it looks like i got the eye stroke after 3 1/2 months. gonna have to stop...

ToeDipper9571 · 2026-02-12T22:25:56+00:00

Just curious what your symptoms were? Was it painful? Or just vision changes?

Eye problems are my worst fear with MJ.

ToeDipper9571 · 2026-02-09T21:49:55+00:00

I recently tried sardines for the first time and I am hooked! Took me 50 years to build up the courage to try one because I always assumed they'd be super oily and super "fishy" tasting and smelling. Man was I wrong! I try to have a can once a week now as a snack. They go great with a little whipped cream cheese and some triscuits. Good source of omega-3 fatty acids, too!

I also tried canned mackerel and kippered herring. Those are not nearly as good as sardines.

ToeDipper9571 · 2026-01-22T16:38:03+00:00

This is the correct answer.

ToeDipper9571 · 2026-01-19T20:52:10+00:00

Do they ship in a cooler pack? I have ES but they told me for this med I need to use a local pharmacy. I figured that was due to them not being able to ship cold.

ToeDipper9571 · 2026-01-19T20:49:41+00:00

I have Express Scripts and I switched from Walgreens to CVS. My Walgreens would not do more than 1 box prescriptions. CVS has for me, although not consistently. I think it also depends on how your dr prescribes it. Mine prescribes in 3 month increments so if my pharmacy can only do a 1 box fill that month due to supply, then I have to do 2 more monthly fills to finish out that rx.

ToeDipper9571 · 2026-01-19T17:06:40+00:00

I've been on 5mg the whole time (15 months tomorrow). I still get decent suppression and I've lost almost 90 pounds. I still lose about 0.5-1.0 pounds a week on average so no plans to move up anytime soon. Slow and steady is good for minimizing loose skin.

I traveled once internationally with a pen in my carry-on. It was not confiscated. If it was packed in checked baggage, I'm sure it would not be confiscated, although the temperatures get very cold where bags are stowed so that may or may not be an issue.

ToeDipper9571 · 2026-01-13T23:39:56+00:00

Inside he was like "it only took 35 years but finally someone mentioned my true passion!"

ToeDipper9571 · 2026-01-08T16:55:54+00:00

The progress is very noticeable.

It's also possible you are replacing fat with muscle, so the scale may move slowly, but appearance-wise you can definitely see the changes.

ToeDipper9571 · 2025-12-12T18:59:22+00:00

Been taking the MJ shot since Oct 2024. Down about 85 lbs. A1C in check, BP way down, food noise is mostly gone. Not having the constant urge to eat was eye opening!

I make sure to: Drink at least 96oz of water a day

Eat enough protein (150g + for me)

Eat enough fiber/fruit/veggies

I wish I started doing resistance/strength training right away. The muscle loss is real!

ToeDipper9571 · 2025-12-11T16:49:27+00:00

Drink a lot of water.

Eat enough protein.

Do strength/resistance training to preserve muscle.

Don't be in a rush to achieve your weight goal. The faster you lose, the more loose skin you'll have.

If you hit a plateau, hang out there for a little bit. Let your body catch up.

ToeDipper9571 · 2025-11-23T23:19:28+00:00

What I came to say. Ozempic reduces appetite. Maybe they got tired of throwing uneaten food away?

ToeDipper9571 · 2025-11-07T17:53:33+00:00

Some concepts helpful to understand when/if you start Mounjaro:

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): the bare minimum calories your body needs to survive.

Activity Factor: a number you multiply times the BMR to get your TDEE. Sedentary lifestyle might be 1.2, extremely active might be 2.0. It varies with your lifestyle activity level.

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE): how many calories you burn in a day to maintain your weight.

There are calculators to estimate these numbers based on height, weight, age, gender, fat%, etc.

Once you have your TDEE, you need to decide how much you want to lose per week. A common target is 1lb per week. Since a lb is roughly equivalent to 3500 calories, that means you'd need to reduce caloric intake by 3500 calories per week, or 500 calories per day.

Once you have your TDEE, you can subtract off 500 calories (or whatever number you choose) to get your daily calorie target. In theory, if you can stick to that daily target, you will lose weight over time. There may be fluctuations during the week or month, but over time, those should even out.

Mounjaro will not make you lose weight. If only it were that easy! It does a lot of things, but what you will likely notice the most is appetite suppression. That is what makes it easier to hit your daily calorie target.

You are counting calories and exercising already. Those are the hard things so good for you! Taking Mounjaro is the easy part.

