Did you have any trouble given the cancer meds? I’ve found that I have a hard time any everyone just wants to defer to oncology for everything. And weight, in particular, is such a issue in oncology (the only speciality that doesn’t want you to lose weight). At least oncology understands that their treatment is the root of the problem. *sigh* This post is just making me feel so much frustration, because the only time I’ve lost weight as an adult was from cancer, and then, post treatment, gained it all back and then some. And cardiology wouldn’t even run an ekg until I lost weight. 2 months later, I’ve lost nothing and I have 2 months to go to meet his goal.
My breast cancer is hormone fed so the doctors definitely want me to lose weight as fat increases estrogen production.
Ahhh. Different then. I’m stuck in the loop of lots of steroids, plus they killed my thyroid and my balance and who knows what else. And then it’s “what happened?!” when I gained 40 pounds.
Bad Dingo, I started one week ago. I notice a HUGE difference in my appetite and I am down about 6lbs. I love feeling like I know how to stop eating because I am full rather than feeling like "I cannot waste that delicious food!" I have NEVER felt this way before; I just ate and ate until I felt sick because it tasted so good. Now I have none of that.
Post by sofamonkey on Aug 11, 2022 17:07:22 GMT -5
Can I just ask for any sample daily menus? Or go to meals?
I’m in the not super hungry stage, so I’m trying to make sure I get some protein, veggies, then fruits. Like today for breakfast I brought unsweetened yogurt, lunch was spinach salad with strawberries, mushrooms, bacon, goat cheese, walnuts, and a little vinaigrette. Plus the yogurt I forgot to eat for breakfast. 😂🤣
I did bring some cantaloupe and pineapple for a snack if I got hungry. Dinner I’m not sure, probably lentil soup or grilled pork and veggies.
I'm very bad at meal planning. For breakfast, I try to do an egg and toast with pb. Sometimes throw some veggies in with egg. Occasionally, I'll do yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit/granola.
I work a weird schedule which has me out and about over lunchtime. I usually have a protein shake and some grapes while commuting from site to site.
Lunch is around 2ish. I usually do broth based soup or madras lentils (from Costco) over brown rice and some fruit.
Dinner is whatever my family eats in smaller portions. They are picky, so dinner is usually not super healthy.
I haven't given up an occasional cocktail or ice cream. My desire for either is greatly diminished and I rarely finish an entire cocktail.
sofamonkey, i do my normal meals, but I just don't finish them (for the first time ever). I always try to focus on proteins because I workout a lot, so I always keep things like edamame and string cheese around.
I know I can google, but can someone give the cliff notes of how this works? Is it an appetite suppressant? From some of these posts, it sounds like it is helping you feel full/not overeat. Is that accurate?
Post by followyourarrow on Aug 12, 2022 8:47:50 GMT -5
For the most part I try to focus on protein and I eat 5 small meals. Breakfast - protein shake on my drive to work. Snack - yogurt or balanced break lunch - this week has been egg casserole, next week will be a tuna pasta salad made with protein pasta. snack - power crunch protein bar dinner - last night I had 1 slice of pizza which was plenty
For those taking these meds, did your PCP prescribe? I don't see an endocrinologist. I have PCOS but it's not classic PCOS with cysts and insulin resistance so I just see my PCP and GYN.
My biggest concern about trying them is the possibility of gaining the weight back because that can further fuck up your health.
For those taking these meds, did your PCP prescribe? I don't see an endocrinologist. I have PCOS but it's not classic PCOS with cysts and insulin resistance so I just see my PCP and GYN.
My biggest concern about trying them is the possibility of gaining the weight back because that can further fuck up your health.
I went through my PCP. I message her monthly about how it's going and she'll decide if I move up or stay at the same dose, then I see her every 3 months.
For those taking these meds, did your PCP prescribe? I don't see an endocrinologist. I have PCOS but it's not classic PCOS with cysts and insulin resistance so I just see my PCP and GYN.
My biggest concern about trying them is the possibility of gaining the weight back because that can further fuck up your health.
I went through my PCP. I message her monthly about how it's going and she'll decide if I move up or stay at the same dose, then I see her every 3 months.
