Vit D and weight loss - related?

Hi everyone. My first time posting. I'm a 57-year-old woman and I've been stuck at the same weight since late September. I started taking this in June and saw good results at 0.25mg. Moved up to 0.5mg and then 0.75mg. I split the doses and it was all working out. Shed about 20 pounds during the summer. Then I hit a wall, and I've been trying not to stress about it. But since I'm paying out of pocket because my insurance won't cover the medication, it's a little concerning as I still need to drop approximately 45 pounds to get to a healthy BMI.

I increased my walking on the treadmill, added some Pilates at home alongside my weekly group class, watched my diet more closely... and I still stayed at the same weight, hovering around 199 for MONTHS. I just couldn't get below that.

It's freezing here, and I've forgotten to take my vitamin D like I usually do every winter. I guess I was too focused on this frustrating stall. I realized it last week and started taking it again last Friday.

Today, after my shot and weigh-in, I'm down 1.3lbs to a new low. 198.2 lbs!

I did a quick search and found that vitamin D deficiency can hinder weight loss.

So, I learned something new. I'm annoyed with myself because I'm wondering if I caused the stall by not starting my vitamin D in October? Ugh.

Did you all already know this? I've been reading so many posts and haven't seen it mentioned. Maybe it's not the vitamin D, but it's the only real change I can think of.

I'm not sure it's that cut and dry, but I'm happy to hear you're seeing movement on the scale again, @Drew_1984.

This study might interest you:

Vitamin D3 supplementation during weight loss did not increase weight loss or associated factors compared with placebo; however, women who became replete experienced greater improvements.

Click to expand...

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916523050487

It usually takes at least a month, maybe two months, for vitamin D supplements to really impact your blood levels. So, it probably isn't the vitamin D that caused the weight loss.

To increase weight loss, it is best to increase the dosage, @Drew_1984. Research has found that most weight loss occurs at 1.0mg and higher. To cut down on cost, purchase a 2.0mg injectable medication and count pen clicks for a 1.0mg shot. This will allow the user to get 8 doses per injectable pen.

1.2 pounds is a negligible decrease which might be temporary. Weight can fluctuate one to two pounds daily. Fluid retention plus inflammation may cause notable temporary mass differences. It is difficult to ascertain how much of the initial mass decrease is due to vitamin D.

I didn't think about the relationship between good vitamin D levels and losing weight. I regularly take a multivitamin with vitamin D, and my levels have been stable for a couple of years. I definitely feel bad when my levels are low.

It's easy to check Vitamin D levels. My blood work from a few years back showed I was deficient, so I've been taking supplements ever since. Get tested if you're not sure.

Thanks, everyone, for the input! I think I'm going to ask my doctor for a blood test to check my vitamin D levels for sure. I'll also keep in mind what @Ant_Crew said about maybe needing to up my dose if things stall again. It's good to have options!

Yeah, plateaus are the WORST. I've been there. I was stuck for nearly four months! What finally worked for me was adding weight training to my routine, along with more cardio. Also, my doctor increased my dose. It was a combo of things, but it finally got the scale moving again. Don't give up!

I agree with @Peptide_Journey - plateaus are super common. I've been on these meds for a long time, almost 2.5 years at the highest dose. It still helps me maintain where I'm at. I've heard people have to switch meds eventually, so I'm trying to ride this out as long as possible! Talk to your doctor!

It's kind of scary to think that these meds could stop working eventually. I wonder if that's why my appetite is slowly coming back... I'm only on .5mg, so maybe I just need to increase my dosage.

Initial loss is partly water so the rate will drop later. But that big early loss tells you it's working and you'll probably lose lots over time.

Injecting in stomach 4 months, minimal loss. Reading here makes me think thigh works better for others. Where on the thigh do you go? Inner thigh is my only pinch spot.

Mounjaro at 12.5 for about a year now, stuck around 290 (down from 410). Just started Vyvanse for ADHD and heard it can help with weight. Once I'm stabilized on it, think it might push past this plateau? Any experiences?

Been on Mounjaro 20 months, down 70 lbs, about 23% from peak. Started 2.5mg, now 7.5mg. Hit two plateaus. What helped: dose increase (last resort), changing injection site — thigh's best for me — and moving shot day to when you're busiest at work so less fridge access and less food temptation.

Same here. Caremark just denied me after weeks in pending. Doc sent a letter saying it's medically necessary but no clue if it'll work. I'm out on the ledge with you — this med's changed my life. Good luck.

Ditched Reddit and that influencer. Found some US-based vendors with China pricing and quick shipping. Stuck with them. I also mess around with international stuff—takes a couple months but the prices are worth it.

One thing with weight loss is changing how you sit. Take a yoga class and have the instructor help find neutral position. Made a huge difference for me.

Genetics determine everything. My chest shrinks first, belly hangs on forever.

Really like how MacroFactor readjusts based on weight loss instead of something like Apple Watch which gives bad numbers.