GLP-1 Agonists
Have you tried GLP-1 agonists? This term refers to weight loss medications like Ozempic® to treat type 2 diabetes and Wegovy® to treat obesity.
If you haven't tried them, what are your thoughts about them? What intrigues you or makes you hesitant to try them?
Yes, have tried and yes, it is a miracle med for me. I also worried about “Can I inject myself?” Now, no big deal- easy cuz the pens are designed for people who think they can’t. The miracle of no food noise is such a game changer! People who don’t “get” what food noise is? Wow-consider yourself lucky! I used to not just play the “just one more bite” game with myself, I’d wake in the middle of the night having just had vivid dreams of food and eating it. Constantly. When I was trying any new diets or attempts to regain control of what went in my mouth, my whole family suffered cuz I couldn’t allow them to eat anything good in front of me, lest that trigger more cravings/food noise. Ugh. No more. Now, I feel like a “normal” person. I’ve watched my “normal” husband and kids eat for years so I knew what that looked like. For example: my daughter used to be eating ice cream, get distracted and forget to finish it. I’d find it left and melted in the bowl, and I’d marvel at that, knowing I could never! Well, now I can! It’s such an incredible feeling!
Lost 55+ pounds since being on Wegovy, then Zepbound, 10 months ago. I’ve also been intentional about keeping protein intake on the forefront (so I’m not losing muscle) and carb/sugars low. (So no,I don’t start out with high sugar foods like ice cream when I need to eat, not normally, but I could do that on occasion if I actually wanted to- The thing is that now the food noise isn’t demanding that I want to! I usually don’t want to!)
I just tend to eat less. I don’t necessarily eat when everyone else is eating if I don’t want it. I DO eat whenever I DO want something. I always have healthy snacks on hand cuz when my body says “eat,” I eat. Actually sometimes I forget to eat, which is also amazing, but then I realize that I didn’t “forget”; I just hadn’t been hungry during the socially normal times and it didn’t matter! I think in order to lose the weight, you need to be willing to give up whatever social norms you might be holding onto like that. You need to be willing to change your idea of what you think you should be eating. You need to be willing to throw away or package up food for later when you realize that you took too much and you really CAN’T finish that portion. You need to be willing to change your grocery shopping habits(cuz if you buy too much, it’s gonna spoil!) You need to be willing to listen to your body and rebuild trust with your body’s hunger signals once they actually are affected by the meds. So that’s a lot, but the meds have made it all possible and honestly… easy!
Congratulations on all the weight loss and thanks so much for the valuable insight. It's interesting how the GLP-1 agonists helped eliminate the food noise. What a game-changer. Are you still taking the medications? Are you concerned at all about regaining weight when or if you stop using it? How do you feel overall since you've lost weight? Sending the best of all wishes your way. - Lori (Team Member)
I've worked for a pharmacy benefit management company for 20+ years, I've seen fads come and go, and I've seen everyone "jump on the bandwagon" for an off-label use or sometimes even an approved use for a medication only to have more information start coming in that's negative which forces medication change. I think prescribing a medication to someone in the hopes the known side effect will work for them is a very odd thing to do. In the end, weight is largely about your relationship with food and I don't think any medication is going to change that long term. I'm currently taking Rybelsus as I've had two bad blood work labs in a row. I get asked if that's reason I lost 50 pounds -- no, it's not. I had already lost 40 pounds before starting the medication. In fact, I've been on the medication for 6 months, my labs have improved, but I've been gaining and losing the same 10 pounds for six months even with the medication.
How I lost weight (this time! I've lost more than 100 pounds twice in my life plus other smaller losses, so I know all about not keeping weight off). It was gradual over 2 years. Frist, I stopped snacking at work (I work from home). Then, once I was okay with not snacking, I stopped buying pizza, which I had been doing at least once a week if not more. Then once I was used to that I stopped eating fast food Monday-Friday at work. Then I started a home meal delivery service and only ate that meal, so calories became more restricted. I also now try to not eat anything with more than 3 grams of sugar per serving and try to stay away from empty carbs like pasta. I naturally do about a 24 hour fast so now I try to make it a point to only eat only between the hours of 5pm and 10pm. Saturdays and Sundays are "free" days when I go out with friends and family but I still try to be smart about my choices, with admittedly limited success. My problem right now is I've slipped back into eating more empty carbs, which I love. Eating more of them has brough back the cravings so it's an uphill battle right now. I was using a rowing machine but have muscle cramp issues based on chronic migraines and have been unable to continue that practice for now. Although weight loss is all about calories and smart choices. Right now, I'm not being so smart.
These are such great tips. I also work from home and find it really difficult to stop from snacking. I'm making a serious concerted effort to stop and ask myself "are you hungry or are you thirsty? What can we eat that will support your body if you're hungry?" It ain't easy though!
It sounds like you have put so much thought into mindfulness and what you're putting into your body and how it makes you feel. That's amazing! Bravo! As a lifetime lover of carbs, I get the struggle, but I hope you're giving yourself some grace when you find yourself leaning toward them. We can't be perfect all the time with our nutrition plans.How have your migraines and muscle cramps been doing lately? Do you find that the cold weather helps alleviate them or does it seem to trigger them?
Thinking of you, Kayleigh, Team Member 💙
No
let me explain. I am a nurse. I hate to give myself shots to the point of getting anyone to give them to me. Therefore I would not be a very good candidate for any injectable medication. I can't even stick myself to check my blood sugar. Told my doctor that if she wanted me to check it I would need something non-invasive to do it with. I hear you! I am not a nurse, but I am terrified of injecting myself. I am prediabetic and working hard to make sure I never need injectable medication. It's great motivation! Warmest of wishes. - Lori (Team Member)
The medication I took made me nauseous all day. Then when I got used to it, it really didn't stop me from eating. It was just not working for me.
Hi
. I wish it had worked for you. I have heard such mixed reviews. Some people say it works wonders while others have had experiences similar to yours. Have you tried any other weight loss plans or medications that have been more effective? Warm wishes. - Lori (Team Member)
