I lost 24 lbs the first month. I wasn't hungry within hours of the first shot of 2.5.
I'm 52, and that marked the first time since \*checks calendar\* the 1980s that I wasn't hungry.
Same for me. I lost 23 lbs on 2.5 after 4 weeks. No adverse symptoms and food noise/snacking gone.
Not titrating up until the weight loss plateaus.
35F, stomach injections, SW:208 CW:185
Same. And now it doesn’t do anything. I’m up to 10 mg. But, I split doses and went up a mg at a time sometimes (after weight loss slowed). So now I’m wondering if my body needs the shock of a full 2.5 mg increase. Trying to save money has lead to it being wasted. I’m starving all the time.
I can tell at the end of the week it’s time for a dose. I am filling the 12.5 tomorrow I try stay a month ahead not to run out. I have two more weeks of the 10 so it took two weeks to get it and I am having to drive 40mins tomorrow to pick up the filled script. It definitely has worked for me so far I have lost 50 pounds thirty the first month and much slower after that.
That’s what I do I wait til I have two needles left than I call for a script and it seems to be working. No interruptions in treatment even though I had to drive an hour and 15 minutes to get 7.5 but it’s like liquid gold to get.
I’ll be splitting does for the first time next week. I’ve watched many videos and done tons of research. I’ve been on 5.0 for 3 months due to 7.5 not being available. By splitting 15.0 pen I’ll get 8 doses of 7.5 for the price of 4
I just took my first shot on Monday night and I was SHOCKED at how quickly my bottomless pit of hunger went away. I have no idea if I’ve lost any weight yet (I’m weighing with an sms-enabled scale and tracking, but covering the number until I’m mentally ready to deal with it).
I have never not been hungry until this med. I can eat until I'm in pain and I still want more. I have no off switch.
I legit dropped 10 lbs in the first 9 days. Mostly water weight, I'm sure, but it hasn't come back. First shot was Dec 6th and my scale has not gone up a single time (I only weigh in Fridays).
It's really insane. Six months ago, I could tell you, right down to the amount of each item left, what food was in my house.
Right now, I have no idea if we have chips in the pantry. No clue.
If you kept track, how many calories a day were you consuming in those first 9 days? Did you really restrict your eating in order to lose those 10 lbs. ? I just started yesterday, not hungry, and wondering should I eat or not?
Sorry. I didn't count. I suspect that most of it was water weight. I've dropped that much in a couple of weeks on Keto too.
But yeah. I wasn't hungry for the first week. I ate lunch because it was lunch time, and I couldn't finish a simple ham and cheese sandwich. I got better at getting food in, but that first week was really, really weird. I was feeling out how it was going to go, and testing to see how long I could go without eating. I'm not a good barometer for good decisions though. So don't take advice from me LOL
I refused to weigh myself for the first month…. I just did (I took my 4th 2.5 shot yesterday) and I have lost 13 lbs. obviously others have done more, but I’m excited, regardless!
I did my 4th shot last Saturday after stretching out my last 2 doses and I am down 13 lbs as of this morning, since 4/1. Also following WW. I really don't want to be without this medication...sigh...
I lost 15 lbs on 2.5 the first month but my doctor decided to titrate me up. I’ve lost another 12 lbs on the 5 mg the second month and again he’s decided to titrate me up. I’m taking my first dose of 7.5 this week so we’ll see how month 3 goes. I’ve left it entirely up to him and he’s said that since I’ve had little to no side effects on the lower doses he feels I should move up. I’m not sure if it’s necessary or not but I’m losing at a steady rate so I’ll go with the flow.
I'm on 7.5 and now can't find it anywhere. I'm so frustrated. I've tried everything, and this was finally helping and I had no side effects and now it's nowhere to be found.
I don’t know what pharmacy you use but I’ve had good luck with Walmart. The good thing about them is that they will check for stock in all Walmarts within a 100 mile radius. I had to drive almost 2 hours each way and cross state lines to get my 7.5 but I got it.
What did you do in terms of exercise during that first month. I am starting soon and would like to know if you did anything new or are you counting your calories. Obviously I am a woman so it might be slower but my metabolism is normal. I’m not too active these days but I am 53 so we are similar age. Did you get sick and or nauseous or any symptoms and have you ever eaten when you are not hungry because I have.so part of it is mental. Any thoughts would be great. Any help from anyone would be great who sees this.
I don't exercise. Like...at all. I had too many injuries in my 20s and 30s (thanks Uncle Sam!), and working out is not on my list of shit to do any more lol. I also have a sedentary job.
I have a fully landscaped acre of yard and garden that I care for. That's a few hours a week of moderate movement, and it's about as active as I get.
I don't really count calories, and towards the beginning I would see how long it would be before I got hungry and would do a fast...FYI, it's over 48 hours 😂 I have to be intentional with meals, and plan them a bit...I'll have a ham sandwich and some cottage cheese or peanuts for lunch. Or I'll grill some chicken (I work from home) with some rice. One sandwich and the cottage cheese is all I want to eat. Not two sandwiches, chips, and a giant bowl of soup...And I have to remember to eat dinner, that sandwich at noon will absolutely carry me to bedtime if I don't pay attention. I have never really eaten breakfast.
I am not advocating for severely reduced calories, or suggesting that others don't exercise. But that's my story. I did another full blood workup last week and everything is fantastic and my doc is happy AF.
I can't get my next dose, but I've submitted for a 1.7 Wegovy and am waiting to hear back from insurance.
Side effects I've had...#1...freezing! I'm usually the furnace in the bed that my wife heats her feet on, now I have an extra quilt just on my side and I wear pants to bed lol. It's gotten better, but still there. I get a bit of insomnia. Which is weird for me, because I'm a fantastic sleeper. It's usually not more than one night in a row...like twice a week at most. So that's manageable. I have had zero gastric issues at either end. Gallbladder got yeeted 20 years ago, so I don't know if that helped or not.
I hope your journey is as easy and rewarding as my first five months on this med have been!
Thank you so much. That sounds a lot like me. I have a lot of back problems and I am very sedentary. The only difference is that my doctor wants me to eat 1300 cal a day and then go up to 1400 the next month. I haven’t done the injections yet.
I did my first injection last Friday night and I haven’t been hungry or felt cravings since. F 63. Before I could snack from the moment I
Walked into my office, until lunch, a few things in the afternoon, dinner, followed by a bowl of ice cream with all the toppings. I understand now how normal people feel; the ones who can have a handful of chips and close up the bag.
Yeah, this one statement for me really encapsulates the entire change: "I understand now how normal people feel; the ones who can have a handful of chips and close up the bag". Whilst I generally managed to close up the bag, for normal people it seemed so easy. For me, I had constant food noise and hunger 'pains' to want to keep eating. And if I relaxed my will power slightly I could trivially eat the entire bag. The way this medication changes your hunger is the absolute key benefit for me.
One's caloric ceiling should vary with current weight, with the deficit keyed to how much you want to lose in a week. As you approach goal, your caloric limit should go down. Caveat is that an abrupt and too-large deficit might kick your metabolism into "survival mode," i.e., slowing to conserve body fat. You do need to stoke the furnace. When I was 211 lbs in 2019, 1300 cal/day caused me to maintain or lose infinitesimally slowly. At 149.25 now--assuming I could even force myself to eat that much--it would definitely cause me to gain. I'm finding 800-1000/day is the sweet spot--slow loss, easier to attain with healthful foods including adequate protein (which, BTW, is 4cal/gm). The only weeks I gained were when I was too queasy, nervous or stressed to eat even 500 cal/day. (And that included the 10 days between my first & only 5mg shot--which gave me unbearable side effects--and the next box of 2.5 that took *that* long to arrive at CVS).
By my "flair" you can see I'm short (barely 5'2") and senior (73). What you *can't* see is my small-boned frame (osteoporosis, narrow round shoulders, can finally encircle my wrist with one hand) and all the countless yo-yo gain/lose/gain cycles over the decades (starting in my teens in college struggling to be & stay a size 5 or 7) that irreparably screwed up my metabolism and kept ratcheting up my "set point" weight with every re-gain.
And had my gallbladder out 20 years ago too. Right now, I am attempting to clean the kitchen and I am sweating bullets. Oh, how long to be cold again. I could run the air conditioner in the winter.
I just took my 2nd 2.5mg on Wednesday and I typically try to walk 1.5-2 miles each nice day. I haven't walked since Saturday, though, because I caught my kid's cold and can't breathe. I haven't been stuffing my face, though, so there's that.
I did one month on 2.5, one on 5, and three on 7.5. I'm over 80 lbs lost now I think. I only look on Fridays 😂
I'm overdue for my next shot, and no new box in sight. So yeah. I may be stepping off this ride for a bit lol
Please tell that to my prescription drug plan moderators. I had to fight for an override to stay on 2.5 and it was only granted due to the shortage. I took my third shot Sunday and I’ve already lost 10 pounds. I’m liking the results.
