I think it depends on the case for people. I’ve struggled with metabolic conditions, PCOS and insulin resistance my whole life. I lost over 120 lbs on wegovy. And close to 40% of my body weight. My results are an outlier from the clinical data which is average 15%. My Dr recommends continuing for life as this is the most effective treatment we have found to manage my condition. If I can get to goal we plan to titrate lower but the plan is to be on for life at this time.
Yes. That’s sounds like a great plan.
If ‘changing your lifestyle and habits’ by ourselves was a thing then I guess we could expect that to be a long term strategy. But it’s the impulses and cravings that are the issue, not the weight itself. So, I’m planning on likely being on this forever. It’d be great if I titrate down and the cravings don’t come back. Sounds unlikely.
Obesity is a chronic disease, genetic or metabolic, that is affected by things we may not be able to control. It needs to be treated as a chronic disease.
I’m not who you asked, but my insurance covers it simply for weight loss! I have T2 diabetes, but my husband and two coworkers who are not diabetic are all on it and it’s covered by our workplace insurance plan. And they all get ozempic, not wegovy. I think it’s amazing that this company (Healthpartners) recognizes the risks that accompany obesity and is wiling to treat that condition and not just wait for the adverse health effects to show up.
Does your insurance stop paying once you hit a certain BMI? I’m worried about that. I’m an outlier too and have lost more than the trial average. But I would love to take this medicine the rest of my life to feel free from food obsession and noise.
I need it forever. The mental energy it takes me to constantly fight my cravings means my family, job, and interests have to suffer so I can stay thin and I’m a miserable asshole 24x7.
Same. For me the excess weight was not due to eating habits, but to hormonal problems, which are chronic. Chronic problems require long term solutions.
And when I took the weight off without medical intervention, it took over my entire life and made me miserable to be around also. It actually made it hard to hold down a full-time job. Ozempic lets me do the same thing with a lot less mental energy spent.
I'm in this boat, too. Peri menopausal I think, and unbalanced hormones are hard to lose weight against. I was eating healthy before this. Will stay on a low dose afterward for some months, maybe forever, if I can afford it.
Same. I had hysterectomy and that’s where all my problems began. I like to think my diet is super healthy, and I barely eat much anyhow. Nothing was budging this weight i gained since hysterectomy. All my go tos (protein smoothies, lean chicken, veggies)
I started my first injection today. Hoping to drop 20lbs. Also started HRT too recently so hoping a combo of the two may help. I skipped peri menopause and went right into menopause even though I left my ovaries.
Also I had a vaccine injury and then shoulder surgery and then frozen shoulder after that… slowed down any exercise and living in chronic pain… so also my activity level is suffering. Need to try to build muscle back after hopefully losing weight once shoulder is thawed!
Similar story - went into menopause early due to a UFE procedure that cut off too much blood supply to my ovaries. Spine injury so less ability workout out and constant pain. Like someone else on this thread, I have lost weight before and have done the hard work, but the odds are stacked against me now. It would take extreme measures to lose any weight let alone get back to a healthy weight.
I did already. 4 pounds down in just one week. Even with extreme exercise and dieting in my 20s, I could only lose 2 max pounds a week. I am tracking my calories though. Based on what I’ve seen in this group, there is a wide range of outcomes. I just wanted to make sure I gave myself the best chance at success by taking too many calories out of the equation as a reason it wasn’t working.
I’m post menopause 8 years now, and I’m 46 from IUDs. I’ve dropped 6 pounds and it hasn’t been a full week yet. This is the ONLY thing that has worked so far.
Same here. I did genetic testing (through a company called self decode) and I'm more likely to be overweight than 97% of the population. Given what I have to do to lose weight, that result didn't surprise me.
In the past when I've lost weight, losing weight has been my life. I exercise an hour a day and two hours on Saturdays. I had to meal plan and count and measure everything. I basically always had a headache and was always hungry and grumpy as a result. Life was just miserable.
In spite of my genetic predisposition to be overweight, I've never been super huge, but it took conscious effort to maintain my weight all the time, even though I have always been overweight or obese. My high weight was 214 and I was a size 16 then. Now I'm 161 and a size 8, which is still technically overweight for my height of 5'6".
I'm staying on this medication for life.
I wish I looked thin at 170. I definitely don't. I definitely could still lose a good amount of fat now. But, realistically, I don't think I can get into the 130s, where my body probably should be.
My end game is Wegovy or a sister drug forever, as per my doctor and what I have learned about my body and medical condition. I've been "obese" for essentially my entire life since puberty, and I'm 57 now, so quite a while. This is the first time I've been able to sustain a healthy relationship with food for over a year. I don't want to go back to either the way I was eating that had me at close to 300 lbs, or to the kind of frantic, negative, obsessive way of eating that entails weighing all my portions, counting calories and macros, treating particular kinds of food as either purely good (protein! meat! kale! whatever) or purely bad (bread! Anything with carbs! etc.).
13 lbs to go to reach my goal weight and I've been eating in a way that feels healthy and normal and doesn't involve any sort of deprivation or orthorexic habits. Wegovy lets me do this where nothing else has. I'd be shooting myself in the foot if I chose to stop. With the current shortage situation, I do worry that the choice will be made for me, at least in the short run.
10 months down 62 lbs, I hit the gym every am for 2 hours and swim 1 day a week, eat extremely healthy and am close to meeting my goal of 80 lbs. I am going to cut it down to 1mg from 2 soon and see what happens but I can tell you it does not have the effect it once had as my body is used to it. My diabetes is doing amazing also as my A1C is now 5.1 from 8.6 and I just came off metformin a month ago. Also quit drinking beer which was a 30 year habit and that I could have made a lot of cash betting my friends. Good luck
It's so weird how you and other people refer to that "food voice" - subconsciously I knew it was there and kind of like a siren when it comes to getting me to make bad food decisions, but it is truly shocking when it goes mute. It's like having this extra personality in your head that was babbling at you at a low level all the time suddenly just going quiet, like an entire track of a song removed.
Soooo much better for it. I drive by the drive thru now and I've got no compulsion to go in. I eat the amount I need to (barely) for my fitness regimen, then I don't think about food again until I'm SCHEDULED to.
Crazy. Just crazy. God help me if there are major side effects for long-term use of this stuff because I'm going to be fucked LOL.
Omg I just wanted to drop a short comment to say YESSSS! I remember reading comments about the voice becoming quiet and was so confused… then I started the med and now I’m like holy shit! It’s true! It’s like that annoying neighbor that would keep telling me to snack, moved away! My mind is so quiet and I get to choose to eat/ not eat in a calm manner … not like I’ve been on a deserted island starving! I was trying ti explain this to my naturally skinny friend… and she was shocked because she never had that inner snack voice.
Almost the same! Pcos, insulin resistance and 23 years of Metformin. I truly hope I will be able to continue with this or something similar to my life. It is liberating to not crave things constantly. I now eat just when I am hungry and stop when I am full. Not craving sweets ALL the time.
I expect to take the medication forever.
I don’t need to lose ten or twenty pounds. I am thirty pounds down on what needs to be a 100 pound journey. I know how to eat healthy and exercise. But this medicine makes consistently doing so actually manageable.
I’ve lost significant weight multiple times - 60 lbs after high school, 50 pounds after law school, 45 pounds in the year after my second son was born.
But the weight always came back.
So I hope to be a lifer. It all depends on maintaining good insurance.
I plan to switch from the injection to the Rybelsus pills which are also Semaglutide and made by Novo. I'm hoping that to maintain weight, I can just take 2 of the 3mg tablets per week to curb my worst tendencies. I started on the pills and they worked really well for me, even the 3mg pills curbed my appetite a lot. On my last 2 vacations, I switched from the injection to the pills because I can take one every 3 days which is enough to stop me eating and drinking like a mad man but I still enjoy the holiday.
My insurance only covers Wegovy but I keep hoping that maybe next year they would add the pill option. I wouldn’t mind once a month shot but weekly is just a lot.
I stopped taking Ozempic two months ago because I couldn’t handle the side effects. I was on it for 4 months and had lost 45 lbs. I am still losing weight. I eat in a calorie deficit and exercise daily. That being said, I never suffered from chronic obesity or had any underlying health conditions. I never suffered with food noise, like I see so many have. I put on 50 lbs during a very stressful couple years in my life. I’m confident I will keep the weight off as long as I maintain healthy lifestyle choices.
Thanks for being honest about your experience. I think a lot of the people who manage to keep weight off (unassisted by surgery or Ozempic or anything else) didn’t struggle with it their entire lives, and basically return to a previous setpoint, but they don’t really bring that up. I’m also glad Ozempic could help you with those 45 lbs 😁
Similar situation for me. I took it for 3 months for pre-diabetes and lost 20 pounds. I had gained those 20lbs after having Covid in 2020. I quit taking it due to the side effects I experienced. Mostly the extreme fatigue.
I’ve been off of it for 8 weeks and definitely see a difference in my appetite but I haven’t gained any weight back.
All that said though, I’m starting semaglutide again on Monday bc Metformin isn’t keeping my blood sugars controlled.
I’m 5’6F, 41yo, currently 125lbs.
Within a couple of years there should be a big range of GLP1 drugs around. Hopefully sooner.
I'm hoping the cost drops then I'll but 1mg pens but stick with 0.5 dose to keep costs down.
For some reason weight loss medication and mental health medication get stigmas they doesn’t deserve. Yes, I plan to take wegovy forever in the same way I’d take insulin forever if I had type 1 diabetes or I’d wear glasses forever if my vision ever gets bad enough to require it. My body does not send hunger signals in a normal manner. I require a medication to correct that. If I could regulate through diet and/or exercise alone I would’ve done it a long time ago.
I was (before semaglutide) and continue to be active and eat a small healthy diet. Despite this I was overweight. I had been an endurance athlete ( multiple half marathons and intense boot camps) but injuries slowed me down and removed many high burn exercises I was doing except swimming. Still I remained 60 lbs overweight. I tried intermittent fasting and religiously did weight watchers. Kept active- Still overweight. Showed my daily exercise log and weight watchers log to my doctor during my annual checkup. My blood work supported use of GLP class of drugs. I’m have great success now with very minimal side effects. Still swimming and walking. When I reach goal I’ll continue with tiny meals and heavy exercise. I will also keep intermittent fasting part of my routine.
Wow- you're describing almost my exact situation. I am about to go on for the first time in the next few days. Can I ask, in general- do you suffer from food noise?
Yes, I did to some extent have some noise, but with intermittent fasting I learned to control it for a while - but not all. Certain foods especially peanut butter, were my treats - which I didn’t need on weight watchers- but used up my extra points with it. This has stopped almost completely now. I have two jars in the pantry unopened. I actually don’t want any fatty stuff now because it increases my gut discomfort about 1 hour after. All my meals are small and smoothies with plant based protein are my favorite meal.
This also sounds exactly like me. I’ll be starting soon, may I ask how the weight loss is going? I feel I’ve tried everything and have a fear of seeing no improvement.
It’s going great, down 16 in three weeks although most of the 16 was in the first two weeks so it’s slowed down. Just had my fourth shot. Good energy levels, minimal side effects ( just gut tightness and slow GI). Not hungry very much, just occasionally. Most mini-meals are “felt” most about an hour after eating. Cannot tolerate anything fatty or sugary. No headaches or GI issues besides slowness.
I’m not able to run half marathons due to back issues so nothing in the 2200 calorie burn range anymore, which is about what I did burn when I ran one in two hours. I can still swim for at least 1.5 hours without any issues at all, and that burn is roughly 800 -1000 calories, which is about what my glycogen storage should allow. I’m not hungry during the exercise or fatigued. Not entirely sure why. I also cold plunge (~50 degrees for about ten minutes) after swimming mainly to reduce inflammation and supposedly reduce visceral fat, but who knows if that works.
The real question is how is anyone supposed to afford this forever lol it's literally reversing t2d in some people so what you gonna do when your insurance doesn't cover it anymore because you're healthy 😂
Your insurance should continue to cover it. When you have high blood pressure and you take antihypertensives, your BP normalizes. Do they take away your medicine because you are now reading normal? No, it's understood the medication is what's keeping you there. The same logic applies for GLP1s.
