So many friends on GLPs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just reconnected with a group of college friends and we met up for dinner. Every single one looks fantastic - maybe even better in their mid 40s than their 20s. I came to find out that 3 of the 4 women are on GLPs which helped them lose 10-20 lbs (none were overweight) and now they are just micro dosing to maintain. They all said they feel better then they have in years, didn’t have bad side effects, and focus on eating protein so they don’t lose muscle.

Anyway, here I am struggling to lose 10-15 lbs like always - restricting my calories, working out a ton, etc, and barely seeing the scale move. Every time I do lose it it ends up coming back again.

Just wondering why I don’t take the easier route like so many others. I would need to find a doctor to prescribe it since my PCP won’t (despite telling me my BMI is too high and I need to focus on losing 10-15 lbs).

This is why no one talks to you about it. You are a judgey friend. No one needs that in their life.

Not OP but it’s true. It is the easier route. Exercising hard annd regularly at the same time as restricting calories when you work full time and are raising kids is hard. Injecting yourself with weight-loss drugs that work = easy.

Ok I'm going to blow your mind here. I've been getting up at 5am to exercise 5 days/week (3 days lifting, 2 days cardio) and walking at least 8k+ steps per day for 3 years. I've dutifully tracked macros nearly every single day. I meal prepped breakfast and lunch and thoughtfully planned dinners. I lost 12 pounds and then got stuck for 2 years+.

I'm on Zepbound now and I still do all of those things. But now, I've dropped 14 pounds in 2.5 months-- on a "starter"-- not even therapeutic dose. I'm sure there are people who use it to suppress their appetite and when they do eat, eat like shit and don't exercise. But my point is for those of us trying to make lasting changes that support health its STILL hard, albeit admittedly not as frustrating as it used to be.

My questions are: how much do you weightlift? Or “lift”? How heavy? What kind of cardio do you do and how long? Light weights and walking are not enough no matter if you wake up at 5am.

I’m struck by your assumption that I must be doing it wrong. No, I lift heavy. My current hip thrust is 145, back squat about 130, RDL around 120. My upper body is comparatively weaker, about 80lbs for various presses (bench, incline, overhead). I do drop sets focused on progressive overload. Cardio changed over the 3 years. Sometimes incline walks at brisk pace, sometimes cycling a la peloton, sometimes cardio dance classes, etc. I ate at least 130g of protein a day. Typically 1550 calories some periods I went lower. I wasn’t super obese, I was on the border of overweight and obese.

Are you suggesting every person in the normal weight range does at least this? We both know that’s not accurate.

I’m not looking for a trophy for being the hardest worker. My point is just the disdain for taking the “easy” way is unjustified. Plenty of people tried really hard before and continue to try hard while taking the drugs.

Why do you think you need to lose weight?

I’m a different PP but very similar to this one. I don’t *have* to lose weight, yet. I’m currently about 20lb heavier than my lightest weight but would be happy being 12-15lb lighter. Those extra pounds have crept on slowly over the last 10 years. I am worried that despite my healthy lifestyle they will just keep adding on and soon I will be really obese. I’d rather deal with that before it gets out of hand. And yes, vanity is part of it. I don’t like the way I look as much as I used to. I don’t like the way my clothes fit. I’m sure there isn’t an answer I can give that will satisfy you, PP, but I’m happy with my choice and happy to be able to use these drugs to improve my life.

I just wanted to edit this as it sounds confusing. I don’t want to be 12-15lb lighter than my lightest weight. I’m saying I would be happy being 12-15lb lighter than I am now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just reconnected with a group of college friends and we met up for dinner. Every single one looks fantastic - maybe even better in their mid 40s than their 20s. I came to find out that 3 of the 4 women are on GLPs which helped them lose 10-20 lbs (none were overweight) and now they are just micro dosing to maintain. They all said they feel better then they have in years, didn’t have bad side effects, and focus on eating protein so they don’t lose muscle.

Anyway, here I am struggling to lose 10-15 lbs like always - restricting my calories, working out a ton, etc, and barely seeing the scale move. Every time I do lose it it ends up coming back again.

Just wondering why I don’t take the easier route like so many others. I would need to find a doctor to prescribe it since my PCP won’t (despite telling me my BMI is too high and I need to focus on losing 10-15 lbs).

This is why no one talks to you about it. You are a judgey friend. No one needs that in their life.

Not OP but it’s true. It is the easier route. Exercising hard annd regularly at the same time as restricting calories when you work full time and are raising kids is hard. Injecting yourself with weight-loss drugs that work = easy.

