jayfab
Drama Llama
procastinating
Posts: 5,521
Jun 26, 2014 21:55:15 GMT
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Post by jayfab on Dec 18, 2023 22:42:40 GMT
I’m on Ozempic, started it last December when we could not get my blood sugar under control even on several other medications. It was in the 400s. Stayed on a really low dose for a while and it definitely helped my blood glucose levels, though I did not lose any weight or notice any of the symptoms like fuller faster, not thinking about food, not being hungry, or nausea. Several months ago we started increasing it and the weight starting dropping pretty rapidly. That only lasted for a little while and then I stopped feeling full as quickly and I was definitely having hormonal hunger issues. I fluctuated within a 5 pound range for a couple of months, pretty frustrating. I think that’s because the body gets upset that you’re eating so few calories, so it ups the production of a different hunger hormone. I read that, but never checked the validity of the source and now can’t find it. Whatever it was, the medication is starting to work again in that I can’t eat as much and I’m starting to take a while to feel hungry again. I’m still thinking about it pretty often. And I started to s l o w l y lose again, just barely. As for concerns about unknown side effects, I get that, I really do. And I have health anxiety and am especially concerned about cancer due to family history and just in general. So if I had a lot less weight to lose I would have tried to come off it once my glucose was under control. But my weight will for sure have me in an early grave and it greatly negatively impacts my life in many ways. It definitely reduces my quality of life. And I have tried absolutely everything to lose weight, most several different times. I have to lose weight. So I’m willing to take the risks. For me, I can’t fathom taking the risk if my health wasn’t impacted, but just to lose a relatively small amount of weight.
The stigma I just don’t understand. Your health is being impacted, why wouldn’t you do everything possible to fix it? Most people aren’t just jumping into this willy nilly and have tried everything to lose weight over a long period of time. Should we continue to suffer because some people don’t think we’re doing it the “right way?” If the right way worked for everyone obesity wouldn’t be such an issue. This is medication. It helps the body function mostly the way it is intended to. Not the slowing down the stomach emptying, but that’s temporary.
It’s been life changing. To not be gnaw your arm off hungry literally the large majority of the time I’m awake is so…magnificent. For my stomach not to feel empty and like it’s turning itself inside out less than 30 minutes after I’ve eaten a huge meal is so foreign. Feeling full? Very rare unless I have way over eaten. Not to be thinking about food the entire time I’m awake. I never realized just how very bad these issues were until they weren’t there. Like I said, life changing. And if “normal” people feel like this most of the time? They.have.no.clue. what we have been through, what we live with 24/7 and I’m not particularly concerned about their judgmental opinion. My husband does feel nauseated often, which is a potential side effect. Not one I’ve experienced, though. Once I hit the higher doses, I always felt pretty sick for about 48 hours. A trash can lived by my bed as it was worse at night, I’d eat chicken soup and not much else for at least the first day, and I felt awful. My husband actually asked me to stop taking it. But I knew the side effects were temporary for some and my weight is literally killing me so I was willing to keep with it. It’s hasn’t been nearly as bad recently, I didn’t throw up at all last week and this week I oddly threw up on Day 6. To be fair, it was while I was brushing my teeth and I have occasionally thrown up while doing that while not on the medication. I've been taking Ozempic for around 5 years for diabetes (now pre-diabetes due to diet and exercise, and presumably the medication). I just wish I could get the medication now. There's a shortage of the med because of people using it for weight loss--I understand the sentiment, but it's kind of annoying. Last month I missed two doses due to shortage of the drug, and this month the same. CVS tells me it can no longer obtain the medication and asked me to ask my doctor to prescribe something else. Have you tried other pharmacies? Since my local Walgreen’s said it was a distribution center issue I assumed that was a regional thing. But different pharmacies can use different places. DH called around for me and found a place we were able to get mine filled. Can’t hurt to try. I feel the same. It HAS been life changing for me. I have a different story tho. I have been on hundreds of "diets" fad and non fad. Never ever could I sustain it. I've lost oodles and oodles of weight in my 66 years. I really needed to do something around 3 years ago since my blood pressure and cholesterol were out of wack. I had gastric sleeve and lost around 70ish lbs but then stalled for a YEAR! So when semaglutide became available by compound I thought I would try it. My dr agreed. Now I have lost 108 pounds and for the first time in my life I am a normal weight. THE FIRST TIME. It feels so good. I no longer have to take the statin but unfortunately have had to up the bp meds (thanks mom for your genes LOL. Dr says she doesn't like that it jumps up and down (never always up or all down) and it's for sure hereditary. I'll continue to take if for maintenance if needed.
