Losing Weight - Ozempic - Diet/Exercise?

[Dan Gould]

So I have been on quite the dietary change for just about exactly 1 year. End of May the doctor noted an 8 pound increase since November and wanted an A1C test.  That tipped me into "diabetes" rather than "pre-diabetes" (which I admit I never really followed up on, figured it was just like a flashing yellow that I kept ignoring).  275 pounds was, I am nearly certain, a new high but I was not going to add a new drug, it was a wake up call.

My buddy had the exact same wake up call three months earlier, refused new meds and in the three months since had lowered his A1C to a normal range and so it was game on for me too.

Long story short, I am coming up on 85 pounds lost, with I think 15 to go. 

So other than Kevin B., who else is on this sort of journey? And who among us has taken to Ozempic or the like and how has it worked?

 

I almost used "health kick" instead of "journey" above but I will turn 60 later this year and do not intend to ever have to lose weight again. I made a similar change starting around 2010 (probably at 250 or so) but now I understand what I have to do to maintain, if/when I decide I can lighten up the restrictions (among which would be something other than chicken and broccoli from our fave Chinese place, St Pauli Girl beer every once in a while, and bagels). I do think I will make the necessary changes to at least leave a good looking corpse behind when my time is up.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

My diagnosis is clogged arteries, so a change in my diet isn't enough for me. Yes, I've had to cut way back on my fat intake and avoid foods that raise my cholesterol. Additionally, they upped my Lipitor dosage to the max to help get my LDL number below 80 and put me on a low dose of blood thinner (Plavix) to minimize the chance of one of those clogs causing a heart attack.

Sucks getting old but it's better than the alternative.

FWIW, I've only managed to lose ~30 pounds, but I'm still watching what I eat so I may lose a few more pounds in the future. I do miss french fries and maybe a nice ribeye every now & then but I am managing.

[Dan Gould]

I am fortunate on the cholesterol side, when I started with the current doc (I sought out a regular doctor only due to a fractured arm from a horse kick) the blood work had predictably terrible cholesterol numbers across the board.  He put me on a statin and between that and the weight loss triggered by the diabetes A1Cresult, he told me last November that my cholesterol numbers were "awesome".

And yet, the "good" cholesterol has been slowest to improve and was still short of "normal" range. 

I can live without french fries but could really use General Tso's Chicken at some point.

 

Edit to add: I do say that getting kicked in the forearm by one of the mares was the best thing to happen to me.  Non-displaced fracture, if it had been three inches the other way would have broken ribs (or missed completely) and I wouldn't have known just how messed up I was for cholesterol (and hypertension but that's another story entirely, with a so far good ending).

Edited Friday at 01:59 PM by Dan Gould

[jlhoots]

Weight Watchers declares bankruptcy.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

5 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

I am fortunate on the cholesterol side, when I started with the current doc (I sought out a regular doctor only due to a fractured arm from a horse kick) the blood work had predictably terrible cholesterol numbers across the board.  He put me on a statin and between that and the weight loss triggered by the diabetes A1Cresult, he told me last November that my cholesterol numbers were "awesome".

And yet, the "good" cholesterol has been slowest to improve and was still short of "normal" range. 

I can live without french fries but could really use General Tso's Chicken at some point.

I have been taking statins since I was in my late 20s after I had a free cholesterol check at lunch hour at work. I did it expecting no big deal when the person doing the tests came and found me and said, "You need to go to your doctor. Your cholesterol is over 300". My cholesterol has been "good" for a long time because of statins but apparently, it wasn't good enough to prevent plaque from building up.

I do miss Chinese food too. That said, there are low fat options at most Chinese restaurants but there are no low fat version of General's Chicken.

[tranemonk]

6 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

So I have been on quite the dietary change for just about exactly 1 year. End of May the doctor noted an 8 pound increase since November and wanted an A1C test.  That tipped me into "diabetes" rather than "pre-diabetes" (which I admit I never really followed up on, figured it was just like a flashing yellow that I kept ignoring).  275 pounds was, I am nearly certain, a new high but I was not going to add a new drug, it was a wake up call.

My buddy had the exact same wake up call three months earlier, refused new meds and in the three months since had lowered his A1C to a normal range and so it was game on for me too.

Long story short, I am coming up on 85 pounds lost, with I think 15 to go. 