Ok I'm going to blow your mind here. I've been getting up at 5am to exercise 5 days/week (3 days lifting, 2 days cardio) and walking at least 8k+ steps per day for 3 years. I've dutifully tracked macros nearly every single day. I meal prepped breakfast and lunch and thoughtfully planned dinners. I lost 12 pounds and then got stuck for 2 years+.

I'm on Zepbound now and I still do all of those things. But now, I've dropped 14 pounds in 2.5 months-- on a "starter"-- not even therapeutic dose. I'm sure there are people who use it to suppress their appetite and when they do eat, eat like shit and don't exercise. But my point is for those of us trying to make lasting changes that support health its STILL hard, albeit admittedly not as frustrating as it used to be.

Your story is making me question how healthy all of this is. If your body is fighting you this hard to keep pounds that you have to drug yourself to lose weight, how healthy is this drug? Maybe you shouldn't be losing this weight and the doctors are actually wrong about all of this. Wouldn't be the first time doctors got it wrong.

It’s a fair point and something I reflected on for ~6 months while considering taking them.

I’ve also been thinking about the mechanisms of action. I get that most people just don’t eat when they’re on them, but I’ve been very intentional about getting adequate nutrition. I’m eating on average 300 calories less per day than when I wasn’t on them. By that math I should be losing 1 pound about every 11 days. But I’m losing ~1.5 per week which makes me wonder if there’s some metabolic or biochemical process that’s broken in me that this is somehow repairing. My doctor reflected on this too saying she had many folks (mostly women) who are having similar experiences. Her hypotheses were about chronic dieting causing damage or possibly food supply issues. All of my labs in terms of hormones, insulin resistance, thyroid, etc were good, so there’s no obvious explanation.

The thing that pushed me over the edge to do it was that my labs were starting to deteriorate a bit. My LDL was too high and HDL was too low even with typical lifestyle modifications and they have been creeping in the wrong direction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just reconnected with a group of college friends and we met up for dinner. Every single one looks fantastic - maybe even better in their mid 40s than their 20s. I came to find out that 3 of the 4 women are on GLPs which helped them lose 10-20 lbs (none were overweight) and now they are just micro dosing to maintain. They all said they feel better then they have in years, didn’t have bad side effects, and focus on eating protein so they don’t lose muscle.

Anyway, here I am struggling to lose 10-15 lbs like always - restricting my calories, working out a ton, etc, and barely seeing the scale move. Every time I do lose it it ends up coming back again.

Just wondering why I don’t take the easier route like so many others. I would need to find a doctor to prescribe it since my PCP won’t (despite telling me my BMI is too high and I need to focus on losing 10-15 lbs).

This is why no one talks to you about it. You are a judgey friend. No one needs that in their life.

Not OP but it’s true. It is the easier route. Exercising hard annd regularly at the same time as restricting calories when you work full time and are raising kids is hard. Injecting yourself with weight-loss drugs that work = easy.

Ok I'm going to blow your mind here. I've been getting up at 5am to exercise 5 days/week (3 days lifting, 2 days cardio) and walking at least 8k+ steps per day for 3 years. I've dutifully tracked macros nearly every single day. I meal prepped breakfast and lunch and thoughtfully planned dinners. I lost 12 pounds and then got stuck for 2 years+.

I'm on Zepbound now and I still do all of those things. But now, I've dropped 14 pounds in 2.5 months-- on a "starter"-- not even therapeutic dose. I'm sure there are people who use it to suppress their appetite and when they do eat, eat like shit and don't exercise. But my point is for those of us trying to make lasting changes that support health its STILL hard, albeit admittedly not as frustrating as it used to be.

My questions are: how much do you weightlift? Or “lift”? How heavy? What kind of cardio do you do and how long? Light weights and walking are not enough no matter if you wake up at 5am.

I’m struck by your assumption that I must be doing it wrong. No, I lift heavy. My current hip thrust is 145, back squat about 130, RDL around 120. My upper body is comparatively weaker, about 80lbs for various presses (bench, incline, overhead). I do drop sets focused on progressive overload. Cardio changed over the 3 years. Sometimes incline walks at brisk pace, sometimes cycling a la peloton, sometimes cardio dance classes, etc. I ate at least 130g of protein a day. Typically 1550 calories some periods I went lower. I wasn’t super obese, I was on the border of overweight and obese.

Are you suggesting every person in the normal weight range does at least this? We both know that’s not accurate.

I’m not looking for a trophy for being the hardest worker. My point is just the disdain for taking the “easy” way is unjustified. Plenty of people tried really hard before and continue to try hard while taking the drugs.

Why do you think you need to lose weight?

