Mounjaro woes - feeling defeated :(

Wolf_Cookie

Wolf_Cookie

Well-known member
UPDATE:

Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate the support, even those who were a bit harsh. I'm still feeling lost because everyone has different opinions!

Some suggest eating more, others less. Exercise more, exercise less. I'm struggling to eat even 900 calories a day since starting on 5mg. It's impacting my energy levels. My body weighs over 230 pounds; it needs fuel! Eating is a chore; I eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and take small bites. I often can't finish a small bowl of soup without stomach pain and feeling sick.

I weigh everything using a digital scale and track it all in my food diary app. I don't know what else to do for my health.

Thank you for the kind words. My goal is now just getting through each day.

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Hello everyone.

I need to vent. I am so frustrated and don't know what to do. For over 9 months, I've been meticulously following a strict, daily 1500-calorie diet with about 130g of carbs, 110g of protein, and 45g of fat. I've been carefully weighing and measuring everything. I was aiming for significant weight reduction, but I've only lost about 20 pounds. It's demoralizing because the scale won't budge much despite the effort. I've been tested by different specialists for IR/diabetes with no explanation for my lack of progress.

My starting weight last year was about 257 pounds.

I'm now around 235 pounds.

My doctor prescribed Mounjaro to overcome this plateau. I began in mid-January with 2.5 mg; the first month was fine.

In mid-February, I increased to 5 mg. The first couple of doses were okay, but after the third, things went downhill.

I developed severe side effects: intense diarrhea. It continued for days; I became dehydrated and weak.

I tried anti-diarrheal meds and the BRAT diet without success.

I felt so weak that I had to call for help. I was taken to the hospital and treated for dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. I was released after a few days. I lost only about 6 pounds since starting Mounjaro.

I stopped taking metformin and magnesium, as they might have worsened the diarrhea.

About a week before this, I started taking 400 mg of magnesium + B6. It was probably too much on top of Mounjaro.

My biggest disappointment is that despite over 9 months of dieting and working out, I've barely made progress. Now, the medication is causing terrible side effects. I'm at a loss. My doctors are unsure about what's happening.

I'm happy for everyone's achievements, but I'm feeling really down.

Thank you for reading.
 
I think the magnesium was the culprit for your experience. Don't take anymore! The same thing happened to me. While magnesium is usually well-tolerated, Mounjaro slows digestion, causing you to absorb too much magnesium at once, leading to those symptoms.

Also, you might not be eating enough. Try increasing your intake to around 1700 calories per day. If you exercise, add back the calories you burn to maintain at least 1700-1800 calories.

Ensure you're drinking enough water and getting sufficient fats and carbs. Consider adding a probiotic and a fiber supplement.
 
Stick with 2.5mg and take it easy. 6 pounds isn't nothing! Try 5mg again later if you plateau. Maybe you're not eating enough, and your body is trying to protect you. A cheat day might also help.
 
It sounds like you're doing everything you can with your doctor. I hope things improve. I had a difficult start too. I took a break and restarted at a lower dose. The side effects didn't come back. It’s tough when the medication doesn’t seem to be working for you. Good luck!
 
Take a deep breath, you sound very stressed. Remember to breathe deeply, it helps relax you. You'll be alright. Any weight loss is good. It's disappointing, but give yourself credit for trying hard. You could try 2.5mg again and gradually increase to 5mg, or split your dose to see if that helps. Drink lots of water and add electrolytes. Keep your chin up, we're all in this together.
 
I reached my goal weight eating 1200 calories. I now maintain on 1500 and strength train. My maintenance *should* be around 1900, but I would gain weight if I ate that much. Some people just need to eat less, and Mounjaro helped me with that.
 
6 pounds a month is good! Try staying on 2.5mg. Only increase by a small amount when you need to or if you plateau for a month.
 
I've been on it for 5 months. The beginning was great, but I've only shed 4 pounds this year. I'm increasing to 7.5 soon to see what happens. I don't have serious side effects, so I'm continuing. It’s frustrating. Your doctors are doing their best. Maybe this med isn't right for you. I hope you find something that works!
 
First, if you are not a doctor, please stop giving definitive medical advice. It's unhelpful and sometimes contradictory!

Wolf_Cookie, I'm so sorry that it's not living up to expectations and that you experienced this scary medical event.

These are just suggestions:

1. Stop comparing your progress to everyone else's. It's a common trap.

2. This is a marathon, not a sprint. It took time to gain the weight, and it will take time to lose it. I know you've been working at it for a while.

Try to reframe your perspective for mental health. Stop obsessing over tracking every detail; it can become detrimental.

3. Continue with your doctor's guidance on 2.5 mg until it builds up in your system. Some people never go higher than 2.5 mg because they can't tolerate larger doses.

4. Look for Non-Scale Victories (NSVs). How do you feel when you lose a pound? How do your clothes fit? Is there less inflammation or fewer body aches? Are you sleeping or moving better? These are all wins!

Breathe, you've got this! Your journey might be slower, but it's still a winnable one!

My journey has been a bit slower, too, but I'm learning new habits that will hopefully help me maintain the progress after Mounjaro. I'm almost a year in and have lost 53 pounds! I feel amazing!
 
I suggest eating a bit more. Increase your calories and see what happens. I don't count calories, and I started at a similar weight to you. Weight loss is slow, but I've accepted it. I weight train several times a week and have hypothyroidism, so I'm patient. Slow weight loss is fine. People who lose weight fast are a small number. Don't restrict calories so much; enjoy the process! I hope it improves for you! That sounds scary, and I'm sorry that you had to go through that.
 
Hi. I'm sorry you had that hospital experience. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance is very scary. It's understandable you feel discouraged.

Your weight loss is actually consistent with a small calorie deficit. You lost 9-10 kg in about 10 months, which is about 250 kcal per day. With a bigger deficit, you would have lost weight more quickly. This means either you ate more than you thought or your energy expenditure was lower than expected. This is very common!
 
I'm only on day 6, but the food chatter is gone. I wonder if this is how naturally slim people feel? Not always worrying about food?? It's amazing!
 
For those of you frustrated that you aren't losing fast enough, remember that slow and steady wins the race. I lost a lot of weight, but then I stalled for months at a time. Don't be discouraged if you plateau! I exercise most days and try to limit sugar and carbs. I still have pizza, but only a small slice!
 
I agree with Metabolic_Mandy, everyone's body is different. Don't get discouraged if it doesn't work for you right away. I've heard some people respond better to one med than another. Maybe talk to your doctor about trying something else if Mounjaro isn't working.
 
The regain risk is real but it's not inevitable - a lot depends on what habits formed during the loss period and whether you're maintaining some level of GLP-1 therapy. The 'you should have saved money' take misses that feeling and moving better has value that doesn't show up in a spreadsheet.
 
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