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jayfab
Drama Llama
procastinating
Posts: 5,521
Jun 26, 2014 21:55:15 GMT
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Post by jayfab on Dec 18, 2023 22:53:00 GMT
But preventing diabetes *is* a legitimate medical reason. Why wouldn't it be considered that? To me there's a difference between overweight people whose doctor has said their A1C is high, or they're at risk for something else because they're overweight, and those of us who just like cake and chocolate too much. -- But for me personally -- ME PERSONALLY -- my A1C is fine and I know it's willpower because the minute I eat better I lose weight. But insurance companies don’t agree, unfortunately. For the vast majority of our country, if this IS approved prior to having full-blown diabetes, the copay is still ridiculously prohibitive… mine would have been $1100/month if I had gone that route. I’m pretty solidly middle-class, but I can’t afford that! Obesity (and therefore diabetes) is disproportionately a poor man’s disease. A year ago I thought it was just my willpower, too. I can assure you that, now, I realize that my attitude toward food was not normal. The “willpower” I need to skip certain foods or eat less now is significantly different. Yes, 100% and I would beat myself up every day for being "weak".
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Dec 18, 2023 22:58:32 GMT
I’m not sure this article proves the point that you are trying to make. In fact, the authors surmise that what you eat is more important than how much you eat. Personally, that approach makes the most sense to me.
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mamallama
Full Member
Posts: 138
Sept 14, 2018 7:30:33 GMT
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Post by mamallama on Dec 18, 2023 23:44:27 GMT
I've been taking Ozempic for around 5 years for diabetes (now pre-diabetes due to diet and exercise, and presumably the medication). I just wish I could get the medication now. There's a shortage of the med because of people using it for weight loss--I understand the sentiment, but it's kind of annoying. Last month I missed two doses due to shortage of the drug, and this month the same. CVS tells me it can no longer obtain the medication and asked me to ask my doctor to prescribe something else. Are you able to get it from a small locally owned pharmacy? I know there’s a shortage of adhd meds as well right now and most people having an issue get theirs from big pharmacies. I asked a pharmacist at my locally owned pharmacy and they said the reason they have it is because they work very hard to get it. I think it’s because they have had a lot of the some customers for years and they genuinely care about them so they put in the extra work. Big corporations don’t have that normally.
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Post by busy on Dec 19, 2023 0:00:40 GMT
I’m not sure this article proves the point that you are trying to make. In fact, the authors surmise that what you eat is more important than how much you eat. Personally, that approach makes the most sense to me. It makes the point I intended to just fine. Obesity is not *just* about eating too much. The assumptions we make about how weight loss works are not accurate.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Dec 19, 2023 0:11:17 GMT
I’m not sure this article proves the point that you are trying to make. In fact, the authors surmise that what you eat is more important than how much you eat. Personally, that approach makes the most sense to me. It makes the point I intended to just fine. Obesity is not *just* about eating too much. The assumptions we make about how weight loss works are not accurate. You seemed to be trying to say that food had little to nothing to do with obesity, which was what I thought you were trying to prove.
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Gennifer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,998
Jun 26, 2014 8:22:26 GMT
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Post by Gennifer on Dec 19, 2023 0:21:58 GMT
Adding on to what pjaye said, right now Ozempic and Wegovy are both on the FDA’s drug shortage list. While there’s a shortage, it means that pharmacies are temporarily allowed, legally, to compound the medication without being in violation of the patent. Once the drugs are deemed by the FDA to be back in regular supply, compounding pharmacies must discontinue selling their compounded version within 60 days. So, right now, you can get a prescription for semaglutide (not specifically Ozempic or Wegovy) and have it filled. Most of the ones I’ve seen are compounded with B12, which is a common injection for energy and helps combat the fatigue some people experience. (Any lawsuits you’ve read about are because people advertised they were prescribing Ozempic or Wegovy, and not using the general drug name, semaglutide.) I read previously that the shortage is actually related to the injector pen that Ozempic and Wegovy come in, not the actual medication, but I haven’t been able to find that article again. This does makes sense to me, because it’s not hard to get the compounded medication, which comes in a vial and is injected with insulin needles. (Ozempic and Wegovvy are pre-filled, so you just use one pen each week that is already filled with the dose.)