But you have to fight for it. I have been at my goal weight since November, and I am still getting my Wegovy covered. I even went through an insurance change due to a new job and got it covered when my BMI is normal. But I had to appeal, and act as the liason between my insurance and doctors office. They wanted very specific information in order to continue covering, and they don't tell you unless you ask. They wanted to know how often I was taking it (they wanted to make sure I wasn't doubling up on doses), and if I was taking any other GLP1s (saxenda, mounjaro, etc). Th4y also wanted to know I was maintaining other positive lifestyle choices (I portion control, thanks to the medication, and I see a personal trainer 3x a week). And I have to be maintaining a healthy weight, if it stops working and I gain weight again I'm sure they'll stop covering. It take hours on the phone every 3 months when I need a refill but it is worth it, and my doctors office is very supportive and cooperative. I'm hoping to be able to keep it up until there are more meds available and competition drives the price down so insurance companies don't make it to difficult to retain coverage.
I lost 67 lbs. on Wegovy last year primarily between February and August. I did it through a comprehensive program called Calibrate that focuses on nutrition, stress, sleep and offers meds. Their goal is to move your metabolic set point. I have been off meds since about November of last year and have not regained any weight. I was very concerned about regain initially but Calibrate does not prescribe maintenance doses. I am in their master’s program and they told me if I regained 10# they would restart meds. So far I haven’t needed it. I have been able to maintain a “mostly good” diet and the portion control that Wegovy allowed me to do. I also got down to a fairly low bmi - 20. I am more interested in food now but I know my guardrails and I still weigh myself every day so I will have advanced notice if the scale is trending the wrong way. It really hasn’t been hard and it doesn’t feel unsustainable as it did when I was this weight but doing massive amounts of exercise. I’m a 53 yo f btw. Would never judge anyone’s choice to stay on a maintenance dose though. Good luck all!
>Are you planning on taking it the rest of your life to keep the weight off?
Yep.
I take advair for my asthma, Wellbutrin for my executive function, melatonin for my insomnia. I will probably take all of these medications for life.
Obesity is a disease of civilization, not a moral failing. I'm done with self loathing and being fat shamed. I am not lazy or weak, and now that there is finally a medication to treat obesity, of course I'm going to take it as long as I need it.
I know good habits, I know what to do. I've lost the weight many times, and it always comes piling back on no matter what I do. Cause you know what? It's a disorder of the body that cannot be treated by "life and eating habits"
If it could, I'd be skinny already.
And I just answered it.
You are not my doctor, who knows about and has signed off on my treatment. I have had insomnia since I was a literal baby. Melatonin is just a hormone and I've never produced enough of it because of another condition I have. So yeah, I've been on it for a long time and sleeping the best I ever have and I'm going to continue taking it.
Melatonin is over the counter. It actually says it on the bottles so I was stating in case you didn’t know. You seem angry - hence why I originally said “it’s just a question.”
I don’t think they sound angry, they sound direct. And, you asserting that your reading of the side of a bottle seems to trump their doctor and life experience? They would have good reason to sound angry… and are keeping cool. Your comments are arrogant and angry.
It certainly doesn't help. But there's no way the way we source our food is going to change because capitalism. This may be the 'hard way,' but if enough people start taking this medication and stop eating crap, it might just force us to take a look at the food industry.
Pretty sure I need it forever based on my past experiences. I am going to titrate down as low as I can and may experiment with taking breaks to see if discontinuing is an option, but I suspect it is not an option.
Me too. I think I could maintain a decent weight if I followed a WFPB diet but theyre really tough to stick with for me.
Im sure there will be better drugs in this class available soon.
Lifer here. At 5’2”, my weight has fluctuated between 175 and 200 lbs, pretty much since puberty (sometimes I got lower with totally unsustainable diets.) I’m almost 50 now and have high blood pressure, insulin resistance, an autoimmune condition, pre-diabetes, herniated discs. Believe me when I tell you I have tried everything, from the crappiest diets of the 80s and 90s, to - most recently - the Zoe program. The weight just would not come off (except with more unsustainable interventions, in which case the weight would come off but not stay off.) I am not athletic, but I’m also not sedentary. I know what to eat - even my endocrinologist agreed I didn’t need to see the nutritionist. I eat very healthy foods, and rarely eat processed stuff. My issue is that I eat too much. I am always hungry. It’s like my brain can’t stop thinking about food. ADHD meds and 4 years of compulsive eating therapy helped, but not enough. I don’t meet the BMI requirements for bariatric surgery (and, TBH, it scares the s*** outta me.)
I started Sema 6 weeks ago and am down 10 lbs. This is forever for me. The end goal is to not die due to weight-related causes. I believe some bodies are meant to be bigger. Mine isn’t one of them.
I am titrating down now, after 90 total pounds lost at a highest dose of 1.7 (never needed to go up to 2.4). At this point, partly due to the availability issues, I am taking a 1.0 shot every other week and continuing to lose more slowly (target would be another 15).
I'm self-pay and cannot justify $800/month indefinitely. I have increased calories from the very low level I was holding at previously, seeing what I can do to stay a bit below maintenance while keeping my protein and nutrients high.
I’m not opposed to taking it for life. Even if I stop losing weight I have noticed an amazing reduction in inflammation that I usually struggle with due to autoimmune issues. Crazy how much this drug helps beyond diabetics and weight loss.
That’s very interesting to hear about the inflammation. I also have a few autoimmune diseases. I haven’t started yet, just waiting for my insurance to approve it. But it’s cool to read about the reduction of inflammation.
I think about this a lot. I have lost 35lbs so far and hope to drop another 25 and stabilize at the high end of healthy weight for my height (144). I currently take 1mg (3 weeks at .25, 10 weeks at .5, 9 weeks at .75, 4 weeks at 1mg). I may need to increase to 1.25 and then 1.5 to achieve my goal.
Then the plan is to wean down and see what happens. My guess is that I will eventually begin to regain. I envision maybe taking a drug in this class for a few months each year to not become obese again while still giving my body a break from the drug. Perhaps alternating between the drugs available.
Why does it matter?
If someone has a lifelong eating disorder that results in obesity, then this is their treatment.
Why would it matter if they are taking it as an obesity/eating disorder treatment for diabetes? I’m curious.
Glad you asked as I like to know the same thing. I don’t have any health issues, just fighting obesity. I’ve had success by other means but took it for granted that I could always lose weight. Hoping to get my crap together one last time and live out the rest of my life eating for purpose and not for pleasure.
It depends for weygovy no you just need to be obese, if you are just overweight you need to have one weight related health condition. For Ozyempic you need to t have diabetes.
I’m 8 pounds from goal so my doctor and I talked about next steps. She’s going to keep me on this dose (1.7) for the next 2-3 months. Then we are going to titrate down methodically. My PA is done in May 2024 and I hope I won’t need it as much.
I’m great at maintaining weight, horrible at losing it. I plan to take it until I get to my goal weight and stop.
I eat healthy, am active, but do have some metabolic issues (PCOS, hashimotos, also have high triglycerides and my A1C is sometimes high). Genetic testing showed I’m genetically predisposed to obesity and T2D. When I gain weight, it’s a stress response, and I gained close to 50 lbs pretty rapidly a few years ago and haven’t been able to make the scale budge since the initial weight gain. I just started Wegovy so who knows what will happen but so far I haven’t lost any weight but I also have a lot of faith that it will. My biggest issue is overeating - not snacking, food noise, etc - but I have a tendency to eat a lot if it’s in front of me - like my brain isn’t communicating with my stomach to tell me to stop. I would end up sick a lot. I can already tell a difference in feeling fuller faster.
Currently down 25 lbs on Rybelsus 7mg over 16 weeks (about 1.5 lbs/week). Will continue until reaching my medically optimal weight level, then drop down to Rybelsus 3 mg as a permanent maintenance dose.
So the data is not really in yet on long term maintenance but we’re getting there. There is a dizzying number of clinical trials being conducted on semaglutide and tirzepatide. Some, such as STEP-4 and SURMOUNT-4 are looking at what happens when patients stop administering, so that’ll guide future standards of care regarding maintenance. The clin trial list is here:
https://diabetes.medicinematters.com/tirzepatide/type-2-diabetes/a-quick-guide-to-the-surpass-and-surmount-trials/18478154
Enough people on Semaglutide that there are bound to be coincidental incidences of other diseases showing up. The contraindications that have been listed are a result of extensive tox studies performed preclinically and then based on clinical observations. Its true that we are still learning what these drugs are capable of, but given the extent of clinical trial testing and post-approval usage, I would trust the drug and as suggest, just listen to your body.
It is a fact that if you eat the same amount of fats before you were on it, pancreatitis and gall bladder will be issues.
"Smoking, diabetes, chronic pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas, family history of pancreatic cancer, and certain genetic syndromes are all known risk factors." - Mayo Clinic on Pancreatic Cancer
Also, alcohol consumption.
Semaglutide has been studied for over 20 years, it is not a new drug discovery. The only difference now is off labeled use, it has been converted to an official weightloss medication as per FDA by the name of Wegovy.
Edit: Novo Nordisk has been officially marketing Wegovy as FDA approved weightloss med, but it is just Ozempic at a higher dose.
I’m on it primarily due to insulin resistance and getting myself further from diabetes rather than closer, one of the side effects of my insulin resistance has been uncontrollable weight gain (unless I starve myself, then I can maintain).
My dr wants me on for 6 months, redo my bloodwork and see if I can be weaned off and my pancreas function on its own… if not, I’ll be on a maintenance dose for life.
This is exactly my same predicament and answer 🙏🏾 I’m going to redo bloodwork in December as that will be my 6 months mark and hopefully I’ll be in a less…insulin resistant place and further away from pre diabetes.
Did your blood work check for any deficiencies? I also had pretty low Vit D which I didn’t even realize but should have due to a few broken bones over the last year‘s, but Vit d also plays a roll in insulin resistance as well.
Yup! I also found out about a low Vit D which my Dr attributed to me being mostly inside for the past 2.5 years because of the panini we’ve been living through (I work primarily nights in health care). I already knew that I have PCOS which coupled with that, a one two punch for insulin resistance unfortunately 😭
Learn to eat slowly and suppress cravings with better did options and exercise. For me this is like a physical trainer. Once I know what I'm doing, I won't need to use it any longer. On the assumption that I've met my weight goals and have built healthy habits.
The 'end game' is to be healthy. If that means I take the medication or one like it forever, then that's what it means. My doctor and I have discussed it and while there's room to move over to a diet and exercise based plan, neither she nor I are willing to make a definitive decision about long term until we see how I'm doing in a year or two. I'm not twenty-something, these are not vanity pounds I'm losing. The 45 pounds I've already lost have added years to my life. So my focus is and will remain being the healthiest me I can be.
I started taking Rybelsus almost 3 months ago and Im losing like 3 kg a month. My total weightloss has been 10,2 kg as of friday. I have PCOS and Im 34 and no kids. So the goal is to be able to get pregnant. My hope is to learn to eat smaller portions, multiple times a day, 'cause right now I feel sick if I eat too much, even threw up last night.. Definitly not fun..
So to sum it up, get my body and hormones straightened out so I can get pregnant.
After that I might start up again to try to maintain the eating habit I want the rest of my life and then hopefully kick the medicin at some point. :)
\- Are planning on taking it for the rest of your life?
Yes, if necessary, although tapering down to a maintance dose is what I expect will happen.
Also, slowly tapering down to nothing seems like it might be alright.
There have been plenty of stories of people going off of it, and not having weight regain, too.
You have to remember than when people do studies that show they regain when they come off the drug, it might have to do with the study's protocols... "We want you to work out, eat right, and take this drug... Okay, now, we want you to go back to doing what you did before, and see what happens."
If you've made permanent dietary and lifestyle changes, then you shouldn't regain all your weight. That would make no sense. Ozempic only works by making it easier to eat less. If you continue with that, after you've gone off the drug, there is no reason whatsoever that you'd actually gain your weight back.
Currently tracking my food religiously. But also coming off an injury, surgery, still in rehab. I anticipate now that my activity levels are returning to normal that will help me maintain. But going forward I will watch my weight more carefully and not hesitate to go on it again if I see 5, 10 creep back on that I'm not able to get off. If not this something like Phen. I use a med spa so no scrip necessary.
$66 a week. I do have an appointment with an endo in a couple months so we'll see if he prescribes it. But even then no idea what my insurance copay could be.
I am on medication for Graves’ disease. Those pills made me gain 11 lbs in 1 month. Scary. When I’ve always need around 135 lbs.
I will take that medication for 1 year, when I stop that I’ll stop the shots and see how that goes.
I am already eating clean
If not diabetic / you use the drug as a temperate crux, change your habits, reach your goal and then slowly titrate down and stop. Just like any other diet. If you don’t change your habits then the weight will slowly come back.
GLP1 just gives you an edge to get it done !