That's a valid concern.
thanks! I've been with my PCP for almost a decade and she's been so great about mental health and weight issues and all of that. I sent her an email just to see if she had thoughts about Wegovy as an option for me. I plan to take meds for my anxiety/depression for the rest of my life, I think I could be on board with taking medication for o*esity for life as well. I don't know. I'm not ok with ever dieting again due to my history with disordered eating and I'm not comfortable with any kind of weight loss surgery either.
Bad Dingo, I started one week ago. I notice a HUGE difference in my appetite and I am down about 6lbs. I love feeling like I know how to stop eating because I am full rather than feeling like "I cannot waste that delicious food!" I have NEVER felt this way before; I just ate and ate until I felt sick because it tasted so good. Now I have none of that.
No side effects and truly just so happy.
I’m one week on Monday and this above is SO accurate.
I work from home most days, when I don’t have a lot of meetings, I get bored with my work. Every time I let my beagle in/out of the house, I would grab a “snack”. That could be like 4 times an hour. I was doing a LOT of mindless eating.
Last week, I actually ✨forgot✨ about eating. That has NEVER been me. So I didn’t make the best food choices when I actually did go to eat. That’s my goal for this week is planned meals.
I’m down about 3 lbs with my official weigh in on Tuesday.
My PCP prescribed for me. The meds work by working on a specific hormone receptor (in the case of Mounjaro it actually works on 2 different hormone receptor — not as 2 drugs but 1 drug that “fits” on both). These hormones work all over your body. In your GI tract, it slows down the amount of time it takes food to move through your body. They also tell your pancreas to make more insulin which in turn prevents your glucose from getting too high. They also work in your brain to tell your body when you are full and when you are hungry. This is really important because we know a lot more about how the brain drives energy balance (calories in / out) in obesity and it really address the “root cause” for so many people with obesity. I agree with others that it has completely changed my relationship with food. It’s not something I think about any more and I just stop eating without thought too. It truly has been a life-changing experience. As far as food intake, I haven’t made any planned dietary changes other than recently trying to make sure I get in enough fiber. For breakfast I have a protein shake with fiber and spinach or some eggs with avocado. Lunch is usually leftovers, soup, or cheese/crackers/fruit/raw veggies. Dinner I just eat what I make for my family (protein/veg/carb) but the amount I eat is just so much smaller without any intentional effort on my part. I don’t really snack though. I do like a few chocolate chips after dinner. I am very intentional about getting in strength training and walking. It’s important to maintain bone and muscle mass while losing this amount of weight and relatively quickly.
I was just prescribed this medication for weight loss through telemedicine. I'm encouraged by all of the responses here! I'm hesitant to try it because it's an injectable, and I've never had to take a med that way. Does anyone have any feedback on ease of administering it?
I was just prescribed this medication for weight loss through telemedicine. I'm encouraged by all of the responses here! I'm hesitant to try it because it's an injectable, and I've never had to take a med that way. Does anyone have any feedback on ease of administering it?
I had to do injectables during IVF and I remember it took a lot to get me to stab myself with a needle, lol. But when I finally did it the first time, I realized it was painless and not an issue and since then I was ok.
For IVF I would use an ice cube first on the skin where I did it, to kind of numb it. but those were more painful. The Mounjaro pens I get could not be easier, there is literally no pain and was super quick and easy.
I think the hardest part of doing injectable medication is just psyching yourself up the first time or two, but truly, you cannot feel it.
I joined a couple of FB groups last week to kind of observe people’s experiences and the talk of side effects was very intense. A lot of folks sounded truly miserable. I wish there was a way to know how your body would react.
I was just prescribed this medication for weight loss through telemedicine. I'm encouraged by all of the responses here! I'm hesitant to try it because it's an injectable, and I've never had to take a med that way. Does anyone have any feedback on ease of administering it?
I was hesitant about that too, but honestly it's no big deal and a piece of cake. Because of how the pen is made, you can't see the needle enter the skin, which is a big deal for me. I've been injecting in my stomach because that's easier for me and I've honestly not felt it, no pain at all, in fact I double check to make sure it actually worked!
I joined a couple of FB groups last week to kind of observe people’s experiences and the talk of side effects was very intense. A lot of folks sounded truly miserable. I wish there was a way to know how your body would react.
In my experience, people with extreme side effects talk the loudest in those groups. You don't generally hear much from those without them.
