The GLP-1 Miracle

 Wow -- and just like that, another two plus years have passed.  A lot has happened.  I did get that GLP-1 I talked about in March 2024.  In June 2024, I started Ozempic (semaglutide) shots.  I lost about 30-ish pounds over a year and three months.  Then my doctor cut me off.  She told me she was concerned about my lipase and amylase.  However, many other Kaiser patients were telling me that Kaiser-the-insurance-company was refusing to cover GLP-1's for non-diabetic patients (i.e., for weight loss only patients).  My last shot was in September 2025.  My weight stayed stable for a couple of months, and then the yo-yo began again.

As an aside, I did start Pilates reformer in May 2025.  I was so excited and quickly got up to three to four classes a week.  Unfortunately, even that couldn't save me from the dreaded weight gain.  

I put on about 10 pounds right before Christmas, which was a bummer.  I was getting married in January 2026 and my dress was fitted to my lower weight.  Then the universe stepped in and gave me the worst flu I have ever had in my life.  I dropped that weight like a hot potato.  I was also so sick that one week before we were scheduled to fly out, I wasn't sure I could get on a plane.  Finally, the doctor sent me for a chest x-ray, confirmed pneumonia, and got me the right meds.  The wedding was in Hawaii and it was exactly the day I had hoped for.  I only wish I could have slowed it down to enjoy it more.  

Once I got home, the weight just packed back on.  I put about 25 pounds on between February and May 2026.  Gaining weight that quickly is pretty hard on your body.  I was also back up to a weight that is very painful and uncomfortable for me.  On top of that, I fell while hiking and fractured my ankle in April 2026.  I was just not feeling my best.  And Kaiser had no interest in prescribing Ozempic again.  I decided to bite the bullet and pay out of pocket.  I also decided if I am going to pay for it myself, I am going to go for tirzepatide.  It seems to be the superior GLP (2), and I have heard of people having higher success on it.  I did start those shots in May, and lost 12 pounds in the first couple of weeks.

As a lifetime fat person, it is hard to explain what the GLP's do for me.  When people talk about taking away food noise, it is life changing.  If a thin person tells a fat person to just eat less, it's impossible for some.  This helps you.  I can sometimes eat breakfast in the morning, and then at 6 PM, I'll think, oh I should eat dinner.  Not because I am hungry, but because I realize I need to provide nutrition to my body.  Is this how it is for thin people all the time??  These medications help by quieting the food noise, helping you feel full faster and stay full longer.  While on Ozempic, I also stopped desiring any kind of alcohol and stopped impulse shopping online.  

It really frustrates me to think I may have to pay for these medications for the rest of my life.  However, it is easy enough for me to drop $20 here and there on things I don't need off Tik Tok shop.  I might as well invest in my future health.  I have always said I would rather be fat than yo-yo up and down.  However, past a certain weight, my body hurts too much.  I'm turning 50 this year, and my hips already hurt a lot.  So, I am on this path, and hope that the miracle continues for me.  

I know the decision to take these medications should not be taken lightly.  There are side effects.  Luckily for me, those side effects have been mild (slight constipation and muscle spasms, controlled with magnesium supplements).  But the benefits have far outweighed those side effects.  These shots also bring down inflammation, which has lowered my joint pain and psoriasis flare ups considerably.  The shots have also been approved to treat whatever the new name is for non-alcoholic fatty liver, which I apparently have again.  There seems to be a lot of upsides to taking this medication (for me).  

Anyway, that's what I have been up to for the last couple of years.  I hope you are all well!  Please feel free to leave a comment to let me know.

[Also, I tried to upload a photo and it looks like I may need to upgrade something in my account because things have changed since I was here last...]