I’m in the “8’s”.

What feels even more significant than the number is how I’m living now. I’m eating more healthily than ever, genuinely enjoying my daily exercise, and — thanks to Mounjaro — I’m able to focus on nutrition rather than being consumed by calories. That mental shift has been quietly transformative.

I’m creating outlines for about 10–15 short videos, each covering a different aspect of weight loss and the importance of mindset for long-term success. Topics include why medication isn’t enough, developing a maintenance mindset early, managing emotional eating, making healthy habits enjoyable, exercise, portion control, setting realistic expectations, and food planning. This process has highlighted how much I’ve learned and how my perspective on weight loss has evolved.

One thing that’s become very clear is that I am my own greatest cheerleader — although “sergeant major” might be a more accurate description. I do hold myself to account, but not in a harsh or performative way. It’s all internal. A quiet but firm reminder that I do these things because they help me feel better, stay healthier, and preserve my independence as I grow older.

This week includes a few social commitments: a lunchtime meal out with two close friends; an evening meeting I’m hosting where wine is usually involved — although those who would usually partake have already sent their apologies, so I’ll declare it a “Dry January” evening, with non-alcoholic drinks and a few nibbles instead; and later in the week, a social dinner with fellow trustees from the charity I’m involved with.  I’m really looking forward to that, as meetings usually don’t offer us much of an opportunity to chat with one another.

These are all situations that once would have felt slightly daunting, but now feel manageable and enjoyable.

I’m in the process of putting together a new YouTube video to share a lovely “Apple, oat and cottage cheese mug cake” (I’ll link here once it’s up), 270 calories and 16.2g of protein.  Lovely and filling, plus very tasty!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And with that, here’s my weight loss report for the week.

Weight this week: 56.8kg (about 8st 13lbs)
Last week: 57.4kg (about 9st)
Loss: 0.6kg (about 1.3 pounds)
Goal weight: 57kg (+200g)

Mounjaro Journey – Weeks 31 (7.5mg every 5 days)

flidfit Emotional well being, Mounjaro, Sweet Treats, Travel & Holidays, YouTube

Happy New Year to all of my subscribers.

Here’s a New Year plot twist I never expected — two weeks of holiday sunshine, festive meals… and the scale still went down.

Mounjaro has made a genuinely positive difference to my Christmas and New Year, and this is the first time in many years that I’ve come through December without the usual weight gain. We always go away for two weeks of winter sun, and I’d long accepted that the holiday plus the festive period meant an inevitable increase on the scales. It was simply “the price I paid” for relaxing my routine and not logging food while I was away.

This year was different. I started the New Year weighing half a kilogram less than I did before our holiday.

I ate mindfully, I logged everything, and my portions were naturally smaller. There was no snacking between meals because I finally felt satisfied. Mounjaro has shifted my tastes and preferences in a way I didn’t expect. Sweet foods just don’t appeal, and I’ve not eaten chocolate since starting my Mounjaro journey on 2 June 2025. If I want something that feels like a treat, I have a small, measured portion of dried fruit and nuts.

Chia berry pudding, full of flavour and my “daily sweet fix”

My evening “treat” — the time of day when my snacking used to be at its worst — is now a chia pudding. Chia seeds, full-fat Greek yoghurt, a little Sweet Freedom and a handful of berries. About 200 calories, but full of nutrition. The chia seeds bring protein, fibre and omega-3 fats. The berries are low-calorie but rich in fibre, vitamin C and natural sweetness. And the 5% strained Greek yoghurt is both satisfying and nutritious; the straining process concentrates the protein, making it far more filling than the 0% versions. It keeps my blood sugar steadier and gives me a long “full” window. The live cultures also support gut health and digestion. It’s become my daily fix — and one I genuinely look forward to.

Sweet Freedom syrup

This week I’ve started planning a new series of YouTube videos exploring aspects of the Mounjaro journey that rarely get discussed. So much of the content online focuses on weekly losses, side effects, dosing, stretching pens, and how much people still have to lose. What seems to be missing are the habits, emotions and behaviours around food that don’t vanish just because hunger is quieter.

The everyday choices. The old patterns that still need unpicking. The subtle shifts in how we shop, cook, portion, and respond to temptation. The mindset work. The behaviour changes. The part that ultimately determines whether long-term success is possible — with or without medication.

Over the past 14 years, I’ve worked hard to reshape my relationship with food. Small changes became part of my routine until they felt normal. Those foundations have made my Mounjaro journey so much easier, and they’re exactly what give me confidence in my life beyond weight-loss injections – my continued success and weight-loss maintenance.  I feel I’ve learned so much through my own experience and would like to share that to inspire and encourage others who might be struggling with these issues.

