WAHOOOO!! Since June I have lost 23 pounds! Yes, I am celebrating. It's not a happy day when you see the word 'OBESE' on your medical chart. As of this morning I am down from 223 pounds to 200. It might not be noticeable to many people, but I can see it in my face, and feel it in the way my clothes fit.
My doctor prescribed several prescriptions to help get my body back in line. Atorvastatin, for my high cholesterol, because heart problems run in my mom's side of the family. Losartan potassium, for my high blood pressure (hypertension). For my diabetes she prescribed Metformin and Ozempic, to lower my blood sugars. I was a little surprised about the Ozempic, but she had noted on my chart that I was "Obese" and that made it pretty clear. She wasn't being mean; she was stating an obvious fact (I am 5 ft 8 inches and had weighed in at 223 pounds on that first office visit). She was simply prescribing a treatment to help me medically. I had heard that Ozempic helps with weight loss and knew a lot of actors (and Oprah) had used it to lose weight relatively quickly. I guess I just wasn't ready for how quickly.
The nutritionist helped me understand how my diet needed to change, and how even just a little exercise would help with my body's transformation. She also informed me that there is the potential to lose muscle volume on Ozempic, so exercise is just a good practice. I'm guessing most obese people are pretty sedentary (as was I), because the exercises are very simple and most can be done in a chair! Twenty or thirty minutes a few times a week and that's it. I've been trying to do one or two of the exercises for a few minutes each day, and I do a pretty good amount of walking on top of that.
Now, for the questions I had about the Ozempic, and the ones I know you are dying to ask...
1. Isn't Ozempic a shot? How can you give yourself a shot? Won't it hurt?
Yes, it was hard for me to start the Ozempic. I have a huge fear of needles. I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to give myself that shot every week - if I even had the courage to try the first time! However, the needle is very, very tiny. You can barely see it in the syringe. Sometimes there's a little sting or poke, but not usually. Honestly, it's just a little bit of discomfort, and it's only once a week.
2. What about all the negative side effects we hear about? Ozempic butt, Ozempic face, saggy skin, hair falling out, etc.?
From what the doctor told me, and from what my research tells me, Ozempic butt and Ozempic face are a by-product of rapid weight loss. Your skin loses its elasticity if you lose the weight too fast. This is why you try to lose the weight gradually, like no more than 2 to 4 pounds a week. At first that was pretty easy for me. It was hard for me to cut out the sugar and stop looking for an afternoon snack of cookies or candy. Also, I was a pretty big portion eater, as most Americans are. Most people don't understand how small a healthy portion is! Once I started taking the prescriptions though, that changed. I was not even hungry, and I had trouble even eating a normal meal. By the time my body adjusted to the meds, it had also mostly adjusted to a lower sugar intake, and smaller meal portions. Now adjusting to my husband constantly saying, "Is that all you're going to eat?" is another matter altogether.
To keep from having a saggy tushy, strength training is the answer. Fill the space that the fat leaves with muscle! That may not work for the face so much, and the only answer I have for that is to eat a lot of protein, drink a lot of water (stay hydrated), and use collagen and biotin products. Collagen will also help fix that hair problem. I use a multi-collagen protein powder in my coffee every morning and sometimes mix a spoonful or two into my food at dinner when I can. My only other answer is to ask your doctor about fillers, if you can afford it. My daughter is a hair stylist, and her biggest worry was my hair. She has clients that lost a lot of hair when on Ozempic and she didn't want to see me lose any of mine. The collagen has helped with this. It helps keep your hair strong, so it doesn't fall out, and it helps keep it healthy. I've always had a lot of hair, and I haven't seen any sign of excessive loss. This is after 10 weeks of being on Ozempic.
Ok, those are the most pressing questions I had, and I know they are the ones most people worry about. If you have any others, please ask me in the comments and I will be more than happy to tell you what I know, from my experience.
Right now, I am thrilled with my experience with Ozempic. It's helping me lose the weight that was wearing out my knee and hip joints and making it increasingly hard to enjoy my time with my grandchildren. Losing just these 23 pounds has made a huge difference. So, I plan to occasionally share my weight loss journey because I want to help as many people as I can. There really isn't any reason to be afraid of Ozempic, as long as you follow your doctors (and your nutritionists) warnings and advice.
Let me know what you think about these type of drugs for weight loss (GLP1s)
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