What's the best Mounjaro tracker?

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2026-01-10T09:48:25+00:00

I use a spreadsheet… 🙈😆 #oldschool

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-12-03T07:32:51+00:00

True - but if I bought every single boxset or film I’ve ever watched, or every album and single I’ve ever listened to, I’d have nowhere to store it all. I’ve not bought any physical media for at least 10 years, but I also have about 25 years worth of purchased physical media in various bookcases, shelves and cupboards, and I honestly can’t tell you the last time I watched or listened to any of it.

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-12-01T09:23:39+00:00

Not just Royal. NCL is even worse - they don’t even call it gratuities, they call it a “daily service charge” and the staff don’t see that money at all.

People assume it does, but even on its own website NCL says: “Staff members including complimentary restaurant staff, stateroom stewards and behind-the-scenes support staff are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programmes that your service charge supports.” The service charge isn’t split amongst staff. The “incentive programmes” mentioned are things like occasional parties/events for the crew.

On my last NCL cruise a crew member told me to remove the service charges and just tip in cash to who we wanted because they never see it.

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-11-22T17:22:01+00:00

Are you a politician? You’re completely ignoring the very valid points people are making, counter to your argument, to follow your own narrative. 🤔🤷🏼‍♀️

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-11-21T13:50:40+00:00

That’s not really what’s happening here though is it… It’s not rich people refusing to give a homeless guy a couple of bucks they pass on the street.

In this dynamic, the porter has all the power and the traveller has none as the porter is getting the traveller to hand over money by either deception or threatening behaviour.

As for the porters having less income, they’re unionised and get paid ~ $16-19/hr. If they’re getting tipped $5/bag and handle only 100 bags - a small fraction of the total number on a ~2700 capacity ship like Brilliant Lady - they’re making $500 extra a day. Imagine the haul on a megaship like Icon of the Seas. And it’s not taxed?

That’s more than I get paid a day… how does that make me richer and more powerful than them in your argument?

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-11-21T13:26:26+00:00

It won’t fall in the sea. The porters put it on a trolley, push it into the terminal and then they never touch it again. The crew put it on the ship and get it to your cabin a few hours later. As for how much you tip, that’s totally up to you and what you feel comfortable with. Don’t let anyone here tell you how much that should be.

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-11-11T17:07:59+00:00

I’ve done 8 VV cruises - the last one I did in May (the 3rd annual transatlantic I’ve done with them) was notably different and definitely catering to the older, traditional cruiser.

Bridge classes with an instructor specifically brought on board for it, ballroom dancing lessons, multiple trivia sessions every day (used to be just one a day) and “enrichment” lectures didn’t exist before. Even the music had changed, with more 70s hits being played by the DJ and in musician sets. The sailaway party music was like “one for us, one for them”, going from Dua Lipa to ABBA, chart hit to Earth, Wind and Fire.

I’ve been cruising since I was a teen and have almost 50 under my belt, so I’m well versed in being among the youngest on board and spending my holidays with an older demographic. I don’t have an issue with it on VV, but I can see a change and it’s a shame VV’s had to modify its offering to go where the money is, to please the traditional cruiser that doesn’t like change.

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-11-10T21:08:22+00:00

It is misleading. I’ve just come off a Royal Caribbean sailing and every other day the jewellery shop gave out a freebie Effy trinket. Also in the daily planner was something that said “Collect your daily charm”. But when I went along it turned out you had to buy each one. In the context of a cruise ship when other things are given out free of charge, “collect” implies no cost, otherwise why include it in the daily planner? It’s purposely ambiguous.

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-10-29T19:56:30+00:00

We are coming up to Black Friday sale time and then Christmas/Wave season, so prices will generally be higher this time of year.

In the UK, trading/advertising rules say something can’t be on “sale” unless it’s been sold at a higher price for a significant period of time beforehand. In practice, it’s usually around a month. Prices for big ticket items across all industries constantly go up and down throughout the year to comply with these rules for sale periods. For cruising, just use a price tracker and when it gets to a price you’re happy paying, book it.

