9 months off semaglutide - an update

M

MounjaroMission

Well-known member
Okay, so I REALLY wanted to post this a month after I stopped taking Ozempic, but I was scared I'd put the weight back on and all those online critics of weight loss meds would be right. So, here goes.

I started semaglutide back in April of last year. I was around 270 lbs when I started.

Honestly, semaglutide changed everything. My lifelong anxiety basically vanished. My constant need to binge eat was finally gone after like, 15 years. It took away my go-to coping mechanism, but honestly? I didn't even care. Food wasn't enjoyable, it was just fuel. I had to find other ways to deal with stress, but luckily I'd done an outpatient program the year before and could finally use those skills. (Even with therapy, I could never fully kick the bad habits).

I finally felt like I got how my body worked and how it processed food.

Around late September '23, I went up on my dose and couldn't handle it. I'd had the usual side effects, but this time I was sick to my stomach, all day, every day for two weeks. I decided to pause it. Plus, the shortage was annoying, and I wanted to see how I felt without it.

When I stopped Ozempic in Sept '23, I was about 230.

By January '24, I was down to 210 lbs.

The 20 lbs I lost after stopping were slower to come off than the first 40, and I've been stable at this weight for like half a year now.

Semaglutide isn't a simple or quick solution. Everyone's weight goes up and down, that's life - but this med gives you a chance for a fresh start. A blank slate. To learn about your body, how it digests, when you're actually full. It was like one day it clicked, and I realized that before Ozempic, I thought I was "full" when I was actually just stuffing myself. Overeating was a way of hurting myself. And I didn't even know it.

Now, I'm motivated by how I feel. If a food makes me feel gross - I don't want it. When I've had enough - I feel it, and my body and brain don't want to overeat anymore.

Don't let anyone on the internet scare you with the whole "you'll gain it all back!" thing. Even if you do - it's OK. It's okay to need sema for a long time. It's okay to stop and then start again. It's your body, your rules. I just want to give people some hope. The med is a tool, but YOU are in charge.
 
"Overeating is a form of self harm"... wow. That really hit me hard. Never thought of it that way, but it makes perfect sense. Thanks for sharing your story.
 
I've also realized that
Lee_32 said:
Overeating is a form of self harm
Click to expand...

It's amazing what goes on in your head once it's quieted down by the meds.

Overeating, like smoking, was just a way to feel something.

Congrats on your progress and thanks for sharing. I'm taking it one day at a time, but looking forward to actually being healthy instead of just skinny.
 
Was 210 your target weight? I ask because I am also at 210 now, though still considered obese. I'm 5'11" male. I need to drop about 55 more pounds, so probably another half a year.

I agree that the weight doesn't have to come back, but for me it often does, over a few years. Usually by the third year after dieting, I start gradually gaining back 5-10 pounds. Eventually, I get back to around 205-210 and am considered obese again. Then I start another diet.

I've been thinking that now that I have this "willpower in a bottle", I should just check my weight every January. And fix it right away, instead of letting it slowly creep up.

But that would mean a 165lb man going to the doctor for a weight loss prescription. It seems like the medical community is against using these preventatively.
 
Totally! If you go off any diet without dealing with the root causes of your weight issues, you're likely to gain it all back. Anyone taking these meds should see a therapist or at least journal about their physical AND mental feelings, and think about what's changed from the past and what you want to do differently going forward.
 
I love this! My plan is to use it for 6 months. I'm 3 months in and down about 30 pounds. I'm really focused on eating well and walking every day.
 
I'm almost at 3 months, and this really resonates. It's like the missing key to having willpower and discipline in a way I've never had before. I'm in therapy, medicated for other things, and into mental health as a hobby and for personal growth. I finally feel like I can put theories into practice and control my coping mechanisms (overeating, overspending, lack of motivation for work/hobbies, fear of setting boundaries), whereas before, it felt impossible. I'm on a low dose and have lost about 20. I don't want to increase the dose and might skip some weeks to rely on myself more. I think I'll keep using it to lose another 30 lbs or so.

I'm happy that this kind of medication is more available and changing lives. We deserve it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gal
Thank you! I was wondering what happens when you stop. I'm restarting the shots and plan to lose 25lbs and then stop.
 
MounjaroMission said:
Don't let anyone on the internet scare you with the whole "you'll gain it all back!" thing. Even if you do - it's OK. It's okay to need sema for a long time. It's okay to stop and then start again. It's your body, your rules. I just want to give people some hope. The med is a tool, but YOU are in charge.
Click to expand...

This is so important. It's like insulin for diabetics. Some people will need it long-term to manage a chronic condition. There's no shame in that!
 
I saw someone else say they gained back about 20 pounds after stopping. They felt like their hunger came back super strong. Now they're using a supplement to try and manage the cravings. It's like the food noise just went crazy after stopping the injections.
 
For those of you who have had to stop because of surgery, how did that go? Someone posted about how they're 9 days post-op from plastic surgery and had to stop their shots a week or two before. They gained almost 20 lbs! They also said that restarting their meds really helped calm them down.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top