Under 200 after 20 years - lessons learned

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Patient_Mango229

Well-known member
39yo female. Started Oct '23, initial weight: 296.6 lbs. Current weight: 197.4. 5'1"

I'm not gonna lie, I cried a bit this morning. I haven't seen a '1' at the start of my weight since 2004, so it's a big deal.

I'm still losing slowly but surely. Here's what I've figured out:

- Weight can be misleading. I'm a size 14 right now, down from a 24. In 2004 when I weighed 199, I wore a bigger size. Some might say it's vanity sizing, but I think I'm carrying the weight different now because I've been hitting the gym consistently and feel stronger. So don't get discouraged if your current weight is someone else's starting point! Clothes fit is a better indicator for me.

- Nutrition matters so much. I had bariatric surgery in 2018 and got down to 209, but wasn't healthy. Now I make sure to get enough iron, protein, calcium, and water, and I'm taking care of my mental health too. No hair loss so far! I feel good. And even if I have a bad eating day, I make sure to end it with a protein shake and something nutritious so I can at least control that.

- I've stopped blaming myself. I've got a chronic condition... I'm confident in that now. I needed a GLP-1 med to help. And that's A-OK.
 
Wow, you're looking incredible and you're inspiring me! We're similar in age, height, and starting weight. I started in May (down about 30 lbs) and I hope to get where you are in around a year! I'm curious about loose skin? It worries me a lot 😅
 
Your story made me tear up! You're looking fab. And I agree—weight isn't everything. You might stall for a bit as you build muscle, which is totally fine. Inches lost are huge.

I was super skinny as a kid, but a traumatic event at 18 triggered PTSD causing me to use food for comfort, which I'd never done before. I wasn't allowed carbs or sweets growing up, so once I could choose, I craved them more and more.

Stressful jobs meant fast food and little sleep, plus cortisol. Then menopause hit, and I just didn't care about the stress as much. I prioritized myself again, got canned, found a remote job, and things changed. But even with better food choices, my back hurt, I couldn't exercise, and my numbers went crazy. I got diagnosed with Type 2 and lupus, and my doctor put me on a GLP-1 right away. I think it saved my life. My organs felt like they were screaming. Everything hurt.

Seven weeks later, I'm a new person. Still a long way to go, but this forum gives me the inspiration I need. You all are awesome! 💜
 
Saw a post where someone went from around 230 to 160. What a ride! They had multiple chronic health issues like celiac, hemochromatosis, and PCOS. After a hysterectomy in their early 40s, they couldn't lose anything, even with good diet and exercise. Bloating, pain, and hormonal issues were terrible. They started semi-glutide and dropped from 225 to 185 in about five months, then plateaued. So inspiring!
 
Patient_Mango229 said:
I’m still losing steadily and I’m determined and grateful but for what it’s worth, here are some of my learnings and thoughts these past several months:
Click to expand...

Thank you SO much for your post! It gave me the motivation I needed today. I'm down 15 lbs and was starting to feel discouraged that it wasn't more, but you reminded me other things are important too!
 
I've got GERD and EoE on 20mg omeprazole daily. Semaglutide was fine until I bumped from 5mg to 6mg - then I got acid reflux on nights 2 and 3. Tried it again without eating dinner and the reflux stopped but the indigestion lingered. Split my dose into 2x weekly and it cleared right up. Now I take the PPI at night too. Aspiration isn't fun.
 
No clue what I was actually on 7 years back, memory's fuzzy about the meds too. Was taking 5iu a day and skipped weekends. Stopped after about 3 months.
 
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