Here’s an Ozempic story.
I know that I seem to be talking about this topic a lot, because my own results have been pretty pleasing. But as Nadine Dorries describes her own journey towards going this route, I’m pretty sure that a large number of my Readers are in a similar situation to hers — I know that my own symptoms were pretty much parallel to hers — and maybe this will help you. Here’s Mrs. Dorries in a pre- and post pic:
Just as a reminder: I went from 277lbs peak to just over 220lbs, although it’s taken me a while longer — about six months — but there have been other benefits.
After a quarter-century of taking blood-pressure meds, I may not have to take them for much longer. (According to the last doctor I saw a couple weeks ago, my BP of 113/90 was better than hers — and because I’d been feeling so rotten, I’d forgotten to take my BP meds for two days beforehand.) Here’s hoping.
I have had absolutely no side-effects from Ozempic. I was briefly concerned that (please pardon the graphic description) that I’d gone from an everyday, set-your-watch bowel movement to very occasional visits to the toilet. But as my doctor explained, my daily food intake had been reduced by two-thirds (maybe more, even), so that wasn’t unexpected.
Which leads to this point: my relationship with food hasn’t changed. I still have cravings for a particular taste or type of food; but when it comes to actually eating it, I eat far less of it — sometimes as little as 25% of it in terms of quantity. (Four cheese sticks becomes one, two fried eggs become one egg, half-finished, and so on. Daily bread has turned into once a week, and one slice of toast instead of two per sitting withal.)
But all those other horror stories that people have ascribed to Ozempic? Not one.
I will admit, as I’ve said before, that my muscle mass seems to have gone down along with the saddlebags of fat, but I’ve always been muscular — even over-muscled, perhaps — so that hasn’t bothered me at all. My ass seems to have, shall we say, slackened somewhat. But FFS, I’ll be turning 70 in November (!) so “old-man-flabby-ass” was always going to be in my future anyway.
I’ve been told to exercise, but that’s not going to happen. My sole “exercise” is a 100-yard daily walk (uphill both ways, uh huh) to the mailbox to check the mail, and a similar uphill distance to our garage to get the car. The new apartment is actually walking distance from a bakery (I know, bread ungood shuddup), so I’m planning on walking there whenever I need to get more bread; the only problem is that north Texas is not, as we say, pedestrian friendly, so it seems that the health benefits of that quarter-mile walk may be somewhat offset by becoming some F-150’s hood ornament. But I’ll give it a shot anyway.
The biggest bummer is that insurance does not pay for Ozempic and the other drugs of that ilk even though, as in my case, its original purpose is absolutely medical: to address pre-diabetic or Type 2 diabetes conditions. I have no idea why this is so. But as New Wife puts it, it’s better than dying from diabetes-induced problems (heart attack, organ failure etc.).
So there ya have it. It’s all food (or, less food) for thought. Hope this helped.
I’m glad it’s worked for you. You were looking much better in April.
Good to hear, Kim. Well done! I’m 74, low-level Type 2 diabetic and weigh in at 230 lbs (and 5′ 10″). I want to lose weight, because I want to get off Metformin and reducing my BP meds. By intermittent fasting (no breakfast) and largely eschewing carbs, sugar and fats, I’ve dropped 25 lbs in the last 4 months. But it’s now plateaued.
So my physio suggested I speak to my doctor about Ozempic or a derivative.
‘Not a chance in the world’, said my GP. ‘Do it the hard way.’ My cardiologist agreed. So without a prescription, I’m shot up the arse like a garden sparrow! I want to lose at least another 20 lbs, but …
Yeah – without going into the details, my GP had pretty much the same input and told me to limit carbs and I had a similar result. I went full keto and I’m chewing away at it. Even in ketosis, the formula:
input < output == weight loss
Is kind of an iron clad rule. That means upping exercise whenever possible when your body can do it. With the heat of (this) summer that's hard to do, especially if you are a keyboard warrior. That's my bugaboo right now and why the weight loss has dragged to a slow pace.
I'm taking one day at a time, and as long as eating all this meat doesn't kill me I'm ok with it. Its a bit of lifestyle change, but I don't see it as that painful. Yeah, there are things I miss, but really once you reach a certain age, you learn to get used to losing some things and filling them in with other things.
Finally, in the back of my mind is something I read somewhere where it was pointed out that as we get older, its not a bad thing to have a little fat reserve. Eventually, bad things happen to the body as we get older and things either wear out of succumb to attacks of disease. Old people (70+) don't die fat.. the ravages of disease and illness are just that: ravages. Having a little fat to draw on can help with getting over those stress points. But as with everything, its a balance.. it can kill you too. After a certain age, everything is.
Yes, exercise is a key. My problem is arthritic degeneration of my lower spine, which has slowed me down somewhat. Keep trying Manvacamp, it’s the best we can do.
We won’t live any longer … but it sure will seem one hell of a lot longer!!
Glad this venture has brought you so much relief, Kim
57 lbs. is a lot of weight to lose
And you look great in the blue dress and beige pumps
[blush]
Two things. First, I am using Rybelsus, a very similar drug in oral pill format, and at first I lost 5 lbs then gained it back, I’m at the exact same weight as when I started. Glad it worked for you for weight loss.
Second, it is covered by insurance, but only if you have Type 2 Diabetes, which I have. It is known to help with weight loss, but that is not an FDA approved use of the drug, so it is considered “off-label use” if prescribed and insurance won’t cover that. I have had Type 2 Diabetes for years, and insurance covers my prescription, it’s $15 per month.
I don’t wish you Tye 2 Diabetes, but if you are diagnosed for it, insurance will start picking it up, I suspect. But your weight loss is fantastic, and if you don’t have it now, you are probably not likely to develop it if you are on Ozempic.
I tried Rybelsus for a couple of months, but it didn’t work for me, so I went back to Ozempic.
Ah. They’re similar but not identical, then. Maybe that’s why I didn’t lose any weight. Works for my glucose levels, though!
> I have no idea why this is so.
You have medicare?
https://www.goodrx.com/ozempic/medicare-coverage
You are not gonna like this, but it is of interest- regarding possible side effects over time.
https://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=251615
Ozempic is bad for you if you don’t really have 25 good pounds to lose. It will take them from wherever you have left. Milady basically starved to death from pancreatic cancer (the radiation that stopped the pain shut down her desire/ability to eat enough), and she didn’t get down below 180. People are trying to lose weight their body actually needs, and the body won’t let you.
I am on weight loss round 3+. Round 1 was low carb, and now I can’t eat low carb without my mouth feeling like a lard ball. Round 2 was a medically supervised plan that works but went broke with Trump-flation. Right now I’m walking a mile a day and counting calories. I make good money, but it’s a simple choice of paying for the house or Ozempic….
A suggestion for those with exercise issues: get on YouTube and search “chair cardio”, especially Pahla B (yes, strange spelling). I know people above 350 pounds (including myself both last round and this one) who used it to get hard exercise without straining joints.