Wow,what a wonderful contribution- I just love when people are open and honest ,hoping to encourage others that struggle with what they hsve- thank you ,much appreciatedSo....haven't posted in this thread in a very very long time.
Upfront admission - I'm on Wegovy (semaglutide). It's the weight loss version of Ozempic.
I've gained and lost so many times in my life, I can't even count it anymore. Most times was able to do it on my own with willpower alone (and maybe Weight Watchers lol) but the older I got the more difficult it became. Being post menopausal certainly had a lot to do with it but I suspected there may be other issues at play too.
Fast forward to almost 2 years ago when I had a triple whammy of health things occur at the same time. First I was hospitalized with very severe pneumonia (not Covid related). At the same time I had what eventually was diagnosed at a frozen shoulder that left me debilitated with that arm (and utterly excruciating). After being released from the hospital, I recovered from the pneumonia I wound up with some kind of weird nerve thing in my right rib cage from most likely having to have a chest tube inserted while ill (which is still with me, nobody seems to know how to treat it).
I spent an entire year + trying to get myself back to health. It took a long time to recover, I was exhausted and had breathing issues for months. Had the shoulder diagnosed so that was able to be addressed and went for a lot of physical therapy for the rib issue (didn't help). Started taking much better care of myself in general which included eating better than I had in years.
Another year went by and last May I got more serious about needing to lose weight but it just would NOT come off. I was only losing 1-2 pounds a month. And I was starving. So disheartening. Then my doctor had a frank conversation with me saying he was concerned if I didn't loose a "drastic" amount of weight I was certainly heading towards my health deteriorating (I was borderline diabetic at this point). He previously had mentioned surgery but I absolutely nixed that. He mentioned semaglutide and I was just NOT interested at that point to consider it but promised him I'd do some research.
I read up everything I could find, joined some FB and Reddit groups to chat with people taking it. I was really worried about trying it because all I heard was a lot of horror stories from these people. As I later found out this was due to what I call Squeaky Wheel Syndrome. Basically the 80% of people who do well don't have a need to go online to share that. All you heard was from the 20% of people who did have problems and need to vent.
So by early October after a lot more research, I felt more comfortable about giving it a try and had my doctor prescribe it for me. I had to come to my own conclusions in order to feel ok with trying.
The change has been nothing short of amazing. For one thing, I'm losing weight at a rate of 5-6 lbs per month whereas before, I could barely get a pound off. Second, it totally takes away "food noise". You aren't consumed with when, where, how or should you eat. The way it works is it slows down digestion making you feel fuller for longer periods of time. It's kind of like a forced diet but you aren't obsessing about it all the time. I've lost a total of 35 lbs since May, but most of that has been since I'm on the medication which is now 3 months. I have a long way to go but I look and feel so much better, have gone down a size in not only clothing but underwear LOL.
Side effects? Some. But I've been lucky and they have been minimal. Some slight nausea and minor constipation but nothing that's effected me in any great way and there are ways to mitigate that anyway. I'm eating far healthier than I had been, keeping to a low fat/high protein meal plan, try to get enough water/fiber. I can eat pretty much anything (except spicy food for whatever reason), it's just that I don't want a lot of what I ate before or the quantity. It does kind of suck that my husband and I really can't eat out anymore because the thought of me sitting down to a nice meal for 1-1/2 hours and pretty much watching him eat, isn't very appealing. It's also weird grocery shopping because food now looks like "objects" to me - not delicious things I can't wait to try. In fact, it's become hard to do this in person because of this, so I've been resorting to using Instacart and buying the same basics over and over. I'll ask my husband what he'd like, but I don't eat any of the snacks he requests. They just don't interest me.
I'm also intermittent fasting by proxy because of this. We eat dinner usually by 5-6pm and I never snack afterwards because a) I don't want to and b) don't want the food sitting in my stomach going to bed which can be a trigger for nausea. I don't eat again until around 8am the next day so I'm on a more or less 14/10 schedule. I still eat 3 meals a day, making sure to get enough calories as it can be too easy to forget to eat if you don't make sure to. For me, the medication has drastically effected my hunger cues, right from the start but it's not like that for everyone. In fact, it seems everyone reacts slightly different and has different experiences. There's no way to say for sure anything will or won't happen using it.
