The Biggest LOOSER -- running weight loss thread

My sister works at a diabetes clinic. The clinic ahs hundred patients weight loss medication. The doctor at the clinic thinks the new weight loss drugs will largely eliminate bariatric surgery. I would think that anyone considering bariatric surgery should try medication first.

 

A one moth update. I have lost about eight pounds. I am surprised I have not lost more. My appetite has been greatly reduced.

For example, I have long ordered at least a 14 inch pizza all my life. My wife would usually have 2.5 pieces and I would eat the other 5.5 pieces. I recently ordered a 14 inch pizza and struggled to eat three pieces. I don't eat "seconds" anymore.

I have been able to cut down on junk food because I am not hungry as much. If I am in a restaurant I am no longer hungry after I eat the regular meal so there is no way I want desert. In fact I now struggle to finish the regular meal. I can skip the bread and am going to stop ordering soup, .

I waited four months to get the medication. As a result my prescription got confused and I incorrectly started on the one millimeter dose rather than the .25. My doctor told me normally when that happens patients have more severe side effects such as vomiting. I felt very mild nausea for two weeks but after that felt fine. I have another months supply of the 1,0 but after that the plan is to elevate my dose to 2.4.

The best part so far has been that I no longer feel that I no longer have to battle with my appetite. When I was 10 my parents became concerned about my weight. Since then I have felt guilty I ate something. But now I feel like my appetite is under control and I eat guilt free. I may not be losing weight as fast as I want but I am not worried about going on a binge and gaining 20 pounds.

 

The older I get, the less I feel a need to eat. If I get up early I always try to eat a breakfast because that is important, but my work hours are almost always evenings so I end up stopping in at the convenience store for jalapeño cheesesteak sliders (which are the bomb) and energy drinks. There is a Starbucks nearby but not a fan.

 

Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to weight. Just keep going. It'll happen.

 

I've been on Ozempic for nearly a year, started at .25 mg, went to .50, then 1.0 and now at 2.0. I have had it back ordered twice and the latest package didn't arrive before I left on a 2-week vacation. All of that you say is what I've felt. Sometimes just one meal a day. Just not hungry. The most irritating symptom is indigestion -- not acid indigestion, not stomach discomfort -- just the feeling that the food in my stomach is just sitting there. Some erratic intestinal days -- can't crap or crap too much. But I've lost 25 pounds. My weight stayed level on a 2-week cruise. Amazing.

 

My girlfriend has taken it upon herself to take over my diet. She has me at 1200 calories. I think it’s too little but she’s not listening. Lunch is half a turkey sandwich, one slice of bread, three slices of turkey half a banana and vegetables.

I guess I got fat by eating too many bananas and deli turkey.

She says it’s about portion control.

I end up cheating because I just feel it’s too little food.

I know easy doesn’t work but this is ridiculous.

 

Yeah, 1200 is too low. Not healthy and not sustainable.

2000 a day + exercise is slow and boring but doable.

 

These two stories in the NYT are quite interesting.

Ultraprocessed foods may taste great but they're pretty much shit and terrible for you. How we view obesity, the subject of the second story, and these new drugs, is tied a bit into the first, too.

How Bad Are Ultraprocessed Foods, Really?

Opinion | A Year on Ozempic Taught Me We’re Thinking About Obesity All Wrong


I'm down about 15 pounds over the last couple of months after getting back on my warm-weather workouts of running, biking and weights along with smaller portions and cutting out sugar and ultraprocessed crap. Winter with the holidays is such a challenging time. Hoping to lose about 15-20 more.

 

My doctor put me on Trulicity a few weeks ago. I noticed it doesn’t take as much to fill me up.

 

In late February I weighed 183 and was tired of carrying what I liked to think of as extra pounds from the holidays, so I decided to stop snacking and cut back to two meals a day: breakfast and dinner.

My birthday in early April was my 64th.

Today I weigh 152. At 150, I’ll re-evaluate and perhaps balance calories in/out to maintain instead of lose weight.

Another goal was a mile in less than 10 minutes.* Today I ran one at less than 9:30. The new goal is to run a 5k in less than 30 minutes. My mile splits for a 5k run/walk today were 9:18, 10:20 and 11:02, so I have a ways to go.

*When I stopped running a while ago, I put a pair of shoes away and promised myself to wear them only when I ran again. They’re Brooks Ghost 14s. Brooks now sells Ghost 16s, so it’s been a couple of years.

 

I’ve been on Trulicity for two months. For the first two months my copay was $20.

When I went to pick up the latest refill, I was told my copay was $900.

Now I know how these drugs work. They’re so expensive you can’t afford food.

A call to the insurance company revealed that the $20 copay was a two-month courtesy then the copay was to be increased.

I don’t remember signing anything or checking a box agreeing to these terms and conditions. If I had known this was going to happen I never would have agreed to let my doctor put me on the drug. I think I’m going to call my state’s attorney general.

 

Try Good Rx first, or some other prescription cost-cutter. They don't work with everything, but when they apply, it really makes a difference.