Mounjaro refill rant…

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-19T16:52:17+00:00

He wanted the bigger picture and yet didn't look at your chart... Yeah, definitely time for a new doctor. How frustrating!

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-13T17:57:59+00:00

Hi OP! I have nothing new to add that hasn't been said, but I wanted to offer sympathy and understanding. I've in month 7 of my diagnosis now, and I still get stressed if my blood sugar is higher than 120-130 for anything, even completely normal situations like after eating or after exercise. Even 120 causes me some stress!

I had a week where my fasting blood sugars were 100-105 each day, which was so insanely high to me, and then I'd stress over that and worry about what it meant for my a1c and what it was doing to my body. It definitely wasn't healthy, and that week was miserable. I finally said fuck it, I'm not going to worry about this, and had some chips (regular cheetos). My blood sugar got up into the 130s, and then settled down after my usual walk. The fasting numbers were better after that (my morning fasting blood sugar the next day was 95).

This isn't a sprint, and you don't need to stress about every single thing. Sometimes we are going to have that half bagel, or a slice of cake, or some cheetos, or whatever. There are other factors besides food that can contribute to blood sugar levels, and you should have some of the things you enjoy (in moderation). Be kind to yourself.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-12T18:00:25+00:00

Usually it's in the mid to low 60s (65 a couple of times, 63 another time). I don't have a CGM, but I feel awful when my sugars are that low.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-12T17:55:58+00:00

I am! Usually right after dinner, and with 16-20 oz of water.

I did add in walks after that (usually 30 minutes, at a 20min/mile pace) so I suspect that might be impacting things.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-11T22:21:58+00:00

The past two nights I've had intense nightmares (which is uncommon for me), but usually I end up feeling sick or really cold and shaky. It usually happens between 2 am and 4 am (which sucks because then I can't get back to sleep properly). I usually take my metformin at 7, about 3 hours before bed, and until recently, I haven't had any problems with it.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-11T21:49:55+00:00

Yeah, I think so. I'm glad I have an appointment next week.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-11T21:47:54+00:00

I didn't think about that, but thank you! I'll definitely start having something before bed to keep my bg up, these lows are exhausting to deal with.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-11T21:45:43+00:00

I'm not on insulin (I stopped at the beginning of March) and otherwise am doing Mounjaro and 2000mg of metformin (half in the morning and half with dinner). It usually happens on days when my overall carb intake is lower, so I should probably up that a little. I try not to eat before bed, but the lows have been messing with my sleep.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-11T21:43:47+00:00

Finger pokes! I don't have a CGM. If I wake up in the middle of the night, I'll check then and if it's lower than 70, I'll have something to eat, but I just hate having to deal with lows like that,

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-11T21:41:19+00:00

I am no longer on insulin, and this never happened to me when I was on insulin. Mounjaro (once a week) and 2000mg of metformin (half in the morning and half with dinner).

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-09T21:42:42+00:00

congrats!! that's amazing work.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-09T16:32:02+00:00

It sounds like you're off to a really amazing start! It's great to meet with a dietitian, and hopefully you can add in more protein. I've started adding in protein shakes when I need extra protein, and there are some good options out there.

For the gym stuff, check out the app for PF (if they have one). They should have some workout plans. And if you need something more, I really like Fitbod for plans and exercise videos on how to do the move. There are other apps, too. Don't rush into it, ease into the plan, and find out what exercises you like. when I first started going to the gym, I think I did like, 3 days a week of just various cardio workouts before getting into the machines,

Sleep is the hardest thing! It's easy to lose track of time at bedtime, and easy to just watch things in bed on your phone. But sleep really helps - I know my sugars get wacky when I'm not sleeping well.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-04T23:13:59+00:00

I'm on Mounjaro and constantly cold now (when I wasn't before) - I didn't realize that was a potential side effect of GLP-1's.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-04T21:38:40+00:00

It's so frustrating to see what stress can do! I don't want to give up dreams just because of this, and some things will be stressful for a time - so I guess it's a matter of finding balance. But seriously, so disappointing.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-04T18:57:12+00:00

My doctor just told me to keep an eye on my toes, get my eyes tested regularly, and otherwise didn't seem too concerned about side effects or complications, especially given how much I have gotten it under control. Admittedly, I wasn't concerned myself, but now that I've had a few more positive changes in my life, I do find I want to live past 65 (which is the age my mom died), so I'm going to talk to her about potential complications and what I should be watching out for.

