My journey on the M: What I learned so far!
Everyone has different levels of side effects
I have several friends who are also taking it. Turns out we all experience different side effects and to different degrees. I have been lucky and not felt bad at all. For me it's been really easy. My friend on the other hand has suffered really poor sleep and constant headaches for two days after injection. Another friend felt quite rough after injecting for the first few months but is now fine on injection day.
Someone told me it's to do with your blood type. Medically, that is probably questionable. What is undeniable though is that you can't predict any side effects, and for some they will be worse than for others. We all seem to have different experiences.
My side effects have been:
- Waking up too early, so I don't get enough sleep, or sleep is just too light
- Intermittent constipation
- Slight hair loss and hair feeling more brittle
- A few episodes of nausea
It's no shame to pause titration
You normally start at 2.5mg and then titrate up - increasing the dosage by 2.5mg every month. However: there is nothing stopping you from staying on your current dose! This might be really good if you are experiencing some side effects and you want to leave your body longer to get used to it. I have done it myself several times, just remained on the same dosage for several months and it seemed to help with the few side effects I had. My provider allowed me to do this, in fact they said I could remain on the current dosage for as long as I liked. I only titrated when I felt ready for it.
It's a long journey
Using Mounjaro for weight loss is no short term fix. It can take you several years to reach the point where your weight loss starts flatlining. Some people seem to expect instant results but you won't even notice much until you are titrated up to the 10mg dose. You are expected to stay at the highest 15mg dose for many months after that, up to 18 months.
Everyone has different levels of weight loss
Turns out my friends have all got different levels of weight loss, at different periods of taking Mounjaro. One friend hasn't even lost much weight, because he has not also made enough changes in his life. Some people seem to lose a lot in the beginning, others more at the end. For me it's been a nice slow and steady loss over time - which apparently is the healthiest way to lose weight anyway.
Pre-Mounjaro Eyes
The most eye-opening change has been seeing how much I used to eat. Before Mounjaro I could easily scoff down a McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder, 9 nuggets, and fries. Now I can barely manage a single Quarter Pounder! For months I used to order food like I used to, with my pre-Mounjaro eyes, only to experience that I could only manage to eat a fraction of it. It was scary to see how much I could eat in one go compared to the "normal" portions I now eat.
You need to do the work!
Just as with your own mental health and wellbeing you need to do the work to lose weight on Mounjaro. If you don't do the work you risk just remaining at the same weight, or you experience minimal weight loss. Mounjaro significantly reduces your appetite but you can still eat high-fat, calorie-dense foods. It doesn't prevent you from eating chips or chocolate. So, you have to do the work. Mounjaro needs to be taken in combination with two lifestyle changes:
1) Move more. You don't need to go to the gym. Just get more daily movement of your body into your life. Walk more. Put on headphones and dance in your living room! Ditch the car when going to the supermarket. Go for walks. Any movement is good. You can't just lie on your sofa or in bed expecting to lose lots of weight.
2) Make changes to your diet. Yes, on Mounjaro you can still eat whatever you want. You just won't be able to eat as much of your favourite foods as you used to! But to ensure good weight loss, and a stable journey ahead, you need to eat less calories. Normally that translates to more protein, less fat, less carbs and a lot less sugar. I found Mounjaro made these changes easier, though.
Do I feel different?
As anyone who has had weight loss will tell you, yes you do feel different after loosing nearly 15kgs. I do feel healthier. However I also feel happier about the long term benefits of losing weight and not putting such a strain on my body that I used to. I'm looking forward now to getting to under 100kgs (yay) and then hoping to remain at ~90kgs after the end of my M journey.
Life after Mounjaro? No one truly knows!
This drug has not been used for weight loss very long. So no one really knows what happens after you have been on it for years, and then stop taking it. Well, we do know that you will regain your appetite and those who have stopped have reported it's very hard. In some countries you are not allowed to take Mounjaro for weight loss for more than 2 years, so in 1-2 years we will see a whole raft of people coming off their M and likely struggling. No doubt we will see an increase in ex-Mounjaro coaches and personal trainers who want to help you stay slimmer. I am not sure myself what lies ahead for me and have chosen to not worry too much about it now, but I do know I will have to document how I eat now to remind myself how little I should actually be eating. I need to start taking photos of the portions I eat now and remind myself of how little it actually is, so I never start eating like I did pre-M.
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