Ozempic Update! One Year Later...
Did I reach my goal? You'll have to read to find out! The suspense is killing me!
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Back in December, I wrote a rather lengthy piece about my first six months on Ozempic. I started taking it for the dual purpose of getting my blood sugar under control as well as to lose weight.
Well, it’s been exactly one year and it’s time for an annual update. And what an update it is!
First, a quick review.
Back in 2021, I was up to 330 pounds and had developed various health issues. High blood pressure. Sleep apnea. My lower back was (and continues to be) a hot mess. Gastrointestinal issues. Clearly, this was going to keep getting worse if I didn’t do something about my weight. My doctor had me on Topiramate, which is an appetite suppressant. That helped a bit but not much. Then I started Trulicity, an injection that is similar to Ozempic but not nearly as effective.
Between the two, however, I got down to 300 pounds after two years. But then I plateaued. 300 was better than 330 but not where I needed to be. My old doctor left the practice and my new one suggested Ozempic.
The difference has been profound.
Now for the good stuff!
Where once I was a size 44 pants, I am now, surprisingly, a size 34! It was with great trepidation that I tried on a pair of jean shorts to see how they fit. I love jean shorts. I love how they feel. I love that they have proper pockets. I love that they last freaking forever. I haven’t been able to wear them for over a decade.
While they do make them in sizes 42 and 44, they don’t fit right. My body at that weight wasn’t the right shape for them and I hated how they sat on me (and, ironically, how I sat on them). The same went for regular jeans. I’ve been wearing sweatpants and shorts for a long time because of that and it irked me.
But I put on a pair of jean shorts and…they were too big! I had grabbed a size 36 because, naaaaah, I couldn’t be smaller than that. But I was and I am! 34 fits like a glove and it feels just as comfortable as I remember. Presumably, I’ll be able to buy jeans in the Fall. That, alone, was worth it.
But wait, there’s more! I can wear a size 3x shirt now (depending on the cut). That’s actually a HUGE honking deal. I love graphic tees. It’s almost all I wear because blank t-shirts are boring as hell and I generally do not dress up so I own very few patterned shirts or polos. Give me a shirt with a movie or video game design and I am a happy little camper.
But they are hard as hell to find in 4xt or 5xt. Most places have 3xt though. So now I can start ordering t-shirts again and my options are vastly expanded. I might just cry…
Speaking of shirts, on a whim, I tried on several shirts that had been hanging in my closet for years that did not fit. Some used to fit. Others I brought the largest size they had at conventions in the hope that someday I could wear them. And now I fucking can! It’s weird to wear a shirt I haven’t worn since before my kids were born. The convention shirts are 3x and a little on the short side (they never have Xlt shirts at conventions) but I’m 6’1”, that’s just how it is when you’re tall. Still, I can wear them!!!
Last thing about clothes. I had to buy a new pair of sneakers. I buy Tevas because I have poor arch support (yet another weight issue) and they last a very long time. At least two years. Which is good because they’re expensive. But a few months ago, I noticed my shoes were…loose. I had just gotten them a few months earlier.
I had lost enough weight that my feet got thinner. Tevas do not have wide sizes so I had to buy a size 11 when I’m actually a 10.5. Tevas are snug and do not stretch easily. That’s kind of the point. They’re very durable. But now mine were too loose and uncomfortable and I had to get a new pair. Oh well! A small (ok, not that small) price to pay.
Other fun things! I noticed I was starting to have dizzy spells. Stand up too fast and I would get lightheaded. Bend over for too long and straightening up would have the same effect. Sometimes I would just be standing at the counter and everything would go swirly for a second.
Well…that was concerning. I quickly noticed it was mostly in the mornings. Within a few hours of taking my blood pressure medication. Curious, I switched to taking it at night before going to sleep and it mostly stopped.
I went to the doctor last week and my blood pressure was 100/70. That might be normal for you but I’ve never once seen numbers that low in my life. I mentioned the dizziness and asked if maybe the medication, which I had started at a much higher weight, might be too strong now. She agreed and cut my medication in half. That was after we had already eliminated a second BP med six months ago.
Less medication is always good.
OK, so how much do I actually weigh now? I’ve kept you in suspense long enough!
My goal in December was 275 with a stretch goal of 265. By Christmas, I had juuuuust squeaked under 275. Woohoo! Now, every time I get past a goal, 280, 275, 270, it takes time for me to get to the next one. I know part of it is psychological but part of it is also my body adjusting to a new normal. Remember, your body is designed not to lose weight. It’s what kept the entire species from starving to death back when food was scarce.
As I lost more weight, losing more took longer. That was expected and OK. It’s not like I was expecting to drop down to 200 in a year. Or ever. But I got down to 270.
Then I got down to my stretch goal of 265 and bounced back and forth between 265 and 268 for a few months because settling at 265. That became my new normal. And once I get to a new normal, I can push to get past it.
And I did.
I don’t expect to stay under 265 for long but the fact that I went under means I can. And if I can get under once. I can under again. And again. and again until I get to 260 and that becomes my new normal. It’s a process. A slow process but with obvious, tangible benefits.
I lost 37 pounds in a year. I didn’t starve myself or engage in unhealthy eating habits to do it. I still enjoyed my meals and ate delicious treats. Just less of them. Without feeling like I was denying myself which makes it better than any diet I’ve ever tried.
My new goal is 255 with a stretch of 250. I haven’t weighed under 260 since some time in the late 90s. 250? I might be closing in on college weight. I honestly have no idea. But I’m fucking going for it.
I wonder where I’ll be a year from now?
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You're doing it right! Reach a goal and stay around that for a while then reach the next goal. My hubby has lost 36 lbs from the high of his weigh-in thanks to Mounjaro (the other Ozempic) and all his readings have come down to normal and he's adjusting his meds too. He's having fun trying on clothes that haven't fit for years and shopping for a new clothes too! Congrats!
Go you! I hate how the media covers Ozempic as though it’s somehow cheating. But it improves cv risk by 25%! I also have been on a journey for the past 5 years with surgery and then meds including Ozempic. Total game changers for me too. Keep at it!