u/OreoSpeedwaggon

Well, the Fourth of July came and went here in the USA,, and while competitive eaters were shoving weiners down their gullets in Coney Island, I was sweltering in the summertime heat, surrounded by food at a backyard get-together, throwing back water and just trying to make good food choices. Then, I got handed a burger.

Me being the gracious guest that I am, I didn't want to turn it down or throw it away, and I hadn't tasted a cheeseburger in over a year, so I figured, "What the hell?" Welp, that was me being stupid.

I got through half of it and felt like I had just eaten an entire cow. My guts were making all kinds of weird noises and left me with nauseous indigestion. When I finally belched, I'm pretty sure I heard a voice inside me say, "MOO!"

I read all the horror stories on here about greasy gut bombs and burgers getting the better of people, but I naively thought that I'd somehow be an exception. Wrong! A traditional American picnic food got one over on me. I don't know how those hot dog-eatin' fools in New York do it, but I respect the hustle.

I've already moved past it and I'm not gonna let it get me down, but it sure felt like Eli Lilly slapped me across the belly in the moment. If previous anecdotes from others didn't save me the heartburn and gross feelings though, hopefully mine will. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

200 pounds down and counting!!!

I FINALLY crossed the threshold that has been eluding me for over a month! I weighed in this morning at 338.1 pounds -- over 200 less from where I was when I started my journey a little over a year ago, and these most recent ten lbs. were the biggest struggle so far!

For perspective, I've lost the equivalent of a full-grown adult alligator, or a densely packed steamer trunk, or a reinforced steel-composite safe, or a potted palm fern, or an oak barrel full of whiskey.

I obviously have a long way to go before I'm where I want to be, but I'm getting there, steady as she goes. Next stop: TWO-topia!

More details: https://www.kark.com/news/state-news/arkansas-army-national-guard-to-fly-over-cities-ahead-of-independence-day/

One year and over 190 pounds down from where I started. More to go, obviously, but it still blows my mind how much this medicine has helped me. Take those photos, guys!

Hello, all you wonderful people!

I started my Zepbound journey on this day last year with shot #1. I was super nervous about what I was getting into, about how to do the vial and syringe injections correctly, and how much all of this was going to cost me since I was paying out-of-pocket. My doctor assured me that I would benefit from the medicine and see changes that some people could only describe as a "miracle." Being the natural skeptic that I am, I approached those claims with cautious optimism, but damn if I wasn't blown away by the changes I would see in my first year. Apparently my doctor knows things.

I'm now down two full shirt sizes. I've lost 10 pant sizes in my waist -- ten! I've had to rebuild my wardrobe with new clothes (and clothes from long ago that apparently just needed a years-long nap in my closet) after culling the big, baggy drapes that no longer fit me. I can walk better. I can breathe better. I sleep better. I have less pain from the physical strain my body was putting on me just by being over 500 pounds. This medicine has me feeling as though I've turned back the clock despite just entering my 50s last week, a milestone I'm choosing to frame as "aggressively experienced."

I haven't been at my current weight in nine whole years. Back then, I had just started a new job (funny how history rhymes), I was going hiking, kayaking, and camping, and I even took a road trip all the way out to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. I can't wait to do all of that again. I'll be honest, though -- back then I was also eating some of the unhealthiest food and drinking quite a bit of alcohol. I didn't realize it at the time, but those habits were quietly setting me up for many dark years ahead. But you know, hindsight is always frustratingly 20/20.

Flash forward to today and I'm genuinely a different person in many ways from who I was back then, or even a year ago. The photos tell the story better than I can. I'm feeling very happy about losing these first 190 pounds (DUDE -- 190!) but I know I still have a long way to go before I'm where I want to be. Seeing as how I've already gotten this far, though, I'm confident the rest of this journey will happen eventually, and hopefully sooner than I expect. We'll see. (The pants sizes suggest I'm onto something though.)

I'm so glad I found this group. You've all been so supportive and encouraging, and your words mean more than you probably realize. From the bottom of my considerably lighter and healthier heart — thank you all so very much!

Many other highway travelers, including interstate truck drivers and local residents, took shelter along with me inside the rest area visitors center building. After the threat had passed us, we quickly learned that I-44 was closed east of us due to storm damage, and I was providing the crowd with up-to-the-minute news from Twitter on the state of the weather, highway condition, city of Joplin itself, and the hospital that was partially destroyed. Although we were safe by that point, many people were panicked and in tears from worrying about their co-workers and loved ones that were in the path of destruction. When we finally left, we passed several cars and trucks that had been blown over or turned upside-down along the highway, as well as a truck stop in the visible path of the tornado that had been completely obliterated.

I learned shortly after moving to NWA and the Fayetteville area that stopping at red lights is apparently optional, but I didn't realize that frashing red lights on HAWK signals at trail crosswalks seem to be ignored completely. A few times already, I've been honked at by impatient drivers when I've come to a complete stop when these lights are flashing before proceeding, as the signs like the one above instruct. I'm just trying to be a courteous motorist and follow directions, but am I actually in the wrong for doing that? I'd especially love to hear input from bike riders, joggers, and others that use the local trails frequently.

It wasn't the whole lawn and I struggled with trying to not fall down, but my tiny little electric push-mower and I did it. For anyone not aware, I had a severe leg injury a decade ago that required a permanent metal rod inserted into my leg and months of rehabilitation to simply walk again. Even then, I still couldn't walk on soft or uneven ground without a lot of pain and losing my balance. And I thought that the weight I gained in the aftermath ended my lawnmowing days for good.

However, here I am with nearly a year of being on Zepbound, and I somehow managed to do it. I've said since the start that one of my goals in losing weight is to be healthy enough to get some of my life back and to be able to do some of the things I used to be able to do. This was one of them.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go lie down and cry into a big pool of sweat.

Cocktail in first pic: Horven's Treasure (with Val the Octopus)

I was trying to make chicken cacciatore and it came out looking like chili and tasting more like a Moroccan tagine.