u/tababnaba76

A few weeks into maintenance and i finally feel “normal”. As in my energy feels back 100%. Even though I had good results with weight loss , I still had fatigue . The end of 2nd month it completely went away. I ended up losing 2 more lbs from my goal weight the first week of maintenance and pretty much have not lost anymore weight since , neither have I gained . Just hovering at this weight with no mental effort! I’ve been on weight loss roller coasters before and maintenance was always the hard part for me . Not this time . If I have to stay on this med until I die, so be it. Went to a restaurant today and i used to always have fear bc i would 1. Just say no to evey invitation. I received, 2. avoid certain foods like carbs , or 3. end up eating the whole bread basket plus everything on my plate plus dessert plus a martini or two even when my stomach was bursting bc i was still hungry. And I shouldn’t have been. This time? I had a bite of bread, two pieces of an appetizer , half of my risotto and water . The martinis didn’t sound appealing to me and I was able to leave with leftovers and not bc i forced myself to . Before Foundayo id either eat everything on the table until i hurt , or force myself to barely eat anything and have leftovers , but be famished and think about it all night. But I was able to go to an Italian restaurant and celebrate , partake in festivities and not socially isolate myself to be a certain weight . I was able to eat and put the fork down like a normal person.

I hit 125 lbs. Well, 125.6, but close enough! I'm thrilled and now focused on maintenance.

My doctor and I decided to stay at 2.5 instead of increasing to 5.5. She doesn't want me to stop because she's concerned I could lose my progress, and I've also experienced some unexpected benefits like less anxiety and feeling calmer. We're not exactly sure why, but she feels those benefits shouldn't be dismissed just because the medication is primarily for weight loss. We'll just monitor closely to make sure I don't lose too much weight. Plus, 2.5 is much more affordable than 5.5!

I used to swear I'd never take a medication like this. I thought I could do it all on my own. Menopause was a humbling wake-up call.

If you're on the fence, talk to your doctor, but don't automatically dismiss it. As someone who was deeply into fitness and keto, I was shocked by how much this helped. Fitness is a tool. Keto is a tool. These medications are a tool. Using a tool isn't cheating.

The medication didn't magically make me lose weight. If I had continued eating the same way, I wouldn't have gotten these results. What it did do was help me change my habits. After one experience eating a huge greasy meal and feeling awful, I learned quickly what my body could and couldn't handle. It taught me how to eat for the stage of life I'm in now, not the one I was in during my 20s and 30's. I even learned not to be afraid of carbs as a former keto fanatic. I craved watermelon big time on this med. And well, I ate watermelon and lost weight. In my keto days I would have been afraid to even touch fruit. No longer. my menopausal body can still lose weight eating carbs! noone has ever gotten obese from eating too much watermelon. Crazy I was so afraid of fruit for so long. No wonder I was so miserable in my 30's and early 40's. At that time thin as can be but miserable. I can now be my goal weight and not be bitter.

I know my experience isn't typical. Studies show most of the weight loss happens at higher doses, and very few people lose much at 0.8 or 2.5. I'm one of the outliers, and that's okay.

Either way, I'm excited to spend the next month focused on maintenance!

I started June 2 or 3rd. First glp1 ever. I know the above might not sound like alot of weight, but I am short and most of my adult life I have stayed between 119-124. (I have competed in bikini comps, figure and even powerlifting competitions much of my adult life so I know how to cut, how to exercise) Even up until a VERY late in life pregnancy at 45 I kept myself lean . 6 months after I gave birth, I was back to 126. not prepregnancy weight but pretty darn close and I was ok. But bc I had babies so late in life.... menopause was not so far behind. Perimenopause I was gaining weight and last year I got up to 148. I exercised, did Intermittent fasting and watched what I ate (or at least tried to but with kids I admit i did alot of stress snacking) , I still managed to lose weight. Got to 141.1. but then stayed there for over a year. Good news, I didn't gain. Bad news, no matter what I did, my weight would NOT budge. My a1c was also creeping up steadily, cholesterol high. But with my bmi I don't qualify for glp1's. My doctor though knows me jumping from 126- 148 in one year just is NOT normal. I did lose 8 lbs and got to 141.1 but again, my doctor has known me for years. She isn't the type to say "well you are in menopause now, you looking frumpy is your new norm. My bmi for the first time ever was now in the overweight category ( i am short) . So a few lbs on my VERY short frame look horrible. my doctor suggested an oral vs injectable since I didn't have much to lose. I at first was against glp1's. I was the one who said "Yeah, let me think about it." but so glad I finally said yes. 2 lbs away from goal. but to be honest, I like where i am at now. If I stopped losing, I'd be perfectly fine. I think 2.5 may just be the dose. I did suffer from awful nausea the first week. I almost quit. but it disappeared and hasn't been back. I know my story is different, and I am glad that orals are available

