Ozempic shut down the food chatter!

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Patient_Mango229

Well-known member
I can't even begin to describe how much mental space food was taking up before starting this. For maybe 4 years straight, I couldn't go ten minutes without obsessing over food, my weight, just everything related to eating. I was constantly battling the urge to binge, and I just couldn't win. I've been seeing a therapist about it for ages, but nothing really clicked. It's so frustrating wanting to get healthier but constantly getting in your own way.

What's really blowing my mind about this med is, how is it rewiring my brain?!? This used to soak up like 3/4 of my thoughts, and now I think about food maybe once every few hours, and even then, I'm not really craving anything. It's wild 🤯

I'm still a work in progress, my scale isn't moving fast, and I'm still reaching for junk food, just less of it. But I'm so thankful this exists because it's tackled a really serious mental block almost instantly 🙏
 
I've accomplished a ton of stuff in the past year because my brain has, like, extra bandwidth! It's insane how much of my day revolved around planning meals and snacks.
 
I can really relate to this. For years, I assumed my weight problem was just a lack of self-control. I knew what I needed to do to reach a healthy weight, but I couldn't actually do it.

The first dose, and it was like my brain was recalibrated.

Sometimes I get down on myself thinking about all the years I struggled. Even when I stopped taking it temporarily and gained some weight, I was ok, knowing it was just a temporary setback.
 
There are a lot of GLP-1 receptors active in the brain. This medicine is believed to quiet not only food-related thoughts but also the background noise from PTSD/anxiety. It reduces a lot of negative emotional energy like anger or fear, and helps people feel calmer overall. It's a really helpful tool for gaining perspective.

Recent studies show connections between intense stress/PTSD and overeating because stress hormones mess with the endocrine system and trigger fight-or-flight. It's all connected!
 
Having been in an eating disorder treatment program twice, I can say this medication has been life-changing. It's like someone flipped a switch in my head. I don't have that constant worry about food, how much to eat, what to eat, etc. It's incredibly freeing.
 
It's so weird. I'm just not hungry. Nothing appeals to me much, so eating feels like a chore. I used to drink too much every day. Now I pour a drink without even thinking, take a sip, and then I'm done. Not interested. I guess it's time to really dial in my diet.
 
I've heard about people overcoming alcohol issues or reducing their consumption. I'm curious how it would work for people with addictions to really hard drugs - alcohol can be just as tough as meth, etc. It's kind of a miracle drug.
 
I've only been on it for a week, but even on the lowest dose, I noticed an obvious problem in my schedule as soon as the constant "EAT EVERYTHING" voice calmed down.

My planned daily calorie goal is about 1100, and I'm not a small person even without extra weight. The more I've overeaten at night, the more I've skimped on normal meals to compensate. Spoiler: it hasn't worked for the last five years. My planned meals are way too small, so of course I crave more calories.

I don't know what the full dosage will do for me, but it's shown me something obvious: I need to eat more calories during the day, especially now that my brain isn't screaming for 4000+ calories. I'm annoyed I didn't realize this earlier.
 
In my area, a local discount grocery chain has a surprisingly good selection of low-carb, high-protein foods. They have protein wraps with 12g of protein and low net carbs and canned chicken is cheap, making getting protein easy. Cauliflower rice and salsa are also good options to fill you up without a lot of carbs/calories.
 
This is me, too. Ozempic is a miracle for me. It quiets the nagging voice pushing me to the fridge all the time. I feel great and my mood has improved. People who don't experience this problem will never understand the relief of being free from that voice.
 
I saw someone online say their childhood birthday wish was for a drug that would make them not want to eat all the time. I feel that so hard. It's so relatable for those of us who've battled this our whole lives.
 
started-from-scratch said:
I saw someone online say their childhood birthday wish was for a drug that would make them not want to eat all the time. I feel that so hard. It's so relatable for those of us who've battled this our whole lives.
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Totally! It's wild to think back on all the energy spent on food. Like a constant mental battle that most people can't even imagine.
 
I am down to eating just two meals a day! But sometimes my cravings kick into overdrive. What works for you all when those cravings hit even when you're not hungry?
 
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