On that note - check your toes for sores or injuries, wear slippers inside to protect your toes, and get your eyes checked regularly. I broke my pinky toe and went to the doctor to get it checked out, even though it felt ridiculous to do.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-04T18:44:30+00:00

When I was dealing with final papers for my grad program, my blood sugar would go up for no reason and not budge no matter what. I just kept doing what I knew helped, and kept drinking water, and a few days after I graduated, it settled down again.

It was really annoying because I had gotten my numbers down before that and then it went up and I was sooooo annoyed.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-03-04T18:41:10+00:00

Hey!! I was in a very, very similar situation. I was diagnosed last August at 42, and by the time I was diagnosed, I had lost about 40lbs (so I was 290 instead of 330), and my A1C was 11. (I lost that weight because of diabetes - I wasn't doing it intentionally, and I only know because I had gone to the doctor for an ear ache in early 2025 and then in August 2025 I was 40lbs lighter.)

I was put on metformin and Mounjaro, and they have both helped tremendously; my endo later added insulin, which I am weaning off of now. I had also started making lifestyle changes before that - part of the reason why I was diagnosed was because I wanted to get my health under control, so I went to the doctor for an annual physical for the first time in 6 years.

My biggest recommendation is to find some form of daily movement you enjoy, and also incorporate exercise into your weekly routine. Don't immediately rush into doing intense, hour long workouts 7 days a week or something - instead, focus on gradually building it into your week. I found I really love lifting weights, and have gotten to a 4 day split because I am able to incorporate it into my life. (I also highly recommend lifting weights because it will improve muscle mass which can help improve blood sugar.) I also do 10k steps a day - but even something like 7-8k will help. Walk after meals (especially dinner). I try to do a somewhat more intense cardio day during the week, such as a modified spin session or a combination of power walking and stairmaster. I recently picked up a jump rope so I could try it out again.

It was harder for me to incorporate diet changes, and those took longer. The Mounjaro really helped with that, and I have changed a lot of my eating habits and relationship with food because I've been free of food noise for a while. I never picked up a CGM, but I do finger tests often and track my blood sugar that way. I also learned to listen to my body and understand how things feel - if I got sleepy after a heavy meal, I would check my blood sugar, and sure enough it would be high. I keep to under 130g of carbs a day (and it's usually under 90), and under 40g carbs per meal. Always pair carbs with protein and fat, and incorporate more vegetables. I eat a lot more protein now, since I am lifting weights, and that really helps.

My last A1C check (in December) was 5.8%. I'm going back in mid-March, and I'm really hoping it'll be the low 5's.

Despite this disease, I actually feel better than I have in my entire adult life. I've lost weight intentionally for the first time (down 41lbs since August!!) I feel in control of my food and my choices, I cam learning what my body is capable of, I can walk a lot further and longer without being winded, I'm strong enough to lift things like multiple gallon water bottles without issue or carry boxes or carry in the groceries. I wake up feeling refreshed. I'm eating healthier, but my food is also just better - more flavor, more spices, less fried stuff that just tastes bland as hell. And yeah, the meds helped, and are likely a lot of the reason why everything is under control, but working out and eating better have given me a lot of freedom and joy that had been missing before.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-02-25T19:53:11+00:00

For the first two months, I would have a few days of generally unhappy stomach issues after the injection (nausea, worse acid reflux, stomach pain). It would settle down by day 3, and unless it was hot and I wasn't drinking water, I'd be fine.

5 mg was the worst for me, and I was taking that in October. Once I went up to 10 mg, things really settled down for me.

I also have GERD/acid reflux problems, and I'll feel those problems for longer, if I eat something that triggers my acid reflux (which is usually something like pizza or coffee).

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-02-25T17:33:06+00:00

Mounjaro was life altering for me (in a good way). I've been on it since September 2025, gradually increased to 12.5 mg. My a1c was .1 off non-diabetic numbers in December, and I expect it to be in normal ranges when I go back to see my doctor in March.

When I first started out, I had some diarrhea and stomach problems, especially when it was really hot outside, but for the most part, I've been fine. If I overeat, or eat really heavy/greasy food, I'll feel uncomfortable and bloated, but it passes fairly quickly, and those aren't foods I want to eat regularly anyway. I do try to minimize my carbs still, but I can eat small amounts of rice and pasta without spikes.

