Day 1 of 4mg
How time has flown! One packet of 1.5mg down and before you know it, it's time to start on 4mg.
I posted 1 week into 1.5mg, perhaps a bit too optimistically. Minimal side effects, a little itchy skin in the night the first week or so (like needing to swat a fly off you!), a couple of headaches in the last week, and seemingly a heightened sensitivity to sun. No deal breakers so far.
From the lens that 1.5mg is literally the tiniest dose ever compared to the full therapeutic dose of 25mg, there has been some impact on food noise but in retrospect it's very minimal. I think you can often overanalyse things to purposely find positives, because you're reading into every little thing.
For me, I know that to maintain a moderate calorie deficit and lose weight at a sensible rate, I need to eat around 1650kcals a day, get my steps in (normally around 12k), and workout a few times a week. I have around 10kg to lose (going 80 to 70ish). This works, because I've done it before without too much misery but a LOT of mental effort which I am now depleted of. For the large part, the 1.5mg made sticking to this a bit easier and definitely helped. Still a lot of discipline involved, still getting hungry at meal times (although never hangry). On a normal day, I'm eating probably around 1700kcals without too much struggle. By contrast, I've still had some days where I've found solace in limitless comfort eating, and I've had no problem eating a lot of food. Likewise, when I was on holiday, not tracking food, it was easy for me to go overboard, with no impact on fulness. Whilst I haven't weighed myself this first month, I know for a fact I have not lost weight. I'm fine with that, I haven't given it my all or been consistent.
I also found the effects to be variable. When I'm tired, it feels like I've not taken the pill at all. Whereas other days, it's effects feel a bit more noticeable. It definitely helped balanced out the luteal phase cravings, even by a little bit, for which I'm grateful.
I've been taking it with a big mouthful of water, chased down with another mouthful, then waiting a minimum 1.5hours to eat and drink. Based on my limited research, this appears to be the most effective way of taking it.
I was super nervous taking the first pill. It's the uncertainty! I don't take any medication at all normally, it's all very new to me. Over the course of the month it became very normal though as you get used to it. However I got that uncertainty again this morning taking my first 4mg. Several hours later I feel exactly the same as I did yesterday, there was nothing to be scared of (yet!). Fingers crossed the minimal side effects continue and that I do feel some enhanced feelings of fulness this month.
Anyway, there's my wrap of month one on 1.5mg. I hope you are all getting on ok in your journeys (I hate that term but I don't know how else to describe it) and I'm keen to know how others have got on 1.5mg and how you find the step up to 4mg if you're going for it.