I’m technically 14lbs overweight per BMI and though I feel strong I definitely don’t look how I’d like to. I wish I was immune to societal influence but frankly it’s very real and very strong. While I’ve always been overweight (or barely in the normal range), I notice people respond to me differently than when I was smaller. I’m happily married so it isn’t that. But doctors, people at work, just out in the world. You don’t have to scroll very far here to see many people think not trim = lazy, undisciplined, and sloppy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish we knew how we got here. Maybe these drugs can drastically improve the health of more well to do Americans but they were not needed 50 years ago. What did we do to our food and lifestyle that drug companies get this boon?

There is obesity and extreme weight due to overconsumption of junk, our horrible food supply, and the use of glp to really help counterbalance all this.

But I think the middle aged women who are 15lbs overweight now were 15lbs overweight in the 50s too, in the 19th century…we just don’t have pics in fashion mags showing us these women, but i certainly have these pics of the women in my family, as many others do: women who worked hard and ate simple foods but were not thin and gained weight in peri. So is the solution to try and conform to the new standards thanks to glp, try with great effort to lose weight other ways, or just accept some weight gain while not neglecting general health? I’m struggling with that myself. So much of it is society and misogyny at play and it’s both hard to ignore and shitty on some level to cater to.

I agree with this. I think this highlights the hormonal nature of this weight gain and how the glps are helpful with that. I only started a few weeks ago and I am tracking my eating now as I have done for years - I am eating literally exactly the same as I was before (very healthily and in the 1200-1500 range) and now I am dropping a couple of pounds a week. My body was just holding onto it all before and now it is not. I am excited that I am finally on the road to losing these extra 20lb! And for me, no side effects at all.

Isn’t that an unusual response, though? For most people it curbs appetite and thus reduces overall calorie intake?

DP - Those two things are not mutually exclusive. And no, it is not unusual, my experience was also quite similar. Insulin resistance is a real thing.

I’m not following. The first PP said she is eating literally exactly the same. How is that not mutually exclusive with reducing calories?

Have you ever heard of somebody taking a drug like prednisone and eating the exact same food but gaining weight?

No, because steroids increase fluid retention and appetite. People actually eat more.

There’s a ton of drugs that people take and they gain weight and it’s not because they’re eating more. But you’re just too hardheaded to admit it.

You need excess calories to put on weight. It doesn't just come on out of thin air.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just reconnected with a group of college friends and we met up for dinner. Every single one looks fantastic - maybe even better in their mid 40s than their 20s. I came to find out that 3 of the 4 women are on GLPs which helped them lose 10-20 lbs (none were overweight) and now they are just micro dosing to maintain. They all said they feel better then they have in years, didn’t have bad side effects, and focus on eating protein so they don’t lose muscle.

Anyway, here I am struggling to lose 10-15 lbs like always - restricting my calories, working out a ton, etc, and barely seeing the scale move. Every time I do lose it it ends up coming back again.

Just wondering why I don’t take the easier route like so many others. I would need to find a doctor to prescribe it since my PCP won’t (despite telling me my BMI is too high and I need to focus on losing 10-15 lbs).

This is why no one talks to you about it. You are a judgey friend. No one needs that in their life.

Not OP but it’s true. It is the easier route. Exercising hard annd regularly at the same time as restricting calories when you work full time and are raising kids is hard. Injecting yourself with weight-loss drugs that work = easy.

Ok I'm going to blow your mind here. I've been getting up at 5am to exercise 5 days/week (3 days lifting, 2 days cardio) and walking at least 8k+ steps per day for 3 years. I've dutifully tracked macros nearly every single day. I meal prepped breakfast and lunch and thoughtfully planned dinners. I lost 12 pounds and then got stuck for 2 years+.

I'm on Zepbound now and I still do all of those things. But now, I've dropped 14 pounds in 2.5 months-- on a "starter"-- not even therapeutic dose. I'm sure there are people who use it to suppress their appetite and when they do eat, eat like shit and don't exercise. But my point is for those of us trying to make lasting changes that support health its STILL hard, albeit admittedly not as frustrating as it used to be.

Your story is making me question how healthy all of this is. If your body is fighting you this hard to keep pounds that you have to drug yourself to lose weight, how healthy is this drug? Maybe you shouldn't be losing this weight and the doctors are actually wrong about all of this. Wouldn't be the first time doctors got it wrong.

Are you suggesting that person would be healthier while overweight? Are you also suggesting that the body is right and medicine is wrong? Do you take that position for any other medical condition?

So freakin' bizarre to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish we knew how we got here. Maybe these drugs can drastically improve the health of more well to do Americans but they were not needed 50 years ago. What did we do to our food and lifestyle that drug companies get this boon?

There is obesity and extreme weight due to overconsumption of junk, our horrible food supply, and the use of glp to really help counterbalance all this.