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Sarah*H
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,977
Jun 25, 2014 20:07:06 GMT
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Post by Sarah*H on Dec 19, 2023 1:27:17 GMT
This kind of thinking blows my mind. Why not use the medication to PREVENT someone from getting diabetes, instead of waiting until they do? Why aren’t we mad at the big pharma companies who are gatekeeping? The base peptide is out there and readily available, which is why people can get it compounded. Also, I can’t speak for everyone who takes this medication, but I am following a diet and doing exercise. This is a tool, used in conjunction. It’s not a magic solution. This is what I used to think about myself, too… that it was just a matter of willpower. It’s not. But preventing diabetes *is* a legitimate medical reason. Why wouldn't it be considered that? To me there's a difference between overweight people whose doctor has said their A1C is high, or they're at risk for something else because they're overweight, and those of us who just like cake and chocolate too much. -- But for me personally -- ME PERSONALLY -- my A1C is fine and I know it's willpower because the minute I eat better I lose weight. I know your heart and I know this is not your intention but the suggestion that if someone just exercises more "willpower" they could overcome weight issues is a really harmful message that you're telling yourself. It's not an issue of morality. It's not an issue of character. Whether it's about preventing diabetes or about how your brain is wired or about how your body responds to carbs or about underlying psychological issues or about something that science really hasn't figured out just yet, it's ALL medical. I'll frame it this way - what does it mean to you when you say that you just like cake and chocolate too much? Do you really think that there is something about you (your personality, taste buds, metabolism, whatever) that makes you like and choose to eat cake and chocolate more than people who are a normal weight? And even if it is the case that you think that, is this thing about you something that you can just change through sheer willpower? Like, if you white knuckle it for 6 months, suddenly you won't be a person who likes cake and chocolate too much? The messages we send and tell ourselves about weight in this culture are really depressing and honestly, quite toxic. There has not been a single day since I turned 13 that I haven't agonized about my weight, about what I was eating or not eating, what I am craving, why I have a weak character, what I should be doing better, etc. I have had multiple periods where I was able to lose weight and keep it off for up to 2 years, usually through keto, but the minute that something happens in my life which means I can't focus 100% of my brain power on my food intake, it all goes off the rails. It's exhausting and it's no way to live. I don't want to still be thinking about carbs and calories every single day for the next 25 years. I would try one of these drugs with no hesitation and my doctor tried to prescribe wegovy but my insurance won't pay for it. My A1C is great, my bloodwork is great so I don't qualify. I think it's awful and short sighted but I remain hopeful that the cost will soon come down to a place where I can afford to pay for it out of pocket.