If you know of any content creators who talk honestly about this side of the journey — the habits, the mindset, the emotional work — please share details in the comments. I’d love to explore their content.

Weight this week: 57.5kg (about 9st ½lb)

Last week:  58kg, (about 9st 2lbs)

Loss: 0.5kg (about 1 pound)

To goal weight: 0.5kg (about 1lb)

Will I reach my 57 kg goal next week? Check out my blog for next week to see!

 

Mounjaro Journey – 20 weeks, 7.5mg

flidfit Disability, Emotional well being, Mounjaro, Recipes

Hello folks! well, that’s another week under my belt.

I’ve arranged with the adaptation specialist for him to take a look at the steering issue with my car tomorrow lunchtime.  In the meantime, I’ve stayed close to home.  Well, stayed at home!

I’ve enjoyed exploring YouTube channels to hear about others’ experiences of using Mounjaro.  It’s lovely to learn how others have dealt with the price increase, coming off Mounjaro and, more importantly, giving their lived experience.  I purposefully chose those who are a similar age to me, all with very different reasons for choosing the path of weight loss medication.

My sister brought my Mum to visit after her hospital check-up nearby. I served homemade tomato and lentil soup with bread and cheese, then orange jelly, mandarins, ginger cake, and crème fraiche.  Got to love jelly!  No sugar-free for me, this was the real deal (and orange, if you’re interested in the detail!)

Kedgeree with smoked haddock. A generous portion for 553 calories

We ate our lunch before they arrived, since Mum couldn’t eat until after her 2:30 pm appointment. They ended up having lunch at 3 pm.  There’s no way I could have lasted until then!

This weekend I made a tasty kedgeree with smoked haddock.  This is not something I make often, as I think it’s fiddly – but it’s actually pretty easy and a one-pot meal—something to be repeated.

Tonight I’m giving a presentation via Zoom to others about my weight loss journey – of course, Mounjaro features, but I want to share how crucial it is to make changes to our lifestyle and the way we approach food.

So just a short post from me this week!  How’s your week been (with or without weight loss medication….?)

My plan for injections and dosage this week is a 7.5mg dose injection at lunchtime.

Weight loss:  200g

Last week:  60.6kg, this week 60.4kg

Total loss:  11kg (around 24lbs, or 1 stone 10lbs)

That’s an average loss of 1.2lbs a week, which I’m very happy with.

 

Mounjaro Journey – 19 weeks, 7.5mg

flidfit Disability, Emotional well being, Exercise, Media, Mounjaro

A productive and productive week.  I’ve sorted and made space in my freezer and then promptly got to work filling it again!  Both soups made 10 portions, so the freezer is now nearly at capacity.  As the weather gets cooler, I’ve been making batches of homemade soup.

The first one was a chicken and vegetable soup, with added lentils.  The second was a spicy tomato and lentil soup made with the huge glut of tomatoes harvested throughout the summer months.

Both were easy to make, but the tomato-based soup required sweating the tomatoes down to create a really sweet and concentrated passata.

This week, with the assistance of my excellent personal assistant Sam, I completed another job: sorting out all the freezer drawers and updating my inventory.  The freezer is stored in the garage and is about 2 metres tall with seven drawers.  We roughly keep things organised together – meat, bread products, fish, etc.  I know it’s time to update my list when things have been jumbled up into different freezer drawers, so when I ask someone to retrieve something, it’s nowhere to be found!  Anyway, despite being full, the freezer is now totally organised, and we can concentrate on eating some of the items that I know have been in there for a while.

This week, the issue with the car’s steering was identified, but unfortunately, it was not fixed.  I’m waiting for a call from my modification/adaptation guy, and hopefully, he’ll come to take a look since it involves some of the work he did on the car when it was new.  Due to my shortened arms, some wiring and switches needed to be moved from the side of the seat into a box on the steering column, allowing me to adjust my seat position safely. It’s that wiring that appears to be impacting the power steering.  Hopefully, something that can be easily resolved and not too expensive.  I’ve not been charged by either of the two garages that have been involved so far.

On Saturday morning, we participated in a litter pick of our local area with neighbours.  This is something I organise regularly.  Not only do we make the area look cleaner, but we also use the opportunity to socialise afterwards in a local café.  I thought I’d try bubble tea for the first time and chose a “brown sugar bubble tea”.  It was very nice (a bit like a watery milkshake with large gelatinous pearls that add interest, texture, but no flavour.  When I returned home, I checked the calorie content of a bubble tea and was horrified to learn it could have been between 300 and 600 calories!  It was nice, but not THAT nice.