But I think the middle aged women who are 15lbs overweight now were 15lbs overweight in the 50s too, in the 19th century…we just don’t have pics in fashion mags showing us these women, but i certainly have these pics of the women in my family, as many others do: women who worked hard and ate simple foods but were not thin and gained weight in peri. So is the solution to try and conform to the new standards thanks to glp, try with great effort to lose weight other ways, or just accept some weight gain while not neglecting general health? I’m struggling with that myself. So much of it is society and misogyny at play and it’s both hard to ignore and shitty on some level to cater to.

I agree with this. I think this highlights the hormonal nature of this weight gain and how the glps are helpful with that. I only started a few weeks ago and I am tracking my eating now as I have done for years - I am eating literally exactly the same as I was before (very healthily and in the 1200-1500 range) and now I am dropping a couple of pounds a week. My body was just holding onto it all before and now it is not. I am excited that I am finally on the road to losing these extra 20lb! And for me, no side effects at all.

Isn’t that an unusual response, though? For most people it curbs appetite and thus reduces overall calorie intake?

DP - Those two things are not mutually exclusive. And no, it is not unusual, my experience was also quite similar. Insulin resistance is a real thing.

I’m not following. The first PP said she is eating literally exactly the same. How is that not mutually exclusive with reducing calories?

Have you ever heard of somebody taking a drug like prednisone and eating the exact same food but gaining weight?

No, because steroids increase fluid retention and appetite. People actually eat more.

There’s a ton of drugs that people take and they gain weight and it’s not because they’re eating more. But you’re just too hardheaded to admit it.

You need excess calories to put on weight. It doesn't just come on out of thin air.

What determines the number that is excess?

And before you answer, know that I already know the answer. It doesn't seem you do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard horror stories about it causing major digestive issues—either severe constipation or the opposite—and that gives me pause every time I think about trying it. I’ve been fighting to loose an extra 15 pounds of menopause weight for while now.

Zepbound doesn’t seem to cause the same kind of side effects that the first GLP meds did. I tried Wegovy and was always nauseous and constipated. I did lose weight but I was tired of feeling bad. Now I’m on a low dose of Zepbound to maintain my weight and I’ve had zero side effects. Maybe a little bit tired the first 2-3 weeks but now I feel great, it keeps my appetite down, and no digestive issues.

Zero side effects here as well. I feel perfectly normal.

Zero side effects that you feel right now. There are most likely longterm effects to these drugs that are not yet clear. The piper always comes to be paid. . .

Says you. I wear glasses and footwear -- technology that has really improved my life. Way more upside than downside.

Decreased risk for cancer, heart attack, stroke, hip and knee problems etc etc… what other long term side effects should we list?

There is no question that the risk benefit profile is favorable in overweight and obese people. What is not clear is if that holds true for vain people just wanting to lose ten pounds. “Lack of evidence is not evidence of lack.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just reconnected with a group of college friends and we met up for dinner. Every single one looks fantastic - maybe even better in their mid 40s than their 20s. I came to find out that 3 of the 4 women are on GLPs which helped them lose 10-20 lbs (none were overweight) and now they are just micro dosing to maintain. They all said they feel better then they have in years, didn’t have bad side effects, and focus on eating protein so they don’t lose muscle.

Anyway, here I am struggling to lose 10-15 lbs like always - restricting my calories, working out a ton, etc, and barely seeing the scale move. Every time I do lose it it ends up coming back again.

Just wondering why I don’t take the easier route like so many others. I would need to find a doctor to prescribe it since my PCP won’t (despite telling me my BMI is too high and I need to focus on losing 10-15 lbs).

This is why no one talks to you about it. You are a judgey friend. No one needs that in their life.

Not OP but it’s true. It is the easier route. Exercising hard annd regularly at the same time as restricting calories when you work full time and are raising kids is hard. Injecting yourself with weight-loss drugs that work = easy.

Ok I'm going to blow your mind here. I've been getting up at 5am to exercise 5 days/week (3 days lifting, 2 days cardio) and walking at least 8k+ steps per day for 3 years. I've dutifully tracked macros nearly every single day. I meal prepped breakfast and lunch and thoughtfully planned dinners. I lost 12 pounds and then got stuck for 2 years+.

I'm on Zepbound now and I still do all of those things. But now, I've dropped 14 pounds in 2.5 months-- on a "starter"-- not even therapeutic dose. I'm sure there are people who use it to suppress their appetite and when they do eat, eat like shit and don't exercise. But my point is for those of us trying to make lasting changes that support health its STILL hard, albeit admittedly not as frustrating as it used to be.

Your story is making me question how healthy all of this is. If your body is fighting you this hard to keep pounds that you have to drug yourself to lose weight, how healthy is this drug? Maybe you shouldn't be losing this weight and the doctors are actually wrong about all of this. Wouldn't be the first time doctors got it wrong.