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Post by Merge on Dec 19, 2023 2:27:34 GMT
But preventing diabetes *is* a legitimate medical reason. Why wouldn't it be considered that? To me there's a difference between overweight people whose doctor has said their A1C is high, or they're at risk for something else because they're overweight, and those of us who just like cake and chocolate too much. -- But for me personally -- ME PERSONALLY -- my A1C is fine and I know it's willpower because the minute I eat better I lose weight. I know your heart and I know this is not your intention but the suggestion that if someone just exercises more "willpower" they could overcome weight issues is a really harmful message that you're telling yourself. It's not an issue of morality. It's not an issue of character. Whether it's about preventing diabetes or about how your brain is wired or about how your body responds to carbs or about underlying psychological issues or about something that science really hasn't figured out just yet, it's ALL medical. I'll frame it this way - what does it mean to you when you say that you just like cake and chocolate too much? Do you really think that there is something about you (your personality, taste buds, metabolism, whatever) that makes you like and choose to eat cake and chocolate more than people who are a normal weight? And even if it is the case that you think that, is this thing about you something that you can just change through sheer willpower? Like, if you white knuckle it for 6 months, suddenly you won't be a person who likes cake and chocolate too much? The messages we send and tell ourselves about weight in this culture are really depressing and honestly, quite toxic. There has not been a single day since I turned 13 that I haven't agonized about my weight, about what I was eating or not eating, what I am craving, why I have a weak character, what I should be doing better, etc. I have had multiple periods where I was able to lose weight and keep it off for up to 2 years, usually through keto, but the minute that something happens in my life which means I can't focus 100% of my brain power on my food intake, it all goes off the rails. It's exhausting and it's no way to live. I don't want to still be thinking about carbs and calories every single day for the next 25 years. I would try one of these drugs with no hesitation and my doctor tried to prescribe wegovy but my insurance won't pay for it. My A1C is great, my bloodwork is great so I don't qualify. I think it's awful and short sighted but I remain hopeful that the cost will soon come down to a place where I can afford to pay for it out of pocket. That’s been exactly my experience. There is a vast gulf between “just exercise a little willpower” and “devote 100% of your time and energy to putting exactly the right things in your mouth.” The latter is the only way I lose weight, and it’s not sustainable. Like most people, I have a job. And now I also have a small business and still have to care for my family and our home and pet. I can make sure most of my meals are healthy and watch my portions, but I’m not willing at this time to spend all of my free time tracking and planning food. If willpower was all it took, no one would be fat. It’s not hard to say no to a cookie or choose broccoli as your side for dinner. What is hard is the 24/7 tracking and monitoring of what you eat on top of everything else we do in life. And then sometimes you do that and the weight still doesn’t come off, and now you have to expend more mental energy on whether you’re eating too many carbs or whatever. People can’t live like that in perpetuity. From that perspective, if a weight loss drug helps you, more power to you. I totally understand the struggle.
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Post by dewryce on Dec 19, 2023 2:40:36 GMT
My cousin has lost 80 lbs. on munjaro (sp?) and would like to lose 20 more. Plus she is walking 4 miles/day and eating 2 meals/day. The meds are helping her feel less hungry and I guess inspiring her to exercise more. She's been overweight most of her adult life. My friend had bariatric surgery two years ago that almost killed her. This seems like a better alternative for people with extreme weight to lose. I guess Oprah might have been waiting to see if she actually lost some weight before making an announcement, so she didn't feel under pressure. Good for her. We've seen her weight swings over the years, and I hope this path works for her. I’m sure they also inspiring her to exercise more, but I’d bet my left foot she is now more able to exercise and it’s a lot less painful. When you’re that heavy so many things hurt and are so difficult that you wouldn’t automatically think about because they’re every day things. I have lost over a hundred pounds, about 60-65 before Ozempic, and the differences in things like walking, climbing stairs, even just getting out of the vehicle are amazing. And you can tell a difference with just a 10-15 pound loss. So I bet she is much improved. Good for her!
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Post by dewryce on Dec 19, 2023 2:56:47 GMT
I haven’t noticed any changes to my mental health. I have had quite a few bouts with depression this year, but that’s not at all unusual. And they’re no worse than usual. And I have had maybe one hypomanic cycle since I started it. Also not unusual for my past few years as, oddly, I’m getting them less and less. I’ve wondered about it’s affects on quitting smoking since it seems it might treat other addictions. This is good to know. I'm glad you aren't feeling any mental health effects that you can discern. Not that I want to swing toward depression either because that's no good, but I would even settle for being hypomanic most of the time over having these manias that can get so very out of control. I have to take lithium now and I totally shamed myself about it for years telling myself it was the medication of last resort for the truly crazy. I have even thought about asking my doctor if I would qualify for that new schizophrenia drug that injects every six months and then I'd only have to take mood stabilizing meds. I want to try the weight loss drugs, but I so don't want to be pushed over the edge. And what would you say to a loved one that needed lithium? What would you think about them? Give yourself the same grace! I’ve taken a drug labeled for schizophrenia before, within the first year of being diagnosed as nothing else was working. Man was it strong! The first time I took it I literally didn’t change positions in bed, sleeping for 22 hours straight. And I’m normally constantly moving in bed. Anyway I woke up in time for us to rush to get ready for a Spurs’ game. Went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and 30 seconds later DH was rushing in to help me off the floor We obviously didn’t make the game that night, and it was the night our section was on the cover of Sports Illustrated! Serious bummer. Sorry, tangent. Anyway, no shame in that either. Your brain has an illness and needs medication, I say take whatever medication works best for you regardless of the stigma. Do you have time off for the holidays and can you get an Rx that quickly do you think? That way if it does send you into mania you’re at home to help manage it. I don’t mind the hypomania either, I get a lot done and am in a great mood. The talking drives DH a bit batty! He never says anything until I mention I feel like I might be heading into a hypomanic phase and he’s like “you haven’t stopped talking for 5 days.” But yeah, mania is an entirely different animal, I loved it while I was going through it but afterwards could see just how destructive it was. I hate it for you that you cycle that way so much.