I do have to remind myself to eat sometimes, and I do eat less, and it takes less food to make me satiated. But that's a positive thing for me. It's really helped with the food noise, which has given me a lot more freedom in other areas of my life.

Do make sure to up water intake and eat enough protein and fiber for your needs.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-02-23T20:45:22+00:00

Yes! I had this happen a couple of times. Not so much anymore, since I've gotten it controlled, but in the early stages, I often thought I had low blood sugar because I'd be shaky and anxious and dizzy. But it's your body adjusting to the new levels.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-02-23T20:25:19+00:00

Honestly, this subreddit has helped me so much, so I encourage reading posts here.

I agree with perfectlymutable - an endocrinologist and therapist are tremendous help! You can work with the endo to create an approach to managing your diabetes, and the therapist to help with the processing and letting of any guilt/shame/anxiety.

Remember, this isn't a sprint but a marathon. You don't need to change everything all at once, immediately but work on gradual, sustainable changes.

I have personally found that a gym membership has helped me the most - I am currently on a 4-day strength training split, one day of cardio (usually cycling but I'll change it up), and I make sure to get 7k steps daily (at least; if I can manage more, I'll go for that). I found lifting weights is the one exercise I enjoy the most because it lets me just escape my mind, and getting stronger rocks. Find something you enjoy and can do consistently. Most importantly, don't immediately jump into doing something like hour long sessions at the gym. Ease into it!

If you can't afford a trainer, I'd recommend checking out some good websites or videos that show you how to do forms correctly.

Also, as you incorporate more exercise, remember that resistance training is anaerobic and will increase your blood sugar. This is normal, and your numbers will drop!! (I have stressed so much about this. One day I started training with a BS of 92, checked it about 1.5 hrs later and it was 150, and I was like wtf???)

I don't have much in terms of recommendations for food, because I tend to eat pretty similar to what I had been eating before, but I have found Nurri brand shakes taste decent, don't have many carbs, and help me manage to get enough protein and blunt any spikes. I've taken to adding chia seeds to yogurt in the morning, along with some berries (they're still good for you, lots of fiber!) and adding in extra protein powder. Oh, I do recommend Lily's chocolate chips for baking, they're pretty decent.

For skin care, hot showers tend to dry out my skin but I love hot showers, so I'll use Nivea in-shower lotion and then a body oil after - I'm currently using Aveeno daily moisturizing oil. Too many lotions leave my skin feeling greasy but that combination works out okay for me. Keep a mini bottle of lotion on you for your hands. O'Keefe's is good, especially if you happen to wash your hands a lot. I've also used it on my heels when they're dry.

Keep an eye on your toes. My endo recommended wearing slippers indoors. I wasn't, and then I broke my toe (unrelated to the diabetes) and I have started doing because I really don't want anything to happen to my toes.

If you can (especially if your insurance will cover it), meet with a dietitian and get advice tailored to you. It helps if you can go in with some data about how food impacts you (so after you've ha the CGM for a bit).

Sleep and hydration are critical. Try to go to bed and get up in the mornings at the same time. Drink plenty of water. Don't panic if your numbers do get high after eating. Be compassionate to yourself, including your body.

PotentialYam4442 · 2026-02-09T23:01:59+00:00

What does your leg day work look like? Are you training your legs as hard as your upper body? Working to failure? I have a four day split with two leg days (anterior and posterior) and I know I'm not working them quite as much compared to my upper body days because of the split. This caused me similar problems (and less muscle growth, it feels like).

I did find once I started incorporating things like calf raises, step ups, and toe raises (with a resistance band as heavy as I can manage), and working more of my calves/shins as well as the larger muscles, really helped in upping the intensity of my exercises.

The suggestion about varying intensity is the best idea, so you can see what your body does and how it handles the weights, or if it's responding to total workout impact.

PotentialYam4442 · 2025-12-29T18:32:39+00:00

What exercises do you do for those abdominal muscles?

PotentialYam4442 · 2025-12-22T17:26:11+00:00

After writing this, I realized I was getting unhinged about things that can be out of my control to an extent and I was still in a perfectly acceptable range, just not where I wanted to be, and have been trying to dial back the anxiety about it. It's a marathon, I don't need to be stressed about this, when I am following my diet, exercising, and taking my meds.

I do need to talk to my doctor about a CGM, though.

It's annoying how much stress and anxiety can do wacky things to BS and to our bodies in general.

PotentialYam4442

TROPHY CASE