Are you suggesting that person would be healthier while overweight? Are you also suggesting that the body is right and medicine is wrong? Do you take that position for any other medical condition?

So freakin' bizarre to me.

Dp. It’s possible. There is an elite athlete in my family who has always been considered “overweight” if you just take into account her height and weight. She is super tall, solid muscle and dominates in her sport. If she lost any weight, it would affect her performance. So maybe it’s time to reevaluate what “overweight” actually means. I’m sure there are some beautiful, strong women on this thread who are taking this medication because society has made them feel like they have to. Not because they actually need to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just reconnected with a group of college friends and we met up for dinner. Every single one looks fantastic - maybe even better in their mid 40s than their 20s. I came to find out that 3 of the 4 women are on GLPs which helped them lose 10-20 lbs (none were overweight) and now they are just micro dosing to maintain. They all said they feel better then they have in years, didn’t have bad side effects, and focus on eating protein so they don’t lose muscle.

Anyway, here I am struggling to lose 10-15 lbs like always - restricting my calories, working out a ton, etc, and barely seeing the scale move. Every time I do lose it it ends up coming back again.

Just wondering why I don’t take the easier route like so many others. I would need to find a doctor to prescribe it since my PCP won’t (despite telling me my BMI is too high and I need to focus on losing 10-15 lbs).

This is why no one talks to you about it. You are a judgey friend. No one needs that in their life.

Not OP but it’s true. It is the easier route. Exercising hard annd regularly at the same time as restricting calories when you work full time and are raising kids is hard. Injecting yourself with weight-loss drugs that work = easy.

Ok I'm going to blow your mind here. I've been getting up at 5am to exercise 5 days/week (3 days lifting, 2 days cardio) and walking at least 8k+ steps per day for 3 years. I've dutifully tracked macros nearly every single day. I meal prepped breakfast and lunch and thoughtfully planned dinners. I lost 12 pounds and then got stuck for 2 years+.

I'm on Zepbound now and I still do all of those things. But now, I've dropped 14 pounds in 2.5 months-- on a "starter"-- not even therapeutic dose. I'm sure there are people who use it to suppress their appetite and when they do eat, eat like shit and don't exercise. But my point is for those of us trying to make lasting changes that support health its STILL hard, albeit admittedly not as frustrating as it used to be.

Your story is making me question how healthy all of this is. If your body is fighting you this hard to keep pounds that you have to drug yourself to lose weight, how healthy is this drug? Maybe you shouldn't be losing this weight and the doctors are actually wrong about all of this. Wouldn't be the first time doctors got it wrong.

Are you suggesting that person would be healthier while overweight? Are you also suggesting that the body is right and medicine is wrong? Do you take that position for any other medical condition?

So freakin' bizarre to me.

Dp. It’s possible. There is an elite athlete in my family who has always been considered “overweight” if you just take into account her height and weight. She is super tall, solid muscle and dominates in her sport. If she lost any weight, it would affect her performance. So maybe it’s time to reevaluate what “overweight” actually means. I’m sure there are some beautiful, strong women on this thread who are taking this medication because society has made them feel like they have to. Not because they actually need to.

Well this would be a useful response if we were talking about “considered” overweight according to a chart and the not common use case you mention, which is literally of a fit person who is NOT overweight. And you don’t get off the hook by white-knighting thing and virtue signaling about the true fact that society puts undue pressure on women regarding appearance, because we are talking about HEALTH and LONGEVITY, not appearance.

So I will ask again? Are you suggesting a truly overweight person would be healthier not taking GLPs and losing? Do you genuinely believe the body is right to be overweight and the doctors, and all the data they use are wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just reconnected with a group of college friends and we met up for dinner. Every single one looks fantastic - maybe even better in their mid 40s than their 20s. I came to find out that 3 of the 4 women are on GLPs which helped them lose 10-20 lbs (none were overweight) and now they are just micro dosing to maintain. They all said they feel better then they have in years, didn’t have bad side effects, and focus on eating protein so they don’t lose muscle.

Anyway, here I am struggling to lose 10-15 lbs like always - restricting my calories, working out a ton, etc, and barely seeing the scale move. Every time I do lose it it ends up coming back again.

Just wondering why I don’t take the easier route like so many others. I would need to find a doctor to prescribe it since my PCP won’t (despite telling me my BMI is too high and I need to focus on losing 10-15 lbs).

This is why no one talks to you about it. You are a judgey friend. No one needs that in their life.

Not OP but it’s true. It is the easier route. Exercising hard annd regularly at the same time as restricting calories when you work full time and are raising kids is hard. Injecting yourself with weight-loss drugs that work = easy.