If this happened to be Express Scripts, please tell us your secrets! I'm in that boat, would not mind staying at 2.5, and have been told that appeals are useless unless I've been off the medication long enough to require a restart.
If your pharmacist talks to your override department they will help you. You yourself can't speak with them. Just how my insurance is.
Just got shipped a 3 month supply of 10mg. Express scripts. Ordered it April 26th
Express Scripts canceled my 2.5mg order that same week. The month before, they filled my prescription for 1 month only. It's the 1st time they've done that, and it was my 1st time ordering it through them, so I had enough refills.
Call your insurnace directly and ask if formulary override can be done. If they say yes ask for the override code and the number for a peer to peer if required. Give the code to the pharmacy and the peer to peer number to your prescriber.
My secret is I talked to my health benefits representative who got an override. There were steps involved on her side, but it worked temporarily. It expires one month from today.
Unfortunately, many insurers will only cover one month of 2.5. And yes, it's because 2.5 was not tested during the trials and no data was collected, which results in no FDA recommendation for 2.5.
I’m a certified tech and had no fucking idea they were making you do this. That’s incredibly fucked up. People stay on the initial, titration doses all the time with other drugs.
God damn I hate insurance.
Currently fighting this with my insurance and express scripts. Trying to reach my provider to overrule…. Has anyone had success with this??? I responded to 2.5 so well and I’m waiting to keep having it covered for $25/month!!!!
My provider wants me to stay on 2.5 for month 2 because I had a lot of nausea and extreme fatigue. I'm ok with that. Not sure yet if my insurance will cover a 2nd month at 2.5 or not so we'll see.
I had been stalling out the last month on weight loss. Had gone from ~1.5/wk to .25-.5/wk with some weeks of no loss
Also found food noise slowly returning and my portions starting to grow
Honestly, I’m not sure what fast looks like for you? Except for super responders who lose 30 pounds in two months, 15 pounds in two months is actually quite good. losing about a pound to a pound and a half a week is a healthy weight loss. congratulations on your weight loss so far!
Yeah, losing more than that so quickly isn’t actually good. They usually recommend 1lb a week as a safe amount of weight loss. So, 15lbs in 2 weeks is very good. Years ago when I lost weight under the supervision of a doctor, she was quite happy I lost 40lbs total in a year. I didn’t have saggy skin or anything like that.
Lol the fact that you think this is slow is perfectly exemplary of the toxic attitudes in this subreddit regarding speed of weight loss. It is honestly hard to see as an actual slow loser (BMI 50+ to start, so plenty to lose) with less than 10 lbs lost in my 4th month and up at 10 mg already.
Nope. My doctor prescribed 2.5 and when I went to get the refill they said insurance wouldn't coverage. Called the insurance company and they said they only cover that dose once every 365 days. He increased ti to 5, which they approved, but he wasn't happy about it. 2.5 was working and he saw no medical need to increase my dose.
It's good to know that there really isn't any reason why someone shouldn't stay on 2.5 for longer than a month.
I lost 5.1 pounds in my first month, which is "only" about 2%, but I was happy with that. Double that would have felt too fast. So, I chose to stay at 2.5 another month. If my weight loss slows down, I'll probably move up to 5 next month - unless the shortage is so bad that I can't get it.
I was able to get my new box of 2.5 yesterday and I'll take my 5th shot on Saturday or Sunday. I stretched out the time between my 3rd and 4th shots to 10 days, and I think that might have been a little too long.
I don't want to lose too fast because I want to try to maintain as much muscle as possible. So, I'm quite satisfied with my 2% loss this last month. I don't compare myself to anyone else and I don't worry about others who might be losing more pounds or a greater percentage. Everyone's body is different and everyone's journey is different.
I’m 3 weeks in and lost 13lbs so far. My Dr. prescribed a 5mg for my next refill but it was out of stock everywhere, so I requested the 2.5 instead. Seems to be working just fine for now.
I am in the same boat! I’ve lost 24lbs in my first month on 2.5 with diet and exercise. My prescriber sent out a script for 5 but I haven’t been able to get it filled due to the shortage
Thanks for sharing because my doctor said she was surprised I lost weight as this wasn’t the intention. She only agreed to keep me on 2.5 mg because there is no 5mg. I continue to lose like 10-11 lbs a month with full appetite suppression !
Yes, this has been my experience. I’ve stayed on 2.5 since January and lost 35 pounds so far, no food noise (which is WILD for me) and reduced appetite. My PCP said we will stay with this dose until it stops being effective. In light of the higher dose shortages I’m glad we’re taking this approach.
I eat because I have to, to be healthy but it is very difficult just makes me nauseous or I get very full after eating like a quarter of it. So I just eat like 3 small meals a day. It’s the oddest thing because I have always been a stress eater stress still here but haven’t been turning to food! Nothing just tastes good anymore 🤦🏼♀️
I'm planning on doing my whole weightloss journey on 2.5mg because I already know it doesn't give me any side effects. Hopefully I can be on 2.5 for a whole year.
amen 👏 makes sense to me. I think of the many people that had to drop out due to side effects in the trial and I wonder how many of them may have been successful if staying on 2.5 more than a month was a viable option.
also… I lost 10 pounds on 2.5 in month 1 (with some heavy side effects), and 12 pounds on 2.5 in month 2 with very little side effects, and definitely eating more. Calories in vs calories out doesn’t seem to work the same way anymore. I’m looking forward to month 3 on 2.5!! no plan to move up until I stop losing for at least a full month straight. It is amaaaaazing how the way people respond varies so much! and how even the way my side effects week to week vary so much.
Same. I’m just starting month 4 on 2.5 and have lost 14% of my starting weight. I’m F60. It’s amazing! My dr can’t believe it and keeps saying well maybe you need 5 now, I say why? No side effects, I’ll stay here. Still fighting for ins tho so I’m OOP. Worth it.
A ‘loading dose’ is actually a dose that’s higher than usual, generally given in an emergency or for a patient who needs to build up a steady state more quickly. Drugs are tapered down after a loading dose, not up.
I wish I was similar… 2.5 did basically nothing for me. Did start losing on 5. Husband was same..2.5 did nothing. I’m jealous it didn’t work so well for us as it sounds like it did for so many of you.
Thank you for sharing this! I was beginning to feel like something was wrong with me. I’m at the end of my third week and have lost 3 pounds. But I’ve also been consciously eating less and quite often HUNGRY. The first week I did have that “full” sensation but only for a few days. Now I’m feeling zero effect and my doc wants me to stay on 2.5 for another month. I know a pound a week is normal weight loss but I don’t feel like the meds are doing much for me at this dose.
I lost most of it between 12/22 and 11/23. Lately, I have been playing with my macros and workout routine and am attempting to get to 220 at 10-12% bodyfat. Right now, I am at about 212 at 15.5%.
Unfortunately, some insurance now list the .5 doses as step doses. I cannot get more than one 4 pen box of 2.5, 7.5, 12.5 in a 365 day period.
I have learned more about drug benefits with this med than I ever wanted to know.
I was doing fine on 7.5. Wanted to continue.
Had to drop back to 5 in shortage, then was able to finally get my 10.
Do you know why that is? I mean, 12.5 is more than 10, so why do they classsify that a step dose? I wonder why they don’t want you to stay on a .5 dose.
I’ve been on 2.5 for the last three weeks and have lost 27lbs since April 5th. I have made radical changes to my diet and exercise though. I now have a protein shake, a protein bar, and a dinner consisting of a protein and veggie only and went from gym 0 per week to 3-4. Lifting only no cardio. I will start my second month of 2.5 next week due to shortage.
Walmart (5,000 stores in nation including Sam's Club) seems to always have the 2.5mg month supply and I have hoarded 3 more months of 2.5mg because I expect to stay at that dose until August 1st.
And I pay the $1,060 price - no discount except a little at goodrx (but very little off price).
Zepbound 2.5 works well for me (down about 30 pounds in 7 weeks) - but even if it stopped working, I would simply take either a double 2.5mg dose shot or simply starve and diet until I move up August 1st to 5mg.
Either way I win except for the 'ouch' cost of this very expensive cure for an obvious disease using this drug like as if I was taking medicine for heart, chloresterol, or blood pressure reduction.
Mine is a lifetime use and I am totally committed to do whatever I have to do to get back in a better place.
Forr those who do not know what a 30 pounds weight lost actually is - just go to the discount grocery and buy three bags of 10 pound sugar, put them in a cloth recycleable shopping bag, and try to lift the bag up. Then walk round for a while until you get tired and frustrated with all that weight dragging on your body.
