GLP-1s and mourning your old self?

Hong Kong Yanpep International
Heartxx

Heartxx

Well-known member
I'm 31, and weight has been a thing since I was, like, 7. I've been actively trying to drop pounds for 23 years now. It's wild.

I almost lost it completely a few years back. I was desperate to slim down and thought I was doing everything by the book. Loads of greens and protein, barely any processed junk, speed walking for like 40 minutes a day, lifting weights twice a week, meticulous meal prep, counting every single calorie, and still crying myself to sleep because the scale wouldn't budge. During the week, I'd manage around 1200-1400 cals daily, which took serious effort. But then, every couple of weeks, I'd grab dinner with my friends (because, honestly, busting your hump for nearly 2 weeks shouldn't be totally wrecked by a single burger, right? And life's gotta have some joy). But it was! I needed to be 100% on point, consistently, for days and weeks, and then one slightly bigger meal would erase the progress. I was stuck in a loop, totally drained, bummed, and furious at myself for not being perfect, and at my body, and at everything. Food and weight were my whole world. I don't even know how to explain how awful that was... my own personal nightmare.

Since starting semaglutide in July, it's been a ride, but I'm down 26 pounds. The weight is cool, but the best part is my head is quieter about food, and I'm not killing myself for zero payoff. Like, I think about myself last year, and I feel bad because I was giving it everything, and no one seemed to notice or care. Now, I'm on meds and (I hate to admit this) barely trying with food prep or workouts, and I'm still losing weight when I couldn't before, despite all my efforts. It feels unfair. But I'm so grateful this stuff exists. It feels like it came just in time. I don't know how much longer I could have kept going like that.
 
I've tried explaining this to people so many times. The mental relief from GLP-1s is unreal. I'm planning to stay on them as long as I can.
 
That sounds exhausting! Getting rid of the constant thinking about food is a huge win, even if you ignore the scale.
 
Congrats! I've been on and off diets for 50 years, mostly at a decent weight, but I'm just SO done with questioning every single bite. I've been on Ozempic for a month now, lost 5 pounds, and I'm amazed that I suddenly have 'willpower'. Feel free to mourn, but keep looking forward!
 
I'm right there with you. I'm almost 70, and I've been fighting food obsession for longer than you've been alive
Heartxx said:
I'm 31, and weight has been a thing since I was, like, 7...
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. I am so grateful for Ozempic! It feels like a modern medical marvel.
 
I've been having similar feelings since I started losing weight, too. I'm a decade older than you, so I've dealt with this for even longer, and now aging is becoming obvious to me, even if others don't see it yet. I'm finally getting help for my binge eating and can feel better in my own skin, but I'm bummed I didn't get this back when I was younger and more insecure. I might have avoided some health problems if I hadn't put on all that weight in my twenties. I'm annoyed that I worked so hard to accept my larger body, but now I much prefer how I feel with less fat. I'm angry that people treat me differently now that I'm thinner. Mad that this wasn't available way back when. Angry about all the shame I felt, and then poof, it's just gone. My therapist is hearing all this, but I'm still grieving. My partner just wants me to be happy, but I need to acknowledge that it's not all sunshine and roses.
 
Your story is so familiar. It's like you're telling my story. Doing everything right, and then one meal puts the scale right back where it was a week ago. Then came Ozempic, and I've dropped 60 pounds. Now I can enjoy a meal, even treat myself sometimes (I actually had a burger this year!), and still maintain my weight. I wish I could have lost this weight 2 decades ago, would have been 30 something back then. I'm living my best (and healthiest) life now, though.
 
Wow, I feel like I'm talking to myself here. Growing up was rough. Seriously. Not just my own feelings, but my family putting me on diets because I didn't look like a 'normal' kid. But the worst was my uncle saying no guy would ever marry a fat girl. But when you're always thinking about food, and your family eats normally, how can you drop weight? Especially as a teen with special diets?

It took a doctor at a major hospital treating me like a person. He didn't even look at the scale. He said obesity is a medical issue, and when I plateaued, I switched meds. I've lost like 90 pounds, and now I think I'm too skinny. But that's because my dad passed, and now I have an eating problem. Who would have thought you'd go from always thinking about food to not being able to eat? It's messed up. I'm working on balancing my weight so I don't gain back TOO much. But this is all because of being treated well.
 
Well, without going through those tough times, the GLP-1 effect might not be as strong now. You're doing so well because you were already working at it before starting the medication.

I'm in the same boat – I was dieting before, too, and losing on this feels much easier than before. Congrats!
 
I struggle with bipolar depression, and all I can think about is sex and food. Hypersexuality and feeling down are terrible with bipolar 2.

On semaglutide 1mg, I still feel hungry, but I eat less and feel full faster. I don't get the total appetite shutdown some people report, but it's working.
 
I'm incredibly happy for you. It's heartbreaking to hear how hard you worked for so long with so little success, but it’s great you’ve finally found relief from that constant thinking about food.

You aren't 'taking the easy way out'—you’re finally on a level playing field where your hard work actually matters. Congrats on losing 25lbs and, more importantly, on getting your peace of mind back!
 
That was me. I was doing everything perfectly, working out hard, and one dinner out would undo it all. Besides the food noise, I was eating as smartly as my thinner friends, but CICO was broken, and I was heavier than them.

I wish Ozempic had been around when I was younger. I'm not ashamed to use it now; it gives me a freedom I never had before. I even made a creamy soup for Christmas. I realized the new me can actually have it more than once a year, like normal people who can treat themselves without blowing up.
 
I understand you completely, and I struggle with the same issues. I have worked hard for years after my binge eating diagnosis to lose the weight I gained back then. I stopped binging, ate healthy (high in protein, combined with fats and complex carbs, cut out refined sugar), and still couldn't lose much weight. Every day was a fight against food, and I have tried hard for years. Now, on semaglutide, my food cravings are reduced, I eat healthily but not strictly, and I work out LESS than before; and I am losing weight. It is hard when people compliment my 'effort' when I put in SO MUCH effort before. I feel bad for my past self who couldn't make it work but tried so hard.
 
I've been reading some concerning stuff about BPC-157 and mood. Has anyone here experienced anything like anhedonia with it? I saw one thread where people were reporting depression-like symptoms, especially with oral use. Seems like it might mess with dopamine levels.
 
Sage said:
I've been reading some concerning stuff about BPC-157 and mood...
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That's interesting. I remember trying BPC-157 a while back, and it didn't seem to affect my mood negatively. Maybe it depends on your existing mental state. I'll have to look into those reports.
 
I get what you mean about not seeing the difference in the mirror
BurritoDespair said:
I understand you completely, and I struggle with the same issues...
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. I've lost at least 30 pounds, and sometimes I still feel like I look the same! It's frustrating. I think it's a mind game more than anything.
 
Keep taking photos! It's hard to see the changes, even when they are drastic, since they're gradual over time and you see yourself every day. Weight loss is geometry, like someone said! Big difference!
 
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