Ok I'm going to blow your mind here. I've been getting up at 5am to exercise 5 days/week (3 days lifting, 2 days cardio) and walking at least 8k+ steps per day for 3 years. I've dutifully tracked macros nearly every single day. I meal prepped breakfast and lunch and thoughtfully planned dinners. I lost 12 pounds and then got stuck for 2 years+.

I'm on Zepbound now and I still do all of those things. But now, I've dropped 14 pounds in 2.5 months-- on a "starter"-- not even therapeutic dose. I'm sure there are people who use it to suppress their appetite and when they do eat, eat like shit and don't exercise. But my point is for those of us trying to make lasting changes that support health its STILL hard, albeit admittedly not as frustrating as it used to be.

Your story is making me question how healthy all of this is. If your body is fighting you this hard to keep pounds that you have to drug yourself to lose weight, how healthy is this drug? Maybe you shouldn't be losing this weight and the doctors are actually wrong about all of this. Wouldn't be the first time doctors got it wrong.

Are you suggesting that person would be healthier while overweight? Are you also suggesting that the body is right and medicine is wrong? Do you take that position for any other medical condition?

So freakin' bizarre to me.

Dp. It’s possible. There is an elite athlete in my family who has always been considered “overweight” if you just take into account her height and weight. She is super tall, solid muscle and dominates in her sport. If she lost any weight, it would affect her performance. So maybe it’s time to reevaluate what “overweight” actually means. I’m sure there are some beautiful, strong women on this thread who are taking this medication because society has made them feel like they have to. Not because they actually need to.

Well this would be a useful response if we were talking about “considered” overweight according to a chart and the not common use case you mention, which is literally of a fit person who is NOT overweight. And you don’t get off the hook by white-knighting thing and virtue signaling about the true fact that society puts undue pressure on women regarding appearance, because we are talking about HEALTH and LONGEVITY, not appearance.

So I will ask again? Are you suggesting a truly overweight person would be healthier not taking GLPs and losing? Do you genuinely believe the body is right to be overweight and the doctors, and all the data they use are wrong?

NP. Given the context of most of the posts on this forum and the OP, “truly overweight” is doing a lot of work in your question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just reconnected with a group of college friends and we met up for dinner. Every single one looks fantastic - maybe even better in their mid 40s than their 20s. I came to find out that 3 of the 4 women are on GLPs which helped them lose 10-20 lbs (none were overweight) and now they are just micro dosing to maintain. They all said they feel better then they have in years, didn’t have bad side effects, and focus on eating protein so they don’t lose muscle.

Anyway, here I am struggling to lose 10-15 lbs like always - restricting my calories, working out a ton, etc, and barely seeing the scale move. Every time I do lose it it ends up coming back again.

Just wondering why I don’t take the easier route like so many others. I would need to find a doctor to prescribe it since my PCP won’t (despite telling me my BMI is too high and I need to focus on losing 10-15 lbs).

This is why no one talks to you about it. You are a judgey friend. No one needs that in their life.

Not OP but it’s true. It is the easier route. Exercising hard annd regularly at the same time as restricting calories when you work full time and are raising kids is hard. Injecting yourself with weight-loss drugs that work = easy.

Ok I'm going to blow your mind here. I've been getting up at 5am to exercise 5 days/week (3 days lifting, 2 days cardio) and walking at least 8k+ steps per day for 3 years. I've dutifully tracked macros nearly every single day. I meal prepped breakfast and lunch and thoughtfully planned dinners. I lost 12 pounds and then got stuck for 2 years+.

I'm on Zepbound now and I still do all of those things. But now, I've dropped 14 pounds in 2.5 months-- on a "starter"-- not even therapeutic dose. I'm sure there are people who use it to suppress their appetite and when they do eat, eat like shit and don't exercise. But my point is for those of us trying to make lasting changes that support health its STILL hard, albeit admittedly not as frustrating as it used to be.

Your story is making me question how healthy all of this is. If your body is fighting you this hard to keep pounds that you have to drug yourself to lose weight, how healthy is this drug? Maybe you shouldn't be losing this weight and the doctors are actually wrong about all of this. Wouldn't be the first time doctors got it wrong.

Are you suggesting that person would be healthier while overweight? Are you also suggesting that the body is right and medicine is wrong? Do you take that position for any other medical condition?

So freakin' bizarre to me.

You seem to be posing a false dichotomy: be overweight or take GLP-1s. There are alternatives to GLP-1s like changing one's diet or exercising more. I do know overweight people who'd rather give the alternatives a fair shot before considering the GLP-1 route.

The situation could be more dire for the truly obese for whom GLP-1s could be a better route than more drastic approaches like bariatric surgery.

