Top: January 2025, 208 lbs
Bottom: April 2026, 185 lbs (2 months on Zepbound)
I spent all of 2025 trying to get my weight down. Since 2019 after my son was born, my hormones were all over the place. I would work out 5 times a week for 6 months, eat clean, hit my goal weight. Then I would stop for a bit and within a month gain the 30 lbs back. I worked with person trainers, tried a food program on my own that failed because of lack of accountability and binge eating, and it was such a struggle.
Then 2024 hit and my asthma put me in the hospital for 3 weeks in January and a week in March. I almost had to be incubated and had sepsis. I had to be on strong steroids for 6 months. I gained 50 lbs in 2 months, developed Cushing's and osteoporosis, and could barely walk without having an asthma attack.
Finally, my asthma got under control and I was ready to get my body back. I joined an amazing gym with a nutritionist and meal plan. I was 208 at the start. Weight training and cardio 4 days a week, hitting protein goals and calories, and handling my cravings. But weight loss was SLOW and the lowest I got after 8 months was 187. I definitely had muscle growth (I do inbody scans every 4 weeks at the gym) but I felt frustrated and stuck and then my binge struggles started again. Followed by learning about childhood trauma, shoulder surgery, and more hospital stays + steroids. Between November and January, I had gained 30 lbs again and was back at 210.
I finally had enough and wanted to try a glp-1. I talked to my doctor and she put me on Zepbound because of the benefits with food noise at the end of February and I am so grateful! After just 2 months, I'm already below where I was after 8 months last year.
I'm doing everything exactly the same as I was a year ago but this time it's working! I've maintained my muscle and lost fat. According to my inBody, it's the lowest fat percentage I've had since my first scan. But my favorite unexpected benefit: my asthma is almost 100% controlled despite the same triggers being around. It seems like the inflammation in my lungs has lessened with zepbound on top of my other asthma treatments. The tools I've learned about eating well and how to talk myself through binges is also so much less daunting.
I want to shout-out this subreddit for all the tips and inspirational posts! I read it religiously before starting and all the information really helped prepare me. I'm currently having some stronger side effects on 5mg but hoping to move up in a month or two. This is just the beginning and my goal finally feels attainable after 7 years!