u/Curious_Aus25

TL:DR Reached goal weight, working on body recomposition goal, loving life.
 
STATS:  57F 165cm
MJ SW 95kg (August 2025)
Weeks 1-14 starter dosage 2.5mg
Click counted 5mg pen to increase by small increments
Max dose 5mg (2 weeks only)
Current MJ dose 2.5mg - every ten days
CW 60kg
GW range 59-61kg
Size 8-12 depending on the  brand
 
History is here:  https://www.reddit.com/r/MounjaroMaintenanceAU/s/1UpZkSDISO
 
DOSAGE - I'm on 2.5mg every ten days.  The first time I did it was actually 11 days because I forgot! That's how much it wasn't bothering me.  Seems to be working well, I am definitely hungrier but am still eating my high protein lower carb diet and paying attention to if it's really HUNGER, a bad habit creeping back or just a craving - which will pass.
 
DIET - 2g protein per kilo body weight.  I'm doing this for OPTIMAL muscle growth.  Carbs are higher now than when I was in my weight loss phase but they are mainly veggies, rice, oats or low carb (seeded) bread.  I'm keeping my carbs under 100g a day and that is what works for me. 
 
Eating an average of about 2100-2200 calories per day, can fluctuate a bit depending what's happening during the week, some days is 1400 but can go up to 3000.  High days might be if I've had a social event or a really hungry day and if that happens I'm usually not as hungry the next day, or I'll deliberately cut back.  I don't mind doing calorie cycling, I think it keeps my body adjusting.
 
TRIGGER FOODS - oh yeah these are so obvious!  We had a social event at work one day and I was cutting cake and passing it out to everyone.  I wasn't tempted but I kept myself busy.  Right at the end I was cleaning up and I had the tiniest little bit of cake with icing (say about a TEASPOON size).  My brain went into hyperdrive!  Everything lit up like a Christmas tree and for the rest of the day/night my brain was on high alert looking for more more more sugar.  It was a challenge to not go into binge mentality.  The next day I still had the same thoughts circling for sugar "what can I have"… So I ate KETO that day, to get out of a possible spiral. 
 
This is why I don't have ANY trigger foods at home so I can't lose control.  What I do have is some hot chocolate sachets - I mix one with water and have that after dinner if I still feel like I want something.  It satisfies my brain and then I stop looking.  I ask myself am I hungry?  Did I have a proper protein based meal? If yes, then I'm not hungry it's my addict talking.  If no, then I'll eat some protein.  If it's late - I go to bed.
 
I think it's going to take me some time to get out of the mental battle.  After all I've been in it my whole life, it's not going to be solved in a few months or a year.  I'll always have to be vigilant.
 
WEIGHT TRAINING - I've been doing three weights sessions and one cardio session a week.  Walking average of 12,000 steps a day.  I changed my workouts and have been doing 3-5 sets, 3-6 reps, heavier weight.  Hit personal bests (PB) on  Squats 50kg, Deadlifts 50kg, Hip Thrust 60kg and Chest Press 35kg.  I'm super happy with that and curious to see what those numbers will be like in six months.  Resting between sets.  Some days I don't feel like going but I go anyway - do my workout and I always leave the gym feeling great!  It's NOT about being motivated, it's about commitment.  This is just what I do now.
 
I had a body composition scan done 2 months ago and will have that done every six months to see how I'm progressing.  I take my measurements once a week, they are the numbers that I care most about - my size and my body composition (more muscle, less body fat).
 
CLOTHING - Size 6-12 depending what brand.  Australian sizes vary wildly!  I have been spending WAY too much money on clothes because I love getting dressed up.  I love wearing belts and showing that I have a waist.  The shopping really does have to stop, but for so long I wore the same three outfits to work and the same thing at home every day that I've been overdoing it with new things.  My options used to be so limited and now my wardrobe is full to the brim!  I'm faced with "what will I wear today" choices.  Not "what will I wear today" because I've been wearing the same thing day in and day out.  I'm finding my style again and it's great!
 