So other than Kevin B., who else is on this sort of journey? And who among us has taken to Ozempic or the like and how has it worked?

 

I almost used "health kick" instead of "journey" above but I will turn 60 later this year and do not intend to ever have to lose weight again. I made a similar change starting around 2010 (probably at 250 or so) but now I understand what I have to do to maintain, if/when I decide I can lighten up the restrictions (among which would be something other than chicken and broccoli from our fave Chinese place, St Pauli Girl beer every once in a while, and bagels). I do think I will make the necessary changes to at least leave a good looking corpse behind when my time is up.

 

After two of my doctors kept warning me about prediabetes, I reluctantly (very, very reluctantly) tried Zepbound. My endocrinologist thought that was the one that would work well with the least side effects. After about three or four months, I'm down from about 240 to 220 lbs. I'm taking a very skeptical approach to these injections for the long-term. I essentially am going to take it for a while (a year-ish) and see what happens.

 

[Dan Gould]

10 minutes ago, tranemonk said:

 

After two of my doctors kept warning me about prediabetes, I reluctantly (very, very reluctantly) tried Zepbound. My endocrinologist thought that was the one that would work well with the least side effects. After about three or four months, I'm down from about 240 to 220 lbs. I'm taking a very skeptical approach to these injections for the long-term. I essentially am going to take it for a while (a year-ish) and see what happens.

 

Having never gotten to "this is the drug I think you should start on from the doctor a year ago" ... is typical pre-diabetes treatment weight loss drugs? I had to check to verify that Zepbound is for weight loss specifically.

How has 20 pounds effected your A1C? Or are you on a six month follow up since you were only at pre-diabetic stage? My doctor wanted to verify I could follow thru and  lose weight in three months time last year. Fortunately the first three months were about 25 pounds and an A1C still in pre-diabetic but lower than it had been at any time before with this doctor.

[mjzee]

2 hours ago, tranemonk said:

 

After two of my doctors kept warning me about prediabetes, I reluctantly (very, very reluctantly) tried Zepbound. My endocrinologist thought that was the one that would work well with the least side effects. After about three or four months, I'm down from about 240 to 220 lbs. I'm taking a very skeptical approach to these injections for the long-term. I essentially am going to take it for a while (a year-ish) and see what happens.

 

My doctor said the theory is that while you're taking the med, you naturally eat less because you're not as hungry.  If you develop healthy eating habits during this phase, you may be able to discontinue the med.  I've read, though, that the problem then is that the hunger pangs come roaring back.  Maybe at that point micro-dosing is the answer.  I'm still on the fence and haven't embarked on treatment (pre-diabetic phase).

[Ken Dryden]

This past week I saw a dietician, who gave me a lot more insight into how the body reacts to food intake. I learned that if you skimp too much on carbohydrates at dinner, you can end up with a higher glucose reading in the morning, due to the liver putting out glucose if not enough carbs were consumed. At least my preference for filet mignon over ribeyes and frequent meals of grilled salmon work in my favor.

As for hunger pangs, try snacking on high fiber vegetables, like celery, carrots and almonds. You can add peanut butter to the celery, but watch for added sugars, best are natural varieties, though they are a pain to stir.

 

[Dan Gould]

6 hours ago, Ken Dryden said:

This past week I saw a dietician, who gave me a lot more insight into how the body reacts to food intake. I learned that if you skimp too much on carbohydrates at dinner, you can end up with a higher glucose reading in the morning, due to the liver putting out glucose if not enough carbs were consumed.

 

Meaning excess glucose afterwards because the liver over-reacts to insufficient carbs?

Dinner is often a protein and a vegetable (not potato) or a salad, for me.  I also don't jones for sweets but I do eat a pretty steady amount of fruit - a salad of melon/pineapple/banana most mornings, an apple later in the day.  

[Pim]

I have never understood the whole principle behind diet pills. Maybe I misunderstand it (and please explain it to me) but aren't you mainly concerned with treating the symptoms? It's just like a smoker who takes a puff from the inhaler to take an extra hit. Or someone who has a burn-out due to stress who starts taking tranquilizers. In addition, I have serious doubts about the effect of those pills and I can't imagine that it is healthy.