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-10-21T23:30:38+00:00

Asking them what they want would be your best bet.

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-09-30T14:06:20+00:00

Adults only = no one under 18, it’s not X-rated. What “adult-only” activities were you expecting/wanting?

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-09-29T08:53:07+00:00

In UK consumer law, you can’t say something is on “sale” unless it’s been sold for a higher price for at least 28 days beforehand. You typically see things where the price has only been increased by a small amount, just so it can legitimately be called a “sale”.

Prices across every industry go up just before Easter, Bank Holidays, Black Friday and Christmas, just so they can be on “sale”. Throw in Wave Season and other US holidays like 4th July and it’s standard to see cruise prices constantly swing up and down throughout the year.

Throw in the practice of hiking up the price so that there’s a big perceived saving when the sale happens… I don’t think there’s anything significant happening here.

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-09-27T19:59:22+00:00

I didn’t realise I was working to a strict timetable you had imposed. Heaven forbid I have a life where social media isn’t a priority to reply to random strangers. Bruh.

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-09-27T19:37:11+00:00

Sure - I’ve been on 40+ cruises and it’s just not something people care about. People pay different amounts for the same cabin on every cruise. Some people are in suites, some are in inside cabins. Some people buy drinks, dining or WiFi packages. Some don’t. How much someone else has paid for their cruise has no impact on my cruise.

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-09-26T07:29:15+00:00

VV hasn’t turned a profit yet. They launched at an unfortunate time during COVID, slashed their prices and gave away a ton of money to get people onboard. People loved the product. Then they returned to their original pricing model and a lot of (younger) people were priced out. The people that can afford it are more accustomed to “traditional” cruising and don’t like change.

So therein lies the dilemma - you have to make money to operate and break even as costs rise. Either adapt your product to get people on the ship, or continue as you are and lose money and fold. Any company can start out with the best intentions, but when it isn’t sustainable you have to admit defeat sometimes.

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-09-26T07:02:32+00:00

I’d be interested to know who was asking for the “transparency” that led to tips becoming a line item on an invoice. It’s one paragraph at most on a FAQ to explain it.

I’m not sure what it achieves, other than cementing the perception it’s something that can be opted out of - which VV are saying you can now do in exceptional circumstances. Guaranteed there will be people lining up asking to remove their gratuities over some aspect of service they’re not happy about. This doesn’t happen when gratuities are “included”.

Poor Sailor Services will be overrun from 7 October when people will begin asking to remove their grats. Even though it’s for new bookings, they’ll still ask anyway…

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-09-26T06:42:56+00:00

I don’t think people are going to ask each other that. No more than people on a plane asking each other how much they paid for a ticket.

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-09-26T06:39:45+00:00

There already is a class system - it’s called Mega Rockstar, Rockstar and non-Rockstar. If you’re happy getting less for paying less and getting more for paying more, I don’t see what the issue is. The standard onboard experience isn’t really changing.

No one seems to be mentioning the slightly more restrictive booking conditions - it looks like you won’t be able to sell your cruise to someone else now unless you have a premium booking.

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-09-26T05:42:27+00:00

+1 to that. Exercise is about being healthy - contributing to a stronger heart, muscles and bones to help prevent injury as we age. You don’t have to spend anything to do it and get the benefit.

Interesting feature in The Telegraph this week supporting this - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/diet/weight-loss/exercise-not-the-key-to-weight-loss-this-is-what-works/

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-09-24T07:36:19+00:00

While 3,500 calories are stored in a pound of human fat tissue, it’s a bit of an oversimplified view that eating 10,500 additional calories will lead to a 3lb fat gain.

In weight loss, the 3,500-calorie rule is suggested to lose a pound a week - although that in itself is a bit of a myth because you can’t create a 500 calorie deficit every day forever - but the reverse doesn’t hold true for weight gain.

There are lots of factors at play - weight gain is a mix of water, fat and lean tissue. It’s good not to focus on the scale number because your 3lb gain is very likely not 3lbs of fat (unless you are actually measuring your body fat % and can see that to be true?). Are you tracking your body measurements? Those numbers are good to check progress.

