Mounjaro — it’s never too late to lose a quarter of your bodyweight — Part 19

Chapter 19

Mounjaro — Things I wish I’d known at the outset

I think I’ve been lucky on Mounjaro. It clearly works, I’m around 24 kilos down from a shocking peak in December and about to start the sixth cycle of doses. Weight loss is slower now, but I still don’t feel like I’m on a diet. I eat what I want, I just want different and less. None of the horror stories I’ve read about: nausea, vomiting, stomach pain etc. have come my way and historic back pain and arthritis have eased. There are still things I wish I’d known at the start.

I’m competitive, so measuring my progress has spurred me on. Watching my weight fall and the various measures on my “smart scale” improve has offered real encouragement. Likewise my blood test results suggest a healthier trajectory. It won’t work for everyone but, if you are like-minded, I’d recommend you establish a base line before you start. As comprehensive a blood test as you can muster and a body composition test will give you that. I only got into that part way through.

I was also lulled into a false sense of improvement with a basic (foot only) “smart scale”. It told me my visceral fat (the more dangerous type that lurks around your organs) was vanishing. Turns out that’s because my legs are relatively more muscular than the rest of my body. A “foot only” scale extrapolates from an impulse passed through the feet. The clinic painted a different picture, so I got a “eight point” scale that now helps me monitor it. You will get the kind of image shown above. Vitruvian man on doughnuts.

I feared I was losing too much muscle — the image suggests I am around the expected level in each body area (the lower of the 2 percentages) but with a very long way to go on fat (the upper of the two), especially on the torso, where the dreaded visceral fat is located.

I’m still in no doubt that I could do more to combat muscle loss, so I’m playing catch up with the Tai Chi and chair based exercises I talked about in the last chapter. I wish I’d started on day 1.

Finally, my memory. I knew all about the importance of protein and hydration from the start, but I forget. I explained before about my fortnight in the north of Thailand where rice is compulsory and beer is the perfect antidote to the heat. Since I came south and regained control of my diet (I was with friends up north) — the weight loss has restarted and I’ve felt better.

So — the lessons I’ve learned or needed reminders?

· A baseline for blood and body composition lets you track your real progress

· An eight point scale (with measurement through your hands as well as feet) is much more accurate

· Some form of regular exercise is essential, preferably including resistance training

· Protein and hydration are key.

I’m pretty close to 110 kilos, I’m told I should be closer to 90. No chance. I’ll settle for splitting the difference and tipping over into double figures would be a triumph from where I started.

I’m doing the occasional post on Facebook too — and trying to deflect the mockery with more obvious attempts at humour. Like this when I remembered the importance of exercise:

At the start I focused on food and paid too little attention to the importance of resistance training. Sadly — as men often do — I finally dived in without reading the instructions.

In the last week I have sabotaged two train yards, sprung a dozen people from the local prison and waited every night — in vain — to support any allied parachutists.

Bad enough if I’d been in France but the Thai police had no idea what I as on about.

Cest la maison des singes pour moi.