Pills of course sound like the easiest solution, but really losing weight is usually a matter of a disciplined attitude to life in the long term. That really means that you have to exercise a lot and eat healthily. We eat healthy dinners at least 6 days a week. I don't eat cake, chips, candy or cookies. I only drink beer in the weekend and really in moderation. I exercise 4 times a week (CrossFit), walk for an hour 4 times a week and try to take the bike as often as possible. Now I realize that I may have a very strict lifestyle. and I understand that this is not the right way for everyone. yet I am convinced that the best way to lose weight is: more exercise and healthy eating. and then structurally and not for a period.

I know quite a few people who are not prepared to make that sacrifice and find such a life boring. that is everyone's own choice and I respect that. but then you have to accept for yourself that you are fat and run certain health risks. the science behind gaining weight is very simple: you consume more calories than you burn.

of course I realize that some people have a medical condition that makes them overweight. they can't do anything about it. however, that is not the majority.

And Dan: to you I could only say: great job losing so much weight! I thinks those last few pounds will get off much slower. Just maintain your lifestyle and be patient 💪

[tranemonk]

I understand your basic point, and I don't fundamentally disagree with it. However, I do think it's a lot more complex than that. There are those of us who have had many things "go wrong" in life, thus making the decisions to exercise a lot lower priority. For example, if someone can't pay the rent, or they have a brother who just committed suicide, or a son who's drug addicted, or they've been sexually assaulted, those major life events can take precedence over "eating well" or exercising regularly.

As someone who has had multiple traumas in the last decade, I know my weight gains (and sedentary lifestyle and shit diet) are my responsibility and my choices. I also know I'm an extremely high-functioning person who has survived a lot of things, other people might not have. Exercise and diet just aren't that high a priority given my life events.

Just Google Dana Rivers, Oakland, and you'll get it.

[Pim]

10 minutes ago, tranemonk said:

I understand your basic point, and I don't fundamentally disagree with it. However, I do think it's a lot more complex than that. There are those of us who have had many things "go wrong" in life, thus making the decisions to exercise a lot lower priority. For example, if someone can't pay the rent, or they have a brother who just committed suicide, or a son who's drug addicted, or they've been sexually assaulted, those major life events can take precedence over "eating well" or exercising regularly.

As someone who has had multiple traumas in the last decade, I know my weight gains (and sedentary lifestyle and shit diet) are my responsibility and my choices. I also know I'm an extremely high-functioning person who has survived a lot of things, other people might not have. Exercise and diet just aren't that high a priority given my life events.

Just Google Dana Rivers, Oakland, and you'll get it.

I see what you mean and agree to a certain degree. In some cases it’s hard to say if a person is fully responsible for it, in other cases it’s more obvious. I do know for my own life that  in the periods I experienced serious setbacks and emotional events, it helped me to keep structure and discipline in life rather than admitting to certain bad habits. 

[Ken Dryden]

5 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Meaning excess glucose afterwards because the liver over-reacts to insufficient carbs?

Dinner is often a protein and a vegetable (not potato) or a salad, for me.  I also don't jones for sweets but I do eat a pretty steady amount of fruit - a salad of melon/pineapple/banana most mornings, an apple later in the day.  

Your liver produces glucose if you don't consume enough carbs, maybe okay in the short run, but it isn't good for the liver to be overtaxed like that on a regular basis. 

I'm going to wait and see what happens. Certain types of exercise are a bit hard due to arthritis and issues with both shoulders, which means any weight lifting has to remain at lower weights, when I do go to the gym.

But I agree with Pim, trying to magically use pills or even shots to take off weight doesn't seem to be a great long term solution. It's better to watch what you eat, get moving and burn it off. After a high A1c a few years ago, I dropped my weight from around 240 to 192, though I felt that weight left me consistently hungry, all I did was cut down on carbs, eat more fiber and stay active. My doctor agreed around 210 was a healthy weight for me at my age.

[Teasing the Korean]

I stopped drinking a year ago, and shed a ton of weight. Not drinking also made it easier to watch what I eat.  I’ve been veg since the mid-1980s, and I work out - walking, yoga, push-ups, and crunches. I weigh less now (155 lb) in my 60s than I have at any time since at least my early 40s if not 30s.  I’m not on any meds, other than vitamins.

Edited Saturday at 04:05 PM by Teasing the Korean

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Since I retired back in 2023, I've been hitting the elliptical daily and I'm up to about 3 miles/day now. I like the elliptical because it's less stress on my knees and ankles. So I am not relying on just diet & drugs to keep my weight down & hopefully slow/stop the plaque.

