Lessons from >110 lbs lost +before and afters
I’m not an expert, but I do feel like I’ve learned a lot.
I’ve always been heavier, and I’ve lost and gained hundreds of pounds over the years. I have never not been classified as overweight, even as a teen, but I’m tall, so I was often told I “carried it well.” 🙄
Atkins, slim fast, the subway diet, extreme calorie restriction, working out for hours a day. I did all of those things and they all worked while they worked, until they didn’t. Even when they worked, I could never break into a “normal/healthy” weight, even if I could get close.
I finally started Zepbound in late June 2025. I literally woke up one morning and I was done. I logged into my doctor’s website and she had an appt that day, which is crazy bc she’s usually booked months out. I was so nervous about asking and expecting pushback, but she was onboard immediately. My insurance covered it and I started a few days later. Why a few days? Because my husband and kids were going out of town and I had the house to myself and had already planned out my DoorDash orders. (And I didn’t think I had food noise!)
I responded really well; I’m lucky. I started out weighing once a week but realized that daily weigh ins were better for me because it desensitized me to the ups and downs.
My first goal was to get under 200 and out of the obese category. Then under 170 so I could be a “normal” weight. After that I was so close to 100 lbs that I wanted that number. My doctor initially recommended that I shoot for 180 lbs. I think she was trying to be realistic but it felt like settling to me, and I wasn’t interested in that.
I had lost 50+ lbs and hit my first goal before I needed smaller pants, which I thought was super unfair, but again, tall girl, the weight is a little less obvious spread over a bigger area. It’s a blessing that I could gain five pounds and it was not especially noticeable, but then on the flip side, I could lose 50 before anyone could see it! Also though, I have to admit that I was squeezed into my clothes. I think a lot of us resist going past a certain size. I know I did, so numerically, I was probably needing at least one size larger when I started.
After that first 50 lbs, things kicked into high gear. Every 10 lbs meant another size down. My shoes were even falling off! It was winter so I bought a few pairs of leggings and made do with sweaters and sweatshirts. The one thing I’ll say you should not “make do” with is bras! All of your clothes look better with bras that fit! In this second 50 lost, I’ve had to buy new bras 3x. (Tip: the non-contoured cups will work slightly longer than the contoured. Just buy two at a time!)
At this point, even 3 lbs can affect the way my pants fit, as far as making a too-tight pair fit like a glove.
I wasn’t ready to get rid of my big clothes so I just had a huge stack of bins in the corner of my room and I would toss things in there as they didn’t fit. By the time I was ready to really get rid of them, they filled 30 trash bags! It was literally everything I owned, so I thrifted a new wardrobe. I spent some time learning my best colors and understanding my new body shape and what fabrics and cuts worked for me. And of course I replaced the too big shoes!
My hair did fall out, despite the supplements and protein, but it’s growing back. I struggle with really low blood pressure but electrolytes and a little extra salt helps, and I stay aware of standing up too quickly. My triglycerides went from 151 to ~60 and my A1c went from 6.1 to 4.7. I highly recommend getting Dexa scans to monitor your progress. It’s really eye opening. For instance, I know I’m leaner now, but I don’t feel “skinny.” But age-adjusted, I’m in the 18th percentile for body fat, meaning I’m leaner than 82% of women in my age range, and if that doesn’t illustrate that our perception of a healthy weight is skewed, I don’t know what does!
Most days I feel really confident and secure but that insecurity still sneaks in. Last week I had a four lb spike on the scale. Now, I KNOW that’s not real weight. And it’s gone now. But it can still mess with my head sometimes! I do have some loose skin, but it’s way better than what I had before!
I’ll be on this drug forever. It has also helped my depression, my inflammation, and my mind feels so much clearer without thinking about food all the time. It’s like I have space to focus on other things. I truly think it’s a miracle.