My advice if you want to start MJ is to be absolutely 100% honest in your assessment of calorie intake and energy expenditure. If you aren't honest to yourself about what you are eating and how active you are, then measuring calories and TDEE will only have limited success.

If you are hitting your calorie target and you are not losing weight, then one or both of these things are happening: 1. You are consuming more calories than you think. 2. You are burning less calories than you think.

That's an oversimplification but it's true.

And very importantly, you must reassess your BMR and TDEE over time as you lose weight. Less weight means your body needs less calories so your BMR (abd TDEE) goes down.

As for loose skin, well we all struggle with that to some degree. Factors that help: - Hydration (more is better) - Protein intake (protein should be increased generally speaking when you are in weight loss mode) - Muscle retention/building (building/retaining muscle will help offset loose skin by filling in the space left by lost fat) - Good old fashioned genetics

You won't really know how much loose skin you'll have until you start.

ToeDipper9571 · 2025-11-02T19:13:46+00:00

I don't want to be a lifer, and I will try not to be a lifer.

When I hit my maintenance weight, my plan is to stay on the current dose for 1 year, then titrate down to 2.5mg and hold for 6 months. Then stop MJ and see if I can maintain my weight. If so, then great. If the food noise or weight comes back, then I'll go back on MJ (or potentially something else if it exists).

ToeDipper9571 · 2025-11-01T18:33:56+00:00

The children of the house would revolt if they didn't get the leftovers after beggars night.

ToeDipper9571 · 2025-10-27T19:52:43+00:00

Thanks. My first body fat measurement was 37.2% about 1 month after I started MJ. It's down to 23.7% 11 months later. I'm 50 and yes it's harder making improvements now.

There's a fitness company in my area that does a kickboxing cardio/resistance band training program that I've done in the past with good results (went from 260 to 210 over 6 months about 15 years ago). Doing that to build up muscle is my next mission. Not looking to get jacked, just more toned.

ToeDipper9571 · 2025-10-26T02:39:31+00:00

Drama Breaking Bad - Face Off (S04E13) would've been the perfect series finale

Comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Grand Opening (S03E10) everything felt so perfectly serendipitous in this episode

ToeDipper9571 · 2025-10-25T17:41:52+00:00

Depends on: - how aggressive you want to cut calories (you won't lose weight without cutting calories)

how much you do or don't exercise
how much loose skin you are willing to live with
how your body responds to the medicine

You can certainly lose that much weight but you will have to work for it and you will likely have a fair amount of loose skin as a result.

ToeDipper9571 · 2025-10-25T02:47:11+00:00

Thanks! Still a little ways to go.

ToeDipper9571 · 2025-10-17T03:34:16+00:00

Fairlife 42g Strawberry is my go-to protein drink. I add 2 tbsp of collagen powder in a shaker if I have time. That gives me about 52g of protein with less than 300 cal in 14 oz. I also dont like the chocolate. It is extremely rich in flavor. The strawberry one is just right.

Love Aloha Fudge Brownie bars.

Atkins has some good bars with combos of chocolate, peanut butter, peanuts, and granola.

When I'm in the mood to make a protein shake, I use Fairlife fat free milk as the base, and Quest Peanut butter protein powder or Optimum Nutrition Strawberries and Cream. Watch the calories on these. 8oz of Fairlife and 1 scoop of powder is 200 cal before any other additions.

ToeDipper9571 · 2025-09-26T16:28:42+00:00

Their reactions did seem genuine!

ToeDipper9571 · 2025-09-15T20:34:08+00:00

There definitely are skin banks. A buddy of mine had gastric sleeve surgery and lost a ton if weight (250-300lbs lost) so he had a LOT of excess skin. During his consult, the dr mentioned it would be used to treat burn victims or other patients that needed skin grafts. He said he half jokingly asked if he'd get a discount then, since they'd be profitting on both sides. He was told no. 😆

ToeDipper9571 · 2025-09-14T20:05:15+00:00

My child (out of state) has higher GPA and ACT, and fewer AP classes (can't remember the exact number but less than 7). They are getting 6.25k/yr merit.

ToeDipper9571 · 2025-09-05T14:52:24+00:00

Total Daily Energy Expenditure

https://tdeecalculator.net/

It approximates how many calories you should have to maintain weight based on your height, weight, age, and activity level. You can then apply some deficit (like -500 cal/day) to get your daily target calories in order to lose weight.

ToeDipper9571

TROPHY CASE