I joined a couple of FB groups last week to kind of observe people’s experiences and the talk of side effects was very intense. A lot of folks sounded truly miserable. I wish there was a way to know how your body would react.
In my experience, people with extreme side effects talk the loudest in those groups. You don't generally hear much from those without them.
Yes - there is a huge selection bias in those who seek out those groups.
That makes sense. My doctor recommended I talk to her NP but I am not comfortable with the NP like I am with my doctor so going to wait til my annual appt in February to discuss it with her, plus there is no supply right now so makes sense to wait and research more.
Post by sofamonkey on Aug 17, 2022 23:10:33 GMT -5
Update for week 1: my weight is down 6 pounds. I didn’t feel super hungry, but I did still get hungry later in the evening a few days. I did have a snack, but I hadn’t had much during the day on those days, and the snacks I had were smaller/healthier than my usual. A few posters said they didn’t fully give up drinking, so I did enjoy a glass of wine on several nights, but that also was way less than usual.
I did my second shot tonight. I’m still on .10, and will be until week 5. Overall, I feel better, my energy has been good. I eat when I’m hungry, don’t worry too much about it. Trying to make sure I get some protein in first. My blood sugars have been consistently 100 or less, which is great!!
I started this on Monday the 2.5. Tue night I felt nauseous in the middle of the night and had to throw up but I've been fine since then. Definitely do not have any cravings for bad foods/sweet stuff. Trying to get in as much protein as I can. This morning I made a protein coffee. Just eating smaller portions at lunch/dinner and maybe a small snack like fruit in the afternoon if I need it. My scale doesn't work anymore so I ordered a new one from Amazon.
For those taking these meds, did your PCP prescribe? I don't see an endocrinologist. I have PCOS but it's not classic PCOS with cysts and insulin resistance so I just see my PCP and GYN.
My biggest concern about trying them is the possibility of gaining the weight back because that can further fuck up your health.
Tl;Dr if you haven't had a recent test for IR, consider it.
Have you had a recent 3-hr GTT with insulin levels at each time point? I have PCOS and was not IR when I started my fertility treatments in 2009, and I never had issues with weight gain. Just anovulation and hirsutism. Over the past two years, I felt shitty and tired all the time (especially after eating) and gained 60 lbs and even when eating really well barely lost anything or felt better. I found a really good endo because I am hypothyroid (but my TSH doesn't respond normally), and he agreed that I should be retested for IR. I release a crapton of insulin and it keeps going long after the pancreas should settle the f down. I took metformin for a few months, but my stomach hurt all the time and it's pretty weight neutral. I started Ozempic at the end of February and I don't feel so shitty, my eating is more ordered, and my hunger responses are more normal. As a side benefit, I've lost 60lbs, but I would honestly have taken it just to feel better. I realize this is privileged because my insurance covers it without any hassle.
As for it making things worse, all of these meds seem to be long-term maintenance meds, just like if you were hypothyroid. They don't seem to cause additional problems if you discontinue them, but your appetite and insulin levels are no longer regulated, so you gain the weight back. I'm also on antidepressants and have no plans to stop ever.
I am. I am taking it solely for weight loss. I just took my second injection on Sunday evening so I'm really just 8 or so days in. Since I'm so new to it I don't know that I can give you a ton of information but I will tell you that I am seeing weight loss already. I'm sure that it's water weight at this point but it's definitely motivating and encouraging. I haven't experienced any side effects. I honestly feel great. My appetite is suppressed and it's been very freeing to not feel like I'm thinking about food all of the time, if that makes sense.
@ My body has been through a lot over the last few years. I suffered from IF and went through a couple IUIs and then 4 IVF cycles before I had my twins. And ever since then, I just haven't been able to lose weight. I'm active, I ride my Peloton consistently. I've tried eating in a calorie deficit, intermittent fasting, low carb, etc. and just didn't make any progress. That's really what prompted me to give this a try. Especially when they made the manufacturers coupon available and this became affordable. These medications for weight loss can be SO expensive. Even with my insurance, Saxenda was going to be $1400 a month. Same with Wegovy.
This got longer than I wanted but definitely let me know if you have specific questions and I'm more than happy to answer what I can!
I'm starting it this weekend and am also a Peloton person. Come find me on the leaderboard if you want some high fives. I'm melissa_is_here.
