GLP-1: Eating less, still no scale movement

Stacy05

Stacy05

Active member
Okay, gotta vent. Been on this journey for 3 months, about to hit month 4. Started at 0.25mg, now at 1mg. I'm at 230lbs, and my goal is 165lbs. Before starting this, my cravings were wild. A whole chocolate bar gone in minutes, multiple times a week, with no satisfaction. Now, a single bar lasts almost two weeks. Same with booze – used to crave it after work, now I barely have two drinks weekly. The craving control ALONE makes me so happy I started! I'm eating way smaller portions, maybe 35% less, and snacking way less. When I do snack, it's fruit. I'm clearly eating less... but the scale isn't budging, aside from some water weight shifts. I've seen others mention "exercise more" and "cut junk". I bike for my commute and walk for errands (no car!). Dog walks 3x daily. All meals are homemade, veggie-packed, and always have been. We rarely ate processed stuff before, and takeout was rare. I craved sugary snacks before and ate them constantly, but those cravings are gone now. It's not like I'm starving myself either. Three meals a day, lots of variety, fruits. I've calorie counted before, so I'm pretty good at estimating. I'm definitely above 1200 calories daily... but I'm eating noticeably less than before. So frustrating!
 
Maybe try tracking your macros for a few days? See if you're getting enough protein. If you're below 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight, try boosting it, especially in the morning! Also, even though fruit is good, too much can be a problem. Watch out for getting a lot of calories from fruit sugar.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Gal
Honestly, you might not get helpful advice here. Some of us are in the same boat. We weren't overeating to begin with, so the medication doesn't cause a huge weight loss. A lot of people here seem to think it's a one-size-fits-all solution. They're dropping weight effortlessly, but they're quick to judge those of us who are eating grilled fish and chicken and increasing activity, telling us we're doing something wrong. It's frustrating how judgy this group can be. I used to be happy for their progress, but their smugness about it not working for me is getting old.
 
I'm two months in, down about 20lbs. I meticulously log everything except green veggies. If I don't track, I don't lose weight. It might be the same for you.
 
I have to use a calorie tracking app every day, without exception. If I don't, it's like driving somewhere without directions and hoping you make it lol.
 
I've experienced this too. My dietitian suggested I might have a very adaptable metabolism. A continuous glucose monitor helped me figure things out, though it might be less helpful if you're already on something to stabilize your blood sugar. For me, the biggest takeaways were big blood sugar spikes from:

- Any grains, even 'healthy' complex carbs
- Meals high in saturated fats
- Any meal over about 300-350 calories in one sitting. Smaller, more frequent meals work better for me. Fasting actually makes things worse because I overeat afterwards. And I found that walking after meals, even just a short 5-10 minute stroll, helps stabilize my blood sugar much faster.
 
You're getting so many different responses because everyone's body reacts differently to this medication. Some folks (maybe 15%) can lose weight long-term at just 0.25mg – they're "super responders". Another 15% are "non-responders" who lose very little or nothing at all. Then there's the group who only see results at higher doses (1mg+). That was me. No loss for the first 10 weeks, but a year later, I'm down 50 pounds. Since your cravings are reduced, that's a good sign your body is responding. Maybe try increasing your dose slightly using the pen clicks. Try 1.4mg for at least a month. If no response, bump it to 2.0mg. If that still doesn't work, maybe switch to another medication that has two hormones to help with weight loss. Some people who don't lose on this medication do well on that. Also, focus on protein and low carbs. Remember it's a multi-month journey! Good luck!
 
I used it for around 3 months and it didn’t do anything for my weight, but it did take away the food noise, which was great. I was trying to eat better and exercise, but I was super tired. I was sleeping all the time, even at work. Staying active was hard. I stopped the medication because the exhaustion wasn't worth it. I might try something different later, but I'm not sure. Everyone reacts so differently!
 
Same thing happened to me. I'm barely overweight anyway and probably shouldn't have been taking it. I got compounded medication online. I don't have the food noise that many people report, so the medication didn't help there, but it killed my appetite. Still, I only lost a couple of pounds in about six months and eventually gave up. There must be other reasons some people's bodies hold onto fat, issues that aren't helped by these meds. I was tired, cold, and miserable, but rarely hungry. It seems like it slowed my metabolism enough to counteract the reduced food.
 
Have you had bloodwork done? Check your thyroid, vitamin D, and B12 levels. I was really low on vitamin D, and my weight didn't change until I started supplementing with vitamin D, K2, and magnesium.
 
I was on this medication for 24 weeks, eating twice a day, around 1600-1700 calories. I eat really low carb, do exercise classes 6-7 days a week (weights 3 of those), and walk 40 minutes to class and back. Only lost 8 pounds after starting the 1mg dose. I ended up buying something else and lost 12 pounds in 12 weeks.
 
Download a free calorie tracker app and track everything you eat for a week. Don't change anything, just log every bite and drink. It's just for yourself, no one else needs to see it, and don't continue after that week. This will show you your daily calorie intake. If it's more than 1200, keep tracking to get a real idea. I thought I was eating around 1800 calories, but I found out it was closer to 2500! Weighing and measuring helped me understand what, say, a few ounces of chicken or a cup of veggies actually looks like. I'd portion my plate, then weigh or measure AFTER choosing what I'd eat. Same with dressings etc. If that doesn't work and you're really at 1200 calories, maybe see an endocrinologist.
 
I spent 3 months on one medication and gained 6lbs. Switched to another and lost 80lbs in 9 months. Night and day difference between the meds, but calorie tracking really helps. Depending on your weight and mobility, do something to raise your heart rate. I live in a city and bike/walk a lot, but I don't count that as exercise because it doesn’t get my heart rate up. At my highest weight (around 270lbs before meds), walking would have been exercise. Now I bike, do hot yoga 5x weekly, and strength train 2-3x weekly. I also track calories religiously!
 
Stacy05 said:
I'm at 230lbs, and my goal is 165lbs.
Click to expand...
When I was trying to lose around 60 pounds, my doc told me that even a 5-10% loss can give you a lot of health benefits. Maybe focus on smaller goals?
 
BurnPizza said:
When I was trying to lose around 60 pounds, my doc told me that even a 5-10% loss can give you a lot of health benefits. Maybe focus on smaller goals?
Click to expand...
That's a good point, BurnPizza. I guess I'm mostly frustrated that I'm not even seeing that initial drop. Maybe my expectations are too high.
 
I read a study that said vitamin D supplementation alone doesn't really boost weight loss, but some women did better when they had enough vitamin D in their system. Maybe getting your levels tested is a good step?
 
Bio_Beer941 said:
I read a study that said vitamin D supplementation alone doesn't really boost weight loss, but some women did better when they had enough vitamin D in their system. Maybe getting your levels tested is a good step?
Click to expand...

That's a good idea, Bio_Beer941. It takes some time to get your vitamin D levels up after starting supplements, so it's not a super fast fix, but could be worth looking into.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top