Health Update
Update on my recent health and talking about the stigma around being a fat person.
HEALTHPHYSICAL HEALTH
Just a quick update, as I have my bloodwork done next week for a complete update. This is just a weight loss journey and Diabetes control update and how things are going.
Zepbound dose: 5
Starting weight: 279
Current weight: 250
Starting fasting blood sugars: 200+
Current fasting blood sugars: 100-120
Obviously, this medication is working as it is supposed to. Not only am I losing weight which I’ve never been able to do before, but my blood sugar is under control. While I do take Metformin and Jardiance, they alone were not controlling those fasting sugar levels. When I added zepbound three months ago, it helped make it more normal.
Side effects: None, really. I get a little nausea now and then, but it goes away quickly. I can immediately tell when I’ve eaten too much because it triggers heartburn, but I carry calcium chews with me just in case. So far, as long as I don’t overdo it, I don’t have that problem.
Actions of the medication: So, with its mechanics, it slows gastric emptying, increases feelings of fullness, and increases insulin sensitivity. I definitely can only eat half of what I used to eat. When I go out, I save about half for another meal because if I try to eat too much I get uncomfortable. I don’t crave foods as much as before, and the only real negative is sometimes I forget to eat because I don’t have strong hunger signals. This is easy to deal with by setting reminders on the weekend that I need to eat. The best reminders are the ones from the My Therapy app. They do not stop until you dismiss them!
Controversy: So, I hear so much controversy about these GLP-1 medications. Like that they should be illegal because they’re “cheating” since they help you lose weight. This is about the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Someone has no idea what a person has tried before to lose weight. These medications level the playing field for people like me who have maintained the same weight despite being in caloric deficit almost all the time. And “exercise more” doesn’t work as advice for everyone. Since I broke my foot, it’s not that easy for me to go take walks or go get on a treadmill. Not even counting my arthritic wrist (which sucks because I loved playing racquetball and liked to bowl, but that’s impossible. And walking is also difficult due to my hip problems. Too much, and it gets to the point I can barely move.
I don’t understand people that want to gatekeep health. If there is something that helps a person who takes medications that puts weight on them, or a person that has struggled for many years with weight, why be against it?
A lot of people are crying “You don’t know what will happen later, there’s no research” when in fact, these GLP-1 drugs have been around for years; they just recently came to the public’s attention. So, yes, there’s plenty of research out there.
No one knows what it is like living in a bigger body unless they have been there. There’s no way someone who has never struggled with weight gets the effect that other people have on us. The judgement in the eyes of someone when you’re eating a cheeseburger, because obviously, we’re fat because that’s all we eat. Even if that cheeseburger is the first one in months, and we have a steady and healthy diet otherwise. But the assumption is there, and so is the “look” of disgust that we get.
I’m on this journey and proud to make progress every day toward my goals. I may never be the next super thin model, but I will be healthier and feel better about myself.