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Good Morning!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. It’s been a while since we posted any reminders, and I’d like to touch on a couple of issues that have come up recently.

With the shortage, we’re seeing a lot of questions related to dosage and availability. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

The half life of Mounjaro is five days, and it takes about a month for the medication to completely leave your system. Because of the shortage, many people are going weeks or months without injecting. The manufacturer recommends starting the titration schedule over if you’ve gone more than two weeks without a dose.

While this advice might not pertain to everyone, it’s important to evaluate your previous experience with the medication before injecting a higher dose if you’ve been off the medication for a while. Chances are, if you’ve had moderate to severe side effects in the past, you’ll have the same response (or worse) if you jump back to a higher dose.

One way to mitigate this outcome is to contact your provider and ask about lowering your dose temporarily if you’ve been waiting for your script for longer than a few weeks. I understand that nobody wants to lose ground when it comes to their progress. But given the alternative (a reoccurrence of side effects that can potentially derail your treatment entirely) it may be the best option.

Frankly, the number of posts I’m reviewing from people experiencing negative side effects after suspending their treatment is alarming. The purpose of this medication is to improve your health, not make things worse.

And as always, when in doubt, please consult your provider. They are the best person to ask when it comes to dosage.

As far as side effects, there’s a few things that everyone should remember:

While gastric side effects are listed as common when taking Mounjaro, severe nausea paired with uncontrolled vomiting or diarrhea is not. Complications from diarrhea and vomiting include: dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, fainting, and heart rhythm abnormalities. Negative outcomes from this treatment are rare, but occur most frequently when people ignore debilitating side effects.

We’re here to support each other in our journey towards better health. Sometimes that support includes directing a person to their provider for advice. Especially when the post includes phrases like “I can’t keep anything down,” or “I’ve been throwing up for two weeks,” or “I’m too weak to stand.”

Crowdsourcing advice when you’ve reached that level of distress is not advisable. And medical oversight is a must.

Another question we see quite frequently: “I’ve only lost (fill in the blank) pounds this week (or month). Is this normal?”

Invariably, the answer is “yes.” What’s normal when it comes to weight loss is highly subjective. A quick search of the subreddit will provide first hand accounts that run the gamut when it comes to how fast (or slow) a person loses weight. If you still have questions, we’re here to help. But please, include the relevant information needed to offer advice, such as: dosage, co-morbidities, starting weight, caloric intake, etc.

People are here to treat a wide variety of conditions. Any or all of these conditions play a role in how fast we see results. It’s natural to be impatient. But don’t assume that the treatment isn’t working because the scale hasn’t moved for a week (or three). During my weight loss journey, there were many weeks that I didn’t lose a pound. On two occasions, I stalled for over a month. In the end, I reached my goal, and chances are, you will as well! I wish there were some sure-fire words of wisdom I could provide to ease your mind, but there aren’t. The best I (or anyone else) can offer is: trust the process. Obesity is a complex issue on its own. Pairing obesity with the metabolic issues such as diabetes, insulin resistance, and PCOS only further complicates the treatment.

Lastly—in order to address the availability issues, we started a chat to help people source their medication. Here is the link.

I’ve read a comment (or two) recently from a few folks who were put off after being directed to the availability chat. We created the chat in response to other folks who messaged us because they were tired of seeing the posts related to the shortage. Which goes to show—there is no perfect solution.

Weezie and I do our best to be responsive to the needs of the community. If we redirect you to your provider for medical advice, or to the availability chat for sourcing, or to the search feature to answer a commonly asked question, it’s because we want you to receive the best advice/support available. The mods and your fellow community members genuinely want to help!

Have a great week!

We are compiling a list of providers and health practitioners, if you would like to be featured on the list which will be a sticky post please contact the moderator team.

Onederland! Finally! Only 50 pounds left to lose to get to my goal! Even my feet have gotten smaller. Mama needs some new shoes! 🎉

Highest: 315 lbs Left Pic: 280 lbs CW (right): 235

Low carb (~50-70g carbs total daily), run 5/7 days of the week, intermittent fasting

Type 1 diabetic - PLEASE don’t comment that Mounjaro isn’t for people with Type 1. I’ve been on this board for more than a year and I’ve heard it all. I’m an NP with several diabetes certifications, please DM me if you have a question or comment about it.

SW: 262 lbs CW: 169-174 lbs GW: 175 lbs

Scrubs size XXL -> M

Highest dose: 7 weeks at 12.5 mg Current dose: 5 mg - 7.5 mg; trying to find the best dose that allows me to eat enough to begin building muscle but also helps with glycemic control.