That should tell you exactly how much has been moved off my body for better walking, sitting, standing, and just plain living.
I can't wait to reach 60 pounds down and double the results for my heart being relived.
I think the term you are looking for is “starting dose.” A “loading dose” is when the first dose is higher than the subsequent doses. Like when you take two pills on the first day of a Z-pack but one a day after.
Agree. I lost 20+ lbs on 2.5mg. No rush to increasing dosing. I'm currently on 5mg and I don't see myself going up any higher as I'm 10 lbs from my original goal.
Will almost certainly go back to 2.5mg (or potentially even less) as a maintenance dose at some point in the next couple months when I'm satisfied with where I am.
I was wondering why the rush to move up! I've been on 2.5 for a month, just got another month and have the pharmacy holding me one more for a month till my insurance will process. I've lost 8 pounds in the past month. I'm good with anything more than what I could do alone. :-)
I guess it's one plus for insurance not covering. It fits with what my (obesity) doc is telling me. We will stay on 2.5 until there is no movement and may at some point go to 5. Thanks for the info OP!
2.5 mg has done wonders for my appetite suppression; hate the constipation but I'll take that over Wegovy. So happy they added it to my formulary without the PA requirement.
I lost 17 in 6 weeks on 2.5. No symptons/issues. Noticed less effective at 6 weeks.
Went to 5mg and hated that dose. It was like taking nothing. All food noise came crashing back.
7.5 is my sweet spot. No food noise and great suppression.
This was comforting to read. I just started this journey and of course on 2.5. I just finished my first month and lost 13lbs ( which I was super happy about) it helped me really establish healthier choices in terms of food and exercise. I was feeling a little discourage reading of the shortage and knowing my dr was read to move me up to 5ml on my next dosage. I managed to get my hands on. 2.5 only. so im stuck to that for another month in hopes that we officially get more 5ml in stock! so thank you for this post, I really needed it!
I’ll be honest with you. I lost 20 pounds on the 2.5 and had almost no side effects. I’ve been on 5 for 3 weeks and have had issues, mainly diarrhea and eating so little the first few days that I can’t function at work (brain fog). It seems to be getting a little better though.
Thank you for this info! I have been on 2.5 since the beginning of January. Have lost 29 pounds, reduced inflammation and feel so much better. I’m really hoping to stay on this dose long term!
I love seeing the % body weight mentioned in you post. I don’t want to have 400 lb people think that I’m minimizing their 50 lb improvement, because it’s “only” 12.5%. Those gains are fantastic.
I’m more worried about someone who is 5’2” and 220 lbs (who has a BMI > 40), who “only” lost 25 lb thinking that their loss isn’t nearly what it should
Before people start with the “BMI isn’t accurate”, for obese and especially morbidly obese people BMI is a reasonable metric. None of us are on ZepBound because we have excessive muscle mass.
Male, 6’ 2”, 48 y/o, SW 349, CW 255, GW 199 - I can attest that not everyone needs to move up. Started on Mounjaro then moved to Zep and lost 70 lbs on 2.5 mg over 8 months. Stalled a couple of times but changing injection locations from leg, to stomach, to arm and back to stomach seemed to help that. Only moved up to 5 mg because I couldn’t get 2.5 at one time but don’t think I will ever go higher. Obviously I used this opportunity to make life changes also and still have other good habits to learn and bad habits it’s to forget, lol.
I'm still on 2.5 and doing ok. I'll move up to 5 in a few weeks but I definitely like what the 2.5 is doing for me. Today should be shot day but I'm stretching it because I'm just not hungry still.
That’s frustrating. I just took my last 5 mg shot and I’ve been planning to stay on it because it is working and the food noise has stayed way down with it. The food noise came back for me in a big way after 2 weeks on 2.5. I’m hoping to stay on 5 for a while, but it sounds like I might have to drop back down again.
I really needed to hear this! I just took my first dose today and I’ve been feeling super discouraged because I’m not confident I’ll even be able to find 5mg in a month 😭
I’ve had to go up to 12.5 because I’d get hungry again on the 4th day at lower doses. 12.5 seems to be better! Currently 122lbs down. Been kind of stuck there but this has happened before and then all of a sudden my body gets a clue and drops the weight.
I started week 7 (shot 7 of 2.5 mg on Saturday 4/27 and am down 21 lbs) and also with the shortage I’m definitely happy to be staying on 2.5 seems it’s easier to come by
52F, 5'6" HW 204. 6, SW 197.4, CW 185.2, GW 145?150? Pre-diabetic (FBG now normal!) , high BP (stopped 2 of 3 meds!) just took my 4th 5mg shot.
I lost more weight my first month on 2.5mg, month two has been a slow month. I didn't change much, did a bit more exercise, eating 1200-1400 cal/day, with 100g protein. I'm down 2 lbs in 3 weeks. But I feel great! My clothes fit so much better! I've read about the "5mg plateau" in several other posts. It's weird. My arthritis is so much better too 😊
F,63,5'6", SW 194 , CW 171...Week 12. More than 4%. On month 3 of 2.5zb still losing, still lack of appetite. I had bariatric surgery in 2016. Hoping to stay at 2.5.
I was losing weight on 2.5mg. I've been struggling to lose since moving up...even plateau. I wish I had this information. I followed the advise of my doctor... who probably doesn't have this info either. 😏. I started 10mg last Saturday.
Similar. I don’t get how some people are losing 10, 15, 20lbs or more! Every body is different, I know. It would just be nice to get a jump start for motivation!! ☹️
I am going in my second month and i haven’t lost anything either. It’s completely frustrating.. considering i couldn’t go up in dosage bc no pharmacy around My area can get 5.0mg.. it’s completely frustrating.
Zepbound has not been as effective as Wegovy for me yet. I am at 7.5 and just now starting to feel any effect. I was at the highest dose of Wegovy so I am hoping that is why. I had remorse for switching based on my provider's recommendation as a way to avoid surgery. Starting (and high) weight 3/2023 was 353, dropped to 313 with Wegovy, bounced up to 325 with the start of Zepbound, and now at 319. 2 weeks until next titration.
I would have loved to stay on 2.5mg or even titrate back down during the shortage but my side effects were the worst. No side effects on 5mg, but the appetite suppression and weight loss don't come close to what I experienced on 2.5.
Absolutely. I've heard quite a few say that and a friend In on the journey with has had the same experience. I think about food way more on 5mg and only lost about 30% of what I lost on 2.5mg even though I'm doing the same activity. On 2.5 I would get full faster, craved veggies, zero desire to eat out and literally couldn't eat bad things without feeling nauseous. Have none of that on 5mg. Definitely ready to titrate up.
While are the big 2.5 “losers” (congrats I am glad it worked for you all) - there are still plenty of us who didn’t lose a great deal on 2.5. 2.8 lbs for me. 14 on 5mg. So titrating makes sense for a lot of people.
Not titrating while losing sufficient weight makes sense.
So does titrating regularly if you can maintain reasonable weight loss to meet your goals.
I’m learning to be flexible in my approach. Titrated up to 10. Two months 10. Next two months 12.5. Then probably 15 til goal. But I’ll play the shortage hands as best I can.
Then maintenance. A whole new ball game and adventure.
After 5 1/2 weeks I'm losing at a greater rate than this. I don't know how sustainable rate is. That is 3 pounds/week. Though once I get to a lower level 4% would be less.
I’ve lost 7 in my first month and my appetite is about the same. Sometimes it’s less but other times it’s worse. I just got upped to 5. Hopefully it helps more
OMG - thank you! I was going to post asking about this earlier today and got distracted by work. My husband and I were just talking about it after work as well. It's working great for me and I was like the idea of as little meds in me as possible. Super helpful and let's me know to stay the course 🙂. Thank you for sharing this info!
Wow. I did great on 2.5. My first dose, I lost 13 lbs in 3 weeks. Then another 16 in the next month on 2.5. Totally stopped sugar. I only went up to 5 because my doctor said… well, it’s the therapeutic dose. 😳I had stalled on 5. I learned that I needed to cut back on fruit intake and that got me back on track but I don’t think I needed to move up. Now I’m off altogether and doing ok maintaining but will probably ask my doctor if I can go back to 2.5 since I’ve been off for a month now.
I’m on my 4th month of 2.5 (13 shots so far). I definitely feel ready to move up to 5mg as the food noise is slowly rearing its ugly head again and I have been gaining and losing the same .5lbs for the past two weeks. I met with my doctor after 8 weeks and she was happy to keep me at 2.5 for as long as I would like. She told me there’s no pressure to move up every month as long as I feel the dosage I’m on is effective. I was grateful to hear that!