I have nothing to say about normal weight people who use GLP-1s other than I truly do not understand it anymore than I understand non-ADHD individuals taking Adderall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just reconnected with a group of college friends and we met up for dinner. Every single one looks fantastic - maybe even better in their mid 40s than their 20s. I came to find out that 3 of the 4 women are on GLPs which helped them lose 10-20 lbs (none were overweight) and now they are just micro dosing to maintain. They all said they feel better then they have in years, didn’t have bad side effects, and focus on eating protein so they don’t lose muscle.

Anyway, here I am struggling to lose 10-15 lbs like always - restricting my calories, working out a ton, etc, and barely seeing the scale move. Every time I do lose it it ends up coming back again.

Just wondering why I don’t take the easier route like so many others. I would need to find a doctor to prescribe it since my PCP won’t (despite telling me my BMI is too high and I need to focus on losing 10-15 lbs).

This is why no one talks to you about it. You are a judgey friend. No one needs that in their life.

Not OP but it’s true. It is the easier route. Exercising hard annd regularly at the same time as restricting calories when you work full time and are raising kids is hard. Injecting yourself with weight-loss drugs that work = easy.

Ok I'm going to blow your mind here. I've been getting up at 5am to exercise 5 days/week (3 days lifting, 2 days cardio) and walking at least 8k+ steps per day for 3 years. I've dutifully tracked macros nearly every single day. I meal prepped breakfast and lunch and thoughtfully planned dinners. I lost 12 pounds and then got stuck for 2 years+.

I'm on Zepbound now and I still do all of those things. But now, I've dropped 14 pounds in 2.5 months-- on a "starter"-- not even therapeutic dose. I'm sure there are people who use it to suppress their appetite and when they do eat, eat like shit and don't exercise. But my point is for those of us trying to make lasting changes that support health its STILL hard, albeit admittedly not as frustrating as it used to be.

Your story is making me question how healthy all of this is. If your body is fighting you this hard to keep pounds that you have to drug yourself to lose weight, how healthy is this drug? Maybe you shouldn't be losing this weight and the doctors are actually wrong about all of this. Wouldn't be the first time doctors got it wrong.

Are you suggesting that person would be healthier while overweight? Are you also suggesting that the body is right and medicine is wrong? Do you take that position for any other medical condition?

So freakin' bizarre to me.

You seem to be posing a false dichotomy: be overweight or take GLP-1s. There are alternatives to GLP-1s like changing one's diet or exercising more. I do know overweight people who'd rather give the alternatives a fair shot before considering the GLP-1 route.

The situation could be more dire for the truly obese for whom GLP-1s could be a better route than more drastic approaches like bariatric surgery.

I have nothing to say about normal weight people who use GLP-1s other than I truly do not understand it anymore than I understand non-ADHD individuals taking Adderall.

No it not a false dichotomy. We are talking about people who have been prescribed a medication for a medical problem. Most have likely “given the alternatives a shot”. The fact that you think they don’t know about that and haven’t tried because of laziness reflects poorly on you and your character.

You responded (assuming you are the same poster) to someone who literally said they have been working out 5 days a week for years and weight loss stalled until zepbound. You actually suggested the person might be healthier staying overweight! I try to refrain from using pejoratives to describe comments but that one really tests my resolve.

Not only have these drugs helped millions lose weight, they have reduced the number of surgeries substantially and that number continues to fall.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/10/weight-loss-surgery-down-25-percent-as-anti-obesity-drug-use-soars/

You ignore the medical research on these drugs which is easily found and has been linked multiple times in this very thread. If you take any medications, ever, then you are a hypocrite as well.

You really should stop posting on this topic until you do some research. You’re kinda dangerous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just reconnected with a group of college friends and we met up for dinner. Every single one looks fantastic - maybe even better in their mid 40s than their 20s. I came to find out that 3 of the 4 women are on GLPs which helped them lose 10-20 lbs (none were overweight) and now they are just micro dosing to maintain. They all said they feel better then they have in years, didn’t have bad side effects, and focus on eating protein so they don’t lose muscle.

Anyway, here I am struggling to lose 10-15 lbs like always - restricting my calories, working out a ton, etc, and barely seeing the scale move. Every time I do lose it it ends up coming back again.

Just wondering why I don’t take the easier route like so many others. I would need to find a doctor to prescribe it since my PCP won’t (despite telling me my BMI is too high and I need to focus on losing 10-15 lbs).

This is why no one talks to you about it. You are a judgey friend. No one needs that in their life.

Not OP but it’s true. It is the easier route. Exercising hard annd regularly at the same time as restricting calories when you work full time and are raising kids is hard. Injecting yourself with weight-loss drugs that work = easy.