I decided to write about this because I can't imagine there isn't someone here who may be considering this medication but isn't ready to do so or even discuss it. It's gotten a bad stigma from people who really do not seem to be able to understand the benefits for a large group of people who are not able to control their food intake. For some of us, just "eating less" and "move more" doesn't cut it. There are metabolic reasons why people gain weight. It's not always just overeating; people with PCOS or diabetes for instance and it can really be wearing on yourself to try so hard and keep failing and worse having people treat you like it's controllable if you just had enough will power.
This is a medication which must be researched. Do your own due diligence to learn about it. This is a medication that has to be properly monitored by your physician. Do not go to some random clinic or online provider. This is a medication that should only be purchased through reputable sources. Find a doctor who understand the usage, dosing and is familiar with how to help you avoid side effects (there are some good anti-nausea meds available to help for instance). There are too many fraudulent companies out there only looking to make a quick buck, selling black market semaglutide if it's even that medication at all. Buyer/user beware.
It can cost a LOT of money even with insurance or cost next to nothing or, even nothing as in my case. The manufacturer offers a savings coupon plan and if you are lucky enough to have insurance that covers weight loss medications, the price can be as low as $0. That is exactly what I've been paying. Nothing. Zilch. Zero. It was a no brainer to try it based on that alone. I do worry what will happen at the end of 2024 as I'm retiring and will not have the company insurance any longer and Medicare, does not pay for it. But hopefully by then, costs will come down and make it at least somewhat affordable.
It's a drug that they say should be used for life in most people. As with other dramatic weight loss measures including bariatric surgery, weight gain is pretty much guaranteed if you veer off the healthy diet and habits you build up. I know this already as I tried a different medication some years ago that worked great but within a year or so of stopping (mostly due to the pandemic), I gained it all back and then some. Now granted, I was stuck at home like the rest of the world so being prone to weight gain in general, that was bound to happen along with the uncertainly of the world and binging more than I ever had before as a comfort to the worlds woes. But I digress! I was never the kind of person who was accepting of my larger self. I don't mind being slightly overweight but I was way beyond that. It was uncomfortable in every way I can think of; physically, mentally and emotionally. I have no judgement about people who feel good and are healthy at a larger size but for me personally, it was not good or healthy.
Anyway, I'm hoping that will change for good now. Not looking to be skinny, or anywhere near what weight I was at 18. Or even 30. Now at almost 65 I'll be grateful to lose whatever I can and get to a place where my blood levels are normal and I'm not at risk for diabetes or a heart attack. I had labs done a couple of weeks ago and already there was a huge change. And, maybe, start to enjoy clothing shopping again. That would be kind of nice. Trying hard not to anticipate or expect anything as an end result other than staying the course and letting it happen.
Happy to answer questions on this thread or send me a PM if you don't feel comfortable writing in public. I'm an open book. I'll share whatever I can if you need it.
I don't know thsg my situation is in any way more unique than some others but for me I feel very much alone in this struggle
You see I was always a little bit of a thing,I'm 5ft tall and I've been 110 lbs almost my entire adult life,never dieted,ate well and ate alot but one needs lots of calories to maintain such an active lifestyle which included competitive physical sports -hard training and lots of muscle So being overweight is as unfamiliar as it is uncomfortable
Now this is going on for a decade and I'd love to take a pill or an injection that would make a difference so I've nothing against weight loss medications . However,I'm not thrilled with being anymore nauseated or having bowel problems thsn I am already dealing with post chemo /radiation so thsts a huge consideration thst I think is well worth a conversations with my physician.
Before I was diagnosed with the cancer at thst time besides pain and " bathroom " issues I was steadily gaining weight- pretty strange for someone so physically active and who never ate junk food or sweets- when I could no longer endure the pain (I suspected cancer but didn't want to stop working)I was rushed to the ER and sure enough it was as I thought'- colorectal cancer Stage IV
Since then the chemo/radiation literally did a number on my lymphatic & digestive system,,my metabolism is a mess and the Dr's insist all thst weight was helping me to get through it all-saying" worry about losing weight after treatment"- of coursd I wasnt expected to live through it but here I am----and not enough lbs came off in 10yrs
My thyroid is a bit off but not significantly enough to be on meds-the IBD has been a big problem but more than anything I believe immobility is the major factor- I feel awful fat,I want to jump on my bicycle or break a stallion ,work a hunter jumper or how about chase some strays around or trap a dozen ferals ?
Being reduced to this kind of life is not how I pictured getting old.... anyway,,thanks for listening to my rant- now Ive got to feed the kitties
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