War! That’s the only way I can describe what happened to me after I finally got my second month of Zepbound. I rotated from taking the shot on Thursdays to Saturdays because of the fiasco that ensued in February.
Note: I had intended on posting this at the end of March but I went on holiday in Europe and didn’t have access to a scale to weigh myself. As of today, April 6, I have lost a total of 9.4 lbs since starting Zep in February 2024. I had expected more but I think the trip to Europe disrupted my eating schedule and I was actually hungry after walking 20,000 steps every day.
Who’s In Charge?
When I took the lower dose of medicine it seem to lose effectiveness about 5 days after taking the injection. I’m now on a higher dose at 5 ml and it is really suppressing my appetite. I am now not hungry for breakfast nor lunch and by dinner time it seems my body and brain declares war and wants food but my stomach says, “no way dude, we’re full down here and if you force us to eat you’re going to regret it.”
So my meals for the first week on my new dose consisted of a cup of food. I am eating a cup of beans with some small piece of protein on top like beef or chicken. After eating the cup of food my stomach says, “ok thanks, you can stop now.”
My brain on the other hand seems to be sending signals that something is wrong or feels off. I can only guess my brain is registering loss of fat stores and is in a panic but it’s being shut up by the medicine and my stomach’s refusal to consume or process anything but a small portion of food.
Avoiding Pitfalls
I had forgot to mention in my first post when I started this medication that I had done my homework and researched all the side effects of using this medicine. Some people taking an alternative called Ozemic suffered from gastrointestinal and stomach problems but I haven’t had any side effects and maybe it’s because I prepared for them.
As part of my preparation on taking this drug, I was concerned about the things I had heard and read about: constipation, gastrointestinal issues, kidney issues, lean muscle loss. Keep in mind that everyone’s body is different, the side effects I listed have been reported happening more with women than men so perhaps I’m over reacting a bit but wanted to be prepared nonetheless.
Preparation
Here is how I prepared and I did this on my own since my doctor didn’t really tell me to do anything different.
- Assuming I might get constipation, I started eating a cup of beans every day or when possible a high fiber food such as home made whole wheat or rye bread that I toasted then had with avocado or peanut butter.
- I also wanted to keep my “pipes” moving stuff along so I consume at least one glass full of Metamucil fiber.
- I have dumbbells by my desk and I lift weights throughout the day in between meetings and sometimes during meetings when I’m just there to listen.
- I have elastic bands that I use to stretch periodically throughout the day.
- I eat small portions of meat protein but supplement with a protein shake to offset loss.
- I am drinking lots of water – this was one thing my doctor did tell me to do, drink lots of water daily.
- In addition to drinking lots of water, I am consuming lots of soup broth to supplement my water intake. The cup of beans I eat daily also is mostly water.
Body Changes
As soon as I got off the drug for two weeks, my joint and back pain (inflammation) came back and within 24 hours of getting back on the drug my pain and inflammation went away. I literally felt like going for a jog a day after the shot.
- My beer belly continues to “melt” into smaller blobs and my midsection feels a whole lot lighter now. Perhaps it is all water loss but it feels great.
- Clothing is starting to feel loose but not enough to toss everything out and start with new stuff.
I’ll check back in at the end of April and let you know how I’m doing.