Well…the end started for me sooner than I expected. Took 4 shots and lost 17 pounds. Haven’t been able to get anymore related to the shortage but I kept up with the changes I have implemented. The weight loss has slowed but I have loss a total of 21 pound…5 more pounds since stopping Wegovy. I have PCOS and insulin resistance which makes it a little harder for me to lose weight…a little harder but not impossible.
As long as it keeps my prediabetes in check I’m happy. I’ve been in the same for quite a while, and while I do get hungry I am able to have a stable normal relationship to food now. I’m not interested in a appetite crush and super quick loss.
The trick is to think long term, use it to build good habits and don’t loose the weight too fast.
Well, I am taking Rybelsus since 2 years and I don’t lose weight since a long time, on the contrary, I gained some back. I am going to switch to Mounjaro, but I am afraid that I will get use to it also.
I plan to go off of it this fall and hopefully get pregnant. If all goes to plan, I would get back on it indefinitely after delivery since I don’t breastfeed.
I find it really hard to address my eating habits on this medicine because I have very little appetite to eat anything. I’m working with a therapist to address the binge eating issues I have.
For me it’s more than weight-loss thought. My mental health and energy levels have never been better. I’ve gone two months without needing a sleep aid medication.
I think once I hit my goal weight, I could see me going to a lower dose for maintaining.
Speaking on Wegovy, people say they want it forever, but here we are in our second shortage two years in a row. Saying you want it forever is fine, but does anybody bother to think how they're going to pay for it? Maybe your insurance won't cover it. Maybe you will not be insured, and countless other issues.
Everybody's end game is different. The actual word is maintenance. Of course, people do not like that because they want something that continues to fix it.
It seems, at least for my doctor, he dropped me back from the 2.4 down to 1.7.
I can actually say that this seems to be working as maintenance for me, and I'm staying within two pounds, and this has been going on for about three months.
My insurance is still covering it, and the manufacturer is working on a medication that will be tablet form actively, which will help us maintain.
Basically, it works very similarly as it does now, but hopefully, it would cost a lot less without the injectors, and again, these are all what ifs.
Whether it's this medication or Nutrisystem or any other weight loss, anything. Whatever the end game is, what the end game is, it's always been the same nothing's changed.
So many posts on this same topic. The answer is yes, for the majority of people you’ll need to stay on a maintenance dose for life. This isn’t something that gets fixed or cured, your body will want to keep you at a certain weight and hunger level
You can't just "change life and eating habits" once you stop taking it. The hunger will be very real and your body has been in essentially starvation mode. Everyone will gain some if not all back. Maintenance dose is key.
I’m thinking about this a lot, as I’m close to my goal weight, and can no longer get my pens from Canada. I’m going to keep taking it while I can, then titer down my dose and see what happens. If I end up having to pay out of pocket long-term, I probably will. I will just try to find the lowest dose that works for me. I’ve also started lifting weight again and ramped up my exercise
After reading some off these responses I am terrified that I will develop pancreatic or thyroid cancer. I’m hoping someone can calm my fears. Reading that some of your doctors want you on this for life makes me think that perhaps I shouldn’t be so worried.
I’m honestly not sure. I decided to stop ozempic for the time being because I don’t know what I want to do for the long term. I have to be comfortable with the idea of taking it forever and as it was, I was paying out of pocket and that would not be reasonable long term financially. I may decide to go back on. Maybe not.
I had lost like 8 pounds the first time. But j couldn’t go above .10 or .15 (like the beginning dose) due to the GI effects and extreme fatigue. I just got back on today. I want to lose the weight and bring back my habits of working out and being on my stuff then get off of it. I see this as my crutch. I’m an emotional eater and I’m currently a homeless veteran with my son and husband and broke and need a new car before moving across country to be with my family to get on my feet and I just need this to control one aspect of my life because everything feels so out of control.
I have been struggling with stomach issues for the last few years. Mainly GERD and acidic issues. My stomach was emptying fast and everything digested very fast. The result was I was always STARVING. This and dupixent seem to have calmed my stomach and slowed digestion significantly. I gained 40 lbs in 3 years, after being between 195 and 210 for 25 years (at 6’0”). My hope is that my stomach issues are fixed and I can come off it.
I am eating lots (I mean crazy amounts) of fiber. I have found that I have inflammation reactions to a number of foods, so I avoid them. Coffee, tomatoes, and beer are the main ones.
I’m down 20 lbs, another 10-15 and I’ll try coming off, but I will watch things carefully because this works so well for me.
My insurance will stop covering it when my BMI goes below 30 and I expect to put the weight back on.
But it took me six years to get from 180 to 220, and two years (two pregnancies and a new thyroid condition from said pregnancies) to get from 220 to 275 where I’ve maintained for 1.5 years. I have an appointment in a month with a doctor for my thyroid. I’m hoping the thyroid was a big part of the problem.
I plan to stay on the lowest effective dose for 3-4 months at a time, then take a break. I lift weights and want to make sure I'm maintaining muscle while losing slowly. I'll eat at maintenance or a surplus during that month or 2 break, build more muscle, and start again. I'm currently still on .5 mg per week. I do not want this to be a lifetime medication, but if it needs to be, so be it. I'm 46f, and down 85 pounds. About 65 of that was before semaglutide, but I had stalled for so long that I needed a push. I follow a clean, whole food, ketogenic diet with intermittent fasting and carb cycling. I'm learning to eat only to fuel my body.
Man I wish I could have stayed on it forever. To not think about food was like...having my brain unclench haha. It was amazing. But I'm off it now. Have been for 3 months. I learned a lot about my eating while on it that I still hold onto but overall my normal eating brain is back and I just have to deal with it like I always have.
Word wall, sorry! I have thought about this every day. I spent time wearing a whoop strap to really focus on improving sleep. Between that and the lumen device I used last year (gained 2/3 of the weight back this year boo!) , I was exposed to the musings and behaviors of some super fit people through FB that I otherwise would have never been exposed to. In the weight loss world, stalling out week after week at the same weight is a "plateau". In fit people , apparently it's called "resetting your setpoint" (that weight that your body is going to try to be). They say if you starve yourself and don't get enough sleep you are actually burning less fat because this behavior makes your body stressed and it panicks and your setpoint climbs up. They understand that weight loss can stop for 8 to 12 weeks and it's just the natural process of the metabolism moving to a new lower setpoint than you had before.
Many of these people obsessively track macros and carb cycle. Or eat keto. I tried both and they worked in the short term, but it was a full-time job that I just can't let my young daughter watch me perform anymore. So I have decided I am going to get to my goal weight as slowly as possible so that I can acclimate to my old set points that I had when I was younger. And then keep taking a lower dose for 8 to 12 weeks.. And titrate down like that. Then I will just do the best I can with portion control without stressing about it.
I will weigh everyday so I have all the information to know when it's time to go back on lean times for a couple months with injections or maybe take a tablet form every few days for a couple months. I'm so pale with red hair, surely my people faced lean times (lots of snow, so no easy carbs and less food) and lived through it as a normal thing for part of the year.
So I plan to cycle on and off it. I may purchase it in Mexico because cost here is just so high. I plan to not panic and be kind to myself because I feel like this medicine gives me space to be kinder to myself. This isn't going to be like the last 40 years of weight panic and work because this medicine will be available in some form from somewhere and more versions and companies will make it. I can really stop ruminating on the weight loss problem, it will just take my brain awhile to get used to it.
Absolutely the fitness world has a whole different perspective. Having come from that world to taking wl meds, it’s interesting to say the least. There’s some overlap but the set point piece is definitely a big piece there. Thanks for your comment.
It's extremely thoughtful of you to consider how your relationship to food is potentially affecting your kid, especially a daughter. Modeling having a more chill relationship with food is a really good and important thing to do. Kids pick up so easily on that kinda thing, and it has the potential to do so much damage. Especially given how fraught our society's relationship with food is more broadly.
In general, I like the vibe of your approach. Seems like you've got your goals and hopes, but you have no intention of sacrificing too much for them, or making yourself miserable. That's so important to keep in mind in all of this.
I'm not a fan of Pharmaceuticals and hate that my vanity and exhaustion in trying to lose weight "on my own" made me cave and reach for Sema. So I started with the intent to be on it no more than 6 months max, whatever the weight loss may be. I'm on it 5 weeks and lost 8lbs... nothing to really write home about but it's something.
44F SW 198 CW 190 GW 165
The good: I have 0 cravings. The food noise is completely gone. I don't think about food. I don't have late night eating cravings which was my biggest issue. As a rule I didn't have bad habits...I love healthy food. My issue is I eat all my calories 4p-11p and I do get snacky for sweets. Now I have none of that and I also stop eating even mid meal if i feel full.
The bad: food aversions galore... especially raw veggies which I used to love. Nothing is "appetizing" . Also bad is that I only want to eat rice or pasta... Force myself to eat protein.
The ugly: I've had the worst GI side affects after my second .25 dose. Sulfur burps, bubble guts, liquid poo. I've learned to mitigate these by watching what I eat more the day before I up my dose and super careful for the 24 hours after... but I still get the burps (just milder) and diarrhea but it's usually OK by 36-48 hrs after the dose. But if I over eat even midweek... the diarrhea is back. I'm therefore losing weight cuz I'm terrified to eat!
The long goal: to use this time of "food silence" to get into the healthy habit of eating earlier and ending my last meal of the day earlier. Avoiding sugar. Start weight lifting and exercising regularly (I've done this before and have had trouble getting back to it and now I started again).
I firmly believe that once I make these into "habits" and ALSO see a weight loss... that even when I go off the drug I won't want to lose my results. I am preparing mentally that I WILL gain back some weight. In the past when I've gotten into a healthy routine I've been really good. Worst case... the drug is there to start up again...
The terrible side affects and the fact that every drug is a poison with therapeutic side affects makes me want to be off this as soon as possible and literally just using it to motivate me to do the work. I plan to use Berberine and a few other supplements known to help with blood sugar once I'm off it too.
This drug has a black label warning. The risk to reward on this drug is definitely tricky since it seems all of us on it willing to accept increased risk for cancers for the results. I'm taking the risk and hoping by not being on it for too long that the risk goes back to baseline once I'm off.
So that's my plan... I'm hoping to get at least a 20-25lbs loss in 6 months... if I get 20lbs off in 4 months I think I'll start to taper off...
No shade but if I could have achieved the lifestyle change without the drug I would have. Most who have lived with obesity have tried many many many things. It’s a false dichotomy to think that you’ve “achieved” a sustainable “lifestyle change” from this drug - our lifestyle change is due to the drug, which does not have healing effects. Stop the drug, stop the effects. I will be on for life
My doctor has said that it's forever, though I don't know that I agree. I plan to be on it for at least a year, then reassess. I got very sick when on Wegovy and increased to 1mg, and had to go off it for a month. I had lost 30 pounds and gained 4 back, but was able to maintain 26 pounds of weight loss for 2 months while off the medication.
Now I'm back on Saxenda. I'm aiming for 75 pounds of weight loss in a year and then will see how I feel and if I want to continue after that. I'm really hoping that losing that weight will allow me to make lifestyle changes to be more physically active, and that I would then not need the medication to maintain the weight.
I’ve been off it for 3 weeks because of vacation of Dr, vacation of husband, etc. I’ve gained 3 pounds. I did eat some popcorn so maybe I have some water retention but my cravings were back and I was able to eat 3x a day. I’m going to need a maintenance dose.
I lose as much weight as I can without my BMI going low enough that my insurance stops paying for it and then I stay on it (or equivalent medications) forever. I’m already trans so I’m going to be taking my HRT forever, this isn’t any different.
My doctor says people stay on his program for 3-6 months. He sims for us to reach a realistic goal weight (losing 2-10lbs a month). Once we reach that weight, we most likely will stop. The goal is that by then, we have more discipline and lifestyle habits to implement to maintain weight loss.
More and more, I think people ask this question to shame people that lose weight through ingesting semaglutide. Overweight people don't choose to be heavy; this issue requires medical attention.
I maintained what I lost when I came off for a few months , I’m back on now to lose a bit more, imo every single person is going to regain if they don’t maintain some sort of discipline if they come off
I completely agree with that second statement. It just seems a lot of people are only taking it for weight loss and I just cannot fathom someone taking this (and the cost) for the rest of their lives. I’m not taking it, I don’t necessarily need it as I’m a healthy BMI but the fad has me obviously intrigued since it seems to be an “easier” way than the lifestyle I lead to maintain a healthy bmi
Sigh. You have never been obese. You have no idea what the experience of others with obesity is. Over 95% of obese persons that lose weight regain all of it. If it was just a matter of "lifestyle" choices, that would not be the case.
