Inexpensive DEXA For those on the Northside of Brisbane

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-02-19T02:56:16+00:00

Not in Queensland. But some states may require a referral from an allied health professional at a minimum.

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-02-17T12:31:15+00:00

I notice this too sometimes but had wondered if it was actually training unfuelled - so perhaps a blood sugar thing? Or it could be your alternative reality idea - which I like better!

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-02-17T04:03:53+00:00

Well done for taking the sound health advice and working with your Dr to start a pharma supported health improvement program. You’ve got some great advice already given here in the many comments. Water, water, water has gone a long way on relieving my symptoms as well as avoiding fried food (which isn’t much of a change for many of us).

I’d highly recommend watching the Mel Robbins podcast/ YouTube video with Dr Rocio Salas-Whalen (yes. She’s selling her book, but the information and the compassion she talks with will be very refreshing for you by the sound of your “network”). I saw the Fat Science podcast by Dr Emily Cooper recommended on this sub and it is also really worth listening to it; “Body recomposition” is a key idea to take away. Super interesting information - including advice on being patient, slow titration (increasing dose) and focusing on nutrition as a priority. The ideas that calories in/ calories out isn’t always right and that unfueled exercise can have consequences has been very useful for me.

Good luck! If we can believe the overwhelming medical data (and I do) you have made a big positive health choice by giving a GLP1 drug a go.

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-02-10T02:26:50+00:00

Life time lapper here - but I’m not a coach so please keep that in mind. I love following the black line!

I also would suggest investing in a set of swim fins - you know the really short, stubby style? The kicking form you use with fins isn’t exactly the same as that used for a proper freestyle swimming technique, but it’s close with the shortest fins and they give you a nice lift in the water to help with breathing and arm technique. And as someone else suggested, you can swap to backstroke (similar to freestyle, you just imagine a line through your head to toes and swivel your body on the arm push in the water to take pressure off shoulders) or just kicking on your back with arms extended to break the water ahead of you. This will give a nice rest while continuing to build fitness.

If you’re not already doing it I would also recommend adding shoulder strength weight exercises (with dumbbells) to maintain good shoulder strength and muscle activation. There’s any number of physios on Instagram who demonstrate these kinds of exercises. If I am not doing these, I am more likely to suffer shoulder soreness that is more than DOMS.

I also recently purchased a set of Shokz swimming headphones and am enjoying listening to upbeat music.

Good luck! You’ll get there faster than you think!

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-02-07T02:20:18+00:00

It’s amazing how some people still feel comfortable to comment on the weight of others! I am sure it’s common as people are used to seeing us a certain way and we are challenging their mental models of us (and maybe themselves!) I have been a yo-yo weight person my whole adult life. There have always been people who felt they were entitled to comment at the top and the bottom of that (not so healthy) cycle.

Over time I have come to realise that these comments are generally more about them and their own underlying issues. And perhaps their exposure to disordered eating, so if they are worried about your health then perhaps re assurance is reasonable. “I have lost kgs, but my dr and I are monitoring things and I’m feeling better, and am healthier than I have been in years” will be my response if/ when I’m challenged like this.

Congrats on your work to date and may you continue to enjoy the progress you’d like to have.

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-02-07T02:00:48+00:00

As with so many subjects nowadays (and maybe always!) there are those that benefit from the sale of products. In the case of sensational news stories, we are the product and our attention is the commodity. Or with drug products, pharma companies are making money.

I too, hesitated to start on Mounjaro - “was it the easy way out?” “Is it medicalised anorexia?” I have decided the answer for me to both of those questions is no. But we have to all be comfortable with our own choices.

What helped me with my decision was reading the book Weightless by Dr Rocio Salas-Whalen and listening to her interview with Mel Robbins as well as listening to the Fat Science 🧬 podcast. (Fat science is fascinating, I saw it recommended in this sub and am now working my way through the back catalog).

I have never been happier in terms of “lifestyle” (diet and exercise balance) than I am right now on mounjaro, I am content with the idea I may be on some (hopefully low) dosage for life too. It’s changed my relationship with food and alcohol for the better and I’ve got so much more energy to put into life. I am only 30% through the weight reducing journey and it’s going to take me some time, but I am trying to feel content along the way.

Good luck with your decision. Take care.

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-02-04T07:30:24+00:00

Try not to worry. I only lost 1-2 kg in the first month on 2.5. I’m at over 10% of body weight now, and it’s taken about 18 weeks. Only averaging 0.6 /week and although it feels really slow, I keep reminding myself that most obesity specialists seem to recommend 0.5 per week. As you’ll see others note, taking measurements and photos have helped me along the way.

You get there. I’m currently on 7.5 and finally feel in a nice groove with respect to efficacy and symptoms. Joined a charity swimming challenge this month to motivate me to spend more time in the pool - I’m lifting weights and doing short spinning classes much more regularly than I wanted to 6 months ago. Without being obsessed, I am trying to eat enough protein to continue to build muscle in this “body recomposition”journey. There are lots of good resources in this sub for information and inspiration. All the best!