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Post by dewryce on Dec 19, 2023 3:16:26 GMT
The weight loss break through will help a lot of people. My friend talked to her doctor about trying one. The doctor’s one concern was that you have to stay on the drug indefinitely or you gain the weight back. My concern is it doesn’t solve the root problem, the horrific eating habits of the American population. Fast food, sugar, bad oils, snacking and portion sizes are killing us. We have to be more responsible for what we eat to really be healthy. You might be surprised at what fat people eat. There have been huge sections of time I have eaten so much better than anyone else I know. Even my very health conscious skinny family and friends. Almost entirely from home, no processed foods, no white foods, and going through hell to keep my calories restricted. I could not have been making better, more responsible choices. I.still.gained.weight.consistently. Yes, all of those things are bad. But don’t assume we don’t know that and we haven’t tried eating healthy over countless attempts, only to still fail. For me, these drugs are a tool that helps. I do not physically feel like I haven’t eaten in days, so it’s so much easier to be able to take the time to prepare a healthy meal. They make me feel full, period. Even better, when I have eaten reasonable portions. Before taking Ozempic I was always amazed, just couldn’t comprehend how my skinny friends & family could share a meal and turn down dessert. Or just order soup. I literally would have soup for appetizer, plus chips & guac, a full entree, a dessert, and drink sodas throughout the meal. 30 minutes later I’d be hungry again. And I mean HUNGRY. It was like I hadn’t eaten a thing. The responsibility blanket statement really bothered me and was extremely judgmental. I can say with certainty that the majority of very overweight people on these meds have the knowledge, and have made countless attempts at eating healthy and exercising. Countless very difficult and very demoralizing attempts only to fail again and again and have people say that we need to just educate ourselves, make better choices, use some willpower, eat healthy, and exercise. It.doesn’t.always.work.that.way.
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Post by peano on Dec 19, 2023 3:41:13 GMT
Ugh, Gennifer , don't get me started on the self-righteous naturally slender people who paint the overweight into a lazy, piggish, uncaring group who lack willpower and just NEED. TO. LEARN. TO. EAT. RIGHT. Believe me, I've done everything possible to make myself less unpleasant to these people. I finally learned that's not the way to solve the problem. Learning to like myself more is the way to go. And also having disordered eating so long, my body can no longer tolerate certain foods, but that's another story. Hopefully you're not talking about me since you don't know me at all. "Naturally slender" does not in any way describe me. But for me -- as I've said several times in this thread, FOR ME PERSONALLY -- I do not have an eating disorder, and I PERSONALLY do not have an elevated A1C, and I PERSONALLY do know how to "eat right" even though I often don't. And my doctor is happy with the weight loss that I've achieved over the past several months. But all of that has nothing to do with anyone else, and everyone knows their own situation and should talk to their own doctor about their own situation and their own relationship to food. I PERSONALLY would never take a weight loss drug unless my doctor said I had to, because I don't want the side effects and I don't want the cost. But everyone's personal situation is different. No worries. I wasn't talking about you--just people I've encountered along the way.