LIFE IN GENERAL - is really good.  I'm so much happier within myself.  I can now say to myself:
I deserve better
I am enough
Thanks but No
 
Maintenance is a goal in itself.  It's a whole new strategy to losing weight, needs its own specific plan.  I've lost 20-30-40kg so many times before.  This time I will maintain my weight within my goal range and take action if it hits the upper limit. 
 
Motivation is fleeting - commitment and dedication is what get results.

Thought I’d give an update on my maintenance to date. Warning- It's quite lengthy!

TL:DR Reached goal weight, reverse dieting and working on new MAINTENANCE goal of body recomposition.
 
STATS:  57F 165cm
SW 95kg (August 2025)
Weeks 1-14 starter dosage 2.5mg
Slowly went up by click counting to 5mg but only took it twice before reaching initial goal weight of 63kg and backing off dosage
Current MJ dose 2.5mg - Saturday morning
CW 59kg (-36kg)
Size 8-12 depending on the  brand
GW range 59-61kg
 
HISTORY
 
I have a 40 year history of yo-yo dieting, sugar addiction, binge eating disorder. I’ve gained and lost 30-40kg more times than I care to remember. It’s embarrassing and humiliating. I’ve never been able to maintain my goal weight longer than 6 months. I shudder to think what my family and friends think when I turn up to events from one year to the next a completely different size to the year before.
 
All that stops now!
 
In 2024 I lost 30kg (without meds) prior to going on a long awaited holiday. Basically did alternate day fasting (starved myself) for six months and cardio 3 times a week. It wasn’t easy but I had the holiday goal. After the holiday I immediately proceeded to put the weight back on through junk food diet and sugar addiction. I also stopped exercising so it was a double whammy. Not only got heavier but fatter.
 
WEIGHT LOSS PHASE
 
In August 2025, after seeing a horrendous photo of myself that slapped me in the face with a reality check, I went to my GP and agreed to try MJ.  She had suggested it to me in 2024 but I had resisted.
 
I stayed on 2.5mg for as long as I could as I didn’t want want heavy food suppression and wanted to learn to manage hunger cues and cravings but without the food noise.  Fortunately I didn’t have any negative side effects but the positives (lack of food noise) were a game changer.  It was easy for me to stick to my "diet" and the obsession with food cravings literally disappeared overnight.
 
I cut out all junk/processed food and sugar. Followed a High protein (2g per kilo body weight), Low carb (under 50g) diet. Did intermittent fasting (no breakfast); calorie and macro cycling.  Used MyFitnessPal to track food and am still using it daily.
 
MJ also gifted me with zero desire to drink alcohol. I’ll have a glass every now and again but I can leave the glass half full, it simply holds no interest for me. Same with coffee. I still have one cup of coffee most mornings but I could go without. Just don’t need the hit.
 
Exercise wise,  I started up again when I’d lost the first 10kg. Before that, I just felt really heavy. I do Cardio only once a week for heart health. Went back to weight training (which I have done on and off since I was 30yo and love it) three times a week. Reconnected with my old PT and see her about once a month for a smashing! I also walk at least 10,000 steps a day. I find ways to add lots of incidental activity into my day.
 
FINDING MY GOAL WEIGHT
 
In 2024 I got down to 67kg so that was my initial goal. But I really wanted to be 65kg. My GP said 63kg would be better and as I approached that weight it seemed achievable.
 
When I hit 63kg my GP said she would start to take me off MJ and I agreed. That was my strategy all along, as I do not want to take it forever. It’s also why I’ve had such a strict no sugar diet, because I’m an addict and I cannot moderate sugar. I have to abstain from it (like an alcoholic, it’s non-negotiable if I want to stay slim and healthy). 
 
So I started to back off MJ in May 2026. I haven't noticed much of a difference, food noise is still very low. Some days I'm hungrier than others and I'll eat more that day. It’s ok. The next day I'm not as hungry. It balances out over the week.
 