My biggest problem with exercise near the end of my working career was that my work day was typically 6 AM to 6 PM when including my 1 hour commute. Those work hours made it nearly impossible to work out and keep a social life with my wife & children. Now I can get up and work out at my leisure and still have the rest of the day to do what I want. Before I moved up to Maine, I lived in NH and my main exercise was playing volleyball 3 to 4 times per week. I can't do that anymore so this elliptical is a lifesaver, particularly in the winter.

[Dan Gould]

@Pim Thanks! At the end of November I was about 230 and told the Dr my goal was probably 180 and he said it would take about a year ... I have to say that motivated me to stay strict, and having three weeks to go to my six month visit, I am trying to get as low as possible by then. Nothing inspires like "you can't do it in that time-frame".

I've actually accelerated the rate of improvement by going on evening walks as well as morning walks, so my weekly mileage is probably 36 or so instead of about 21.  

@Ken Dryden Maybe my inability to consistently stay away from some bread or matzoh, and those cheddar goldfish, have kept the carbs high enough. Not sure, the last blood panel was healthy all around.

I do have to add ... I am fortunate that "emotional eating" or "comfort food" is not a thing for me.  I know I will want ice cream at some point but I have never polished off a Ben & Jerry's container in one sitting the way my wife can. and honestly I feel like if I started and couldn't stop, I'd pitch the container faster than I could eat it.

Edited Saturday at 04:37 PM by Dan Gould

[Ken Dryden]

Reading labels and counting carbs through measuring or following the package guidelines help a lot. Eating more fiber slows down glucose entering the bloodstream.

When you eating out, there are online apps for many restaurant menus. I pretty much avoid fried food except for the rare Chik-Fil-A sandwich, I'm trying to phase out bread unless it is high fiber. 

[Guy Berger]

On 5/10/2025 at 6:34 AM, Pim said:

I have never understood the whole principle behind diet pills. Maybe I misunderstand it (and please explain it to me) but aren't you mainly concerned with treating the symptoms? It's just like a smoker who takes a puff from the inhaler to take an extra hit. Or someone who has a burn-out due to stress who starts taking tranquilizers. In addition, I have serious doubts about the effect of those pills and I can't imagine that it is healthy

💪

Complicated but I think this is far too negative.

I think the fact that many people struggle to achieve significant weight loss on their own and that obesity has very serious morbidity impact means that these drugs are medical miracles.

[ejp626]

1 hour ago, Guy Berger said:

Complicated but I think this is far too negative.

I think the fact that many people struggle to achieve significant weight loss on their own and that obesity has very serious morbidity impact means that these drugs are medical miracles.

I largely agree, though I worry greatly about the long-term impacts.  There is, naturally, a brand-new study showing that when you come off the drugs, particularly the injections, then you gain the weight back very quickly.  So it really does mean taking the medication the rest of your life.  In some cases, this is probably a reasonable trade off, but not for everyone.

[Guy Berger]

12 minutes ago, ejp626 said:

I largely agree, though I worry greatly about the long-term impacts.  There is, naturally, a brand-new study showing that when you come off the drugs, particularly the injections, then you gain the weight back very quickly.  So it really does mean taking the medication the rest of your life.  In some cases, this is probably a reasonable trade off, but not for everyone.

I think the long term impacts (in terms of side effects) are well understood - these have been used as diabetes drugs for some time.

as far as people regaining the weight - yeah, I think that’s part of the calculus, you’re 100% right.  And it means that for people who don’t need these drugs to be healthy, it’s worth avoiding them as an unnecessary lifetime treatment.

[Pim]

2 hours ago, Guy Berger said:

Complicated but I think this is far too negative.

I think the fact that many people struggle to achieve significant weight loss on their own and that obesity has very serious morbidity impact means that these drugs are medical miracles.

There’s only one way to seriously weight in a structural and healthy way: that’s changing your lifestyle drastically for the long term. Of course this asks way more discipline and preservation from someone than taking pills. I wouldn’t call them a medical miracle as they are not a healthy long term solution.
 

And yes of course side effects have been researched. I still think it’s a healthy  starting point that taking pills is not natural and therefore less healthy than not taking them

Edited 1 hour ago by Pim