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How has it been

My first week on 2.5mg of Mounjaro has not been how I feared.

The morning after my first injection, I woke up with a clear headedness that I had not known before. The voice in my head that was permanently focused on food was missing. Instead of thinking about food, I found I was thinking about whether I was thinking about food.

I tested my thoughts by thinking about my usual vices. I was a sucker for a burger, fried chicken, and most of all French fries. Once the thought of them was in my head, I would fixate until I had eaten them. But I found thinking about them now gave no reaction at all. My desire for them was no longer there.

Battling food noise

What I hadn’t realised before was how much food noise I’d been living with. I realised that part of what I had been battling, was actually this endless voice. I had been thinking about food constantly.

It even continued while I was eating. I would be in the middle of eating something, but thinking about what I was going to eat next. This would make me rush through the food just to get to the next thing. It was an endless cycle.

This voice also convinced me that I hadn’t had too much. That I deserved to have what I wanted. It pretended to be my friend.

I don’t remember this voice being there when I was younger, and slimmer. It is something that has crept up on me. Gradually turning the volume up until it had my full attention. Now it was gone, my head felt quiet, I felt relaxed, I had space to think.

So far, it seems that I am one of the lucky ones that respond well to the medication. The positive benefits of not feeling hungry, and having reduced food noise kicked in straight away. I was surprised by this, as I know I can sometimes be resistant to medications.

The downside of success

Ironically, one thing that has been playing on my mind is the worry of having rapid success. Losing weight too quickly could leave me with stretched, saggy skin. Some people seem to have shrunk down more evenly than others. From what I have seen, the best ways to avoid this are to:

• Avoid rapid weight loss
• Eat more protein
• Focus on weight training to build more muscle

Dose and injection site

Week 1 – 2.5mg Mounjaro – Injected into upper right stomach.

You need to change the location of your injection site each week. I have decided that I want to inject into my stomach. So, to make it easier to remember, I have come up with a 4 week rotation.

Week 1 will be right side upper, week 2 left side upper, week 3 right side lower, and week 4 left side lower. That way I will always know which location I am using, and reduce the risk of swelling or irritation.

You can change between stomach, thigh and back of the arm as well. I am only planning to inject into my stomach.

Side effects experienced

I am not sure if I have had any side effects from the medication. The aches and pains I have experienced feel the same as ones I have had pre injection. I have had a headache for a few days. This might be more a result of the change in diet. I haven’t eaten any chocolate all week. I had been having a daily bar. Two if the first one had been earlier in the day.

My IBS has also rumbled a bit. Again, that is more likely as a result of the change in diet. I had been eating a large amount of fatty foods. I will monitor it, and see how things go. But so far, so good.

What have I been eating and drinking

I have increased the amount of water I am drinking. I have been feeling thirsty, a sensation I am not used to. I am a bit worried that I may be drinking too much. One day I had to stop as I was onto my 5th litre, and feared I might drown.

So far I haven’t really felt hungry. I am making sure I eat regular meals though, regardless of whether I feel hungry. I am eating more slowly, and chewing a lot more.

The taste of my food seems to have increases. I wonder if that is because my focus isn’t on thinking about what next. I have also noticed that I get a feeling of fullness quite quickly. I have even been throwing food away, something I had not done in years. I am trying to remember to cook less.

I have been snacking on things like nuts in the weeks leading up to starting Mounjaro. I had been grabbing a handful at a time, and would get through them quickly. But this week I kept forgetting that I had them next to me. I kept finding some of them were still there the next day.

With the possible flare up of my IBS, I cut the nuts out in case they were a trigger for some of the pains I had. It is difficult to say what is a side effect of the medication, or just the result of years of poor diet and damage.

Weight check

At the end of week 1, my weight was Nineteen stone. That meant a drop of 5 pounds from my consultation weight. That was great, a motivating start.

I know the first losses are usually bigger, but I was really happy.

Key takeaways from this week

Loosing the food noise has left space for more useful thoughts.

Just because food is there, doesn’t mean you have to eat it.

How did you do

How did you find your first week?

What changes did you make?

Do, or did, you experience food noise?

Did you have any side effects and how did you manage them?

What are your thoughts about taking a weight loss jab?

Drop a comment below, or send me a message. I would love to hear from you.