Yesterday marked 100 days on my regimen of GLP-1 micro-dosing. Those of you who read my blog know that I posed the question about GLP-1 use a few months ago, and I was happily rewarded with much personal feedback. I appreciated all of it; the good, the bad and the ugly. It was reassuring to hear from so many people, just like me, who had been curious to try the increasingly popular path to weight loss. It also highlighted how many people are using it somewhat secretly.
For many months I told myself that I would not cave in to the popularity of the drug and the enticement of the ever-elusive weight loss that I have been chasing for so long. I repeated all the possible negatives in my head trying to convince myself that I would not succumb to the yearning to lose even just a little weight. In my usual fashion, I researched the many different avenues for obtaining the best option. I settled on Noom which I had utilized previously to track my food intake and exercise.
Noom started out as a user-friendly phone app, but I discovered that they had recently added the GLP-1 aspect to their plan. I do not work for Noom, and I am not being compensated in any way by Noom so this is not a promotion for the product – just my personal experience. I liked that I had to go through a very thorough medical screening with a doctor to determine if I was eligible for a prescription. I was ultimately approved and received my first batch of medication within a week.
One of the most attractive benefits of this route was: the app required me to log and track every meal/snack each day, it recorded all of my activity and exercise in conjunction with other apps that I use, it provided daily lessons aimed to educate me in all aspects of healthy weight loss, and it provides rewards on the regular. I can’t over-emphasize the role of accountability in this process. I found myself really staying honest with my actual daily eating and exercise – there is a daily weigh in which doesn’t allow you to fool yourself or lie.
Now – the hard parts. The weekly injection – its a tiny needle and a tiny amount of semaglutide solution – the actual shot takes about 3 seconds and you can barely feel it – but if you are squeamish about needles – maybe not your best choice. The first time I injected it in my stomach and I was rewarded with a pretty big bruise. After that I learned how to properly position the needle and it has never happened again. I didn’t really feel anything initially as far as side effects. Micro-dosing is meant to ease you in very slowly in order to avoid negative side effects.
After a few days, I was aware that I wasn’t really hungry – the “food noise” they talk about starts to subside, and I wasn’t even thinking that a bowl of cereal at 9 pm was a good idea – or even a thought. I may have had a tinge of nausea now and again – but it always passed within a couple minutes. The dose increases incrementally as each week passes in very small amounts, which allows your body to acclimate.
The best part? The scale began to show small meaningful loss. Nothing dramatic – the weight wasn’t “falling off of me”, but rather at a rate of about one pound per week. Although I admit to wanting to see and feel quicker results – I did understand that meaningful weight loss happens slowly in a healthy way – so I settled into my commitment. After about two months, I became impatient for more noticeable results and so I increased my weekly dose as directed by the doctor.
As we have all been told, impatience does not pay off. I started to experience unpleasant side effects and a general blah feeling each day. I was napping often, had little energy, diminished appetite and even a little depression. I went to see my regular physician and was upfront with her about my GLP-1 use. I half-expected to be scolded by her, but was instead met with compassionate understanding and a willingness to work through it with me – all while not giving up on the medication.
With her advice and that of my Noom coaches, I cut back my dose and immediately started to feel better, sleep better, exercise again, and recommit to a healthy approach. Did the weight loss stop? No – I continue to lose – but very gradually – some weeks I just maintain my weight and that feels good too. I have lost 15 pounds – which is about halfway to my ultimate goal and I feel good about it. If it takes another 6-12 months to get there, or if I plateau for a while – that’s okay too.
What I have learned is that daily accountability and attention to my health has many rewards beyond watching the scale go down. Eating the healthiest foods, daily exercise and strength training, staying hydrated and avoiding processed foods IN COMBINATION with the GLP-1 is what has given me results. I used to think people who took these meds for weight loss were taking the easy way out. Truth? There is no easy way – it takes a lot of focus, discipline and in some cases – medication.
I no longer judge people for seeking whatever options may help them to lose weight and improve their health. My metabolism stalled out with menopause and so like any other health issue – I sought a medication to help. Other than the weight loss – my cholesterol is lower, my blood pressure is consistently normal and without the extra weight – it’s easier to get moving every day. Today is day #101 – onward and downward, (the scale that is!)
Leave a Reply