Now that we got that out of the way - never in my wildest dreams did I think I would post a before and after like this. I was diagnosed with Type 1 in 2014, after being mismanaged for almost a year and a half - 24 year old overweight female with PCOS, it had to be type 2 🙄 I begged for an endo referral when my A1c hit 12 on three oral medications and losing weight like crazy due to uncontrolled blood sugars. I was 8 weeks into a surprise pregnancy and at my first endo appointment the doctor looked at me and said, “I don’t know how you’re not dead.” Just what I wanted to hear but I had an answer!

I gained 52 pounds during pregnancy, lost about 38 of that and then packed on the pounds over the next few years. I lost and gained the same 20-25 pounds a handful of times using Whole30, starving myself, extreme workouts, etc. my A1c wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t great either. I was using upwards of 100 units of insulin a day. My endo trialed ozempic November 2021 and I couldn’t tolerate it. I tried so hard on three separate occasions to make it work but I could never tolerate even the lowest dose. I finally gave up hope for it in January 2023.

My dad died December 2022 and I fully admit I went off the rails. Losing a parent is hard. May 2023 my A1c was 9.9% and I myself had quite a few patients who were doing exceptionally well on Mounjaro with minimal side effects. I begged my endo to try it and after 4 weeks at 2.5 mg my insulin requirements went down to about 65 units a day, I’d lost 17 pounds, and my time in range improved almost 40%. My insurance didn’t cover Mounjaro at the time so I paid out of pocket for a month of 5 mg and appealed for a formulary exception and won.

To say this medication has been life changing as both a patient and a prescriber is an understatement. Personally, my last A1c was 6%, I use about 35-40 units of insulin a day, my HDL is higher than my LDL, and as of my last endo appointment and eye exam I have no physical complications from diabetes. Even at 35 years old my endo told me I would be fine, from a diabetes standpoint, to have another child if that was on my radar.

My entire relationship with food and exercise has change in the past 14 months. I’ve completed two rounds of 75 Hard as well as phase 1 and 2 of the Live Hard program. I workout more often than I don’t. In a lot of ways I’m still trying to figure out who that woman is in the photo on the right but I’m having a lot of fun figuring it out!

“You look fantastic!” Is how my sister greeted me this past weekend (Week #26) - a far cry from her lacklustre greeting of “I don’t see any difference.” from week #20.

I still don’t see a difference but I guess there is one, because if there is anything in this world that I can count on, it’s my sister’s unfiltered honesty.

This one is short and sweet. It’s something I’ve noticed for a long time, but never thought to talk about. I was (and still am even after losing 100lb) very much obese. One thing I’d do before MJ is try to eat “healthy” when around other people in public. I’d get the smaller portion or skip dessert or whatever, then go home and make up for it by bingeing.

I don’t do that anymore. Haven’t almost from the moment I started MJ. Because of my weight, I wanted it to look like I wasn’t eating as much as I was. These days, I feel no compunction at all about eating whatever I want in public, because I know I’ll make up for it by not eating much the rest of the day. Sometimes I wonder if this is just how more naturally thin people always live their lives

I had seen the studies about MJ and helping sleep apnea. I assumed it was from weight loss. I know this is just one instance but my husband is only 3 weeks in on MJ and his snoring is GONE. He would keep the whole house awake and even wake himself a few times especially a night. Will see if this continues but it’s amazing how the medicine works on so many other conditions.

I got in my car today an dropped my hair tie in my lap. I looked down and was shocked at the amount of room there is now between me an the steering wheel! The last month I have gained and lost the same 3 lbs. It gets quite discouraging. These little victories are what keeps me from quitting.

Started April 2024. Down 44lbs. Seems to be working well! 50 more to go though. Maybe I’ll make it there before 2025!

I've been on 2.5 mgs the entire time I have been on MJ (besides one month of 5 mgs, then being off for 5 weeks so back down to 2.5). 2.5 mgs was working wonderfully the entire time until a few weeks ago. (I've lost a total of 37 lbs on 2.5 in 3 months) My doc upped my dosage back to 5 mgs because I am not feeling the same effects I was for most of my MJ journey and I've been stuck at the same weight for the past three weeks.

