SurvivingInfidelity.com^®

There's an article today I read on yahoo, two women who took these drugs who have had serious long-term side effects affecting their stomach, paralysis and throwing up daily after being off the medication for awhile.

I discussed these options with my endocrinologist, and based on our conversation, I felt there were too many side effects.

I don't have a lot of weight to lose but because of my thyroid issues, my MD brought it up bc it's very difficult to lose weight even when I'm strict on my diet.

Don't mean to be a Debbie Downer but please be careful.

Anna, I read that same article! I was just coming on here to post about it too.

Things like this make me hesitate to jump on the latest bandwagon.

I had already somewhat decided this morning that I'm not going to continue with the injections. This helps fortify that decision. Three weeks in, it's not doing much for me except giving me heartburn and nausea.

I have a friend who just started Ozempic last week. She has type 2 diabetes and has about 150 pounds to lose. It makes sense for her and she's already lost 8 pounds.

Don't do it. I wish I could post a picture here of just exercise and an 80 percent clean diet results. There is no quick fix. The long term impact on your health isn't worth it.

[This message edited by NorthernMSB at 5:50 PM, Thursday, July 27th]

I was hoping for a miracle shot, if I'm being honest. I know exactly what I need to do. Making myself do it is the hard part.

I have been using Saxenda/Liraglutide for just over a year and have lost over 50 pounds.
I think the big misconception about these drugs is that by just injecting them you lose weight. In reality IMHO what they do is affect/change your metabolism so you can readjust or relearn how, what and when to eat. I can share what I did, and it’s definitely changed my life.

I was fortunate not to have any serious side-effects. A bit of nausea the first week or so but other than that no issues. Right away after a week I realized I would feel full after meals. I don’t believe in diets or eat-only-cauliflower or trends like that. I have always been a relatively healthy eater and have a varied diet of mainly home-made meals of fish, chicken, meat and vegetables. I have been low-carb for some years, and take clean-keto sessions in-between. I try to be sensible in my eating-choices – like I avoid pizza and pasta, but if I do indulge I will focus on more protein-based food next day/meal. My issue was probably eating too much.
I cut out breakfast. I don’t think our modern-day sedate lifestyle requires 3 set-meals per day.
At noon I have a small meal. I take care to put less on my plate. Like if I decide to have a sandwich I only make one, or if I toast bread I only toast one slice. Previously I might make 2 or even 3 sandwiches, and always placed 2 slices in the toaster. When working from home lunch is often left-overs from last evening. After the smaller meal I would wait 5-10 minutes and if I still felt hungry, I would eat some more. However… I noticed that I seldom felt hungry, thanks to the drug.
I also cut out all snacks. My work often has sweets, fruits and treats set out for workers, and I simply avoided the temptation. Since I don’t feel hungry anymore it was no big challenge.
I do the same for dinner. I try to eat healthy, but I don’t avoid any foods per se. If we have ice-cream on Friday evening I will get a scoop, only I won’t have 2-3 bowls. At first I had a cut-off time at 10PM and would not eat anything after that until noon next day. I have since moved the cut-off time to 8PM.

I don’t go hungry or starve. For me a major issue was realizing how much of what and how and when we eat is simply a pattern. Like the toast-thing… It’s only a habit to place two slices in the toaster. Like I used to have a snack in the evenings and when I came home from work. First task on entering the home was checking the bread cupboard and maybe grabbing a cookie or two. Not from hunger – only habit.
Once you realize what is done from habit and what is done to actually get nutrition… you can lose weight.

I weigh myself every Friday morning after the morning pee. I’m happy if I see the number go down, irrespective of the amount. Took me a lifetime to get big, I can take time to make myself healthier.

With Saxenda you can reach a plateau where everything slows down. I’m at that stage and for the last 2 months I made some drastic changes: On weekdays I fast from 8:00 in the evening to 2:00 PM next day (18 hours). It’s no big deal for me – I definitely am hungry by the time I eat – but not starved per se. Just a healthy hunger. Some days work might delay the meal for an hour or two and that’s generally fine. Funny thing is that I do feel hungry just before noon, but that is maybe only for 10 minutes or so. An old memory-reminder to go to lunch. Once past noon I sometimes have to remind myself to take a break at 2 to have some food.

I definitely recommend these medications, but realize they create an opportunity for YOU to change your relationship with food, rather than automatically make you thin.

Bigger, I just saw this. I've never heard of Saxenda. It looks similar to Wegovy and Mounjaro.

I'm a lifelong dieter and student of nutrition and weight loss. I know what to do. Taking action is the problem. Yesterday I was proud that I put only one slice of bread in the toaster, and this morning I was even prouder that I put the bread back in the pantry and had low sugar Greek yogurt, berries, and a few Cheerios instead.

I enrolled myself and H in a 30 day Mediterranean diet plan. This week is the prep week and the 30 days starts next Monday. It's how I like to eat anyway, and H is on board too, which is a first for me. I'm hopeful that doing it together will get us both somewhere. He doesn't have much weight to lose, but his cholesterol is high and he had a TIA last week, so we're both freaking out about that a wee bit. My friend did the same course and her labs drastically improved. Fingers crossed. It's getting to the point of literally do or die.

[This message edited by SacredSoul33 at 1:21 AM, Thursday, August 10th]

In support of diabetics everywhere, I just wanted to say that recently, my sister has been unable to take her Ozempic due to individuals taking it for weight loss.