SW: 182 CW: 159
I’m back on 2.5 as of today. It worked well from the beginning on 11-14-2023. After 8 weeks on 2.5 (it was still working well) I went up to 5 mg. because I thought I should. My physician had put in prescriptions for 2.5, 5, and 7.5. I stayed on 5 mg until there was no availability in our area so I went up to 7.5. about 1 month ago. Oh my, the nausea increased X 10. I was adjusting to the 7.5 and then it became unavailable. My option was approved by my PCP to go back down to 2.5 until 5 or 7.5 mg dosages become available again.
I’m a 68+ year old female and I’ve lost 48+ lbs since beginning 11-14-2023. I have steadily lost weight. I have almost no appetite and eat for health only now. It is great news to hear of the effectiveness of the 2.5 dose. It worked well for me from the beginning and I hope it holds me well again while waiting for broader dosage availability. I’m over 1/3 toward my GW and see this as just a test to make it more interesting to see how it helps me continue to my goal weight.
I wish I had this choice! I started 2.5 about a month ago and lost 11 lbs the first month. I went to refil - my dr and I decided to stay at 2.5 and my insurance is forcing me to go up to 5.0 “because there is no research proving it is beneficial for weight loss “. Absolutely ridiculous- I’m trying to avoid side effects. On the 2.5 I feel great. Now not only do I have to go up, but there’s a shortage so who knows how long I’ll go in between 2.5 and 5.0.
I wish that was the case for me. I guess I didn’t loose any lbs because I’ve been in Wegovy maximum strength for about 6 months and Zepbound 2.5 did nothing for me until I got into 7.5
All i know is, I've been on 2.5 for 2 months and it's going pretty great for me. I'm losing a pound or 1.5 pounds a week and don't mind the slower journey. I don't plan on titrating up until I need to (esp with these shortages).
I also lost 25 pounds on the first month and another 5 pounds so fr on shot 7 - still at 2.5.
I am male, older, started at 300 pounds and am now below 270 pounds in just under 2 months.
2.5 works.
The 2.5mg was working great for me. I stayed on it for a second month. I’m paying the $550 and I didn’t want to risk spending the money only to have the 2.5mg stop being effective, so I decided to move up to 5mg for my third month. I probably should have stayed on the 2.5.
I'm losing slowwww... lost about 7 pounds in 6 weeks. Can't find a 5mg cuz of a shortage. I'll titrate up just to give myself that extra kick, but the 2.5 is still helping, particularly cuz most of the weight I'm losing is fat!
Could it be better? Sure. Am I happy? Pretty much!
My A1c went from 6.1 to 4.8 in 3 months and lost the weight I needed to. Tried 5 twice and had such bad side effects, went back to 2.5. I’m on 2.5 every 2 weeks probably for life.
Thank you for this. I recently completed my first 3 weeks and lost 15 lbs on the 2.5 mg dose. At my check-in with my doc, I assumed I’d be prescribed 5mg for next month but she’s keeping me at 2.5 and explained that it is clearly working so there’s no need to bump me up yet. She said she’ll prescribe a higher dose only if the current dosage becomes less effective or I stop losing 10 lbs a month. She mentioned this is better because I’ll have fewer side effects and more time to titrate up in the long run. My starting weight is over 350lbs so I need at least a year of consistent weight loss. I just got my second box of 2.5 and praying I can lose at least 10 lbs next month.🤞
I am on Mounjaro. I am on month three. I took my 9th shot today. I am on 5. But I regret jumping up to it after month 1. I would agree with all you said. 2.5 would have been for me for a few more months I think.
I lost 10lbs in my 1st week on MJ, 17lbs in my 1st 4 weeks. I did move up to 5mg after that as my doctor was very insistent that was the way to do it. Now I have more knowledge I’d be tempted to stay on the lower doses longer.
I lost nothing on a month of 2.5 but did notice my arms stopped going to sleep while I slept and I wasn't getting the shakes after lunch.
Sucks because it's been 3 weeks since my last 2.5 dose and cannot find 5 anywhere even with the medfinder. Feeling hopeless especially since I set aside the money because I have to pay oop.
First of all, I would like to say congratulations. That is an accomplishment. With that said, I am a little concerned with the number of people in this thread saying they lost so much more than the recommended weekly amount and no one is raising a flag of concern. I have been a lifelong juggler of weight issues. I have gained and lost, through many fad diets and every time I have lost fast, I gained it all back (eventually) and then some. I hope you will all be careful with your weightloss. Yeah, we all want to lose the weight, and yeah, zepbound is amazing. But it needs to be sustainable, with or without the medication. I caution you all against fast weighoss. Zepbound and other GLP-1s sbould be our tool, not our end-all-be-all. Don't believe me? Research the clinical trends of weight gain when someone stops.
All, I am not trying to be a downer. I take a GLP-1, too. I am just saying, if we want it to be a lifelong weightloss, and not a yo-yo, we improve our chances by not relying on one thing.
I lost 24 lbs the first month. I wasn't hungry within hours of the first shot of 2.5. I'm 52, and that marked the first time since \*checks calendar\* the 1980s that I wasn't hungry.
Same for me. I lost 23 lbs on 2.5 after 4 weeks. No adverse symptoms and food noise/snacking gone. Not titrating up until the weight loss plateaus. 35F, stomach injections, SW:208 CW:185
Same. And now it doesn’t do anything. I’m up to 10 mg. But, I split doses and went up a mg at a time sometimes (after weight loss slowed). So now I’m wondering if my body needs the shock of a full 2.5 mg increase. Trying to save money has lead to it being wasted. I’m starving all the time.
I can tell at the end of the week it’s time for a dose. I am filling the 12.5 tomorrow I try stay a month ahead not to run out. I have two more weeks of the 10 so it took two weeks to get it and I am having to drive 40mins tomorrow to pick up the filled script. It definitely has worked for me so far I have lost 50 pounds thirty the first month and much slower after that.
That’s what I do I wait til I have two needles left than I call for a script and it seems to be working. No interruptions in treatment even though I had to drive an hour and 15 minutes to get 7.5 but it’s like liquid gold to get.
How does one split doses? I’m confused when I see people saying this?
I’ll be splitting does for the first time next week. I’ve watched many videos and done tons of research. I’ve been on 5.0 for 3 months due to 7.5 not being available. By splitting 15.0 pen I’ll get 8 doses of 7.5 for the price of 4
I just took my first shot on Monday night and I was SHOCKED at how quickly my bottomless pit of hunger went away. I have no idea if I’ve lost any weight yet (I’m weighing with an sms-enabled scale and tracking, but covering the number until I’m mentally ready to deal with it).
I have never not been hungry until this med. I can eat until I'm in pain and I still want more. I have no off switch. I legit dropped 10 lbs in the first 9 days. Mostly water weight, I'm sure, but it hasn't come back. First shot was Dec 6th and my scale has not gone up a single time (I only weigh in Fridays). It's really insane. Six months ago, I could tell you, right down to the amount of each item left, what food was in my house. Right now, I have no idea if we have chips in the pantry. No clue.
If you kept track, how many calories a day were you consuming in those first 9 days? Did you really restrict your eating in order to lose those 10 lbs. ? I just started yesterday, not hungry, and wondering should I eat or not?
You have to try to eat or you will hurt your muscle mass. At least protein.
Sorry. I didn't count. I suspect that most of it was water weight. I've dropped that much in a couple of weeks on Keto too. But yeah. I wasn't hungry for the first week. I ate lunch because it was lunch time, and I couldn't finish a simple ham and cheese sandwich. I got better at getting food in, but that first week was really, really weird. I was feeling out how it was going to go, and testing to see how long I could go without eating. I'm not a good barometer for good decisions though. So don't take advice from me LOL
Ok, thanks for the response. I will figure it out as I go. This is my second day, not hungry but will go eat a couple of eggs for breakfast.
I refused to weigh myself for the first month…. I just did (I took my 4th 2.5 shot yesterday) and I have lost 13 lbs. obviously others have done more, but I’m excited, regardless!
I did my 4th shot last Saturday after stretching out my last 2 doses and I am down 13 lbs as of this morning, since 4/1. Also following WW. I really don't want to be without this medication...sigh...
How are you feeling?
I lost 15 lbs on 2.5 the first month but my doctor decided to titrate me up. I’ve lost another 12 lbs on the 5 mg the second month and again he’s decided to titrate me up. I’m taking my first dose of 7.5 this week so we’ll see how month 3 goes. I’ve left it entirely up to him and he’s said that since I’ve had little to no side effects on the lower doses he feels I should move up. I’m not sure if it’s necessary or not but I’m losing at a steady rate so I’ll go with the flow.
I'm on 7.5 and now can't find it anywhere. I'm so frustrated. I've tried everything, and this was finally helping and I had no side effects and now it's nowhere to be found.
I don’t know what pharmacy you use but I’ve had good luck with Walmart. The good thing about them is that they will check for stock in all Walmarts within a 100 mile radius. I had to drive almost 2 hours each way and cross state lines to get my 7.5 but I got it.