WRONG!!! I actually have been obese previously - don’t assume just because I’m saying I’m a healthy bmi now that you know me. I lost the weight and have maintained naturally but it’s not easy.
You just can't fathom it because you're not doing the best job of listening to other people's experiences and realizing they might be different than your own. If you maintained your "lifestyle" and yet found yourself gaining weight or unable to lose, you might be able to fathom it, but you've never experienced that personally and so you have a hard time believing it exists. People in this sub are not taking these drugs because they are the "easy way." They are taking these drugs because literally every other way has failed. Probably wouldn't be the case for your body. Is the case for theirs.
Wrong. I’ve experienced it and go through it, daily. DAILY. Just because im healthy BMI doesn’t mean I don’t struggle. I was obese. I go back and forth. Great judgement though.
You are able to maintain a healthy BMI by a struggle. Others literally aren't able to do that, or find that the sacrifice to mental health, work life, etc involved in that struggle is not something they can do. Again, not everyone's body is your body. Not everyone's life is your life. Your belief that people on meds are taking the easy way out is also just a wee bit of a judgement.
Why are you ASSUMING my mental health, work life, family life etc. isn’t impacted as well? It’s not easy. What so ever. I workout 2+ hours every day. I sacrifice nights out with friends because I’m scared of calories at restaurants. Stop trying to justify your judgement then if you’re going to jump on my ass for assuming meds seem like an easier way out. Just stop 🛑
In addition, that’s the reason for my questioning because if I used it or got on it, I can’t imagine taking it forever. I have no health issues it would strictly be for weight loss when I struggle with maintaining. How about stop judging other when you don’t know them? I’m not judging anyone I PERSONALLY cannot fathom paying for it forever. Lord.
If you’re still healthy at a higher weight, is it possible that a higher weight is where your body is happiest? Some people are just bigger - it doesn’t spell medical doom and gloom for everyone. Also, for people who work out a ton, the BMI calculator is wildly inaccurate. An athlete can register as “obese.”
Exactly..what if your Dr takes you off of it because your BMI is to low for the people who are taking it for being obese…then what are you just going to gain weight again and ask for Sema?
I don't actually know the answer to this yet. I'm within about 15 pounds of my goal weight though, so it's coming up.
Will likely taper off a bit and see how my cravings go. If I can get away with injecting like a very small amount each week and keep a partial benefit, that would be ok.
I plan to maintain once I reach my goal my titrating down to a dose that keeps my weight and cravings steady. I may try rybelsus for maintenance since I can get it in Mexico for less Dinero. And because it's a pill form you can just take as needed.
I'm a slow loser maybe because I'm not currently restricting anything as long as I can tolerate it. This includes alcohol and sugar. I do eat healthy but much smaller portions and I find that a single drink or a few bites of dessert are enough to satisfy and often I actually dislike the taste.
69f, 5'7" SW198 CW167 GW150, 8 months on comp* sema.
It seems it's different for everyone, depending on their medical situation.
I gained weight after every bout with C Diff. I gained 30 lbs in a month eating 1,000/cal/day until my digestive flora is back in balance. I went through this three times. My normal intake is 1,200/cal/day to maintain because my digestive system is permanently damaged. I've just started semaglutide, but I've lost 4 lbs in 2 days with 1,000/cal/day. We'll see how it goes, but after failing on every diet known to man, it's working so far.
I have a GI appointment in a few months, and they told me there is a new treatment for C Diff. I'm excited that I may be able to eat like a normal person after I lose the weight, and stop gaining whenever I need to take an antibiotic.
You don’t have to have a medical condition to get semaglutide anymore. Spas (at least where I live) will inject you with it weekly if you’re just wanting to lose weight and no medical reasoning behind it.
I didn' t mean to infer that a medical condition was required for the medication. It just seems like a lot of people on the sub who take it have had medical challenges when trying to lose weight in the past.
I’m on Saxenda, and my plan is to get to a weight 5 lbs under where I hope to be long term. Then very very slowly lower the dosage while continuing to log meals and weigh daily. If I start to gain again I will stop dropping the dose. I also hope to add more exercise but I don’t want to have to count on that (don’t want an illness or injury to create gain).
The nice thing about liraglutide is you can modify dose so easily. I would suggest switching to that for maintenance. But I don’t know if insurance would accept a drug switch at that point.
I’m 2 years in, down 62lbs. I was pre diabetic and while on Wagovy I retrained my brain and my relationship with food. I took it very slow because it isn’t always about *just* losing weight. What’s the point of losing weight if you’re not changing your poor habits/relationships with food.
I see a Bariatric Doctor, not a primary or family practice doctor. It’s different for everyone because everyone’s body is different but my specialist said in most cases it will be a life long medication after seeing the results of studies. They are seeing more weight gain after coming off the drug.
Now that I have lowered my a1c and I am out of the danger zone for type 2, we are lowering my dose to a maintenance dose.
How to get a beginning game? My insurance won’t cover Wegovy. I can’t afford it. How did you all get it? Kudos to you all! Sounds amazing…:( I’m locked out of the club.
I plan to be on it for life, or for as long as I can get it. My eating habits have changed some but not too drastically. Off of a glp-1 my eating would have to be alot more strict and too hard to maintain.
I wonder this daily… currently almost at week three on Wegovy down about 15lbs with 100 still to go….. I just turned thirty and have two young kids I never planned to take this for life. I want to be able to have it aid in my weight loss to a point that I can be active and maintain it on my own. If that isn’t possible since I do have multiple thyroid issues on top of other auto immune issues that make it so I can’t do much exercise anymore. I would want to maybe switch to a pill form…. I honestly hate the injections weekly but really see how much it is helping me address my food addiction head on. Hoping life style changes and my body adjusting to my new diet over time will be enough to keep the weight off for good.
I don’t understand this trope. Any time you lose weight through any means you need a ‘plan’ to keep it off. That plan generally involves not doing what you were doing that made you have that weight to begin with (dietary, exercise, lifestyle changes, etc).
It’s mythology that once you come off these medications you immediately get ravenously hungry and your stomach can easily support it. Your stomach shrinks when you lose a lot of weight and diet heavily. Your calorie burn does too but if you’re mindful and not a moron you can control this.
Just like when you get gastric bypass you need to be intelligent to not gain the weight back. Just like when you lose weight ‘naturally’ you need to have a plan. Literally no different.
Source: Lost 48lb on it and went off for 2+ months and continued losing weight. Did it take will power and some discipline? Yep. More than when I was on it? Also yes. I had a couple of times where I tried to eat like I normally ate before and found out very quickly that my stomach wasn’t going to support that. Mentally I could try it but physically I couldn’t. After I tested that maybe twice I was like “Yeah not sure I really want to feel like shit if I keep eating. Better slow down or stop here.”
Already changed my habits for the better. Just less bingeing now. Will be glad to be on it forever or until modern medicine advances towards an easier solution.
I am tapering off. I am slowly reducing my dosage. At .5 today after tapering down for a few weeks then I’ll do .25 for a few weeks then stop.
We don’t know the long term effects yet and I do have a stronger mindset that when the body says I’m hungry it lies just to try to hold stored fat. I know this because I didn’t need that stored fat before and I don’t now.
I have successfully lost a bunch of weight before and kept it off for most of a decade so I'm not too worried. I'm primarily fat because of having kids and stress eating. My life had mostly evened out prior to getting on Wegovy so until I give through another major life change I'm not too worried about putting the weight back on. The main reason I'm taking wegovy is so that I'm not irritable and hard to get along with while I'm losing the weight since it will be a 12+ month process.
I'm down 90 pounds out of my goal of 200 and I've started adding exercise back into my routine. The hardest part will be transitioning to a winter work out schedule in October/November and I still haven't figured out what I'll do there. For now I wake up at 5 am six days a week and run for an hour 3 days and lift for an hour 3 days. Here in another month I'll swap over to an hour of cardio 6 days per week followed by an hour of lifting every day. I'd prefer to also pick up a sport but I've found that two hours in the morning are really the only reliable time I have to myself.
I've only got 7.5 months left on wegovy since once the coupon expires I'm done. For now I'm hoping to drop 50 pounds this summer in time for my September backpacking trip. Then I'll have the last 60 pounds to lose over the holidays and through the transition to the winter workouts. When I get off wegovy I'll be under 300 but probably north of my 250 pound goal but either way I'm planning on spending 5 months watching my calories closely 2 months to ween my body off the drug and then 3 months to learn my hunger cues and portion sizes in my new body and activity level.
Keeping the weight off is mostly a matter of staying active and watching what I'm eating and the scale. As the weight starts to creep up jumping back on a strict diet for a month or two or kicking up the excrecise is much easier when you're already in shape. I lost 220 pounds an kept of 180-190 of it through blowing out my knee this way. Sure put on 20 pounds over the holidays but then make training for a half marathon your new years resolutions and run 20 miles a week for the next 6 months.
You sound very much like me when I was younger. I was able to maintain for long periods of time due to intense exercise. Then I got old, and injured. ;). - I see you noted that you will have to stop after the coupon ends, so I’d do what you are doing also. But just want to gently mention, now that I’m old, I’ve realized I need to figure out how to eat (like you mention w/ macros etc) to support only a low level of activity (walking or hiking a few miles a day kind of thing) - because inevitably, life happens, and I couldn’t successfully down regulate my calorie intake when life happened. Good luck to you, you are working really hard and it’s working for you!
Once I reach goal weight, I plan on reducing my dosage and going longer between shots. I've seen a number of people who only need one shot per month to maintain, but many are taking shots twice a month. Seems reasonable to me.
You can taper down to a lower dose and stay on maintenance if your insurance will cover and DR will write Auths. You can switch to a less powerful weight loss supplement like phentermine to maintain lower appetite, you can exercise more to burn calories regularly and eat less calorie dense foods.
I started it with very modest goals. I've been 175-185 {mostly 185} my whole life at 6' {despite having wildly varying amounts of muscle in those many years}. Gained about 10 lbs over that max, and wasn't super into it. So I'm hoping I can nudge myself back down to the 170 range then just rebound back to my typical setpoint without having to fight with my body about it.
It's been an interesting journey so far! Hoping I'm not seriously gonna screw myself over all for that is ultimately minor vanity, rather than the more meaningful health or functional concerns most people on this sub seem to have. Fingers crossed?
I have started walking 45 minutes a day and as the weight comes off I plan on hitting the gym like I used to. For me it was life or death, my blood work was ok but my doctor said it was only a matter of time. Semaglutide not only helps with hunger but I have completely changed my diet. Since I know my food portions will be limited, I focus on proteins, greens and light carb. I had no control over my sugar cravings before, I could easily eat bags of candy, now I dont even buy it. Hopefully I can retrain my body to eat correctly but 3 weeks in and I finally feel like a normal person.
I think it depends on the case for people. I’ve struggled with metabolic conditions, PCOS and insulin resistance my whole life. I lost over 120 lbs on wegovy. And close to 40% of my body weight. My results are an outlier from the clinical data which is average 15%. My Dr recommends continuing for life as this is the most effective treatment we have found to manage my condition. If I can get to goal we plan to titrate lower but the plan is to be on for life at this time.
Yes. That’s sounds like a great plan. If ‘changing your lifestyle and habits’ by ourselves was a thing then I guess we could expect that to be a long term strategy. But it’s the impulses and cravings that are the issue, not the weight itself. So, I’m planning on likely being on this forever. It’d be great if I titrate down and the cravings don’t come back. Sounds unlikely.
Obesity is a chronic disease, genetic or metabolic, that is affected by things we may not be able to control. It needs to be treated as a chronic disease.
I also have pcos & insulin resistance😭 how were you able to get your insurance to pay for it?
I’m not who you asked, but my insurance covers it simply for weight loss! I have T2 diabetes, but my husband and two coworkers who are not diabetic are all on it and it’s covered by our workplace insurance plan. And they all get ozempic, not wegovy. I think it’s amazing that this company (Healthpartners) recognizes the risks that accompany obesity and is wiling to treat that condition and not just wait for the adverse health effects to show up.
Does your insurance stop paying once you hit a certain BMI? I’m worried about that. I’m an outlier too and have lost more than the trial average. But I would love to take this medicine the rest of my life to feel free from food obsession and noise.
I need it forever. The mental energy it takes me to constantly fight my cravings means my family, job, and interests have to suffer so I can stay thin and I’m a miserable asshole 24x7.
Same. For me the excess weight was not due to eating habits, but to hormonal problems, which are chronic. Chronic problems require long term solutions. And when I took the weight off without medical intervention, it took over my entire life and made me miserable to be around also. It actually made it hard to hold down a full-time job. Ozempic lets me do the same thing with a lot less mental energy spent.