Ok I'm going to blow your mind here. I've been getting up at 5am to exercise 5 days/week (3 days lifting, 2 days cardio) and walking at least 8k+ steps per day for 3 years. I've dutifully tracked macros nearly every single day. I meal prepped breakfast and lunch and thoughtfully planned dinners. I lost 12 pounds and then got stuck for 2 years+.

I'm on Zepbound now and I still do all of those things. But now, I've dropped 14 pounds in 2.5 months-- on a "starter"-- not even therapeutic dose. I'm sure there are people who use it to suppress their appetite and when they do eat, eat like shit and don't exercise. But my point is for those of us trying to make lasting changes that support health its STILL hard, albeit admittedly not as frustrating as it used to be.

Your story is making me question how healthy all of this is. If your body is fighting you this hard to keep pounds that you have to drug yourself to lose weight, how healthy is this drug? Maybe you shouldn't be losing this weight and the doctors are actually wrong about all of this. Wouldn't be the first time doctors got it wrong.

Are you suggesting that person would be healthier while overweight? Are you also suggesting that the body is right and medicine is wrong? Do you take that position for any other medical condition?

So freakin' bizarre to me.

You seem to be posing a false dichotomy: be overweight or take GLP-1s. There are alternatives to GLP-1s like changing one's diet or exercising more. I do know overweight people who'd rather give the alternatives a fair shot before considering the GLP-1 route.

The situation could be more dire for the truly obese for whom GLP-1s could be a better route than more drastic approaches like bariatric surgery.

I have nothing to say about normal weight people who use GLP-1s other than I truly do not understand it anymore than I understand non-ADHD individuals taking Adderall.

No it not a false dichotomy. We are talking about people who have been prescribed a medication for a medical problem. Most have likely “given the alternatives a shot”. The fact that you think they don’t know about that and haven’t tried because of laziness reflects poorly on you and your character.

You responded (assuming you are the same poster) to someone who literally said they have been working out 5 days a week for years and weight loss stalled until zepbound. You actually suggested the person might be healthier staying overweight! I try to refrain from using pejoratives to describe comments but that one really tests my resolve.

Not only have these drugs helped millions lose weight, they have reduced the number of surgeries substantially and that number continues to fall.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/10/weight-loss-surgery-down-25-percent-as-anti-obesity-drug-use-soars/

You ignore the medical research on these drugs which is easily found and has been linked multiple times in this very thread. If you take any medications, ever, then you are a hypocrite as well.

You really should stop posting on this topic until you do some research. You’re kinda dangerous.

PP. I was actually an NP--this was my first post on this thread. So only the comment beginning false dichotomy is attributable to me.

We must know different people. I know people who are overweight because they haven't been paying much attention to their increasing weight and actually have never tried to diet in any serious way nor gone on an ambitious exercise regimes. For these people--and I repeat this is about those with BMIs in the overweight category, NOT obese BMIs--it actually makes common sense to first try a change in eating habits and getting more exercise before leaping to GLP-1s, a medication that likely would have to be taken for life.

For this group of people, the group my post clearly addressed, it is a false dichotomy to say they have a choice only of taking GLP-1s or being overweight. Millions of overweight people for many, many years before GLP-1s were able to lose weight through diet and exercise. For those who have tried and failed multiple times, GLP-1s are now available as an option. But promoting these medications as a first choice for this group is a bit odd.

It is a totally different story for the BMI obese as I said in my post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just wish we knew how we got here. Maybe these drugs can drastically improve the health of more well to do Americans but they were not needed 50 years ago. What did we do to our food and lifestyle that drug companies get this boon?

I think chemicals in our foods definitely helped get us here. I posted on another thread that going off processed food has been a game changer for me. Food noise went away except for when I am getting hungry for a meal and it's much easier to eat in my weight-loss range. The problem is it is crazy time consuming and hard to sustain when life is busier.

I have friends on GLPs and it has been incredible. They went on when they moved toward obesity at a doctor's recommendation. I am slightly overweight and now finally losing. I have not asked about it because some of the the rarer and more serious side effects are things that run in my family (without the medication) so I just don't want to go there unless I must, but I do think the drugs seem pretty amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard horror stories about it causing major digestive issues—either severe constipation or the opposite—and that gives me pause every time I think about trying it. I’ve been fighting to loose an extra 15 pounds of menopause weight for while now.

I started with microdosing since I had a similar amount to lose. So injection is .15 as opposed to the lowest prescription dose of .25. It works without a lot of the digestive upset. Maybe a little at first but I’ve adjusted.

I also don’t lose weight quite as quickly but am down 12 pounds in about as many weeks. I will add it has almost eliminated my peri symptoms including night sweats which has been a bonus. But hair loss is real. Not overwhelming but definitely happening.