I started reverse dieting. Adding back more food. Still eating food from my healthy list but more of it. If I find I'm struggling to eat more, I'll add a handful of nuts to my evening yoghurt for extra calories. And remarkably, even eating MORE - I kept losing weight! For the past month I've settled around 59-60kg which is great.  I cannot ever remember weighing less than 60kg. Ever.  I feel really good, I fit into small clothes and I'm taking a much greater interest in what I wear every day rather that just wearing the same old three outfits day in and out.  I LOVE getting dressed for work and to go anywhere.  I LOVE wearing shirts tucked in with a belt!  It's the greatest feeling!
 
MAINTENANCE PHASE 59-61KG
 
I've decided on a goal weight range because in the normal course of life, body weight fluctuates day to day and week to week.  I don’t want to get too caught up in it.  I cannot ever imagine being less than 59kg and I'm working on building muscle which is denser than fat, so I may gain weight but (hopefully) continue to firm up and get a better body.  Muscle is metabolically active and will help me eat more and weigh less.  If I hit 61kg and my measurements are going up in the wrong places - that's my take action weight.  I do not ever want to be overweight again. 
 
I'm eating roughly 2100 calories average per day.  140+g protein is non-negotiable to support my muscle growth.  Carbs are usually around 100g per day.  Some days it's hard to eat more.  I've still got the old dieting mentality which is quite difficult to shift after 40+ years, but I'm trying.  Eating less is not good and has caused me a lot of problems in the past.  I'm learning to eat more and be ok with it.  This is why I'm still tracking my food and may continue to do so for some time. We shall see.  If I eat less one day I'll eat more the next day - at the end of the week it averages out about right.  I also realise that to build muscle I need to be eating more food to fuel the muscle growth.  This is a work in progress.
 
My maintenance exercise plan is to keep up my 10,000+ steps a day, three weight training sessions and one cardio session a week.  This is a sustainable plan that I can fit it in around my work commitments.
 
In summary, my new goal is to more or less maintain my weight, improve my strength and muscle mass. Be a strong woman into my 60’s and beyond.  I’m going to do it. I am doing it.
 
DOSAGE AND WEANING OFF MJ
 
This Saturday I'll be taking my last weekly 2.5mg dose. After this jab I'll go to ten days, then 14 days, 21 days, 28 days. Then off. It's quite nerve wracking but I think I've got everything in place to make it work.  I do have an extra script, so if I need to stretch it out a bit longer I can.
 
NOT SO GREAT BUT HOPEFULLY WILL IMPROVE
 
Hair loss.  I've lost quite a bit of hair, it's thinned out quite considerably.  Assuming that's from undereating and not getting all my vitamins and minerals in.  I've started taking a multivitamin and now that I'm eating more hopefully this will resolve itself in time.
 
Saggy skin.  Oh yeah, I've got it.  First time.  I didn't even have loose skin back after my 2024 / 30kg weight loss.  But this time around, and another couple of years older it's come back to bite me.  Mainly around my upper arms, stomach and back of upper thighs.  It's not that attractive and I CANNOT imagine getting into a swimming cosie in public… With clothes on I look good but underneath - it's a bit of a disaster zone!  I look at myself and try to accept it as a part of life, and it's my fault anyway for abusing my body with food for the past 40+ years.  So I accept it.  Maybe with the muscles that I'm trying to build, the body under the skin will look better.  Watch this space!
 
TIPS FOR ANYONE STILL ON THE JOURNEY TO GOAL
 
The trick is to do what works for YOU.  We are all different and what worked for me might not be right for you.  If what you are doing isn't working, then change it up.  If you aren't losing weight, it's more than likely WHAT, WHEN or the AMOUNT that you are eating. Could be too much or too little.
Make yourself your new project. Get a dietitian.  Read books. Listen to podcasts. Find the answers. 
 
Motivation is fleeting - commitment and dedication is what get results.
 
All the best to everyone.  You've got this!