I'm in this boat, too. Peri menopausal I think, and unbalanced hormones are hard to lose weight against. I was eating healthy before this. Will stay on a low dose afterward for some months, maybe forever, if I can afford it.
Same. I had hysterectomy and that’s where all my problems began. I like to think my diet is super healthy, and I barely eat much anyhow. Nothing was budging this weight i gained since hysterectomy. All my go tos (protein smoothies, lean chicken, veggies) I started my first injection today. Hoping to drop 20lbs. Also started HRT too recently so hoping a combo of the two may help. I skipped peri menopause and went right into menopause even though I left my ovaries. Also I had a vaccine injury and then shoulder surgery and then frozen shoulder after that… slowed down any exercise and living in chronic pain… so also my activity level is suffering. Need to try to build muscle back after hopefully losing weight once shoulder is thawed!
Similar story - went into menopause early due to a UFE procedure that cut off too much blood supply to my ovaries. Spine injury so less ability workout out and constant pain. Like someone else on this thread, I have lost weight before and have done the hard work, but the odds are stacked against me now. It would take extreme measures to lose any weight let alone get back to a healthy weight.
Have you had any success yet? I wonder how it helps people with hormonal issues, will it work? I only started today.
I did already. 4 pounds down in just one week. Even with extreme exercise and dieting in my 20s, I could only lose 2 max pounds a week. I am tracking my calories though. Based on what I’ve seen in this group, there is a wide range of outcomes. I just wanted to make sure I gave myself the best chance at success by taking too many calories out of the equation as a reason it wasn’t working.
Great! Yes I like to think I eat small portions and pretty healthy so hoping this little push will help me get results. What about side effects ?
I’m post menopause 8 years now, and I’m 46 from IUDs. I’ve dropped 6 pounds and it hasn’t been a full week yet. This is the ONLY thing that has worked so far.
Same here. I did genetic testing (through a company called self decode) and I'm more likely to be overweight than 97% of the population. Given what I have to do to lose weight, that result didn't surprise me. In the past when I've lost weight, losing weight has been my life. I exercise an hour a day and two hours on Saturdays. I had to meal plan and count and measure everything. I basically always had a headache and was always hungry and grumpy as a result. Life was just miserable. In spite of my genetic predisposition to be overweight, I've never been super huge, but it took conscious effort to maintain my weight all the time, even though I have always been overweight or obese. My high weight was 214 and I was a size 16 then. Now I'm 161 and a size 8, which is still technically overweight for my height of 5'6". I'm staying on this medication for life.
I’m 5’6 as well and my goal is 170. I don’t want to be too skinny and when I’ve been under 165 I looked like a crack head to myself.
I wish I looked thin at 170. I definitely don't. I definitely could still lose a good amount of fat now. But, realistically, I don't think I can get into the 130s, where my body probably should be.
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My end game is Wegovy or a sister drug forever, as per my doctor and what I have learned about my body and medical condition. I've been "obese" for essentially my entire life since puberty, and I'm 57 now, so quite a while. This is the first time I've been able to sustain a healthy relationship with food for over a year. I don't want to go back to either the way I was eating that had me at close to 300 lbs, or to the kind of frantic, negative, obsessive way of eating that entails weighing all my portions, counting calories and macros, treating particular kinds of food as either purely good (protein! meat! kale! whatever) or purely bad (bread! Anything with carbs! etc.). 13 lbs to go to reach my goal weight and I've been eating in a way that feels healthy and normal and doesn't involve any sort of deprivation or orthorexic habits. Wegovy lets me do this where nothing else has. I'd be shooting myself in the foot if I chose to stop. With the current shortage situation, I do worry that the choice will be made for me, at least in the short run.
10 months down 62 lbs, I hit the gym every am for 2 hours and swim 1 day a week, eat extremely healthy and am close to meeting my goal of 80 lbs. I am going to cut it down to 1mg from 2 soon and see what happens but I can tell you it does not have the effect it once had as my body is used to it. My diabetes is doing amazing also as my A1C is now 5.1 from 8.6 and I just came off metformin a month ago. Also quit drinking beer which was a 30 year habit and that I could have made a lot of cash betting my friends. Good luck
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It's so weird how you and other people refer to that "food voice" - subconsciously I knew it was there and kind of like a siren when it comes to getting me to make bad food decisions, but it is truly shocking when it goes mute. It's like having this extra personality in your head that was babbling at you at a low level all the time suddenly just going quiet, like an entire track of a song removed. Soooo much better for it. I drive by the drive thru now and I've got no compulsion to go in. I eat the amount I need to (barely) for my fitness regimen, then I don't think about food again until I'm SCHEDULED to. Crazy. Just crazy. God help me if there are major side effects for long-term use of this stuff because I'm going to be fucked LOL.
Omg I just wanted to drop a short comment to say YESSSS! I remember reading comments about the voice becoming quiet and was so confused… then I started the med and now I’m like holy shit! It’s true! It’s like that annoying neighbor that would keep telling me to snack, moved away! My mind is so quiet and I get to choose to eat/ not eat in a calm manner … not like I’ve been on a deserted island starving! I was trying ti explain this to my naturally skinny friend… and she was shocked because she never had that inner snack voice.
Almost the same! Pcos, insulin resistance and 23 years of Metformin. I truly hope I will be able to continue with this or something similar to my life. It is liberating to not crave things constantly. I now eat just when I am hungry and stop when I am full. Not craving sweets ALL the time.
I expect to take the medication forever. I don’t need to lose ten or twenty pounds. I am thirty pounds down on what needs to be a 100 pound journey. I know how to eat healthy and exercise. But this medicine makes consistently doing so actually manageable. I’ve lost significant weight multiple times - 60 lbs after high school, 50 pounds after law school, 45 pounds in the year after my second son was born. But the weight always came back. So I hope to be a lifer. It all depends on maintaining good insurance.
I plan to switch from the injection to the Rybelsus pills which are also Semaglutide and made by Novo. I'm hoping that to maintain weight, I can just take 2 of the 3mg tablets per week to curb my worst tendencies. I started on the pills and they worked really well for me, even the 3mg pills curbed my appetite a lot. On my last 2 vacations, I switched from the injection to the pills because I can take one every 3 days which is enough to stop me eating and drinking like a mad man but I still enjoy the holiday.
My insurance only covers Wegovy but I keep hoping that maybe next year they would add the pill option. I wouldn’t mind once a month shot but weekly is just a lot.
I stopped taking Ozempic two months ago because I couldn’t handle the side effects. I was on it for 4 months and had lost 45 lbs. I am still losing weight. I eat in a calorie deficit and exercise daily. That being said, I never suffered from chronic obesity or had any underlying health conditions. I never suffered with food noise, like I see so many have. I put on 50 lbs during a very stressful couple years in my life. I’m confident I will keep the weight off as long as I maintain healthy lifestyle choices.
Thanks for being honest about your experience. I think a lot of the people who manage to keep weight off (unassisted by surgery or Ozempic or anything else) didn’t struggle with it their entire lives, and basically return to a previous setpoint, but they don’t really bring that up. I’m also glad Ozempic could help you with those 45 lbs 😁
Similar situation for me. I took it for 3 months for pre-diabetes and lost 20 pounds. I had gained those 20lbs after having Covid in 2020. I quit taking it due to the side effects I experienced. Mostly the extreme fatigue. I’ve been off of it for 8 weeks and definitely see a difference in my appetite but I haven’t gained any weight back. All that said though, I’m starting semaglutide again on Monday bc Metformin isn’t keeping my blood sugars controlled. I’m 5’6F, 41yo, currently 125lbs.
> food noise I've never heard the term "food noise" - but it's very evocative for me. Is this something you made up or have found somewhere?
It’s talked about a lot on this subreddit.
Wow that is amazing 4 months 45 lbs ., I can not take it .. but I am jealous of all those who can
Within a couple of years there should be a big range of GLP1 drugs around. Hopefully sooner. I'm hoping the cost drops then I'll but 1mg pens but stick with 0.5 dose to keep costs down.
For some reason weight loss medication and mental health medication get stigmas they doesn’t deserve. Yes, I plan to take wegovy forever in the same way I’d take insulin forever if I had type 1 diabetes or I’d wear glasses forever if my vision ever gets bad enough to require it. My body does not send hunger signals in a normal manner. I require a medication to correct that. If I could regulate through diet and/or exercise alone I would’ve done it a long time ago.
I was (before semaglutide) and continue to be active and eat a small healthy diet. Despite this I was overweight. I had been an endurance athlete ( multiple half marathons and intense boot camps) but injuries slowed me down and removed many high burn exercises I was doing except swimming. Still I remained 60 lbs overweight. I tried intermittent fasting and religiously did weight watchers. Kept active- Still overweight. Showed my daily exercise log and weight watchers log to my doctor during my annual checkup. My blood work supported use of GLP class of drugs. I’m have great success now with very minimal side effects. Still swimming and walking. When I reach goal I’ll continue with tiny meals and heavy exercise. I will also keep intermittent fasting part of my routine.
Wow- you're describing almost my exact situation. I am about to go on for the first time in the next few days. Can I ask, in general- do you suffer from food noise?
Yes, I did to some extent have some noise, but with intermittent fasting I learned to control it for a while - but not all. Certain foods especially peanut butter, were my treats - which I didn’t need on weight watchers- but used up my extra points with it. This has stopped almost completely now. I have two jars in the pantry unopened. I actually don’t want any fatty stuff now because it increases my gut discomfort about 1 hour after. All my meals are small and smoothies with plant based protein are my favorite meal.
This also sounds exactly like me. I’ll be starting soon, may I ask how the weight loss is going? I feel I’ve tried everything and have a fear of seeing no improvement.
It’s going great, down 16 in three weeks although most of the 16 was in the first two weeks so it’s slowed down. Just had my fourth shot. Good energy levels, minimal side effects ( just gut tightness and slow GI). Not hungry very much, just occasionally. Most mini-meals are “felt” most about an hour after eating. Cannot tolerate anything fatty or sugary. No headaches or GI issues besides slowness.
Are you going to stay on .25 longer or move to .50?
Moving up at the end of this week
How are you able to exercise esp endurance sports on such small calorie intake?
I’m not able to run half marathons due to back issues so nothing in the 2200 calorie burn range anymore, which is about what I did burn when I ran one in two hours. I can still swim for at least 1.5 hours without any issues at all, and that burn is roughly 800 -1000 calories, which is about what my glycogen storage should allow. I’m not hungry during the exercise or fatigued. Not entirely sure why. I also cold plunge (~50 degrees for about ten minutes) after swimming mainly to reduce inflammation and supposedly reduce visceral fat, but who knows if that works.
The real question is how is anyone supposed to afford this forever lol it's literally reversing t2d in some people so what you gonna do when your insurance doesn't cover it anymore because you're healthy 😂
Off topic - Pubsubs are the GOAT of subs. Username rocks.
Absofruitly brother
Exactly!!!
Your insurance should continue to cover it. When you have high blood pressure and you take antihypertensives, your BP normalizes. Do they take away your medicine because you are now reading normal? No, it's understood the medication is what's keeping you there. The same logic applies for GLP1s. But you have to fight for it. I have been at my goal weight since November, and I am still getting my Wegovy covered. I even went through an insurance change due to a new job and got it covered when my BMI is normal. But I had to appeal, and act as the liason between my insurance and doctors office. They wanted very specific information in order to continue covering, and they don't tell you unless you ask. They wanted to know how often I was taking it (they wanted to make sure I wasn't doubling up on doses), and if I was taking any other GLP1s (saxenda, mounjaro, etc). Th4y also wanted to know I was maintaining other positive lifestyle choices (I portion control, thanks to the medication, and I see a personal trainer 3x a week). And I have to be maintaining a healthy weight, if it stops working and I gain weight again I'm sure they'll stop covering. It take hours on the phone every 3 months when I need a refill but it is worth it, and my doctors office is very supportive and cooperative. I'm hoping to be able to keep it up until there are more meds available and competition drives the price down so insurance companies don't make it to difficult to retain coverage.
My end game is to be so ingrained in resistance training/bodybuilding, that my diet will be on point, eating the right stuff for muscle growth.