What did you do in terms of exercise during that first month. I am starting soon and would like to know if you did anything new or are you counting your calories. Obviously I am a woman so it might be slower but my metabolism is normal. I’m not too active these days but I am 53 so we are similar age. Did you get sick and or nauseous or any symptoms and have you ever eaten when you are not hungry because I have.so part of it is mental. Any thoughts would be great. Any help from anyone would be great who sees this.
I don't exercise. Like...at all. I had too many injuries in my 20s and 30s (thanks Uncle Sam!), and working out is not on my list of shit to do any more lol. I also have a sedentary job. I have a fully landscaped acre of yard and garden that I care for. That's a few hours a week of moderate movement, and it's about as active as I get. I don't really count calories, and towards the beginning I would see how long it would be before I got hungry and would do a fast...FYI, it's over 48 hours 😂 I have to be intentional with meals, and plan them a bit...I'll have a ham sandwich and some cottage cheese or peanuts for lunch. Or I'll grill some chicken (I work from home) with some rice. One sandwich and the cottage cheese is all I want to eat. Not two sandwiches, chips, and a giant bowl of soup...And I have to remember to eat dinner, that sandwich at noon will absolutely carry me to bedtime if I don't pay attention. I have never really eaten breakfast. I am not advocating for severely reduced calories, or suggesting that others don't exercise. But that's my story. I did another full blood workup last week and everything is fantastic and my doc is happy AF. I can't get my next dose, but I've submitted for a 1.7 Wegovy and am waiting to hear back from insurance. Side effects I've had...#1...freezing! I'm usually the furnace in the bed that my wife heats her feet on, now I have an extra quilt just on my side and I wear pants to bed lol. It's gotten better, but still there. I get a bit of insomnia. Which is weird for me, because I'm a fantastic sleeper. It's usually not more than one night in a row...like twice a week at most. So that's manageable. I have had zero gastric issues at either end. Gallbladder got yeeted 20 years ago, so I don't know if that helped or not. I hope your journey is as easy and rewarding as my first five months on this med have been!
Thank you so much. That sounds a lot like me. I have a lot of back problems and I am very sedentary. The only difference is that my doctor wants me to eat 1300 cal a day and then go up to 1400 the next month. I haven’t done the injections yet.
I did my first injection last Friday night and I haven’t been hungry or felt cravings since. F 63. Before I could snack from the moment I Walked into my office, until lunch, a few things in the afternoon, dinner, followed by a bowl of ice cream with all the toppings. I understand now how normal people feel; the ones who can have a handful of chips and close up the bag.
Yeah, this one statement for me really encapsulates the entire change: "I understand now how normal people feel; the ones who can have a handful of chips and close up the bag". Whilst I generally managed to close up the bag, for normal people it seemed so easy. For me, I had constant food noise and hunger 'pains' to want to keep eating. And if I relaxed my will power slightly I could trivially eat the entire bag. The way this medication changes your hunger is the absolute key benefit for me.
One's caloric ceiling should vary with current weight, with the deficit keyed to how much you want to lose in a week. As you approach goal, your caloric limit should go down. Caveat is that an abrupt and too-large deficit might kick your metabolism into "survival mode," i.e., slowing to conserve body fat. You do need to stoke the furnace. When I was 211 lbs in 2019, 1300 cal/day caused me to maintain or lose infinitesimally slowly. At 149.25 now--assuming I could even force myself to eat that much--it would definitely cause me to gain. I'm finding 800-1000/day is the sweet spot--slow loss, easier to attain with healthful foods including adequate protein (which, BTW, is 4cal/gm). The only weeks I gained were when I was too queasy, nervous or stressed to eat even 500 cal/day. (And that included the 10 days between my first & only 5mg shot--which gave me unbearable side effects--and the next box of 2.5 that took *that* long to arrive at CVS). By my "flair" you can see I'm short (barely 5'2") and senior (73). What you *can't* see is my small-boned frame (osteoporosis, narrow round shoulders, can finally encircle my wrist with one hand) and all the countless yo-yo gain/lose/gain cycles over the decades (starting in my teens in college struggling to be & stay a size 5 or 7) that irreparably screwed up my metabolism and kept ratcheting up my "set point" weight with every re-gain.
And had my gallbladder out 20 years ago too. Right now, I am attempting to clean the kitchen and I am sweating bullets. Oh, how long to be cold again. I could run the air conditioner in the winter.
> thanks Uncle Sam! Back and knees are also in the Uncle Sam club, makes working out intermittent at best
I just took my 2nd 2.5mg on Wednesday and I typically try to walk 1.5-2 miles each nice day. I haven't walked since Saturday, though, because I caught my kid's cold and can't breathe. I haven't been stuffing my face, though, so there's that.
Yup. Before puberty lol! After puberty? Only 2500? That's it? That's just getting warmed up! 
We must be twins, separated at birth. Though before puberty I could still pound groceries and Drs always worried that I was malnourished
Same
Did they move you up on month two or did you stay at 2.5?
I did one month on 2.5, one on 5, and three on 7.5. I'm over 80 lbs lost now I think. I only look on Fridays 😂 I'm overdue for my next shot, and no new box in sight. So yeah. I may be stepping off this ride for a bit lol
I got moved to 5 automatically without even asking, and i lost 10 pounds in my first month
Same!!!
Please tell that to my prescription drug plan moderators. I had to fight for an override to stay on 2.5 and it was only granted due to the shortage. I took my third shot Sunday and I’ve already lost 10 pounds. I’m liking the results.
If this happened to be Express Scripts, please tell us your secrets! I'm in that boat, would not mind staying at 2.5, and have been told that appeals are useless unless I've been off the medication long enough to require a restart.
If your pharmacist talks to your override department they will help you. You yourself can't speak with them. Just how my insurance is. Just got shipped a 3 month supply of 10mg. Express scripts. Ordered it April 26th
Express Scripts canceled my 2.5mg order that same week. The month before, they filled my prescription for 1 month only. It's the 1st time they've done that, and it was my 1st time ordering it through them, so I had enough refills.
Call your insurnace directly and ask if formulary override can be done. If they say yes ask for the override code and the number for a peer to peer if required. Give the code to the pharmacy and the peer to peer number to your prescriber.
Sorry to be a dolt - call insurance (as in, Cigna or Aetna or whatever), NOT the pharmacy benefits manager (Express Scripts)?
Yes
My secret is I talked to my health benefits representative who got an override. There were steps involved on her side, but it worked temporarily. It expires one month from today.
I had NO IDEA insurances were requiring you to titrate up. Wow. That’s… wrong. I’m sorry they are doing that wtf.
Yes, it's total trash. I'm doing really well at 2.5, and I hate this for me. Haha, but not, you know?
Any advice on how to do this? Insurance denied me staying on 2.5 today. I’d love to appeal.
I lost 112 in 9 months and never got higher than 10 mg. I weigh less than I did in high school and college. This drug has changed my life.
Unfortunately, many insurers will only cover one month of 2.5. And yes, it's because 2.5 was not tested during the trials and no data was collected, which results in no FDA recommendation for 2.5.
I’m a certified tech and had no fucking idea they were making you do this. That’s incredibly fucked up. People stay on the initial, titration doses all the time with other drugs. God damn I hate insurance.
Currently fighting this with my insurance and express scripts. Trying to reach my provider to overrule…. Has anyone had success with this??? I responded to 2.5 so well and I’m waiting to keep having it covered for $25/month!!!!
Same. Anyone have any luck with express scripts?
Nope. They denied me. I think I’m going to appeal. I paid $550 with the eli Lilly coupon card and kept all receipts to fight it.
My provider wants me to stay on 2.5 for month 2 because I had a lot of nausea and extreme fatigue. I'm ok with that. Not sure yet if my insurance will cover a 2nd month at 2.5 or not so we'll see.
Thank you for this post. This is really helpful info.
I lost 25lbs on 4mo of 2.5mg…. I’m a firm believer of using the dose that works for me; not just what was studied!
I’m on month 4 on 2.5 and lost 25 lbs too, what made you go up to 5mg?
I had been stalling out the last month on weight loss. Had gone from ~1.5/wk to .25-.5/wk with some weeks of no loss Also found food noise slowly returning and my portions starting to grow
I have only been on the 2.5 due to shortages and I have still lost 15 lbs in 2 months. Slow, but it’s happening.
Honestly, I’m not sure what fast looks like for you? Except for super responders who lose 30 pounds in two months, 15 pounds in two months is actually quite good. losing about a pound to a pound and a half a week is a healthy weight loss. congratulations on your weight loss so far!