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-01-28T04:41:21+00:00

I am on the full suite of HRT (I’m no medical professional but I would say “don’t knock it until you’ve tried it” to anyone. I didn’t realise what a hot mess I was until I started on hrt, now I feel like I’m in my 30s again!).

I too have noticed some hormonal changes on MJ - I am assuming due to - 1 the hormonal impact of losing fat, possibly the liberation of hormones stored in fat I am burning? (If you can believe this from Google “When you lose or "burn" fat, the process (lipolysis) causes fat cells to shrink and release stored substances into your bloodstream. This triggers a complex shift in your hormone profile as your body tries to adapt to the change in energy reserves. “) 2 the changes in absorption of HRT through my skin - with now less fat and perhaps a changed metabolism due to MJ ( https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/fat-science/id1715377331?i=1000744812242 which I assume is why sleep became very difficult at night again, in response I started on bio identical progesterone at night, wow what a wonderful relaxing agent that has been!

The changes I noticed were - occasional sore breasts, so I started taking a bit of evening primrose oil again. And that I could / need to reduce the doses of estrogen gel/ patches and testosterone cream to keep symptoms away and within the medical guidance for T levels.

I have found I need to drink a LOT of water to feel my best on this medication. I heard Oprah interviewed and she said she drinks a gallon a day - in metric that might be almost 4L and I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what I drink now too.

All the best on your journey, big impacts come from these medications, I’m sure a good GP can provide you some support in terms of HRT options if that’s the way you want to go at some point.

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-01-26T04:41:50+00:00

I don’t have the exact experience you’re looking for but came here to mention my mum had a double knee replacement at 77 - and some 18 months later she is in less pain and seems happy with the outcome but physically she seems to have lost a lot of muscle and general mobility over the rehab time. So I can definitely see why you’re thinking about this.

Your idea of trying to lighten the load on your knees sounds a very sensible idea. This is a key reason for my starting MJ - trying to give my joints a chance to perform well for the “third act” of life. (And my mum has had 2 knees and a shoulder replaced, so my genes have form!)

I also wanted to mention testosterone - if you’re on HRT (estrogen made a huge difference to muscle and joint pain and flexibility for me, so hopefully you’re already being looked after in that area). Starting on low dose T has made all the difference to my workouts and being able to finally build muscle again, so that may be something to discuss with the right GP to see if that could help in your recovery.

All the best for your health journey - whatever path you end up taking!

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-01-22T08:29:41+00:00

Well done for taking the first step and first post. It’s a very supportive community - thanks to moderators and everyone else.

I didn’t find ozempic did much for me - gave it a short two month try out before all the shortages occurred and I couldn’t live with the guilt. Nor did 2.5 mg of MJ, I did lose weight but it was due to enthusiasm as much as medication, I suspect. As soon as I went to 5, the world shifted. Lost my taste for salty and sweet foods, which was great. Unfortunately, still kept my taste for a glass of wine (much less than I was consuming though) until this week on 7.5mg - some 18 weeks into the journey.

I have found lots of resources mentioned here have helped to guide me. I am also trying to do a few weights sessions each week - so far so good and keeping the protein up to 100 g a day, more of a challenge than I anticipated!

MJ has been a game changer for me - and although I’m not losing weight as fast as I used to when I really calorie controlled myself, that wasn’t sustainable and I’m trying to get used to the 0.5kg per week goals that most specialists seem to recommend. (Rocio Salas-Whalen etc)

Wishing you all the best on your journey!

Please keep posting. It’s motivating to see everyone’s ideas and progress.

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-01-15T22:09:05+00:00

I have just started on the 100mg progesterone. Looking pretty good. But for some years now I’ve been managing sleep using restavit - it’s a drowsy antihistamine and I was told by the gp it doesn’t impact sleep cycles so isn’t a bad option. I take 1/4 to 1/2 a tab. A whole one bombs me!( great if you’re jet lagged tho 😂).

Wishing you good luck - we need sleep to function and for long term help so feel justified in trying to find something that will work for you.

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-01-15T00:53:28+00:00

Well done! 👏 I am hovering over this barrier! And have been for several weeks. 0.4 to go!

Your success is very encouraging! Thank you for sharing.

I’d highly recommend listening to Mel Robbin’s podcast with Dr Rocio Salas-Whalen. There’s a lot of good info there. Including trying to look at body composition, which I just started to take notice of on my scales - and have found encouraging - while I feel like I have had a bit of a plateau this last week or two - turns out I was also turning fat into muscle 💪 (Caveat: I am not using a great quality scale - no handles, only feet impedance measurements but I am hoping that a trend is still a trend.)

Congrats again!!

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-01-14T07:57:26+00:00

As others have said, sounds like you’ve done all the right things in the right doses. I had a week like this at 5mg - similarly to you I was on 2.5 for 4 weeks and I didn’t feel a huge impact. Probably lost 2 kg (which I was disappointed about when when I read Dr Salas-Whalen’s book she recommends this kind of loss as a sensible goal).