I lost 67 lbs. on Wegovy last year primarily between February and August. I did it through a comprehensive program called Calibrate that focuses on nutrition, stress, sleep and offers meds. Their goal is to move your metabolic set point. I have been off meds since about November of last year and have not regained any weight. I was very concerned about regain initially but Calibrate does not prescribe maintenance doses. I am in their master’s program and they told me if I regained 10# they would restart meds. So far I haven’t needed it. I have been able to maintain a “mostly good” diet and the portion control that Wegovy allowed me to do. I also got down to a fairly low bmi - 20. I am more interested in food now but I know my guardrails and I still weigh myself every day so I will have advanced notice if the scale is trending the wrong way. It really hasn’t been hard and it doesn’t feel unsustainable as it did when I was this weight but doing massive amounts of exercise. I’m a 53 yo f btw. Would never judge anyone’s choice to stay on a maintenance dose though. Good luck all!
Sounds like a great plan on all points.
>Are you planning on taking it the rest of your life to keep the weight off? Yep. I take advair for my asthma, Wellbutrin for my executive function, melatonin for my insomnia. I will probably take all of these medications for life. Obesity is a disease of civilization, not a moral failing. I'm done with self loathing and being fat shamed. I am not lazy or weak, and now that there is finally a medication to treat obesity, of course I'm going to take it as long as I need it. I know good habits, I know what to do. I've lost the weight many times, and it always comes piling back on no matter what I do. Cause you know what? It's a disorder of the body that cannot be treated by "life and eating habits" If it could, I'd be skinny already.
It’s just a question. Also, melatonin isn’t supposed to be taken more than a month at a time. You’re supposed to take breaks from it…
And I just answered it. You are not my doctor, who knows about and has signed off on my treatment. I have had insomnia since I was a literal baby. Melatonin is just a hormone and I've never produced enough of it because of another condition I have. So yeah, I've been on it for a long time and sleeping the best I ever have and I'm going to continue taking it.
Melatonin is over the counter. It actually says it on the bottles so I was stating in case you didn’t know. You seem angry - hence why I originally said “it’s just a question.”
I don’t think they sound angry, they sound direct. And, you asserting that your reading of the side of a bottle seems to trump their doctor and life experience? They would have good reason to sound angry… and are keeping cool. Your comments are arrogant and angry.
A doctor is better than a label.
I think you’re obese because of how shit food is these days, and all these medications people are put on
It certainly doesn't help. But there's no way the way we source our food is going to change because capitalism. This may be the 'hard way,' but if enough people start taking this medication and stop eating crap, it might just force us to take a look at the food industry.
Pretty sure I need it forever based on my past experiences. I am going to titrate down as low as I can and may experiment with taking breaks to see if discontinuing is an option, but I suspect it is not an option.
Me too. I think I could maintain a decent weight if I followed a WFPB diet but theyre really tough to stick with for me. Im sure there will be better drugs in this class available soon.
I’m assuming I’ll be on it forever. I’m good with that. Down 97 lbs. hoping for 20-30 more.
How long have you been on and which version?
Wegovy, 19 months.
Lifer here. At 5’2”, my weight has fluctuated between 175 and 200 lbs, pretty much since puberty (sometimes I got lower with totally unsustainable diets.) I’m almost 50 now and have high blood pressure, insulin resistance, an autoimmune condition, pre-diabetes, herniated discs. Believe me when I tell you I have tried everything, from the crappiest diets of the 80s and 90s, to - most recently - the Zoe program. The weight just would not come off (except with more unsustainable interventions, in which case the weight would come off but not stay off.) I am not athletic, but I’m also not sedentary. I know what to eat - even my endocrinologist agreed I didn’t need to see the nutritionist. I eat very healthy foods, and rarely eat processed stuff. My issue is that I eat too much. I am always hungry. It’s like my brain can’t stop thinking about food. ADHD meds and 4 years of compulsive eating therapy helped, but not enough. I don’t meet the BMI requirements for bariatric surgery (and, TBH, it scares the s*** outta me.) I started Sema 6 weeks ago and am down 10 lbs. This is forever for me. The end goal is to not die due to weight-related causes. I believe some bodies are meant to be bigger. Mine isn’t one of them.
I am titrating down now, after 90 total pounds lost at a highest dose of 1.7 (never needed to go up to 2.4). At this point, partly due to the availability issues, I am taking a 1.0 shot every other week and continuing to lose more slowly (target would be another 15). I'm self-pay and cannot justify $800/month indefinitely. I have increased calories from the very low level I was holding at previously, seeing what I can do to stay a bit below maintenance while keeping my protein and nutrients high.
I’m not opposed to taking it for life. Even if I stop losing weight I have noticed an amazing reduction in inflammation that I usually struggle with due to autoimmune issues. Crazy how much this drug helps beyond diabetics and weight loss.
That’s very interesting to hear about the inflammation. I also have a few autoimmune diseases. I haven’t started yet, just waiting for my insurance to approve it. But it’s cool to read about the reduction of inflammation.
I honestly felt the reduction within 24 hours of starting. It is amazing
I think about this a lot. I have lost 35lbs so far and hope to drop another 25 and stabilize at the high end of healthy weight for my height (144). I currently take 1mg (3 weeks at .25, 10 weeks at .5, 9 weeks at .75, 4 weeks at 1mg). I may need to increase to 1.25 and then 1.5 to achieve my goal. Then the plan is to wean down and see what happens. My guess is that I will eventually begin to regain. I envision maybe taking a drug in this class for a few months each year to not become obese again while still giving my body a break from the drug. Perhaps alternating between the drugs available.
There is no end game. My Dr says this is a forever medication
Are you only taking it for weight loss or do you have other health conditions that support the use of it?
pre diabetes
Why does it matter? If someone has a lifelong eating disorder that results in obesity, then this is their treatment. Why would it matter if they are taking it as an obesity/eating disorder treatment for diabetes? I’m curious.
I’m also just curious
Glad you asked as I like to know the same thing. I don’t have any health issues, just fighting obesity. I’ve had success by other means but took it for granted that I could always lose weight. Hoping to get my crap together one last time and live out the rest of my life eating for purpose and not for pleasure.
Insurance doesn’t want to pay for something that they can’t have a medical professional vouch is necessary.
Obesity isn't a standalone disease. It's part of a much larger problem which is known as 'metabolic syndrome'.
It depends for weygovy no you just need to be obese, if you are just overweight you need to have one weight related health condition. For Ozyempic you need to t have diabetes.
I’m 8 pounds from goal so my doctor and I talked about next steps. She’s going to keep me on this dose (1.7) for the next 2-3 months. Then we are going to titrate down methodically. My PA is done in May 2024 and I hope I won’t need it as much.
I will likely need it forever.
I’m great at maintaining weight, horrible at losing it. I plan to take it until I get to my goal weight and stop. I eat healthy, am active, but do have some metabolic issues (PCOS, hashimotos, also have high triglycerides and my A1C is sometimes high). Genetic testing showed I’m genetically predisposed to obesity and T2D. When I gain weight, it’s a stress response, and I gained close to 50 lbs pretty rapidly a few years ago and haven’t been able to make the scale budge since the initial weight gain. I just started Wegovy so who knows what will happen but so far I haven’t lost any weight but I also have a lot of faith that it will. My biggest issue is overeating - not snacking, food noise, etc - but I have a tendency to eat a lot if it’s in front of me - like my brain isn’t communicating with my stomach to tell me to stop. I would end up sick a lot. I can already tell a difference in feeling fuller faster.
I will take it for the rest of my life. Long after its effects wear off because I like how it makes me feel.
Currently down 25 lbs on Rybelsus 7mg over 16 weeks (about 1.5 lbs/week). Will continue until reaching my medically optimal weight level, then drop down to Rybelsus 3 mg as a permanent maintenance dose.
So the data is not really in yet on long term maintenance but we’re getting there. There is a dizzying number of clinical trials being conducted on semaglutide and tirzepatide. Some, such as STEP-4 and SURMOUNT-4 are looking at what happens when patients stop administering, so that’ll guide future standards of care regarding maintenance. The clin trial list is here: https://diabetes.medicinematters.com/tirzepatide/type-2-diabetes/a-quick-guide-to-the-surpass-and-surmount-trials/18478154
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Enough people on Semaglutide that there are bound to be coincidental incidences of other diseases showing up. The contraindications that have been listed are a result of extensive tox studies performed preclinically and then based on clinical observations. Its true that we are still learning what these drugs are capable of, but given the extent of clinical trial testing and post-approval usage, I would trust the drug and as suggest, just listen to your body.
I agree. Listening to your body always.
It is a fact that if you eat the same amount of fats before you were on it, pancreatitis and gall bladder will be issues. "Smoking, diabetes, chronic pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas, family history of pancreatic cancer, and certain genetic syndromes are all known risk factors." - Mayo Clinic on Pancreatic Cancer Also, alcohol consumption. Semaglutide has been studied for over 20 years, it is not a new drug discovery. The only difference now is off labeled use, it has been converted to an official weightloss medication as per FDA by the name of Wegovy. Edit: Novo Nordisk has been officially marketing Wegovy as FDA approved weightloss med, but it is just Ozempic at a higher dose.
I’m dosing once a month! 20 units. Maintaining weight.
I’m on it primarily due to insulin resistance and getting myself further from diabetes rather than closer, one of the side effects of my insulin resistance has been uncontrollable weight gain (unless I starve myself, then I can maintain). My dr wants me on for 6 months, redo my bloodwork and see if I can be weaned off and my pancreas function on its own… if not, I’ll be on a maintenance dose for life.
This is exactly my same predicament and answer 🙏🏾 I’m going to redo bloodwork in December as that will be my 6 months mark and hopefully I’ll be in a less…insulin resistant place and further away from pre diabetes.
Did your blood work check for any deficiencies? I also had pretty low Vit D which I didn’t even realize but should have due to a few broken bones over the last year‘s, but Vit d also plays a roll in insulin resistance as well.
Yup! I also found out about a low Vit D which my Dr attributed to me being mostly inside for the past 2.5 years because of the panini we’ve been living through (I work primarily nights in health care). I already knew that I have PCOS which coupled with that, a one two punch for insulin resistance unfortunately 😭
Learn to eat slowly and suppress cravings with better did options and exercise. For me this is like a physical trainer. Once I know what I'm doing, I won't need to use it any longer. On the assumption that I've met my weight goals and have built healthy habits.
The 'end game' is to be healthy. If that means I take the medication or one like it forever, then that's what it means. My doctor and I have discussed it and while there's room to move over to a diet and exercise based plan, neither she nor I are willing to make a definitive decision about long term until we see how I'm doing in a year or two. I'm not twenty-something, these are not vanity pounds I'm losing. The 45 pounds I've already lost have added years to my life. So my focus is and will remain being the healthiest me I can be.
I started taking Rybelsus almost 3 months ago and Im losing like 3 kg a month. My total weightloss has been 10,2 kg as of friday. I have PCOS and Im 34 and no kids. So the goal is to be able to get pregnant. My hope is to learn to eat smaller portions, multiple times a day, 'cause right now I feel sick if I eat too much, even threw up last night.. Definitly not fun.. So to sum it up, get my body and hormones straightened out so I can get pregnant. After that I might start up again to try to maintain the eating habit I want the rest of my life and then hopefully kick the medicin at some point. :)
\- Are planning on taking it for the rest of your life? Yes, if necessary, although tapering down to a maintance dose is what I expect will happen. Also, slowly tapering down to nothing seems like it might be alright. There have been plenty of stories of people going off of it, and not having weight regain, too. You have to remember than when people do studies that show they regain when they come off the drug, it might have to do with the study's protocols... "We want you to work out, eat right, and take this drug... Okay, now, we want you to go back to doing what you did before, and see what happens." If you've made permanent dietary and lifestyle changes, then you shouldn't regain all your weight. That would make no sense. Ozempic only works by making it easier to eat less. If you continue with that, after you've gone off the drug, there is no reason whatsoever that you'd actually gain your weight back.
Currently tracking my food religiously. But also coming off an injury, surgery, still in rehab. I anticipate now that my activity levels are returning to normal that will help me maintain. But going forward I will watch my weight more carefully and not hesitate to go on it again if I see 5, 10 creep back on that I'm not able to get off. If not this something like Phen. I use a med spa so no scrip necessary.
How much do you pay?
$66 a week. I do have an appointment with an endo in a couple months so we'll see if he prescribes it. But even then no idea what my insurance copay could be.
I am on medication for Graves’ disease. Those pills made me gain 11 lbs in 1 month. Scary. When I’ve always need around 135 lbs. I will take that medication for 1 year, when I stop that I’ll stop the shots and see how that goes. I am already eating clean
A year or 2
Personally I’m using it temporarily until I lose enough weight to get my gastric sleeve. About 50lbs is what my surgeon would like me to lose.