I had a lot of good success at the start of COVID, but lately have really struggled with cravings and put on 20 pounds without even blinking an eye. I'm still well above where I should be and working from home with the stress and free access to food, I needed something to help curb my desires to graze all day long.
raleighnc I think I've only done the GTT when pregnant (Twice in my second pregnancy because she made me do it at 10 weeks and again in 3rd trimester). I always passed the 1 hr. But I was last pregnant almost 6 years ago so things could have changed. I tried metformin between pregnancies and also couldn't handle the side effects.
I'm going to keep thinking about it and researching and talk to my doctor at my appointment in February. I feel better now than I've felt in a long time since I got a CPAP and am finally sleeping well at night. So I do worry about taking any medication that could decrease my quality of life if I experience side effects like GI problems, fatigue, etc.
raleighnc I think I've only done the GTT when pregnant (Twice in my second pregnancy because she made me do it at 10 weeks and again in 3rd trimester). I always passed the 1 hr. But I was last pregnant almost 6 years ago so things could have changed. I tried metformin between pregnancies and also couldn't handle the side effects.
I'm going to keep thinking about it and researching and talk to my doctor at my appointment in February. I feel better now than I've felt in a long time since I got a CPAP and am finally sleeping well at night. So I do worry about taking any medication that could decrease my quality of life if I experience side effects like GI problems, fatigue, etc.
If you do decide to get tested for insulin resistance, double check that they are ordering insulin levels at each time point (and if possible, I would try to find an endocrinologist because there are several different calculations and cutoffs to diagnose IR and it's not always as simple as someone having high insulin or pre-diabetes). I "pass" the standard GTT because my body kicks out so much insulin and keeps secreting it long after it should knock the hell off. When I was first tested, the lab tech was confused by the order and they forgot to test the insulin levels. I had to redo the whole test.
The regular GTT 70-95% of women with PCOS who are obese have insulin resistance. I wanted to address it before my beta cells got completely worn out and it progressed to pre-diabetes/T2D in 10-20 years. That's a pretty common progression for PCOS.
If it's any help, I had some minor GI side effects the first few weeks, but now I take a daily softener for constipation and everything is fine. Brain fog and fatigue got so much better because my insulin and blood sugar are not constantly spiking and crashing. I don't know about mounjaro, but with ozempic and wegovy, you can go even slower than the recommended dosing schedule.
Finished my first week. My scale was broken, I bought a new one but I'm not sure exactly how much I'm down but I would say 5-6 lbs. I'll give myself my second shot this afternoon. I've only had two instances of side effects but it passed very quickly. I really think it was from what I ate.
The good thing is now that we have 2 really awesome options there will be price competition. The Mounjaro copay card is a little tricky, but hopefully will be renewed after the 12 months. I work in another disease state but our copay card is for 12 months but we don’t kick people off after 12 — most patients have used the copay card for 10 years. We really need federally-mandated coverage for obesity treatment. A lot of insurers don’t want to pay because people only stay on one health plan for a few years at a time. What’s the incentive to pay thousands to reduce long-term complications when most people leave your plan in 3 years? Smoking cessation therapy was the same way until mandated by the ACA.
I know this is really getting into the weeds here, but I thought beliefs in medicine were changing to treat the underlying causes of obesity, because obesity may be an outward manifestation of certain symptoms or diseases, not that obesity itself is a disease, since one can be labeled "obese" but have health markers that are all in normal ranges or at normal levels. I hope that makes sense.
Anyway, don't mind me. I thought this thread title was a weird portmanteau of Mount Kilimanjaro since I had never heard of the drug before, but thankfully after reading through I realize this might be something I wish to speak to my doctor about because of my inability to stop eating even when I feel full. I am really glad to see it works well for many posters.
Post by followyourarrow on Aug 22, 2022 10:51:43 GMT -5
I finished up 4 weeks of 2.5. I lost 11.8 lbs and my blood sugars look better than ever. I started the 5 mg dose and so far I'm doing fine, I have a little nausea, but nothing bad, and I'm full very quickly.
I finished up 4 weeks of 2.5. I lost 11.8 lbs and my blood sugars look better than ever. I started the 5 mg dose and so far I'm doing fine, I have a little nausea, but nothing bad, and I'm full very quickly.
That's awesome! It's amazing to have options that really seem to work well.