I'm a bit sad. I loooved having a cup of coffee. It really did make me smile in the mornings. On 2.5 foundayo,, the taste is "off". I even went and bought a fancy latte to see if I still have that love of coffee. It doesn't hit the way it did. In fact it doesn't hit at all. :( don't get me wrong, there are positives to Foundayo. But this is a negative to me. 2.5 might be too strong. It's hard. I am losing weight on 2.5, again, great because all the studies say weight loss doesn't really happen until 5.5. but my appetite is completely gone. And so is my thirst. With it being so hot I have to drink water and I am not doing that as much. 0.8 quieted the food noise but i still became hungry around meal times (it did kill my snacking) but I was still normally hungry, ate and then I was satisified. With 2.5, I don't want to eat at all. yesterday was 4th of July surrounded by burgers and all sorts of july 4th goodness. I did not want any of it. I instead ate a baked potato with a little butter and sourcream and it took me an hour to eat it. and that's all I ate . I skipped lunch bc the thought of eating gave me nausea. Earlier that day for breakfast I just had 1 piece of toast and pb. That is not enough. and if I continue eating this way, it wouldn't suprise me if I regained all the weight back in the future bc my body would be used to eating 2 little skimpy meals when I return back to eating 3. At least with 0.8 I ate 3 times a day. And when I did have a a snack it was watermelon or grapes . Can't really overeat watermelon or grapes, even when you are not taking a glp1! I am going to give 2.5 another week and if I still feel like I have no appetite, go back to 0.8.

I feel more calm on Foundayo. I am not sure why. I know this is definately not an indication for it. and in fact I think a side effect is anxiety ? But I am having the opposite? Maybe the same kind of mechanism that was involved in my food noise also was responsible or partly responsible for my anxiety? I.e. I have had a fear of driving since an accident. Two weeks after foundayo, I decided to start driving again. And I have been fine. I haven't seen anyone else comment about this. I have heard about it helping with other things like lessening alcohol intake. But for anxiety (and I am already on an anxiety med- Paxil). But I still had fear of driving on Paxil, it just made me less nervous being a passenger. Now I can drive again and I have new freedom. So that's a win, a non weight loss win. but a win. Anyonne else have unexpected benefits? I also feel VERY slow to anger on this med. Sure I still get irritated at my kids and their messes but it doesn't bother me half as much as before. I yell at my kids LESS when on this med. Their must be some connection with it, but I am no scientist so I have no idea the connection at least within me, when it comes to food noise, anxiety and anger. But all have improved. IF I lose no more weight, I'd still use 0.8 just for this. Alas I am moving up to 2.5 bc I want to lose a bit more weight. But I still experienced Great unexpected mental benefits on the 0.8

End of third week and I don't feel my appetite is suppressed like the first two weeks. I am still losing but just 1 lb this week. So I think I will go to 2.5. Food noise is still very much reduced. I can cook without having to snack which is just mindblowing for me. I can grocery shop and not impulse buy and stick to my budget and recipes. I prepped a whole week's worth of freezer meals for the family and didn't even think about snacking (this is huge for me.) my tastes are changing too. I still have cravings and while not a weird craving, I have just been wanting some wild smoked salmon . If you put a piece of death by chocolate cake and some a plate of smoked salmon in front of me, I will pick the salmon. Before foundayo, it would have been chocolate. No longer. So I am happy my cravings are changing and seems for the better. Not even willpower to turn down the chocolate cake! But my portions are getting a bit bigger, even healthier food. So still losing. weight loss slowed. Going to make the jump to 2.5.

When I am under alot of stress before Foundayo , I used to get hangry and I always thought "It must be low blood sugar" Now I am thinking, nope, most likely not. I am eating less. I am in stressful situations and I don't think " I need to put a doughnut in my mouth". I just deal with the stressful situation. I still get hungry. But I no longer get hangry. And the hunger is different. It's not a life or death situation anymore. it's manageable. I hate yelling at my significant other or my kids , or getting frustrated at work , just because I get "hangry". and since I started foundayo, I no longer feel it! Hungry yes, Hangry- it's gone!