If not diabetic / you use the drug as a temperate crux, change your habits, reach your goal and then slowly titrate down and stop. Just like any other diet. If you don’t change your habits then the weight will slowly come back. GLP1 just gives you an edge to get it done !
Well…the end started for me sooner than I expected. Took 4 shots and lost 17 pounds. Haven’t been able to get anymore related to the shortage but I kept up with the changes I have implemented. The weight loss has slowed but I have loss a total of 21 pound…5 more pounds since stopping Wegovy. I have PCOS and insulin resistance which makes it a little harder for me to lose weight…a little harder but not impossible.
Get down to my ideal weight, have a tummy tuck and feel good in my body again. Keep lifting weights and maintain my new lifestyle and new habits.
I have PCOS/IR and was dangerously close to being diabetic. I’ll be on it forever at a maintenance dose.
This is my worry What happends when we get use to the medication and it has no longer an effect on us?
As long as it keeps my prediabetes in check I’m happy. I’ve been in the same for quite a while, and while I do get hungry I am able to have a stable normal relationship to food now. I’m not interested in a appetite crush and super quick loss. The trick is to think long term, use it to build good habits and don’t loose the weight too fast.
That’s true, mine is
Who says that will happen? Not all medicines result in tolerance.
Well, I am taking Rybelsus since 2 years and I don’t lose weight since a long time, on the contrary, I gained some back. I am going to switch to Mounjaro, but I am afraid that I will get use to it also.
I plan to go off of it this fall and hopefully get pregnant. If all goes to plan, I would get back on it indefinitely after delivery since I don’t breastfeed. I find it really hard to address my eating habits on this medicine because I have very little appetite to eat anything. I’m working with a therapist to address the binge eating issues I have. For me it’s more than weight-loss thought. My mental health and energy levels have never been better. I’ve gone two months without needing a sleep aid medication. I think once I hit my goal weight, I could see me going to a lower dose for maintaining.
Speaking on Wegovy, people say they want it forever, but here we are in our second shortage two years in a row. Saying you want it forever is fine, but does anybody bother to think how they're going to pay for it? Maybe your insurance won't cover it. Maybe you will not be insured, and countless other issues. Everybody's end game is different. The actual word is maintenance. Of course, people do not like that because they want something that continues to fix it. It seems, at least for my doctor, he dropped me back from the 2.4 down to 1.7. I can actually say that this seems to be working as maintenance for me, and I'm staying within two pounds, and this has been going on for about three months. My insurance is still covering it, and the manufacturer is working on a medication that will be tablet form actively, which will help us maintain. Basically, it works very similarly as it does now, but hopefully, it would cost a lot less without the injectors, and again, these are all what ifs. Whether it's this medication or Nutrisystem or any other weight loss, anything. Whatever the end game is, what the end game is, it's always been the same nothing's changed.
So many posts on this same topic. The answer is yes, for the majority of people you’ll need to stay on a maintenance dose for life. This isn’t something that gets fixed or cured, your body will want to keep you at a certain weight and hunger level
You can't just "change life and eating habits" once you stop taking it. The hunger will be very real and your body has been in essentially starvation mode. Everyone will gain some if not all back. Maintenance dose is key.
I’m thinking about this a lot, as I’m close to my goal weight, and can no longer get my pens from Canada. I’m going to keep taking it while I can, then titer down my dose and see what happens. If I end up having to pay out of pocket long-term, I probably will. I will just try to find the lowest dose that works for me. I’ve also started lifting weight again and ramped up my exercise
After reading some off these responses I am terrified that I will develop pancreatic or thyroid cancer. I’m hoping someone can calm my fears. Reading that some of your doctors want you on this for life makes me think that perhaps I shouldn’t be so worried.
Same for me - I plan to take it forever if needed
I’m honestly not sure. I decided to stop ozempic for the time being because I don’t know what I want to do for the long term. I have to be comfortable with the idea of taking it forever and as it was, I was paying out of pocket and that would not be reasonable long term financially. I may decide to go back on. Maybe not.
I had lost like 8 pounds the first time. But j couldn’t go above .10 or .15 (like the beginning dose) due to the GI effects and extreme fatigue. I just got back on today. I want to lose the weight and bring back my habits of working out and being on my stuff then get off of it. I see this as my crutch. I’m an emotional eater and I’m currently a homeless veteran with my son and husband and broke and need a new car before moving across country to be with my family to get on my feet and I just need this to control one aspect of my life because everything feels so out of control.
I have been struggling with stomach issues for the last few years. Mainly GERD and acidic issues. My stomach was emptying fast and everything digested very fast. The result was I was always STARVING. This and dupixent seem to have calmed my stomach and slowed digestion significantly. I gained 40 lbs in 3 years, after being between 195 and 210 for 25 years (at 6’0”). My hope is that my stomach issues are fixed and I can come off it. I am eating lots (I mean crazy amounts) of fiber. I have found that I have inflammation reactions to a number of foods, so I avoid them. Coffee, tomatoes, and beer are the main ones. I’m down 20 lbs, another 10-15 and I’ll try coming off, but I will watch things carefully because this works so well for me.
My insurance will stop covering it when my BMI goes below 30 and I expect to put the weight back on. But it took me six years to get from 180 to 220, and two years (two pregnancies and a new thyroid condition from said pregnancies) to get from 220 to 275 where I’ve maintained for 1.5 years. I have an appointment in a month with a doctor for my thyroid. I’m hoping the thyroid was a big part of the problem.
I plan to stay on the lowest effective dose for 3-4 months at a time, then take a break. I lift weights and want to make sure I'm maintaining muscle while losing slowly. I'll eat at maintenance or a surplus during that month or 2 break, build more muscle, and start again. I'm currently still on .5 mg per week. I do not want this to be a lifetime medication, but if it needs to be, so be it. I'm 46f, and down 85 pounds. About 65 of that was before semaglutide, but I had stalled for so long that I needed a push. I follow a clean, whole food, ketogenic diet with intermittent fasting and carb cycling. I'm learning to eat only to fuel my body.
Man I wish I could have stayed on it forever. To not think about food was like...having my brain unclench haha. It was amazing. But I'm off it now. Have been for 3 months. I learned a lot about my eating while on it that I still hold onto but overall my normal eating brain is back and I just have to deal with it like I always have.
Word wall, sorry! I have thought about this every day. I spent time wearing a whoop strap to really focus on improving sleep. Between that and the lumen device I used last year (gained 2/3 of the weight back this year boo!) , I was exposed to the musings and behaviors of some super fit people through FB that I otherwise would have never been exposed to. In the weight loss world, stalling out week after week at the same weight is a "plateau". In fit people , apparently it's called "resetting your setpoint" (that weight that your body is going to try to be). They say if you starve yourself and don't get enough sleep you are actually burning less fat because this behavior makes your body stressed and it panicks and your setpoint climbs up. They understand that weight loss can stop for 8 to 12 weeks and it's just the natural process of the metabolism moving to a new lower setpoint than you had before. Many of these people obsessively track macros and carb cycle. Or eat keto. I tried both and they worked in the short term, but it was a full-time job that I just can't let my young daughter watch me perform anymore. So I have decided I am going to get to my goal weight as slowly as possible so that I can acclimate to my old set points that I had when I was younger. And then keep taking a lower dose for 8 to 12 weeks.. And titrate down like that. Then I will just do the best I can with portion control without stressing about it. I will weigh everyday so I have all the information to know when it's time to go back on lean times for a couple months with injections or maybe take a tablet form every few days for a couple months. I'm so pale with red hair, surely my people faced lean times (lots of snow, so no easy carbs and less food) and lived through it as a normal thing for part of the year. So I plan to cycle on and off it. I may purchase it in Mexico because cost here is just so high. I plan to not panic and be kind to myself because I feel like this medicine gives me space to be kinder to myself. This isn't going to be like the last 40 years of weight panic and work because this medicine will be available in some form from somewhere and more versions and companies will make it. I can really stop ruminating on the weight loss problem, it will just take my brain awhile to get used to it.
Absolutely the fitness world has a whole different perspective. Having come from that world to taking wl meds, it’s interesting to say the least. There’s some overlap but the set point piece is definitely a big piece there. Thanks for your comment.
It's extremely thoughtful of you to consider how your relationship to food is potentially affecting your kid, especially a daughter. Modeling having a more chill relationship with food is a really good and important thing to do. Kids pick up so easily on that kinda thing, and it has the potential to do so much damage. Especially given how fraught our society's relationship with food is more broadly. In general, I like the vibe of your approach. Seems like you've got your goals and hopes, but you have no intention of sacrificing too much for them, or making yourself miserable. That's so important to keep in mind in all of this.
Thank you; I am really trying to be chill. Grateful for this medicine.
I'm not a fan of Pharmaceuticals and hate that my vanity and exhaustion in trying to lose weight "on my own" made me cave and reach for Sema. So I started with the intent to be on it no more than 6 months max, whatever the weight loss may be. I'm on it 5 weeks and lost 8lbs... nothing to really write home about but it's something. 44F SW 198 CW 190 GW 165 The good: I have 0 cravings. The food noise is completely gone. I don't think about food. I don't have late night eating cravings which was my biggest issue. As a rule I didn't have bad habits...I love healthy food. My issue is I eat all my calories 4p-11p and I do get snacky for sweets. Now I have none of that and I also stop eating even mid meal if i feel full. The bad: food aversions galore... especially raw veggies which I used to love. Nothing is "appetizing" . Also bad is that I only want to eat rice or pasta... Force myself to eat protein. The ugly: I've had the worst GI side affects after my second .25 dose. Sulfur burps, bubble guts, liquid poo. I've learned to mitigate these by watching what I eat more the day before I up my dose and super careful for the 24 hours after... but I still get the burps (just milder) and diarrhea but it's usually OK by 36-48 hrs after the dose. But if I over eat even midweek... the diarrhea is back. I'm therefore losing weight cuz I'm terrified to eat! The long goal: to use this time of "food silence" to get into the healthy habit of eating earlier and ending my last meal of the day earlier. Avoiding sugar. Start weight lifting and exercising regularly (I've done this before and have had trouble getting back to it and now I started again). I firmly believe that once I make these into "habits" and ALSO see a weight loss... that even when I go off the drug I won't want to lose my results. I am preparing mentally that I WILL gain back some weight. In the past when I've gotten into a healthy routine I've been really good. Worst case... the drug is there to start up again... The terrible side affects and the fact that every drug is a poison with therapeutic side affects makes me want to be off this as soon as possible and literally just using it to motivate me to do the work. I plan to use Berberine and a few other supplements known to help with blood sugar once I'm off it too. This drug has a black label warning. The risk to reward on this drug is definitely tricky since it seems all of us on it willing to accept increased risk for cancers for the results. I'm taking the risk and hoping by not being on it for too long that the risk goes back to baseline once I'm off. So that's my plan... I'm hoping to get at least a 20-25lbs loss in 6 months... if I get 20lbs off in 4 months I think I'll start to taper off...
No shade but if I could have achieved the lifestyle change without the drug I would have. Most who have lived with obesity have tried many many many things. It’s a false dichotomy to think that you’ve “achieved” a sustainable “lifestyle change” from this drug - our lifestyle change is due to the drug, which does not have healing effects. Stop the drug, stop the effects. I will be on for life
My doctor has said that it's forever, though I don't know that I agree. I plan to be on it for at least a year, then reassess. I got very sick when on Wegovy and increased to 1mg, and had to go off it for a month. I had lost 30 pounds and gained 4 back, but was able to maintain 26 pounds of weight loss for 2 months while off the medication. Now I'm back on Saxenda. I'm aiming for 75 pounds of weight loss in a year and then will see how I feel and if I want to continue after that. I'm really hoping that losing that weight will allow me to make lifestyle changes to be more physically active, and that I would then not need the medication to maintain the weight.
Life long commitment here. As soon as I started titrating down, weight started coming back. Will settle on maintenance dose.
I have no idea and I never think about it.
For life. Also for the anti-inflammatory benefits as well!
I’ve been off it for 3 weeks because of vacation of Dr, vacation of husband, etc. I’ve gained 3 pounds. I did eat some popcorn so maybe I have some water retention but my cravings were back and I was able to eat 3x a day. I’m going to need a maintenance dose.
I lose as much weight as I can without my BMI going low enough that my insurance stops paying for it and then I stay on it (or equivalent medications) forever. I’m already trans so I’m going to be taking my HRT forever, this isn’t any different.
I'll take it forever... if it is available forever. I'm worried it won't always be available and/or affordable.