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Post by peano on Dec 19, 2023 3:57:40 GMT
I applaud all of you who are pointing out the stigma against overweight people. If you have never had a weight issue, you cannot understand. I lost 40 pounds in 2019. Starting with July 2020, I have regained all of it. ALL OF IT! I work out. I try to eat healthy, but as someone said, it isn't just about eating. I am a stress eater. I try and cut sugar. As soon as I eat something with sugar, I have to fight off the addiction. I know how to lose weight. I know all the right things to do. Talk to alcoholics, drug addicts, and smokers. It isn't that easy. I have been battling my weight since I hit puberty. huskergal , your post really spoke to me. I feel such compassion because I have been exactly where you are and your words could be mine. I have posted several times that in my 40s, I realized I was literally killing myself with food. I made a decision in the wee hours one morning to make a change, a change I maintained without "cheating", once, for five years. I embarked on a scrupulously clean diet that was no sugar, other sweeteners, sugar substitutes. No wheat or any type of flour or unrefined grains. No alcohol. No cheese. Foods weighed and measured, especially fats. Three meals only and one snack per day. I did lose weight, and was fine on this diet. I learned how good real food tasted, and I saw that when I stopped using addictive substances, my urges to use them went away. I used to privately gloat: "just try and tell me I have no willpower". Then Sandy Hook happened. The shock and trauma was so great, I reverted to old habits. I had lost around 100 pounds on the super clean diet and while I did regain some weight, I managed to keep off the majority, because I had learned a lot about me and my relationship to food following the super clean diet. Most importantly, I learned to take responsibility for what I put into my mouth and developed strategies for alternative behavior. I think my relationship with food will always be a struggle, but each year I struggle brings more understanding of ways to deal with it. Especially after Sandy Hook, I made a conscious decision that life can be cut off in an instant, and I wanted to have all the experiences, all the tastes that were out there, all the while knowing what a challenge it would be, and that choosing to eat an addictive substance would leave me chasing the addiction, unless I stayed conscious and aware.
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Gennifer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,998
Jun 26, 2014 8:22:26 GMT
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Post by Gennifer on Dec 19, 2023 4:08:55 GMT
I embarked on a scrupulously clean diet that was no sugar, other sweeteners, sugar substitutes. No wheat or any type of flour or unrefined grains. No alcohol. No cheese. Foods weighed and measured, especially fats. Three meals only and one snack per day. This is how my mom is. She feels like she’s so strong and disciplined and that it’s a testament to her moral character. Frankly, it’s just as disordered as anorexia or bulemia. For the first time in my life, food is fuel. That’s it. I don’t care where we go if we are going out to eat, it’s about who I’m with and our time together. I don’t lay in bed planning out my meals for the next day. I don’t fixate on a craving for something in particular and drive an hour just to get it. I’m conscious of what I’m putting into my body, but I’m not overanalyzing everything and meticulously logging it. I’m not depriving myself of things, and I’m not beating myself up if I have something “bad.” And I think there are a lot of people in this world who just don’t understand that. They’ve never had to deal with it, and this has always been their normal. And now, through the miracle of medicine, it’s my normal, too.
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Post by Clair on Dec 19, 2023 5:07:35 GMT
I embarked on a scrupulously clean diet that was no sugar, other sweeteners, sugar substitutes. No wheat or any type of flour or unrefined grains. No alcohol. No cheese. Foods weighed and measured, especially fats. Three meals only and one snack per day. This is how my mom is. She feels like she’s so strong and disciplined and that it’s a testament to her moral character. Frankly, it’s just as disordered as anorexia or bulemia. For the first time in my life, food is fuel. That’s it. I don’t care where we go if we are going out to eat, it’s about who I’m with and our time together. I don’t lay in bed planning out my meals for the next day. I don’t fixate on a craving for something in particular and drive an hour just to get it. I’m conscious of what I’m putting into my body, but I’m not overanalyzing everything and meticulously logging it. I’m not depriving myself of things, and I’m not beating myself up if I have something “bad.” And I think there are a lot of people in this world who just don’t understand that. They’ve never had to deal with it, and this has always been their normal. And now, through the miracle of medicine, it’s my normal, too. I had a long post typed earlier but I lost it. My doctor would not prescribe a weight loss med for me so I went to a super clean diet. I eat like your mom does with the exception that I don't weigh, measure or track anything and I eat or snack whenever I'm hungry. I have lost 70 pounds in the last 7 months. I had tried so many diets and failed. Diets lasted at best a week. For me - there is something in the clean eating that has naturallly triggered all the benefits of the weight loss drugs - I have no food noise, only eat when hungry, blood sugar down, anxiety down and mental health better. My opinion with my limited experience is that there is something in the processed food that kept me addicted. Once I broke the addiction it's so much easier to have a healthy relationship with food. The weight loss drugs are helping break the addictive relationship with food.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Dec 19, 2023 10:50:53 GMT
dewryce thank you for being so compassionate.