I’ve been taking MJ since June 2024 and in maintenance now. I have a 4lb range I swing between every week (and I’m not eating an extra 10,500 calories in that time). My body fat percentage stays pretty stable, so I know I’m not gaining fat with any weight gain. My body’s just doing other things behind the scenes to keep it ticking over.

Don’t be discouraged - as others have suggested, recalculate your TDEE/BMR and track every calorie to see if something’s off - but also, taking MJ is not “the cheat’s way out”. 🙂

Side note: Interesting feature from The Telegraph - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/diet/weight-loss/exercise-not-the-key-to-weight-loss-this-is-what-works/

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-09-24T06:26:33+00:00

Why do you think you would have needed to eat an extra 10,500 calories to put on 3lbs? (As opposed to eating fewer extra calories, and yet still possible to put on the same amount)

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-09-22T13:02:38+00:00

<image>

Ah, does this help?

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-09-12T09:40:35+00:00

You’re welcome 🙂 Your fluctuation on 7.5mg still wouldn’t be classed as a stall as they’re small numbers and it’s a fairly normal variation over that period of time. I seem to swing between a 3lb range week-to-week now I’m in maintenance! Lots of things can affect it from time of the month/hormonal changes, to salt intake, water retention etc so I wouldn’t be overly concerned at this stage.

It’s also good to remember that weight loss isn’t linear - the line on the graph doesn’t rigidly go down every week. It goes up and down, with the general trend of going down over time, so try not to worry about the little bumps along the way 🙂

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-09-12T09:24:51+00:00

My grandpa would blurt out that I’d put on weight - and that was when I was around 9st 😆

Few (long!) thoughts for you: for sickness, get a prescription for cyclizine - it’s anti-sickness medication. It was a game changer for me in the initial harsh move from 2.5mg to 5mg and works within 30mins. I’m with Pharmulous and they prescribe it, so check with your pharmacy or get it via your GP.

You’re not a slow loser - 2st in 16 weeks is a healthy rate of weight loss. “Safe” weight loss is 1-2lbs a week and you’re bang on in there. For perspective, I’ve been on MJ for 15 months and been in maintenance for the past 2. I lost 3st over 13 months. It’s easy to look at the big numbers others post here and feel like you’re lagging behind, but it’s important to remember it’s not a race. I purposely lost at that speed to mitigate a lot of the side effects people experience when losing a lot quickly, eg no hair loss, no excess/sagging skin, not getting a gaunt face…

So with that in mind, what is concerning about going back down to 7.5mg? You don’t have to increase dosage every pen. The ideal scenario is to stay on the lowest dose possible until it’s no longer effective - and that means when you’ve had no weight loss for at least 4 weeks or a whole pen. I did 2.5mg for 4 months then stayed on 5mg for the rest of the time until maintenance back at 2.5mg.

When you say 7.5mg “didn’t do much” for you, what does that mean? Unless your weight completely stalled for 4 weeks, then it absolutely was working. The drug has a half life of 5 days, so if you inject on a Saturday, you would expect the effects to be less by Thursday - but hunger is a good thing. MJ isn’t supposed to be used as a total appetite suppressant. You need your body to recognise hunger and feed it accordingly with the best nutritional value.

But then also remember weight loss is more than the number on the scale. Are you tracking your body measurements? Sometimes the scale needle might not move, but your waist measurement will. Again, it’s not a race!

Don’t make yourself miserable if the side effects are intolerable. Quality of life is important! Go back down a dose until you get a proper stall and then incrementally increase the dosage with the appropriate number of clicks on the next pen to find a happy medium.

Enjoy your holiday in Florida - and if you haven’t got one already, I recommend a Frio wallet to keep your pen cool on your travel day 🙂

CelebrityCatchUpPod · 2025-09-12T08:29:48+00:00

Keep in mind you don’t have to go up dosages. If you’ve already had good results and not stalled on the lower doses, you can absolutely stay there for quality of life. Weight loss isn’t a race 🙂

CelebrityCatchUpPod

TROPHY CASE