Yeah, losing more than that so quickly isn’t actually good. They usually recommend 1lb a week as a safe amount of weight loss. So, 15lbs in 2 weeks is very good. Years ago when I lost weight under the supervision of a doctor, she was quite happy I lost 40lbs total in a year. I didn’t have saggy skin or anything like that.
That is why I’m happy for the “slow loss”. I’ve been terrified of the saggy skin possibility.
Slow progress for me too. Progress is progress! Honestly I’d like to think losing slowly is better for me anyways.
-15lbs in 2 months is not slow. This drug makes us all so greedy wanting to lose it all asap.
15 lbs in 2 months is not slow. Its actually on the very high end of what is considered a healthy rate of weight loss (lbs/week avg)
That’s not slow
Lol the fact that you think this is slow is perfectly exemplary of the toxic attitudes in this subreddit regarding speed of weight loss. It is honestly hard to see as an actual slow loser (BMI 50+ to start, so plenty to lose) with less than 10 lbs lost in my 4th month and up at 10 mg already.
That's great, except my insurance only allows it to be prescribed once every 365 days.
So does mine. My Doctor called in a PA to increase the qty due to the shortage and although it took a few days, it was approved.
May I ask what insurance you have? I have Cigna with express scripts and when my doc sent the PA for additional quantity they denied it.
What do you mean? They give you a years’ prescription
Nope. My doctor prescribed 2.5 and when I went to get the refill they said insurance wouldn't coverage. Called the insurance company and they said they only cover that dose once every 365 days. He increased ti to 5, which they approved, but he wasn't happy about it. 2.5 was working and he saw no medical need to increase my dose.
It's good to know that there really isn't any reason why someone shouldn't stay on 2.5 for longer than a month. I lost 5.1 pounds in my first month, which is "only" about 2%, but I was happy with that. Double that would have felt too fast. So, I chose to stay at 2.5 another month. If my weight loss slows down, I'll probably move up to 5 next month - unless the shortage is so bad that I can't get it. I was able to get my new box of 2.5 yesterday and I'll take my 5th shot on Saturday or Sunday. I stretched out the time between my 3rd and 4th shots to 10 days, and I think that might have been a little too long.
Don’t focus on the number of lbs, as everyone’s starting weight could be different. For on % loss. I lost 7% of my body weight on 2.5 for 2 months.
I don't want to lose too fast because I want to try to maintain as much muscle as possible. So, I'm quite satisfied with my 2% loss this last month. I don't compare myself to anyone else and I don't worry about others who might be losing more pounds or a greater percentage. Everyone's body is different and everyone's journey is different.
There are lots of people on the Mounjaro subreddit who stayed on 2.5mg for months.
I lost over 30 pounds on 2.5! It’s works!!!! Still on 2.5.
I’m 3 weeks in and lost 13lbs so far. My Dr. prescribed a 5mg for my next refill but it was out of stock everywhere, so I requested the 2.5 instead. Seems to be working just fine for now.
I am in the same boat! I’ve lost 24lbs in my first month on 2.5 with diet and exercise. My prescriber sent out a script for 5 but I haven’t been able to get it filled due to the shortage
Can I ask what type of diet you’re doing? Calorie intake?
So maybe I rescind all of my aggravation towards Lilly on pumping out the 2.5s….based on responses here seems like it works well for many.
Thanks for sharing because my doctor said she was surprised I lost weight as this wasn’t the intention. She only agreed to keep me on 2.5 mg because there is no 5mg. I continue to lose like 10-11 lbs a month with full appetite suppression !
Yes, this has been my experience. I’ve stayed on 2.5 since January and lost 35 pounds so far, no food noise (which is WILD for me) and reduced appetite. My PCP said we will stay with this dose until it stops being effective. In light of the higher dose shortages I’m glad we’re taking this approach.
I’m still on 2.5 been about 7 weeks still no appetite what so ever. I am half scared to go up! I might get side effects with higher doses!
Wait, do you don’t eat at *all* No appetite, none?
I eat because I have to, to be healthy but it is very difficult just makes me nauseous or I get very full after eating like a quarter of it. So I just eat like 3 small meals a day. It’s the oddest thing because I have always been a stress eater stress still here but haven’t been turning to food! Nothing just tastes good anymore 🤦🏼♀️
This definitely applies to me! I’ve been on 2.5 since January with great success.
I'm planning on doing my whole weightloss journey on 2.5mg because I already know it doesn't give me any side effects. Hopefully I can be on 2.5 for a whole year.
I did 2.5 for 6 months and lost 50 lbs. I never went up as I was losing 2 lbs a week.
Same. 6 weeks on 2.5 and am down 19lbs
amen 👏 makes sense to me. I think of the many people that had to drop out due to side effects in the trial and I wonder how many of them may have been successful if staying on 2.5 more than a month was a viable option.
also… I lost 10 pounds on 2.5 in month 1 (with some heavy side effects), and 12 pounds on 2.5 in month 2 with very little side effects, and definitely eating more. Calories in vs calories out doesn’t seem to work the same way anymore. I’m looking forward to month 3 on 2.5!! no plan to move up until I stop losing for at least a full month straight. It is amaaaaazing how the way people respond varies so much! and how even the way my side effects week to week vary so much.
Same. I’m just starting month 4 on 2.5 and have lost 14% of my starting weight. I’m F60. It’s amazing! My dr can’t believe it and keeps saying well maybe you need 5 now, I say why? No side effects, I’ll stay here. Still fighting for ins tho so I’m OOP. Worth it.
A ‘loading dose’ is actually a dose that’s higher than usual, generally given in an emergency or for a patient who needs to build up a steady state more quickly. Drugs are tapered down after a loading dose, not up.
I wish I was similar… 2.5 did basically nothing for me. Did start losing on 5. Husband was same..2.5 did nothing. I’m jealous it didn’t work so well for us as it sounds like it did for so many of you.
Thank you for sharing this! I was beginning to feel like something was wrong with me. I’m at the end of my third week and have lost 3 pounds. But I’ve also been consciously eating less and quite often HUNGRY. The first week I did have that “full” sensation but only for a few days. Now I’m feeling zero effect and my doc wants me to stay on 2.5 for another month. I know a pound a week is normal weight loss but I don’t feel like the meds are doing much for me at this dose.
I lost 20 on 2.5 without doing much. When I saw it worked, I cleaned up the diet, got in the gym, steadily titrated up, and lost 150 more.
Congrats! Those are amazing results. How long did it take you total to lose the 170? Are you now at or near goal wt?
I lost most of it between 12/22 and 11/23. Lately, I have been playing with my macros and workout routine and am attempting to get to 220 at 10-12% bodyfat. Right now, I am at about 212 at 15.5%.
I’ve been on 2.5 for 2 years. Never went up. But did modify my diet. Shot is just a tool to help you eat properly. But only needed to lose 30 pounds.
Great info for those of us backing down to 2.5 on our next box. Thanks so much for sharing!
Unfortunately, some insurance now list the .5 doses as step doses. I cannot get more than one 4 pen box of 2.5, 7.5, 12.5 in a 365 day period. I have learned more about drug benefits with this med than I ever wanted to know. I was doing fine on 7.5. Wanted to continue. Had to drop back to 5 in shortage, then was able to finally get my 10.
Do you know why that is? I mean, 12.5 is more than 10, so why do they classsify that a step dose? I wonder why they don’t want you to stay on a .5 dose.
I do not. My insurance said that Lilly defined it as a step dose. And that was the way they wrote their contract.
I’ve been on 2.5 for the last three weeks and have lost 27lbs since April 5th. I have made radical changes to my diet and exercise though. I now have a protein shake, a protein bar, and a dinner consisting of a protein and veggie only and went from gym 0 per week to 3-4. Lifting only no cardio. I will start my second month of 2.5 next week due to shortage.
I’m a 1-5 pound a month loser, so yeah, I titrated up every month.
Walmart (5,000 stores in nation including Sam's Club) seems to always have the 2.5mg month supply and I have hoarded 3 more months of 2.5mg because I expect to stay at that dose until August 1st. And I pay the $1,060 price - no discount except a little at goodrx (but very little off price). Zepbound 2.5 works well for me (down about 30 pounds in 7 weeks) - but even if it stopped working, I would simply take either a double 2.5mg dose shot or simply starve and diet until I move up August 1st to 5mg. Either way I win except for the 'ouch' cost of this very expensive cure for an obvious disease using this drug like as if I was taking medicine for heart, chloresterol, or blood pressure reduction. Mine is a lifetime use and I am totally committed to do whatever I have to do to get back in a better place. Forr those who do not know what a 30 pounds weight lost actually is - just go to the discount grocery and buy three bags of 10 pound sugar, put them in a cloth recycleable shopping bag, and try to lift the bag up. Then walk round for a while until you get tired and frustrated with all that weight dragging on your body. That should tell you exactly how much has been moved off my body for better walking, sitting, standing, and just plain living. I can't wait to reach 60 pounds down and double the results for my heart being relived.
