In one of my previous posts, I mentioned that I’ve lost 50 pounds since October of last year. Not surprisingly, there were questions. So here are a few answers.
I’ve been overweight for years; I really had trouble staying at a healthy weight when I started working as a hospitalist. I was working a deadly 7 day work week, with a 90+ hour per week schedule, followed by 7 days off. My sleep was totally screwed up, and eating 2-3 hospital meals daily isn’t the most healthy thing.
Fast forward a few more decades, involving multiple attempts and failures at weight loss. I decided last fall that I needed to get serious. I had passed that “overweight” milestone, into the “obese” range. My knees and back hurt, my energy level sucked, and I didn’t sleep well.
I decided to try semaglutide. This is marketed under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy. My insurance doesn’t cover weight loss drugs at all, so I opted for a compounded version*, authorized under an FDA program for drugs that are in short supply. I know this is controversial for a lot of people, and I’ve hesitated to post about it.
Here’s my take. Obesity is a killer disease. It’s not as dramatic as cancer, but it results in a shorter lifespan, as well as a lot of secondary medical problems. When you see your doctor, and they suggest that you lose weight, there are good, scientific reasons for that recommendation. Semaglutide is not a miracle drug. It has side effects, some serious. But not treating a serious disease that can kill you is about as senseless in my mind as not taking meds for your high blood pressure.
It took several weeks to titrate the dosage up to where I was losing consistently, about 1-2 pounds per week. Yes, I’ve had to modify how I eat. Yes, absolutely, I’ll need to keep doing that forever, or I’ll gain the weight back. My plan currently is to taper off slowly, but if I have to take this longer term, I’ll do so. Again, to use an analogy, you don’t stop taking your hypertension meds and expect your blood pressure to stay normal. Some chronic diseases, including obesity, need chronic treatment.
Here’s the major disclaimer part of this TED talk. I’m not posting this as a physician. I’m retired and no longer practicing medicine. I can’t give you advice regarding whether or not you should take one of these drugs. They aren’t for people who just want to drop five or ten pounds to fit into their clothes better. They are serious meds for a serious disease.
I’m mostly posting this to let people know what has worked for me, and maybe remove a bit of the stigma that surrounds taking weight loss drugs. I feel 100% better with that extra 50 pounds gone. I can do things that I haven’t been able to do for years. I don’t hurt all day like I did before.
AND. I can fit into clothing sizes that I haven’t seen in two decades. That includes some hand knits.
Remember this sweater?
That’s Audrey (pattern by Kim Hargreaves). It was a big fad in the knitting world in 2004, and I knit one. I was already a bit “fluffier” than I should have been for a close fitting sweater like this to be flattering, and I only wore it once or twice before it went to the back of the closet. I tried it on recently, and it now fits perfectly.
I’ve had to replace a good percentage of my wardrobe, which is a good problem to have. I’m now looking at my hand knit items, and my yarn stash, with the goal of knitting myself some flattering “capsule wardrobe” pieces that I can rely on.
Finally, if anyone reading this feels compelled to offer any criticism or snarky remarks, save yourself the time. I’m not interested in uneducated/unsolicited opinions regarding this.
*I’m using an online company, Henry Meds. They have real, licensed medical providers that do telemedicine visits, and they use reputable compounding pharmacies to provide the drugs they prescribe. There are many other companies out there selling these drugs, and not all of them are licensed in every state. (Just like any other medical service, the provider needs to be licensed in YOUR state in order to prescribe medication for you.) Some of these companies seem a bit shady, so again, you need to do a bit of research. And please tell your personal physician that you are taking this, if you decide to do so. It should be part of your medical record in case there are problems, or drug interactions with something else you are prescribed.