I've been on this stuff for 9 months, and I have some observations for those who are just starting. I'm not a health professional. I'm someone who's gained and lost 100lbs at least twice. This time, I'm 45lbs down and feeling better than I have in more than 15 years. Here is what I want you to know, based on my own personal experience.
Ozempic is not a light switch. It takes time for your body to get used to processing food differently. During that time, which could be days, weeks or months (yes, really), you will feel all sorts of strange sensations. You will learn to accept feeling full longer and the strange affect that has on how much you want to eat and when. You will go through phases which may include fatigue (mine was overwhelming at first), gas from all ends, diarrhea and/or constipation, maybe other things. You will not want to eat; you will want to eat everything. You will be nauseous (bad); you will be seasick (fleeting, less bad). All of this should, knock wood, sort itself out by the time you're on your 1mg dose for a while. Until then, things can change daily, and weekly. Your doctor can provide suggestions about what can help you tolerate and mitigate these side effects. Be aware of the warning signs of serious side effects so that you can keep yourself safe, should they occur.
Worrying about AM I LOSING WEIGHT while your body is getting used to processing food in a different way will only make you frustrated and focused on the wrong thing. Your job is to care for your body till you are used to being on Ozempic. During that time, weight probably will start to fall off at a rate that is particular to you and no one else.
It is, I think, very good to start seeing what you're eating during this adjustment period. Tracking your eating can tell you if you're getting enough protein, fiber, carbs, fat, etc. Since you, hopefully, aren't wanting as much food, now is a good time to get the stuff out of the house that you don't want to be indulging in on the regular. My personal solution to this is to have to GO OUT to get chocolate. I still have the chocolate. I just don't have it accessible in the house 24/7 like I used to. I found the MyNetDiary (free version) app to be helpful for tracking my progress, including my weight loss. See #4.
Do not weigh yourself daily. Once a month at the beginning is more than enough to show any progress (I went to the doctor's office monthly for the first 4 months). Note things like your pants, tops, rings getting looser on your body. If you want to track progress, measurements are much less triggering than a scale. Even when you're well along in the process, weighing yourself daily is a recipe for fixating on the wrong thing and frustrating yourself. Once a week, or twice a month.
If Ozempic is for life (long-term, whatever you want to think of it as), it's a tool that can help you build a new relationship with food and a good time to break old, destructive habits. Says this 61-year-old lifetime fat girl who is now on the cusp of leaving plus sizes forever. (And knows that she would never have gotten here without semaglutide.)
Comments