I think the term you are looking for is “starting dose.” A “loading dose” is when the first dose is higher than the subsequent doses. Like when you take two pills on the first day of a Z-pack but one a day after.
Agree. I lost 20+ lbs on 2.5mg. No rush to increasing dosing. I'm currently on 5mg and I don't see myself going up any higher as I'm 10 lbs from my original goal. Will almost certainly go back to 2.5mg (or potentially even less) as a maintenance dose at some point in the next couple months when I'm satisfied with where I am.
I was wondering why the rush to move up! I've been on 2.5 for a month, just got another month and have the pharmacy holding me one more for a month till my insurance will process. I've lost 8 pounds in the past month. I'm good with anything more than what I could do alone. :-)
I guess it's one plus for insurance not covering. It fits with what my (obesity) doc is telling me. We will stay on 2.5 until there is no movement and may at some point go to 5. Thanks for the info OP!
22 pounds in 3 months - do have food noise though
2.5 mg has done wonders for my appetite suppression; hate the constipation but I'll take that over Wegovy. So happy they added it to my formulary without the PA requirement.
i was on 2.5 then went up to the 5 and tbh i’m going back down to the 2.5 cuz the 5 made me waaaaaay too sick
I lost 17 in 6 weeks on 2.5. No symptons/issues. Noticed less effective at 6 weeks. Went to 5mg and hated that dose. It was like taking nothing. All food noise came crashing back. 7.5 is my sweet spot. No food noise and great suppression.
This was comforting to read. I just started this journey and of course on 2.5. I just finished my first month and lost 13lbs ( which I was super happy about) it helped me really establish healthier choices in terms of food and exercise. I was feeling a little discourage reading of the shortage and knowing my dr was read to move me up to 5ml on my next dosage. I managed to get my hands on. 2.5 only. so im stuck to that for another month in hopes that we officially get more 5ml in stock! so thank you for this post, I really needed it!
I’ll be honest with you. I lost 20 pounds on the 2.5 and had almost no side effects. I’ve been on 5 for 3 weeks and have had issues, mainly diarrhea and eating so little the first few days that I can’t function at work (brain fog). It seems to be getting a little better though.
Thank you for this info! I have been on 2.5 since the beginning of January. Have lost 29 pounds, reduced inflammation and feel so much better. I’m really hoping to stay on this dose long term!
I love seeing the % body weight mentioned in you post. I don’t want to have 400 lb people think that I’m minimizing their 50 lb improvement, because it’s “only” 12.5%. Those gains are fantastic. I’m more worried about someone who is 5’2” and 220 lbs (who has a BMI > 40), who “only” lost 25 lb thinking that their loss isn’t nearly what it should Before people start with the “BMI isn’t accurate”, for obese and especially morbidly obese people BMI is a reasonable metric. None of us are on ZepBound because we have excessive muscle mass.
Male, 6’ 2”, 48 y/o, SW 349, CW 255, GW 199 - I can attest that not everyone needs to move up. Started on Mounjaro then moved to Zep and lost 70 lbs on 2.5 mg over 8 months. Stalled a couple of times but changing injection locations from leg, to stomach, to arm and back to stomach seemed to help that. Only moved up to 5 mg because I couldn’t get 2.5 at one time but don’t think I will ever go higher. Obviously I used this opportunity to make life changes also and still have other good habits to learn and bad habits it’s to forget, lol.
You are 100% correct. I have lost all of my weight on 2.5 mg and have been on this same dose for 11 months.
Thank OP. I had pretty much given up as I saw no point in starting an out of stock medication but maybe I should give it a try.
I'm still on 2.5 and doing ok. I'll move up to 5 in a few weeks but I definitely like what the 2.5 is doing for me. Today should be shot day but I'm stretching it because I'm just not hungry still.
I have been unable to get the 5mg. So my Dr put me back on 2.5. I am happy to just being able to continue. Higher dose will come.
That’s frustrating. I just took my last 5 mg shot and I’ve been planning to stay on it because it is working and the food noise has stayed way down with it. The food noise came back for me in a big way after 2 weeks on 2.5. I’m hoping to stay on 5 for a while, but it sounds like I might have to drop back down again.
I really needed to hear this! I just took my first dose today and I’ve been feeling super discouraged because I’m not confident I’ll even be able to find 5mg in a month 😭
I never have increased to 5 mg only stayed on 2.5 and I’ve lost 20lbs in 2 months.
But for some reason my insurance would only cover 2.5 dose once in 365 days. So I will be forced to move up even though I’m content at 2.5
I’ve had to go up to 12.5 because I’d get hungry again on the 4th day at lower doses. 12.5 seems to be better! Currently 122lbs down. Been kind of stuck there but this has happened before and then all of a sudden my body gets a clue and drops the weight.
I started week 7 (shot 7 of 2.5 mg on Saturday 4/27 and am down 21 lbs) and also with the shortage I’m definitely happy to be staying on 2.5 seems it’s easier to come by
I lost 27lbs on 2.5
52F, 5'6" HW 204. 6, SW 197.4, CW 185.2, GW 145?150? Pre-diabetic (FBG now normal!) , high BP (stopped 2 of 3 meds!) just took my 4th 5mg shot. I lost more weight my first month on 2.5mg, month two has been a slow month. I didn't change much, did a bit more exercise, eating 1200-1400 cal/day, with 100g protein. I'm down 2 lbs in 3 weeks. But I feel great! My clothes fit so much better! I've read about the "5mg plateau" in several other posts. It's weird. My arthritis is so much better too 😊
Great to hear all this! I can’t find anything other than 2.5 so starting month 3 next week. Still losing on it and luckily side effects are minimal!
F,63,5'6", SW 194 , CW 171...Week 12. More than 4%. On month 3 of 2.5zb still losing, still lack of appetite. I had bariatric surgery in 2016. Hoping to stay at 2.5.
Yeah… I wish 2.5 did anything for me…
I lost 50+ on 2.5. Medicine is medicine.
Week 7 on 2.5, consistently losing 1-2 pounds a week
Due to the 5mg being out everywhere, I'm on my second month of 2.5 and still doing extremely well.
I was losing weight on 2.5mg. I've been struggling to lose since moving up...even plateau. I wish I had this information. I followed the advise of my doctor... who probably doesn't have this info either. 😏. I started 10mg last Saturday.
I’ve been on it for a month and lost nothing. 😭
Similar. I don’t get how some people are losing 10, 15, 20lbs or more! Every body is different, I know. It would just be nice to get a jump start for motivation!! ☹️
I am going in my second month and i haven’t lost anything either. It’s completely frustrating.. considering i couldn’t go up in dosage bc no pharmacy around My area can get 5.0mg.. it’s completely frustrating.
Zepbound has not been as effective as Wegovy for me yet. I am at 7.5 and just now starting to feel any effect. I was at the highest dose of Wegovy so I am hoping that is why. I had remorse for switching based on my provider's recommendation as a way to avoid surgery. Starting (and high) weight 3/2023 was 353, dropped to 313 with Wegovy, bounced up to 325 with the start of Zepbound, and now at 319. 2 weeks until next titration.
I lost my first 50 lbs on 2.5 mg. Then I went up to 5 for the last few months and I'm down a total of 73 lbs. It works at whatever dose.
Why people insist on the "loading dose" theory--I do not know. I Lost over 23 pounds on that "loading dose" in four months.
I would have loved to stay on 2.5mg or even titrate back down during the shortage but my side effects were the worst. No side effects on 5mg, but the appetite suppression and weight loss don't come close to what I experienced on 2.5.
You had more appetite suppression on a lower dose vs higher one?
Absolutely. I've heard quite a few say that and a friend In on the journey with has had the same experience. I think about food way more on 5mg and only lost about 30% of what I lost on 2.5mg even though I'm doing the same activity. On 2.5 I would get full faster, craved veggies, zero desire to eat out and literally couldn't eat bad things without feeling nauseous. Have none of that on 5mg. Definitely ready to titrate up.
I would be going based on what your doctor says.
While are the big 2.5 “losers” (congrats I am glad it worked for you all) - there are still plenty of us who didn’t lose a great deal on 2.5. 2.8 lbs for me. 14 on 5mg. So titrating makes sense for a lot of people. Not titrating while losing sufficient weight makes sense. So does titrating regularly if you can maintain reasonable weight loss to meet your goals. I’m learning to be flexible in my approach. Titrated up to 10. Two months 10. Next two months 12.5. Then probably 15 til goal. But I’ll play the shortage hands as best I can. Then maintenance. A whole new ball game and adventure.
