Mounjaro weeks 3 and 4

Following sharing that I've started taking the weight loss drug Mounjaro for perimenopausal weight gain I thought I'd document my journey on the medication. At the time of starting my weight was in the high 80s (kg).

Previous weeks

Side effects

I found myself starting to plan my week around having the two days of feeling a bit nauseous - but then it suddenly got noticeably easier on this week. I just felt it a little on the Thursday.

I believe this is down to titration, a method of dosing medication that helps you get maximum benefits with minimal side effects. It works by gradually increasing your dose every month to give your body time to adapt to the new medication.

I've noticed a bit of what I can only describe as a patch of 'crepey skin' on the backs of my arms. This seems to be a common thing with fast weight loss on these types of medication. I'm making conscious effort to moisturise the area more and I've started taking collagen tablets every night before bed. I'm going to focus a bit more weight training on my arms, just to bulk out the muscle to compensate.

A positive side effect to report - energy! As I've lost weight my muscle aches have all stopped, my knees and back feel great for the first time in two years – crazy to think that those few extra kilograms were causing me so much pain.

Eating

Little and often and popping an electrolyte tab into a bottle of water once a day when I exercise is working wonders.

I'm more mindful of my gut. I've only eaten bread a couple of times this month but when I do I find I need to take a Senna tablet before bed the day after. I feel like being more mindful about what I eat and it's effects is a great habit to get into longterm and should stand me in good stead when I finally come off the medication.

Exercise

More than usual thanks to the lack of pain. A major concern in week one, that I wouldn't be fuelling my body enough to sustain exercise, happy to report that's not been the case.

I've upped my steps to an average of 12k a day, cycling 8 hours a week and doing one hour of strength training with a personal trainer. This is the strongest I've felt since I started signs of perimenopause 3 years ago.

Weight loss

In these weeks I lost 3kg. I've noticed my clothes getting a little looser -yay!
People have started to notice I had lost weight and I could see it myself, especially in my face and midriff.