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Post by peano on Dec 19, 2023 11:57:46 GMT
I embarked on a scrupulously clean diet that was no sugar, other sweeteners, sugar substitutes. No wheat or any type of flour or unrefined grains. No alcohol. No cheese. Foods weighed and measured, especially fats. Three meals only and one snack per day. This is how my mom is. She feels like she’s so strong and disciplined and that it’s a testament to her moral character. Frankly, it’s just as disordered as anorexia or bulemia. For the first time in my life, food is fuel. That’s it. I don’t care where we go if we are going out to eat, it’s about who I’m with and our time together. I don’t lay in bed planning out my meals for the next day. I don’t fixate on a craving for something in particular and drive an hour just to get it. I’m conscious of what I’m putting into my body, but I’m not overanalyzing everything and meticulously logging it. I’m not depriving myself of things, and I’m not beating myself up if I have something “bad.” And I think there are a lot of people in this world who just don’t understand that. They’ve never had to deal with it, and this has always been their normal. And now, through the miracle of medicine, it’s my normal, too. The food plan I followed was under the auspices of a 12 step group food plan, purpose being to impose structure and personal responsibility with my relation to food, and to rid the body of addictive substances and processed foods. It was extreme, but a crucial step in learning about myself and relationship to food, experiencing cessation of food cravings, and learning what "real" food tastes like. I made a conscious decision that I didn't want to follow the plan any more after five years, but taking responsibility for the consequences. I have maintained my weight loss for 10 years, +/- 20 pounds or so. I listen to my body and try to feed it what it wants--I go through food jags and right now, mine is steamed broccoli. However if it's wanting Doritos and ice cream for dinner, I know I need to take a look at that.
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Post by Merge on Dec 19, 2023 14:10:05 GMT
I embarked on a scrupulously clean diet that was no sugar, other sweeteners, sugar substitutes. No wheat or any type of flour or unrefined grains. No alcohol. No cheese. Foods weighed and measured, especially fats. Three meals only and one snack per day. This is how my mom is. She feels like she’s so strong and disciplined and that it’s a testament to her moral character. Frankly, it’s just as disordered as anorexia or bulemia. I have a friend who religiously maintains a very low weight, at the low end of her healthy range or just below it, through obsessive tracking and monitoring of her food. Yes, for her it's proof of her moral superiority. And it's definitely a form of disordered eating. But society applauds …
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Post by pjaye on Dec 19, 2023 14:10:45 GMT
An interview worth watching:
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Post by shescrafty on Dec 19, 2023 15:13:38 GMT
I started a compounded semaglutide about 6 months ago. I just hit -50lbs down this week.
It has been a game changer for me. I have been on diets but was still always hungry. I would lose 15-20 lbs but as soon as I deviated it would come right back. This is the first time I have been able to lose weight and not feel totally restricted.
I feel like it has given me a little push to help. I exercise more because I can. I track my foods but that may include a scoop of ice cream when I am out or a holiday cookie (but not 6-8 in one sitting). I bought jeans last week that were NOT plus sized-I can’t remember when the last time is that I could do that.
After having surgery, I am so thankful that I lost about 45 lbs before surgery. I feel like my recovery would have been that much harder with the extra weight. My DH and I got SCUBA certified and I needed 30 lbs of weight in my vest because I was too buoyant. Walking around with less than what I had lost was so eye opening to me!
I pay for it out of pocket and after the first increase after 4 weeks I have not really increased my dosage. Basically between 1-3 lbs lost a week. I paid $500 the last week in July and just needed to buy more in December. I am thankful that paying out of pocket has been affordable to me.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Dec 19, 2023 19:27:53 GMT
I just want to say that the NYT ran an article on Oprah taking weight loss drugs. I am working my way through the comments and they are really disheartening. Some of you thought some of the comments here were bad, for sure don't read the ones on that article.