On Sunday, we were invited to a friend’s for afternoon drinks and socialising.  Mounjaro has meant that I’m not particularly enjoying alcohol now.  I’m not a big drinker anyway – those days are far behind me!  I bought and tried a bottle of Tanqueray Alcohol Free Spirit.  It most definitely doesn’t taste of gin but has a pleasant botanical juniper and citrus combination.

Oh!  I phoned in to LBC London radio on Sunday morning.  The discussion was about 1 in 20 people in this country now being on weight loss medication…  You can hear me on the radio (this morning) at 02:26:03 into the programme. Talking about my weight loss journey 😁

And I’ve also uploaded a little video onto YouTube.  What’s been your experience of using weight loss drugs and other people’s attitudes towards that?  Do you share openly or do you only share with those you trust to support you and not to be critical of your choice?  I’ve got a very tough skin, but I hate bullying in any form and don’t tolerate it. I’ll call it out when I can, but the power of social media and those keyboard warriors do sometimes serve to defeat me!  Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel to receive notifications of new posts.

Measurements!  As promised, I’ve done my body measurements and am pleased to share the results here.I’m pleased that the centimetres are going from those places that I want them to.  I’m always astonished by the change, but I am feeling it in my clothes.    I’ve been buying a few new tops (t-shirts) on Vinted.  I’m steering away from my usual patterned blouses – new shape, new style!

Weight:  60.5kg – 500g off (about 1lb)

Weight to lose:  3.5kg  (about half a stone/7lbs)

 

 

 

 

Mounjaro Journey = 18 weeks, 2 x 5mg

flidfit Disability, Emotional well being, Mounjaro

Another week has passed.  I have noticed this week that my hunger levels have increased.  My meals are starting to look kind of “back to normal”.  They were never huge, but I am clearing everything on my plate and enjoying it a bit too much.  I plan to take a 7.5mg dose of Mounjaro this week to see if increasing the dosage slightly has any effect on my appetite suppression.

I am in no hurry to reach the “finishing line”.  I recognise that there will never be an end to remaining mindful about what I consume and keeping track of my calorie intake if I want to maintain my weight loss.  That is the reality of being a very short, not very mobile older woman.

It’s not a vanity thing; I want to be lighter.  I accepted in my twenties that my body shape precludes me from being an “ideal shape”.  However, I do want to preserve my good health at a time in my life when the likelihood of avoidable conditions is increasing.

It’s (thankfully) been a quieter week in terms of socialising and eating out.  We arranged to attend a charity fundraising quiz at a local Cuban restaurant/bar.  We were raising funds for PACT (Parents and Children Together).

“PACT changes lives by building and nurturing adoptive families and empowering women, children and parents to rebuild after trauma and embrace a positive future.

Established in 1911, PACT is now one of the UK’s leading charities in its field and is dedicated to finding secure and loving families for children waiting to be adopted, continued support through therapeutic services, supporting and empowering women facing multiple disadvantages and the recovery of children affected by domestic abuse.”

The theme of the evening was our town, Reading.  The Quiz Master was Terry from Terry’s Reading Walkabouts, and he and his wife had set the questions.  I hoped that we might have an advantage, my partner and I being lifelong residents of the town.  Our team came in a respectful joint 4th place (out of approximately 15 teams), so we were pleased with that.

The food we ordered sadly didn’t match the ambience of the evening or the excellent company.  We were served dry (chicken), which lacked identifiable flavours.  My radish salad helped to add some crunch and colour.  The spicy rice may well have been a microwaved rice pouch!  Ah well…. The purpose of the night wasn’t eating a lovely meal, which was just as well!  I enjoy these reminders of why eating out isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

My car took a trip to the garage this week, as it has developed an issue with the power steering.  Sadly, my usual garage was unable to identify or resolve the problem and advised that it be booked in to the main dealership.  It’s booked to be with them over two days this week, so we’ll be grounded.  Well, at least in terms of driving anywhere…

If you’d like to watch my latest YouTube video update, you can view it here!  Here are a couple of comparison pictures, taken six weeks apart—definitely less of a tyre around my middle.  I’m going to be doing my measurements this week, so I will share them with you next week!

My weight this week:

400g (approximately 1lb), current weight 61kg, down 10.4kg from my starting weight on 2nd June 2025.  Just 4kg away from my target weight.

BMI down from 35.3 to 30.2.

Mounjaro Journey – 16 weeks, 5mg

flidfit Disability, Emotional well being, Exercise, Mounjaro

It’s been a good week.