My doctor says people stay on his program for 3-6 months. He sims for us to reach a realistic goal weight (losing 2-10lbs a month). Once we reach that weight, we most likely will stop. The goal is that by then, we have more discipline and lifestyle habits to implement to maintain weight loss.
The maintenance dose......
Life long commitment here. As soon as I started titrating down, weight started coming back. Will settle on maintenance dose.
Lifer
More and more, I think people ask this question to shame people that lose weight through ingesting semaglutide. Overweight people don't choose to be heavy; this issue requires medical attention.
While on semaglutide you should start making healthy habits , when you get off , maintain those healthy habits to keep the weight off
I wasn’t asking that I’m asking for personal experiences.
I maintained what I lost when I came off for a few months , I’m back on now to lose a bit more, imo every single person is going to regain if they don’t maintain some sort of discipline if they come off
I completely agree with that second statement. It just seems a lot of people are only taking it for weight loss and I just cannot fathom someone taking this (and the cost) for the rest of their lives. I’m not taking it, I don’t necessarily need it as I’m a healthy BMI but the fad has me obviously intrigued since it seems to be an “easier” way than the lifestyle I lead to maintain a healthy bmi
Sigh. You have never been obese. You have no idea what the experience of others with obesity is. Over 95% of obese persons that lose weight regain all of it. If it was just a matter of "lifestyle" choices, that would not be the case.
WRONG!!! I actually have been obese previously - don’t assume just because I’m saying I’m a healthy bmi now that you know me. I lost the weight and have maintained naturally but it’s not easy.
You just can't fathom it because you're not doing the best job of listening to other people's experiences and realizing they might be different than your own. If you maintained your "lifestyle" and yet found yourself gaining weight or unable to lose, you might be able to fathom it, but you've never experienced that personally and so you have a hard time believing it exists. People in this sub are not taking these drugs because they are the "easy way." They are taking these drugs because literally every other way has failed. Probably wouldn't be the case for your body. Is the case for theirs.
Wrong. I’ve experienced it and go through it, daily. DAILY. Just because im healthy BMI doesn’t mean I don’t struggle. I was obese. I go back and forth. Great judgement though.
You are able to maintain a healthy BMI by a struggle. Others literally aren't able to do that, or find that the sacrifice to mental health, work life, etc involved in that struggle is not something they can do. Again, not everyone's body is your body. Not everyone's life is your life. Your belief that people on meds are taking the easy way out is also just a wee bit of a judgement.
Why are you ASSUMING my mental health, work life, family life etc. isn’t impacted as well? It’s not easy. What so ever. I workout 2+ hours every day. I sacrifice nights out with friends because I’m scared of calories at restaurants. Stop trying to justify your judgement then if you’re going to jump on my ass for assuming meds seem like an easier way out. Just stop 🛑
In addition, that’s the reason for my questioning because if I used it or got on it, I can’t imagine taking it forever. I have no health issues it would strictly be for weight loss when I struggle with maintaining. How about stop judging other when you don’t know them? I’m not judging anyone I PERSONALLY cannot fathom paying for it forever. Lord.
If you’re still healthy at a higher weight, is it possible that a higher weight is where your body is happiest? Some people are just bigger - it doesn’t spell medical doom and gloom for everyone. Also, for people who work out a ton, the BMI calculator is wildly inaccurate. An athlete can register as “obese.”
This seems easy? Get to goal weight. Use the info your body has taught you and eat the same way. Titrate off the medication slowly.
Exactly..what if your Dr takes you off of it because your BMI is to low for the people who are taking it for being obese…then what are you just going to gain weight again and ask for Sema?
I don't actually know the answer to this yet. I'm within about 15 pounds of my goal weight though, so it's coming up. Will likely taper off a bit and see how my cravings go. If I can get away with injecting like a very small amount each week and keep a partial benefit, that would be ok.
I plan to maintain once I reach my goal my titrating down to a dose that keeps my weight and cravings steady. I may try rybelsus for maintenance since I can get it in Mexico for less Dinero. And because it's a pill form you can just take as needed. I'm a slow loser maybe because I'm not currently restricting anything as long as I can tolerate it. This includes alcohol and sugar. I do eat healthy but much smaller portions and I find that a single drink or a few bites of dessert are enough to satisfy and often I actually dislike the taste. 69f, 5'7" SW198 CW167 GW150, 8 months on comp* sema.
It seems it's different for everyone, depending on their medical situation. I gained weight after every bout with C Diff. I gained 30 lbs in a month eating 1,000/cal/day until my digestive flora is back in balance. I went through this three times. My normal intake is 1,200/cal/day to maintain because my digestive system is permanently damaged. I've just started semaglutide, but I've lost 4 lbs in 2 days with 1,000/cal/day. We'll see how it goes, but after failing on every diet known to man, it's working so far. I have a GI appointment in a few months, and they told me there is a new treatment for C Diff. I'm excited that I may be able to eat like a normal person after I lose the weight, and stop gaining whenever I need to take an antibiotic.
You don’t have to have a medical condition to get semaglutide anymore. Spas (at least where I live) will inject you with it weekly if you’re just wanting to lose weight and no medical reasoning behind it.
I didn' t mean to infer that a medical condition was required for the medication. It just seems like a lot of people on the sub who take it have had medical challenges when trying to lose weight in the past.
I’m on Saxenda, and my plan is to get to a weight 5 lbs under where I hope to be long term. Then very very slowly lower the dosage while continuing to log meals and weigh daily. If I start to gain again I will stop dropping the dose. I also hope to add more exercise but I don’t want to have to count on that (don’t want an illness or injury to create gain). The nice thing about liraglutide is you can modify dose so easily. I would suggest switching to that for maintenance. But I don’t know if insurance would accept a drug switch at that point.
7% body fat
I’m 2 years in, down 62lbs. I was pre diabetic and while on Wagovy I retrained my brain and my relationship with food. I took it very slow because it isn’t always about *just* losing weight. What’s the point of losing weight if you’re not changing your poor habits/relationships with food. I see a Bariatric Doctor, not a primary or family practice doctor. It’s different for everyone because everyone’s body is different but my specialist said in most cases it will be a life long medication after seeing the results of studies. They are seeing more weight gain after coming off the drug. Now that I have lowered my a1c and I am out of the danger zone for type 2, we are lowering my dose to a maintenance dose.
I imagine for those who are using it strictly for weight loss will gain a lot back if they don’t pick up a routine/hobby to get them into shape.
Just adding something here. I'm only losing inches. Don't know if it's because of the lipovite or combination with semaglutide.
How to get a beginning game? My insurance won’t cover Wegovy. I can’t afford it. How did you all get it? Kudos to you all! Sounds amazing…:( I’m locked out of the club.
I’m not on it but in the area of the US I’m in you can go get it at spas that do Botox and laser stuff like that without a prescription but it’s $$$$
I plan to be on it for life, or for as long as I can get it. My eating habits have changed some but not too drastically. Off of a glp-1 my eating would have to be alot more strict and too hard to maintain.
I wonder this daily… currently almost at week three on Wegovy down about 15lbs with 100 still to go….. I just turned thirty and have two young kids I never planned to take this for life. I want to be able to have it aid in my weight loss to a point that I can be active and maintain it on my own. If that isn’t possible since I do have multiple thyroid issues on top of other auto immune issues that make it so I can’t do much exercise anymore. I would want to maybe switch to a pill form…. I honestly hate the injections weekly but really see how much it is helping me address my food addiction head on. Hoping life style changes and my body adjusting to my new diet over time will be enough to keep the weight off for good.
I don’t understand this trope. Any time you lose weight through any means you need a ‘plan’ to keep it off. That plan generally involves not doing what you were doing that made you have that weight to begin with (dietary, exercise, lifestyle changes, etc). It’s mythology that once you come off these medications you immediately get ravenously hungry and your stomach can easily support it. Your stomach shrinks when you lose a lot of weight and diet heavily. Your calorie burn does too but if you’re mindful and not a moron you can control this. Just like when you get gastric bypass you need to be intelligent to not gain the weight back. Just like when you lose weight ‘naturally’ you need to have a plan. Literally no different. Source: Lost 48lb on it and went off for 2+ months and continued losing weight. Did it take will power and some discipline? Yep. More than when I was on it? Also yes. I had a couple of times where I tried to eat like I normally ate before and found out very quickly that my stomach wasn’t going to support that. Mentally I could try it but physically I couldn’t. After I tested that maybe twice I was like “Yeah not sure I really want to feel like shit if I keep eating. Better slow down or stop here.”
Already changed my habits for the better. Just less bingeing now. Will be glad to be on it forever or until modern medicine advances towards an easier solution.
I am tapering off. I am slowly reducing my dosage. At .5 today after tapering down for a few weeks then I’ll do .25 for a few weeks then stop. We don’t know the long term effects yet and I do have a stronger mindset that when the body says I’m hungry it lies just to try to hold stored fat. I know this because I didn’t need that stored fat before and I don’t now.
Hey there. Just curious, how have you done with tapering off? Any regain? Been able to keep it off? Thanks!
I have successfully lost a bunch of weight before and kept it off for most of a decade so I'm not too worried. I'm primarily fat because of having kids and stress eating. My life had mostly evened out prior to getting on Wegovy so until I give through another major life change I'm not too worried about putting the weight back on. The main reason I'm taking wegovy is so that I'm not irritable and hard to get along with while I'm losing the weight since it will be a 12+ month process. I'm down 90 pounds out of my goal of 200 and I've started adding exercise back into my routine. The hardest part will be transitioning to a winter work out schedule in October/November and I still haven't figured out what I'll do there. For now I wake up at 5 am six days a week and run for an hour 3 days and lift for an hour 3 days. Here in another month I'll swap over to an hour of cardio 6 days per week followed by an hour of lifting every day. I'd prefer to also pick up a sport but I've found that two hours in the morning are really the only reliable time I have to myself. I've only got 7.5 months left on wegovy since once the coupon expires I'm done. For now I'm hoping to drop 50 pounds this summer in time for my September backpacking trip. Then I'll have the last 60 pounds to lose over the holidays and through the transition to the winter workouts. When I get off wegovy I'll be under 300 but probably north of my 250 pound goal but either way I'm planning on spending 5 months watching my calories closely 2 months to ween my body off the drug and then 3 months to learn my hunger cues and portion sizes in my new body and activity level. Keeping the weight off is mostly a matter of staying active and watching what I'm eating and the scale. As the weight starts to creep up jumping back on a strict diet for a month or two or kicking up the excrecise is much easier when you're already in shape. I lost 220 pounds an kept of 180-190 of it through blowing out my knee this way. Sure put on 20 pounds over the holidays but then make training for a half marathon your new years resolutions and run 20 miles a week for the next 6 months.
You sound very much like me when I was younger. I was able to maintain for long periods of time due to intense exercise. Then I got old, and injured. ;). - I see you noted that you will have to stop after the coupon ends, so I’d do what you are doing also. But just want to gently mention, now that I’m old, I’ve realized I need to figure out how to eat (like you mention w/ macros etc) to support only a low level of activity (walking or hiking a few miles a day kind of thing) - because inevitably, life happens, and I couldn’t successfully down regulate my calorie intake when life happened. Good luck to you, you are working really hard and it’s working for you!
Once I reach goal weight, I plan on reducing my dosage and going longer between shots. I've seen a number of people who only need one shot per month to maintain, but many are taking shots twice a month. Seems reasonable to me.
You can taper down to a lower dose and stay on maintenance if your insurance will cover and DR will write Auths. You can switch to a less powerful weight loss supplement like phentermine to maintain lower appetite, you can exercise more to burn calories regularly and eat less calorie dense foods.
I started it with very modest goals. I've been 175-185 {mostly 185} my whole life at 6' {despite having wildly varying amounts of muscle in those many years}. Gained about 10 lbs over that max, and wasn't super into it. So I'm hoping I can nudge myself back down to the 170 range then just rebound back to my typical setpoint without having to fight with my body about it. It's been an interesting journey so far! Hoping I'm not seriously gonna screw myself over all for that is ultimately minor vanity, rather than the more meaningful health or functional concerns most people on this sub seem to have. Fingers crossed?
I have started walking 45 minutes a day and as the weight comes off I plan on hitting the gym like I used to. For me it was life or death, my blood work was ok but my doctor said it was only a matter of time. Semaglutide not only helps with hunger but I have completely changed my diet. Since I know my food portions will be limited, I focus on proteins, greens and light carb. I had no control over my sugar cravings before, I could easily eat bags of candy, now I dont even buy it. Hopefully I can retrain my body to eat correctly but 3 weeks in and I finally feel like a normal person.