49 year old woman here. Wegovy/Ozempic is not what you want. I started with a BMI>40 and have lost 50 pounds (with 50 left to go) in 6 months. And the medication has been helpful because it has helped me keep my diet at 1200 calories, 100 g of protein, minimal simple carbs, no processed or fried foods. And I log foods religiously. I had tried to do this myself for years, and after a few days, my mind was blocking out all other thought with a constant “you’re starving” scream. That’s what the medication does— it gets rid if the primal “you're starving” voice. And makes me feel sick if I don’t eat clean or drink alcohol. Which is a great deterrent.

Some issues with someone with your profile and goals taking Wegovy/ Ozempic. First I see a dietician every month (and a PA). And they won’t keep me on the meds if I go below 1200 calories on a regular basis or lose more than 2 lbs a week on average. If you’re at 1200 calories without medication, I’m not sure how the medication helps you.

Second, because I’m menopausal, I do a full body scan each visit and am being watched closely to make sure I’m burning fat and not muscle. To make this happen, I’m doing strength trading with a personal trainer for 2 60 minute sessions a week (I’m recovering from surgery and an injury and cannot do a standard class without hurting my self). PPs are right. A large part of my success (42 pounds of fat, 2 of water, 6 of muscle lost as of yesterday) is lifting.

Third. I feel your pain about abdominal fat. Because I’m in the perimenopausal/menopausal range, It feels like I am losing everywhere but my abdomen. I’ve gone from size 22 to 18, so I’m losing some there. But most weight is coming off my arms, legs, face chest. My PA, dietician, trainer all say: (1) this is normal for women my age, (2) no specific expertise or eating plan will do much to control where the weight comes off and (3) hang in there, because I may lose it last, but it will go— but’, my natural shape may now be apple and I may always carry more weight than I want in my abdomen.

Point is, even if you lose 10 pounds, there is a good chance that a woman your age won’t lose most of them from your abdomen. These meds can help weight loss in general. But not targeted weight loss.

Fourth— unless you want to be really sick (like risk the ER sick), you must titrate up. And the first three months are not really weight loss doses. You may lose some on lower doses, but it’s going to be pay out of packet for the first 3-4 months for not much in the way of results. And the studies show that once you stop, you gain 70% of the weight back within one year. So, you’re on it for life. Out of pocket. Any $1300 a pop.

TL;DR: the reason you will have to use a sketchy compounder to get this med instead of a reputable weight loss program or MD is because it isn’t designed to help women with your profile. Especially if you are already at 1200 calories. And it I may give you a gaunt face, get rid of your butt and take a cup size from your bra, but it probably isn’t going to stop the reality that many 50+ aged women develop apple shapes.

Agree with PPs— try lifting and make sure your diet is heavy into lean proteins and has no fried, processed foods. And accept that your body isn’t 18 again.

May also be worth it to see an endocrinologist and get bloodwork done. 1200 calories is significant restriction. Especially if you add in cardio and lifting. You should be losing weight there without meds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on Ozempic. I am a size 16/18. My goal weight would put me at a size 12/14. I have struggled with my weight my whole life - I was a size 10 for maybe a year in my 20s and only by dint of working out every moment.

I would have loved to have been petite or slender for decades like you, and I'd love to be a size 10 now. I don't think you'd actually want to trade places so you could get meds.

+10000000000000000000000

+20000000000000000000

I'm 50-60 lbs overweight. Been this way my whole life. Fought through every damn diet and weight loss thing out there. Went on Wegovy and have lost 30 lbs so far. I exercise a lot and eat pretty well. It's not for a vanity 10 lbs. It's for serious weight loss that's affecting your life.

You want Wegovy not Ozempic. Same medication, different dosages and approved for weight loss.

If you are okay with a compounded GLP-1, you can go to a medspa. If you want a script go to a cosmetic doctor like a plastic surgeon or dermatology practice. It will cost you about $1400/month.

Anonymous wrote:I'm on Ozempic. I am a size 16/18. My goal weight would put me at a size 12/14. I have struggled with my weight my whole life - I was a size 10 for maybe a year in my 20s and only by dint of working out every moment.

I would have loved to have been petite or slender for decades like you, and I'd love to be a size 10 now. I don't think you'd actually want to trade places so you could get meds.

+10000000000000000000000

Go to a medspa. And weight train.