She actually missed taking it about a month due to a complete shortage in our area.

I know personally that excessive weight can have a true toll on the body, but it’s a little concerning for diabetics when there are other routes for weight loss for many people.

Just saying. Not meaning to criticize anyone’s decisions.

[This message edited by WhatsRight at 12:28 PM, Wednesday, August 30th]

Really sorry to be a thread killer here.

WhatRight

I totally understand your stance and it is a big issue in my neck of the woods. My wife uses Ozempic to handle her diabetes and our pharmacist keeps a reserve for those that use it for diabetes.
Both Saxenda and Ozempic were originally developed for diabetics and are probably more used these days by people that are benefitting of what is basically a "side effect" or maybe a side-benefit.
Big difference is that one is used daily and the other once a week, making Ozempic both cheaper and easier to use.
I’m in a group on social media about these drugs. I personally had reached a stage where I had to lose weight for purely medical reasons. I think the majority of those that join the group are more interested in fitting into a slightly smaller bikini or losing 4 pounds before their wedding or something relatively trivial and non-threatening.

I'm sorry, WhatsRight. I didn't see your response!

My NP wouldn't prescribe Ozempic, only Wegovy. I know they're the same drug, but she made a point of saying that she wouldn't prescribe Ozempic because it's for diabetics. I didn't even ask; I already knew that. lol

I tried semaglutide to lose weight partly for vain reasons, but mostly because I think my hypertension would improve if I lost the 30-40 pounds that I need to shed.

I have a friend who started Wegovy in March and is down 40 pounds with about 40 more to go. She gained some weight when she had her son, who's now in third grade, and a lot more during Covid. It's hard to lose weight. I'm glad it's working for her, and for other people who've had a difficult time trying.

Oh, I totally get it that weight loss is not merely a vanity issue. I know I could personally benefit from losing about 50 pounds myself. Those extra pounds can really affect our health in many considerable ways.

I think it was the people who "want to look better in their bikini" that Bigger was talking about that I was referring to.

Most physicians and insurance companies will not write for or pay for the glutides just for weight loss and I know very few people that can afford them out of pocket.
There was an extreme shortage of these meds the beginning of the year as more dra wrote for them because some insurance companies were starting to cover them . This resolved by may but am hearing here and there people are having trouble finding it.
Again it can be an effective tool but is not the magic bullet to get your A1c down or to lose weight and to keep it down. You absolutely need to make major dietary changes.
My husband decided in late April he needed to lose some weight. I helped him get going on keto, which I firmly believe is a very good way to lose weight and get healthy. He lost about 45 lbs. He has had to get all new work clothes 2 times and weighs what he did at 20. He lost the middle age pooch and more importantly he feels much better. Sleeps better has more energy joints hurt lots less.
He also has found keto ice cream which has allowed a him to not feel deprived and he is going to stick to the lifestyle as he also improved his cholesterol levels (he had a massive MI of the widowmaker at age 40) which is really important.

Oh, wow, kudos to your hubby.

That’s really great!

Tush, will you come put me through the paces? I sure could use to lose 45 lbs. 😏

I agree with Tush that the semiglutides are not a magic bullet. I am on it, but I have made huge lifestyle changes. I do a modified keto/Mediterranean diet. I have cut out almost all processed foods and make everything myself (including keto ice cream lol) I walk between 10 and 20k steps a day. I do yoga 3 times a week, weights three times a week, and just recently took up paddle boarding. I lost about 150lbs so far, with maybe 10 more to go. My last AC1 was 6.2 whereas my diabetes was completely out of control when I started this journey. I am on three different diabetes meds and was at the max of all three and getting close to having to go on insulin. I have now reduced two of my three meds down to the minimum dose. My rule is no more than 10 carbs per meal. It's been hard work, and I think if anyone thinks these meds are like magic, they just are not.

WOW!

Serious kudos to you!

Piggy-backing on this thread.

Between this thread and a local radio ad, I have been inspired to change my life. I'm turning 50 by the end of the year. Thanks to my 40s life crisis and then hurting my back 18 months ago, I gained back all of the weight I lost in my 30s, plus a bonus 15 pounds. Yay!

Anyhow, I got in touch with a "Weight Loss Center" in town. Since 8/4, I have been sugar, dairy, gluten, and oil-free. I am also taking supplements (mostly B vitamins and Niacin) and doing intermittent fasting. I eat 2 meals a day, each one is 4oz each protein, fruit, veg. I'm now down 31 pounds and I am feeling better than I have in ages. The aches in my back from my injury/surgery are feeling so much better.

Thank you for starting this discussion on weight-loss.

I was toying with the idea of something like this, or some sort of surgical procedure. Decided I don't want to do anything drastic like that or anything with side effect possibilities. I just could not find motivation to do what I know I need to do though. Until I started watching episodes of My 600lb Life. To be clear, I am nowhere near that size and need to lose - ideally for my body type - 50 or 60 pounds. Watching the episodes and seeing those people struggle and what they go through was more of a motivation for me than anything. I started really paying attention to what "Dr. Now" was saying, and decided if some of them can do it, I can do a 1200 calorie diet with low carbs and high protein.
After reading Tush's suggestions, I may do a week of liquid to jump start it.

Bump.

Wow! Timely bump @leafields! My daughter just started Zepbound this week. I know nothing about the differences between any of these medications, but she is optimistic. One of her good friends started it a couple of weeks ago and has shared that her attitude toward food has changed (for the good!), so she's already seeing results.