My regular support / right-hand woman is away on holiday, so the two mornings she usually comes to assist me have been a little more leisurely!  That’s not to say I’ve enjoyed a lie-in.  In fact, I’ve been getting up a little earlier in order to get things done she’d usually help me with.

I’ve been working on an idea to create my vlogs – seeking some expert input from my daughter, who has advanced social media/marketing experience.  I’m not after thousands of post views or subscribers, but I feel it would be beneficial to share some aspects of my 13-year weight loss journey.  I hope that these resources can help others who encounter extra obstacles to weight loss—whether due to impairments, injuries, medication side effects, limited time, or caring responsibilities.

My journey hasn’t just been about seeing the pounds disappear.  Yes, initially, it was about losing weight.  As my journey has progressed, it has become about increasing my activity levels and exercising, about developing strategies and habits to embed in my everyday life to make the weight loss sustainable.

Without these strategies, there is no doubt that my weight loss would have fallen by the wayside, and I’d be several more kilos overweight than I was back in 2012.

It’s also been an emotional journey. There is no doubt that I have grown in confidence.  I am naturally a confident individual; some might call me overbearing at times, especially in group situations.

The confidence I have acquired over the years has been about my ability to change myself.  As I’ve seen the physical changes in my body and stamina occur, I am reassured that I can continue to do this and that I can continue to succeed.

This week, I’ve also started incorporating some strength and toning exercises using resistance training bands.  I know it’s inevitable that some of my body parts are looking a little saggier (I’m deflating, my OH tells me!).  That comes with age… and we cannot stop ageing.

I’m doing these exercises (just a set of 30 reps each) to build/maintain my muscle mass, especially my core muscles.  I can’t use my arms to push myself up from a chair or bed, so I depend on my core strength instead.

Mounjaro this week:

I took a 5mg dose on Wednesday from a 10mg pen using a spare pen needle.

 

Weight loss this week: 0.0kg

Stayed the same: 62kg / 9½ stone

My weight did bump around a bit during the week, but I’ve stayed within my calorie deficit, so I’m just hanging on in here!

 

Mounjaro Journey – 8 weeks in, 7.5mg

flidfit Eating Out, Emotional well being, Mounjaro

Another of those weeks where I was up and down the same 100g…. although whilst noting the appetite suppression and eating well below my daily calories.  Hey ho, we know that’s the way it goes!  At the end of this week, I’ve lost 300g (my total loss is 5.3kg, just over 11½lbs).

Trust the process, I keep reminding myself.  I reflect on my journey by looking at my weight loss graph.  Quite an impressive downwards slope since I started on Mounjaro…

My weight loss charts from the start of my weight loss journey, back in 2012, when I weighed in at just under 90kg (14 stone).  It’s another useful reminder of why I am doing what I am doing and just how compromised many aspects of my life had become back then.

The peaks and troughs serve as memories of events that impacted my ability to lose (or put it on!) weight – caring for a terminally ill family member who came to live out their final months of life with us, the Coronavirus pandemic, which surprisingly led to one of my most successful periods of weight loss.  I was able to concentrate entirely on my exercise and food habits.   Friends shared that Covid had led them to eating more and moving less (because of the inability to get out and about and baking home made bread), whilst others (including myself), found the lack of social activities and holidays was a blessing in disguise when it came to weight loss, enabling us to prioritise this above all else.

Various factors will inevitably affect our lives and well-being.  I believe that over the course of my thirteen-year journey, I have managed to transform my attitude towards food and consuming it.  Food should be a pleasure, but not a reward or something that we “deserve”.  Food should be nutritious and healthy – it fuels our bodies.  We are what we put into our bodies, and that can make a huge difference to our emotional and physical well-being.

I no longer enjoy takeaway food. I just don’t! Who knows what it contains and under what conditions it has been prepared? When I eat out at a pub or restaurant, I often find myself questioning the value for money of my meal. The flavours and cooking processes often do not appeal to me. Additionally, the cost is a concern. How can the exorbitant prices be justified?

Perhaps I am just getting old…. less willing to compromise.  More fussy….

I can remember putting together this blog post back in 2020, in which I reflected how far I had come in that regard, and then this post back in 2014, in which I tried to outline how, by continually finding reasons (excuses) for why we can’t lose weight, we are already setting ourselves up for failure.  Once we accept that there are no plausible excuses – that we can, with perseverance, overcome those barriers (that in reality only exist inside of our heads), then this journey takes a whole new direction.

Today, my dosage increases from 5ml to 7.5ml for the coming 4 weeks.  Hoping for more of the same – appetite suppression, a steady drop in weight.  My wobbly bits are wobbling a lot less….