Another vote for serious weightlifting. Not 10-15 lbs dumbbells, but heavier and focusing on the largest muscle groups. I’m in surgical menopause in my 40s and can eat like I did in my 20s and 30s because I have the same muscle mass (I wasn’t lifting in those days but should have). Also HRT will help with fat distribution, but I understand not everyone wants to go that route.

Strength training is so important.

You need to take sugar and white flour out of your diet.

Anonymous wrote:You can get compounded semaglutide from most medspas. Call around and someone will point you in the right direction.

+1. Or give us your area and people will suggest local ones.

My parent has been on it for a few months (obese and pre diabetic). The side effects have not been fun. Maybe about 12 lbs lost but painfully. Frequent nausea and stomach upset and disrupted sleep.

Age 41 - lift heavy weights, and bulked up. I look even heavier now than before. It doesn't work on everyone.

Age 62--lift heavy weights. The pounds came off and I can eat what I want.

What websites will let me “get it easily”? I don’t want to be ripped off.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm about 155, size 10. Age 50. I barely eat and yet my crappy menopausal metabolism has kept me at this size for about 4 years.
I have a few rolls, I look pretty dumpy. I have tried all sorts of diets--intermittent fasting, keto, on and on. My baseline intake is like 1200 calories---I can literally look at food and gain weight these days (stupid perimenopause).

The thing is, I don't qualify for Ozempic or Mounjaro, etc. If I was 20 pounds heavier I would. I'm part of an online weight loss group and countless women my age and 20 pounds heavier to start (maybe a size 12, 14) are reaching 130, 140---size 4 or 6. They just happened to have 20ish more pounds on them to begin with.

It's just... frustrating.

They wouldn’t solve your problems anyway. Your problems are in your head.

No, I'm genuinely have rolls. I used to be a size 4-6 until perimenopause. I know what it was like and I miss it.
I know countless women who have successfully combated the menopausal weight gain (and then some) with this. They just started at a higher weight.

Did you know it’s been debunked that menopause changes your metabolism? It’s actually loss of muscle that’s at the cause of your issues, not metabolism.

I don't know what it is but I barely eat and I am 20 pounds over the weight I was from age 21-45.

It’s muscle loss (which is also associated with age). Get it back while you still can.

I have the same muscle now at 50 than I was at 45 (DEXA scan -I lift extremely heavy ) but have more fat and weigh 10lbs more. Someone said it was like 10lbs of fat was injected into my middle - that is exactly me.

I understand how you feel OP. It is so frustrating. And I can see why even normal weight people are now taking it.

I don’t know if this will make you feel better or worse, but if you’re not insulin resistant, these GLP agonists don’t alter your metabolism, they just kill your appetite. So if you’re eating only 1200 calories a day, Ozempic would not do much for you other than to reduce your hunger a bit, maybe help you eat even fewer calories — which isn’t a good thing; 1200 is as low as you should go.

I speak from experience here: I was only five pounds heavier (and a couple of inches taller) than you when I tried Mounjaro last yeae( (which trials showed to be even more effective than Ozempic for weight loss). It killed my pleasure in food for a few days after each injection. I lost maybe four pounds total. It wasn’t worth it though — I like enjoying the food I do eat.

What did work for me was lifting heavy three times a week, and following Megan Ramos’s therapeutic fasting regimen (2-3 times a week for 24-36 hours). I did NOT calorie restrict at all on eating days.

I was also wanting to build a fasting habit for the possible anti-aging and anti-cancer benefits. Without those motivations I’d have found it much harder to do. If you just want to change your shape, cut out grain and starch for a couple of months and start deadlifting, barbell back squatting, and doing step ups with dumbbells. If you’ve never tried that before, you WILL look transformed by the new year.

Anonymous wrote:OP here
Most of these replies are not me. Just wanted to get that out there.

My metabolism has definitely slowed. I still exercise--in fact I exercise far more than I ever did before and I lift weights. I'm not flabby.

Maybe your metabolism hasn't slowed but mine has. I probably eat 1/3 of what I did in my 30s and yet I am a much larger size, have rolls of fat, etc. I am strong but I also have far more fatty tissue on my body.

1/3? Are you sure about that?

Your OP mentions 1200 calories. That means you were routinely eating 3600 in your 30s? Were you also routinely riding a bike at 200+ watts for 2 hours and running afterwards? If not, you have your numbers completely wrong.