GLP-1 Medication for weight loss, i.e., Wegovy or Zepbound

[KewlKat]

Anyone here taking a GLP-1 medication to lose weight? My recent body scan was horrific and as hard as I've tried I can't seem to lose any body fat/weight. At one point I was doing crossfit 6 days a week at one place and doing 3 classes with a personal trainer at another.....and no I didn't gain muscle but didn't lose fat/wt either.

My insurance won't cover these meds and I can't get the savings cards or other assistance, so this is out of pocket. I had thought about trying like RO, Noom or Weight Watchers as they have their own compounded meds, but just read yesterday that come May of this year, the FDA is banning all these knock off which will require everyone to transition to the more expensive options.

One doctor told me if I do this, plan on staying on it for life as those that stop seem to regain most of what they lost. The key for maintenance is to find the right dose when you reach goal to prevent regaining so only take as little as possible at that point and continue to exercise.

I'm tired of feeling like a failure and having to "diet' all my life. I'm now 71 years old and still watch everything I put in my mouth and continue to gain. I'm very uncomfortable in this body and need to be less of me.....sigh

Anyway, wondered if others here are taking these meds to lose weight and to get some feedback on any side effects. Lilly is now offering discounts if you by direct from them, which I think I can afford.

TIA

[justaprogressive]

1. I can tell you that large numbers of Cardiologists are taking these meds!

you go right ahead...save your heart and you'll feel much better, really

-30 year nurse...

[58Sunliner]

2. There is a side effect from some of them, it reduces cardiac muscle.

"in mice, semaglutide reduced the size of the heart's left ventricle, the overall heart weight, and the surface area of heart cells. In cultured human heart cells, semaglutide had the same effect, "

I would be cautious as there are no longer term studies on these drugs. I would hate to see a bunch of people come up with cardio issues, much like many drugs that later turn out to be risky.

I take a supplement called Luteolin (for asthma), which has dropped my weight, along with having a protein smoothie in the morning. This supplement will also reduce your blood sugar level, so one should be aware about glucose levels. There is a supplement, a nutraceutical named Altilix® which uses artichoke extract with luteolin in it.
This study below, is worth a read as the differences systemically are very beneficial to your hepatic, blood sugar, insulin resistance, LDL, ghrelin levels, vascular modeling, and inflammation markers. I may switch. On edit, this brand supplement is not available here in the states. They use cardoon extract. The artichoke leaf and extract most readily available is Globe artichoke, which is also good to use. That you can get easily. The compounds in the extract are
chlorogenic acid and its derivatives, and luteolin and its derivatives as well as others.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6893885/

[Alliepoo]

4. I bookmarked to read

The study later. Interesting info re Luteolin. I’ve never heard of it!!

[Alliepoo]

3. I went to a wellness spa last april

For a consultation and have been using semaglutide injections weekly. They get the meds from a compounding pharmacy in Tennessee. I’ve lost around 35 lbs which is where I wanted to be. I have been losing the weight slowly and paying attention to my eating habits and making sure to get enough protein so I don’t lose muscle. I’m going to start stepping down my dosage probably my next appointment. And again we will do that slowly- not just stop taking it cold. I go to my appointments around every 6 weeks or so. A vial lasts a pretty long time. I pay $300 each appointment and that’s out of pocket- no insurance. I’ve had no side effects and I’m really happy with my weight loss.

[Kali]

5. in general exercise if good for health but it is not an effective way to lose weight

have you tried any habit based methods to change eating behavior? the drugs do seem to help a lot of people but the need for lifetime maintenance doses in light of previous shortages and current political/future economic chaos would have me worried.

[Lulu KC]

6. I recommend to everyone that they try it for a month and see how they feel

Some people have side effects that make it not work. If it is comfortable for you, it is linked to so many more positive things besides weight loss. There is a lot of personal testimony, pros and cons, on reddit. I am not personally hearing doctors speak against it.

[griloco]

7. I started with Penn Jillette and then veganed

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[Luciferous]

8. I've done Wegovy for about a year

and I've lost 40 pounds. My daughter started it after seeing my results and she's lost 60.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

9. My sister-in-law...

Last edited Sun Mar 2, 2025, 08:24 AM - Edit history (1)

... has lost a LOT of weight from using Zepbound, and she weighs less than 200 pounds now. She used to weigh about 350 pounds. I'm not sure how much weight she lost since starting Zepbound, however, because she'd already lost some weight from dieting before starting that injectable. The weight loss has been dramatic and more easily noticeable since she started Zepbound.

No bad side effects for her after about 6 months, but maybe something bad will happen as more time passes? I hope not, obviously.

She was unhappy during our family's holiday meals, last Thanksgiving and Christmas, because she felt full right away! So she moaned that she couldn't keep eating the delicious food, and I think she believed it was rude of her to eat so little in that group setting (eye roll)... but she just couldn't do it.

As for me, I'm down to my high school weight and size after about a year of avoiding ultra-processed carbs. I found old Lee jeans put away in a box, from my youth and made by union members in America with the real leather patch on the back, and I can wear them again! (The material is thicker with stronger stitching than the blue jeans that I find in stores today.)

I was never obese per my BMI, but I was close. Yet I mostly wanted to lose weight after my blood pressure was measured a bit high over a year ago. Now it's fine again, and my other health profiles have improved too... such as a triglyceride to HDL ratio that's less than 1/2 (0.5)! I'm almost 60, but I'm among the small percentage of Americans who are considered metabolically healthy, per various body and blood measurements, without taking any prescriptions.

About the only carbs that I eat are whole foods with plenty of fiber to keep my intestinal bacteria healthy. I also don't skimp on eating FAT, since it definitely helps to keep me satiated! I only eat two meals a day with no snacking in between, but I don't get hungry at all.

A book by Dr. Jason Fung, called The Obesity Code, is what first compelled me to change what and how often that I eat.

This free documentary is almost two hours long, but it explains the reasoning behind the higher-fat and lower-carb diet that I adopted about a year ago. Dr. Fung is one of the many medical doctors interviewed during the film.