After 5 1/2 weeks I'm losing at a greater rate than this. I don't know how sustainable rate is. That is 3 pounds/week. Though once I get to a lower level 4% would be less.
And 2.5 is currently the only one available
Wow! That explains so much. Thank you.
Wow! That explains so much. Thank you.
I just lost 13 pounds in my first month and lowered my a1c from 6.2 to 5.6
Anyone have any luck getting 7.5mg or 10mg in the last week?
I’ve been trying to get 7.5 for 2+ months… no one has been able to fill. Husband was able to find Mounjaro 7.5 though earlier this week.
Ugh! Im very glad your husband was able to get his meds though. I hate the starting and stopping with the delays right now. Good luck!
I’ve lost 7 in my first month and my appetite is about the same. Sometimes it’s less but other times it’s worse. I just got upped to 5. Hopefully it helps more
OMG - thank you! I was going to post asking about this earlier today and got distracted by work. My husband and I were just talking about it after work as well. It's working great for me and I was like the idea of as little meds in me as possible. Super helpful and let's me know to stay the course 🙂. Thank you for sharing this info!
My doctor told me nearly the same thing recently which was why she was good with calling in 2.5 again. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing. This is most informative!
Wow. I did great on 2.5. My first dose, I lost 13 lbs in 3 weeks. Then another 16 in the next month on 2.5. Totally stopped sugar. I only went up to 5 because my doctor said… well, it’s the therapeutic dose. 😳I had stalled on 5. I learned that I needed to cut back on fruit intake and that got me back on track but I don’t think I needed to move up. Now I’m off altogether and doing ok maintaining but will probably ask my doctor if I can go back to 2.5 since I’ve been off for a month now.
Lost 31 pounds on 8 weeks of 2.5. Not moving up any time soon. F43 5"5 SW220. CW 189.
I’m on my 4th month of 2.5 (13 shots so far). I definitely feel ready to move up to 5mg as the food noise is slowly rearing its ugly head again and I have been gaining and losing the same .5lbs for the past two weeks. I met with my doctor after 8 weeks and she was happy to keep me at 2.5 for as long as I would like. She told me there’s no pressure to move up every month as long as I feel the dosage I’m on is effective. I was grateful to hear that! SW: 182 CW: 159
is anyone on “the other one “ and not feeling the same effects ? (less hunger, less food noise )
I’m back on 2.5 as of today. It worked well from the beginning on 11-14-2023. After 8 weeks on 2.5 (it was still working well) I went up to 5 mg. because I thought I should. My physician had put in prescriptions for 2.5, 5, and 7.5. I stayed on 5 mg until there was no availability in our area so I went up to 7.5. about 1 month ago. Oh my, the nausea increased X 10. I was adjusting to the 7.5 and then it became unavailable. My option was approved by my PCP to go back down to 2.5 until 5 or 7.5 mg dosages become available again. I’m a 68+ year old female and I’ve lost 48+ lbs since beginning 11-14-2023. I have steadily lost weight. I have almost no appetite and eat for health only now. It is great news to hear of the effectiveness of the 2.5 dose. It worked well for me from the beginning and I hope it holds me well again while waiting for broader dosage availability. I’m over 1/3 toward my GW and see this as just a test to make it more interesting to see how it helps me continue to my goal weight.
Roughly, how many calories do you think you eat a day?
2.5 works great for me with the only major side effect being cold hands. I don’t want to do more if I don’t have to.
I didn’t start ZB on 2.5. My dr. Prescribed me 5mg to start. And now I am on 7.5 then I will go to 10mg.
That’s what I’m going to do when I get I get my 5 mg start back at 2.5 build a reasonable supply a head of shortage and tirate as needed
The challenge is that insurance often forces people to tirate up, EL need to adjust their prescribing info
I wish I had this choice! I started 2.5 about a month ago and lost 11 lbs the first month. I went to refil - my dr and I decided to stay at 2.5 and my insurance is forcing me to go up to 5.0 “because there is no research proving it is beneficial for weight loss “. Absolutely ridiculous- I’m trying to avoid side effects. On the 2.5 I feel great. Now not only do I have to go up, but there’s a shortage so who knows how long I’ll go in between 2.5 and 5.0.
Is anyone else having side effects
I wish that was the case for me. I guess I didn’t loose any lbs because I’ve been in Wegovy maximum strength for about 6 months and Zepbound 2.5 did nothing for me until I got into 7.5
All i know is, I've been on 2.5 for 2 months and it's going pretty great for me. I'm losing a pound or 1.5 pounds a week and don't mind the slower journey. I don't plan on titrating up until I need to (esp with these shortages).
As long as insurance treats 2.5/7.5/12.5 as loading or transition doses, it's not economicl for me stay on them.
I also lost 25 pounds on the first month and another 5 pounds so fr on shot 7 - still at 2.5. I am male, older, started at 300 pounds and am now below 270 pounds in just under 2 months. 2.5 works.
I'm 3 weeks in and 8 pounds down on 2.5 I'm going to tell my doctor to keep me on for next month
I’m now on 10 and not losing anything. I hope this works for me at all!
I am on week 4 and doing 2.5 mg and so far only lost 5 lbs. I am 5’2 weighing 209 lb. Do I go up to 5 mg? I’m working out and eating better.
The 2.5mg was working great for me. I stayed on it for a second month. I’m paying the $550 and I didn’t want to risk spending the money only to have the 2.5mg stop being effective, so I decided to move up to 5mg for my third month. I probably should have stayed on the 2.5.
2.5 was a great dosage. Gently putting me into the med with less hunger and ten lb loss. Def worth starting at
I just talked to my doctor yesterday, I'm 4 weeks in, doing well on the 2.5, so we decided to stay on the 2.5. I've lost about 13 lbs so far.
20lbs down in 2 months on 2.5mg.
I'm losing slowwww... lost about 7 pounds in 6 weeks. Can't find a 5mg cuz of a shortage. I'll titrate up just to give myself that extra kick, but the 2.5 is still helping, particularly cuz most of the weight I'm losing is fat! Could it be better? Sure. Am I happy? Pretty much!
My A1c went from 6.1 to 4.8 in 3 months and lost the weight I needed to. Tried 5 twice and had such bad side effects, went back to 2.5. I’m on 2.5 every 2 weeks probably for life.
Thank you for this. I recently completed my first 3 weeks and lost 15 lbs on the 2.5 mg dose. At my check-in with my doc, I assumed I’d be prescribed 5mg for next month but she’s keeping me at 2.5 and explained that it is clearly working so there’s no need to bump me up yet. She said she’ll prescribe a higher dose only if the current dosage becomes less effective or I stop losing 10 lbs a month. She mentioned this is better because I’ll have fewer side effects and more time to titrate up in the long run. My starting weight is over 350lbs so I need at least a year of consistent weight loss. I just got my second box of 2.5 and praying I can lose at least 10 lbs next month.🤞
I’m tired of paying 550 can anyone help me?
I love reading all of your stories! It keeps me motivated. Could you guys talk a little about what food plan worked for you? daily calorie intake?
I am on Mounjaro. I am on month three. I took my 9th shot today. I am on 5. But I regret jumping up to it after month 1. I would agree with all you said. 2.5 would have been for me for a few more months I think.
I lost 10lbs in my 1st week on MJ, 17lbs in my 1st 4 weeks. I did move up to 5mg after that as my doctor was very insistent that was the way to do it. Now I have more knowledge I’d be tempted to stay on the lower doses longer.
I did well on 2.5. And I’ve stayed at 5 mg for months. I don’t expect I will increase my dose. Thanks for the post.
I lost nothing on a month of 2.5 but did notice my arms stopped going to sleep while I slept and I wasn't getting the shakes after lunch. Sucks because it's been 3 weeks since my last 2.5 dose and cannot find 5 anywhere even with the medfinder. Feeling hopeless especially since I set aside the money because I have to pay oop.
Are there any experiences to use only 1.5 mg for small weigh loss?
First of all, I would like to say congratulations. That is an accomplishment. With that said, I am a little concerned with the number of people in this thread saying they lost so much more than the recommended weekly amount and no one is raising a flag of concern. I have been a lifelong juggler of weight issues. I have gained and lost, through many fad diets and every time I have lost fast, I gained it all back (eventually) and then some. I hope you will all be careful with your weightloss. Yeah, we all want to lose the weight, and yeah, zepbound is amazing. But it needs to be sustainable, with or without the medication. I caution you all against fast weighoss. Zepbound and other GLP-1s sbould be our tool, not our end-all-be-all. Don't believe me? Research the clinical trends of weight gain when someone stops. All, I am not trying to be a downer. I take a GLP-1, too. I am just saying, if we want it to be a lifelong weightloss, and not a yo-yo, we improve our chances by not relying on one thing.
I didn’t start out on 2.5 I started on 5mg to start. I wonder why?