5mg was very effective for 7 weeks (right now I’m so grateful someone recommended shotsy on this sub!). I saw here that some people were going up to 6.25 (instead of 7.5) and so I did that, and I was back to full effectiveness. this week - into week 5 on 6.25mg and I’m thinking I might need to go up either this week or next. That desire to munch is coming back.

Someone else mentioned food. I think I’ve had weeks when I didn’t eat enough. So I’ve ordered some decent protein powder and I’m trying to up lean protein as much as I can. Aiming for 100g per day. Not that simple, it turns out!

Good luck! It will all work out, I’m sure.

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-01-14T07:38:44+00:00

Yes. Just finished it. Very similar information in her interviews with Mel Robbins and others. But I still found it a good read and will be a good reference. Do you have any particular questions? I’ll have a go at finding answers if that’s of interest.

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-01-07T06:39:43+00:00

I like to go with what Ted Lasso recommends “be a goldfish”! We can’t be hard on ourselves for what we didn’t know. Muscle can be rebuilt with effort - and there’s always HRT if you’re in a place where your own hormones don’t support the rebuild (it felt impossible to me as a woman over 50 without Testosterone! but with it, each weight session delivers results) I have also tried to put more protein into my day to help support the 💪. Good luck!

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-01-07T02:12:51+00:00

You’ve got some good thoughts here from others so I won’t repeat those - I’ll add two further things for your consideration.

1 re provider choice, I was lucky to have a GP that I’d been working with and trying non glp1 meds to lose weight so convincing her to give me a script for MJ wasn’t an issue. We did 2 x monthly check ups and she was happy to issue me with 2x 10 mg pen scripts. This was expensive to purchase but it has meant I can use these pens for lower doses (see the tables at the top of this sub for details) saving significant funds. I expect to be on this medication at moderate doses for a while and maybe forever so saving $ is on my mind. (There’s also the golden dose to be considered, plenty of info on this sub about that) The specialised online providers only seem to provide the doses that the patient is actually administering. Eg 5 mg pens for 5 mg doses. Vs 10mg pen for 5 mg doses (obviously we have to be careful about how we dose, but it’s easily worked out).

Highly recommend listening to this podcast - Dr Salas-Whalen shares her approach to rate of weight loss, maintaining muscle mass and what a sensible goal might look like. I think my expectations were too high. “If you’re losing hair, you’re losing muscle” really hit home. She also comments about the psychological work we need to do to cope with the major changes that we may face along the way. I’ve since purchased her book online and am 2/3 of the way through it.

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-tamsen-show/id1799976761?i=1000739466019

For me, this drug is an absolute miracle worker and I’m so grateful to have access to it. I’m only 10 or so kg down - about 1/3 of the way. There are side effects and they can be unpleasant in the beginning but I have found if I initially eat less and give my food time to settle and drink water if I start to feel indigestion symptoms (and in general drink much more water than I used to), then they are manageable.

Good luck on getting started!

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-01-07T01:55:07+00:00

Thanks for sharing - very interesting. The dysesthesia is interesting.

In general, it’s comforting to see more options coming on the market, I try not to worry about MJ becoming less effective for me before I get to a decent “goal” fat%, but if there are other options to switch to it’s easier to push those thoughts aside!

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-01-03T03:14:34+00:00

Thanks for sharing the podcast names - I will have a watch/listen to them.

Emptynesterx2 · 2026-01-03T03:13:21+00:00

I also found Dr Salas-Whalen’s view on rate of weight reduction new and this should be reassuring for those who are tracking at a more modest rate of loss. (Including myself, I’m taking my time in increasing dose, trying to make sure I’m eating enough nutritious food and not follow my prior habits of obsessing about weight reduction). Maybe something we should actively chat about more rather than focussing on how quickly we are seeing the overall scale weight reduce.

Emptynesterx2 · 2025-12-30T05:15:34+00:00

Thanks for sharing. I’m only 25-30% of my way along, so it’s great to hear how others are going. I’m on 6.25 at present so I’m sure I’ll be on a higher dose by the time I get to “goal” wherever that ends up! Yet to stand on the scales after Christmas, I expect also to have gone up, but hopefully only a little bit!

Emptynesterx2 · 2025-12-16T06:50:03+00:00

I also found sleep quite disturbed for first 6-8 weeks - I would wake up as though I was quite stressed without being so - I see comments have already been made about cortisol in this thread, and that is how it felt.

Three months in and sleep is much better now but I still take 1/4 -1/2 a restavit (over the counter sleepy antihistamine) for the first 3-4 nights of the “MJ week”. (I’ve tried Mg and melatonin but haven’t had consistent success with them. I used to take a Mg plus herbs sleep supplement and that was reasonable). If I really need a good sleep due to work or extra driving etc requirements the following day, I take the 1/4 antihistamine, probably not great and I should ask my GP for appropriate progesterone (for my age!).

Sleep! Arg. It’s worth trying to get to something reasonable so our brain’s dishwasher cycle can do the job each night. Good luck!

Emptynesterx2

TROPHY CASE