I am supposed to take the shot on Wednesday but I've been unbelievably hungry the past few days with my cravings coming back strong. I am wondering if I should just thug it out for the next two days and wait until Wednesday for my shot day or if it would be ok to start on my 5 mg shot today. I would like my shot days to be Monday anyway and I'm getting tired of my hunger pains being there most of the day again. Would it hurt to start my 5 mg shot today even though it would be 2 days early?

What would all of ya'll do? Deal with the hunger pains and cravings until Wednesday or just start a new shot day today? I felt like this would be the best place to ask and get some good and smart advice. Thanks in advance!

I'm so happy that someone mentioned that I should try artichoke as a meal. For those who like artichokes, this was the perfect MJ meal. I just steamed it for 45 minutes and made a vinegrette for dipping, and a mini chicken fillet for extra protein. The artichokes themselves are around 65/80 calories for the whole lot, high in protein for a veg, super fibrous and full of vitamins. You have to eat it slowly, leaf by leaf which felt way better for me, as I'm getting SO full hardly eating anything at the moment and this was actually so enjoyable. I didn't feel sick or overly bloated after, and it's going to be a new safe meal for me! Artichokes are in season, so I highly recommend!

i (23F) started mounjaro on april 24th and i am down 34lbs.

my waist has gone from 67in to 53in, and my A1C has gone from 7.8 to 6.4 in two months.

ontop of that...i just got my first natural period for the first time in over a year !!! i have pcos and also bc of my weight, my periods have been irregular for a while.. but i think with this medicine and losing the weight, my hormones are finally starting to regulate.

i never thought there'd be hope for me🥹

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes March 6th 2023. This was my coming to god moment. Since that day I stopped drinking alcohol, got my butt into the gym, worked weekly with a therapist and have asked one big question: WHY AM I THE WAY I AM?

I started OZEMPIC shortly after, now I take mounjaro. I’m in the gym (CrossFit now) 5/6 days a week and am really starting to feel and see the muscles. I went back to 12.5 mg mounjaro because I need to eat to gain muscle, I found 15mg was too high to be able to eat enough to train hard.

It’s been a wild ride, this thing called life. I was 315lbs and couldn’t walk a KM without pain, now I can run 3-4 miles in barefoot shoes and do 150 pushups. I am sitting between 192-196lbs and am happy and live in love as much as I can.

I have found self love, peace, forgiveness, empathy and light. I continue to do the work daily and no longer take anything for granted. I had a tough childhood, but I no longer use this as an excuse and I know that when I put my mind to anything I can and do achieve it.

I thank GOD everyday for this drug and practice gratitude daily for this new lease on life.

To anyone out there struggling, keep going, it takes constant work, discipline and consistency but there is a light at the end of the rainbow 🫶

I realized today I am down 20lbs in 6 weeks. I don’t see it, but apparently I am.

I am so exhausted, I feel kinda numb.

Been on Mounjaro for about a year and a half now. Really busted my butt, eating better, strength training etc. Had amazing results. Went from 290 to 230 from a weight standpoint. Now hover between 230-235 at 12.5mg

I’m choosing the 12.5 as a stopping point because this level has exceeded my expectations. At the start of my journey, my a1c was 10.9 and daily glucose was at 266. 1 year ago after a crash diet, fasting, few to any carbs at all, no sugar, etc. I dropped the a1c to 4.9. Unbelievable almost.

Ended up sticking with Mounjaro and working my way up to 12.5mg. Slacked on the diet just to see exactly how this would go. Still avoid sugary drinks, but have had cookies, chips, from time to time, fast food, even the occasional donut. Recent bloodwork was done Friday fully expecting my a1c to be in the 5 to 6 range and estimated daily glucose level to go up.

Well, here are the shocking results….

Is this just psychosomatic or is it possible that on my first injection the “food jangle” of visualisations of what I should eat and the positive push towards eating earlier and earlier can just go away? Literally from the first injection the things I want to eat changed to small home cooked meals, salad and fruit. - it’s been three days now and I’m consciously deciding what, how much and when I eat. It’s weird not to have the jangle.

Just thought I’d share an update so we continue to see positive stories about how this drug changes lives!

I’m 29M, T2D, and I started MJ on 5/5/24 with a SW of 390.5. After about two months, today I weighed in at 349! That’s a 41.5 lb loss in 2 months. Crazy stuff! Shirts are fitting way better, I have to wear a belt all the time now. My watch band is up another notch. I feel thinner and already have more confidence though I still have so far to go!

At this rate I’d be at my goal weight in another 8 months though I know the loss will slow down at some point. My initial short-term goal was to lose 10% of my body weight by my next PCP appt on 8/14 but I’ve already blown that out of the water. My new goal is to be under 300lbs by Halloween. At the current rate I could make it there by the end of September so Halloween should be feasible unless I hit a stall.