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Post by teri on Dec 19, 2023 20:55:30 GMT
I have numerous friends who are on them and very successful at losing weight. The cost is prohibitive for me to even consider, and there is something in my mind that says bad idea….. too easy. And I wonder - if you stop taking the medicine does the weight come back? yes, if you stop taking it you can gain it back I'm on Mounjaro (about 1.5 years now) Before I took Ozempic for about 3+ years. I am diabetic I don't have issues if people want to take it for weight loss, but I do have issues when as a diabetic I CANNOT get my medication because so many non-diabetics are on it. Each month I have to call 5-10 pharmacies just to cover me for a month. That is frustrating
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Sarah*H
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,977
Jun 25, 2014 20:07:06 GMT
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Post by Sarah*H on Dec 19, 2023 21:40:00 GMT
I just want to say that the NYT ran an article on Oprah taking weight loss drugs. I am working my way through the comments and they are really disheartening. Some of you thought some of the comments here were bad, for sure don't read the ones on that article. I went and looked. It's the same old same old, some of which we did see in this thread. Try harder. More willpower. Just commit to doing everything perfectly every single day for the rest of your life like me and you won't be overweight. And is it just me, or when you read comments like that on a news article, do you imagine the person posting in your head? Especially the men. Because I definitely do and it usually makes me laugh!
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luckyjune
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,685
Location: In the rainy, rainy WA
Jul 22, 2017 4:59:41 GMT
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Post by luckyjune on Dec 20, 2023 2:24:37 GMT
One question I have about those whose insurance is covering it - will they continue to cover it for a lifetime, even if you’re no longer overweight and/or diabetic? The cost is not insubstantial if you’re paying out of pocket. When I talked to my doctor about increasing my dosage, she mentioned how insurance companies are beginning to refuse covering increases when a person's A1C is maintained in an acceptable level on a lower dosage. An increase in this situation is for weightloss and insurance companies are (stupidly) not paying for that.
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Post by wordyphotogbabe on Dec 20, 2023 3:22:10 GMT
I've been on Ozempic for about 10 months after being diagnosed with diabetes a year ago.
I have always struggled with my weight, PCOS, and extreme stress from my former marriage but what really pushed my body over the edge were the pulmonary embolisms I survived 3 years ago. My alopecia accelerated post-PE and so did my weight gain and joint inflammation. I had had enough & found a new PCP that wasn't going to fat-shame or belittle me.
My insurance requires that I also take Metformin in addition to Ozempic, and that's what actually causes the most issues with me. I did struggle a little adjusting to the Ozempic the first month or so but it's been fine since then. The Metformin is what causes me IBS-like symptoms, and it does for my mother & grandmother as well so maybe there is some kind of genetic predisposition there like there is with the obesity.
Since starting Ozempic, I have lost around 40 pounds, gotten my BP back to within a normal range, and lowered my A1C to 5.7. I am still considered plus-size but my inflammation has gone down and my physical stamina has increased. There is some interplay there between the effects of my PEs and the effect of my obesity but I will take the win either way. When I first started Ozempic, I felt very full very quickly but now that I have been on the same dose for 6 months, I don't feel as full as quickly so much as I have retaught myself to eat smaller portions and be satisfied with that in order to keep the Metformin-caused symptoms at bay.
While I am diabetic, I do not have to take insulin or measure my blood glucose. My father, who has to do both, has also had a lot of success with Ozempic and lost about the same amount of weight as I have but over the course of the last 2 years.
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RedSquirrelUK
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,733
Location: The UK's beautiful West Country
Aug 2, 2014 13:03:45 GMT
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Post by RedSquirrelUK on Dec 20, 2023 7:26:28 GMT
I think that what people do is up to them, but I wish there was enough of these drugs for the people who need them medically for their diabetes. In the UK we have had to take ALL our diabetics off Ozempic because of supply issues from the worldwide demand for weight-loss drugs. I accept that helping obesity also cuts down the likelihood of type 2 diabetes developing, but I wish there was enough for the diabetics who currently need it as well.
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