Getting to Know More About GLP-1
I lost 15 pounds taking Semaglutide. I wasn’t actively trying to lose weight and was actually happy at my current weight (which was 132) but I wanted to be able to speak about the medication to our clients firsthand, so I started taking it. I am fairly active. By that I mean, I might do stationary bike twice a week or work out at the gym. I am also not a terrible eater. By that I mean, I really don't like sweats or seafood , but I do eat chicken, red meat and veggies. I’m also 55 years old, so losing weight is hard for me without drastically changing my diet and workouts. Within 2 weeks of taking the Semglutide, I was pleasantly surprised to begin losing weight without changing a thing. I took 0.25 mg for the first week, then .30 for the next 3 weeks, then .4 for 2 weeks, then jumped up to 0.5 mg from week 5 on.
My biggest side effect was nausea, which still wasn’t that big. It wasn’t the kind of nausea that lasted all day, or I would not have been able to stick with it. It was more like waves of nausea that lasted 15-30 seconds, maybe once a day, sometimes more. This lasted the whole time I was on the medication. When I went up in dose the nausea got a little worse for a weekend, but I was still able to function and play a little tennis, etc. I never moved up from 0.5 mg. This was my “sweet spot” and I continued to lose weight on this dose.
The second side effect was that I was rarely hungry. This med suppresses your hunger hormone called Ghrelin which is produced primarily in the stomach. When your stomach is empty it releases Ghrelin to send a signal to your brain that you’re hungry. Mine was so suppressed that I literally had to make myself eat sometimes because I knew my body needed nutrition. Food was actually not appealing for several months. But it does not affect everyone this way, including my husband.
A happy surprise is that my hot flashes STOPPED while I was on this med. Totally stopped. As much as I LOVED having no hot flashes, I missed food more. I also lost my taste for wine while I was on this med. This alone is a huge weight reducer.
I began taking Semaglutide in mid-October. Currently just doing Maintenace, I was on it for 3 ½ months and lost 15 lbs. I probably had lost all of my weight in 2 months, October and November, averaging about 8 pounds a month. I started hearing people say, “you’re skinny enough”. I stayed on it in December because I was going on vacation at the end of the month and wanted to look my best. I dropped down to 0.25 mg of Semaglutide before I left for vacay for 2 reasons. I was hoping SOME of my appetite would return (especially since I was just on the higher dose).
Couple of other positive side effects that I have experienced one is I have noticed a decrease in aches and pains - My doctor explained that he believes I have lowered my sugar intake and that alone has reduced my inflammation - inflammation is the number one cause of aches and pains. One other positive side effect is I have noticed and so has my husband noticed...my anxiety has lowered. My sleep pattern is better, I am able to manage my stress so much better. I asked my doctor about this as well , he explained that I am most likely lowering my cortisol levels and this is helping me look and feel good!