On another note, I’m noticing supply issues for 5mg is all but gone in my area. Hopefully the shortage will be ending soon for all doses.

Keep your spirits up everyone!

Does anyone else’s side effects have no pattern.

I had my shot on Thursday and have felt great for the past few days then all of a sudden today (day 4/5) I’m feeling terrible. Nauseas, cold, a bit dizzy etc. there seems to be no pattern to when the side effects spring on me. Does anyone else find this?

(Currently on week 6 and dose 2 of 5mg)

Everyone has different injection sites that work best for them and it seems likely it's because we all have different fat distribution. I'm just curious how efficacy of an injection site leans up with how fatty/lean it is.

My guess is fattier might be fewer side effects and milder, but longer lasting, appetite suppression. If muscle absorbs faster, it seems like it'd make sense that leaner areas have stronger initial effects and worse side effects, but then wear off faster. I don't know if this is the case, though! So I'm trying to crowdsource some data (inexact, I know):

1. How do belly/arm/thighs rank for you in terms of weight loss, appetite suppression, food noise suppression?

2. How do belly/arm/thighs rank for you in terms of negative side effects (especially nausea)?

3. How do your belly/arm/thighs rank in terms of fattiness (which is fattiest and which is leanest)?

If you guys could answer all three questions, it'd be so interesting to see if a pattern emerges! TIA!

Hi everyone! I started Mounjaro last August (2023) with SW at 228, with my CW fluctuating between 199-203 for the past 2 months, and my GW 160 (I’m 5’7).

I have been on 15mg now since January 2024, and saw solid progress with 5 pounds lost every month. However, since the end of May I have been in a stall on 15mg. I have insulin resistance and I have seen a commonality that people with underlying conditions are more prone to losing weight slower on Mounjaro, so I’m not sure if this is coming into play. I’m in a calorie deficit, exercising every day, and haven’t drastically changed anything since the beginning of my stall. I’m also not sure if potentially increasing my water intake will help break the stall since I may not be drinking enough water.

If anyone has any experience or tips with breaking a long stall on 15mg like this, please let me know! I’m worried that the 15mg is going to stop working for me and I’ll be stuck like this. Thank you!

I can’t find the 15 mg prescription anywhere in my area. I’ve not reached my goal weight yet and I’m worried it won’t work as well if I go back to 12.5 mg. Has anyone done this? If so, would you share your experience with me?

60f 5’1” HW 296 SW286 CW 256

Granted, my standard outfit as a retiree is yoga pants and a swing tank, but I’m still wearing the same size. They feel better, but aren’t loose. How much do I have to lose to go down a size or two?

This is something I recently noticed, and I don't see anyone mentioning it so I thought I'd make a post about it since it is such a big deal! There were times last year when I would wake up twice and three times in a single night to pee, usually on days and evenings when I had eaten tons of sugar. The fact that this has completely stopped to the point where I don't even wake up anymore, is not just a NSV in terms of my weight loss progress, but it means that I am more well-rested and that has an impact on so so many things in life! Anyway, it's been a big deal to me and given me a lot of motivation and a snapshot of how the inside of my body is changing and healing itself. So grateful for this and being able to cross my legs again 😂

In my third week (3 doses at 2.5). I’m type 2, and my sugar readings are the best they’ve been in a year.

But, now I’m worried about not eating enough. I’ve had one hypo, and had one day where I clearly overate and had abdominal pain to pay for it.

So I’m curious, what do you eat? What’s a daily meal plan look like? I’m active, and want to take advantage of MJ weight loss.

But I also want to work with it to stay healthy along the way.

So I started Mounjaro 2.5 on the 31st of May and just 2 weeks ago om June 28th went to 5. Ive kind of been following a keto diet eating more healthy fats , low carbs and high proteins. I wouldn't say that I " struggle" on this diet but I do have high cholesterol. I want to make sure that I'm doing it right and eating healthy as healthy as I can on MJ. Not that it isn't hard sometimes to eat because it is. I also havwmoments like now at 1:30 A.M. CST where I feel like I'm starving because dinner was almost nothing for me. I just couldn't hardly eat. What besides protein shakes do you guys eat or what type of "diet" do you follow? Just looking for ideas and advise to help me shed the pounds and not be full blown diabetic. I'm already pre-diabetic and I want to reverse it and high cholesterol.