I'm Back, Again!

Howdy, friends! 

I know it's been a long time since I've checked in.  The good news is I haven't fallen off the wagon.  But, my wagon has been broken for the longest time.  

Week after week the scale wouldn't budget despite my healthy diet and exercise. I just didn't have the heart to blog when I had no updates.

Then, towards the last half of 2023, I started gaining weight, little by little.  To say I was defeated and discouraged is an understatement. However, I continued to stay the course even when it felt like all hope was gone.  

In December 2023 my Psychiatrist ordered blood work to make sure my blood glucose was within normal ranges because my medication can cause diabetes.

Although I didn't really have any symptoms, my bloodwork came back that I was officially a type 2 diabetic.  Enter all of the feelings...

I was frustrated because I expressed concern the prior year that I was headed in the direction of diabetes since my blood work didn't show improvements despite the healthy diet and exercise.  Unfortunately, because I only had pre-diabetes at the time, there was nothing Kaiser would do. I was simply told to continue to diet and exercise.  *eye roll*

On the other hand, I was also a little relieved.  I felt like a puzzle piece finally fell into place.  Maybe the reason I wasn't losing and slowly gaining weight was that I was insulin-resistant/diabetic.  I needed medical help that I wasn't getting but now finally qualified for.

For months I had heard a lot about GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1) on TikTok for the treatment of diabetes and obesity and how it can greatly assist in weight loss in addition to controlling diabetes.  I dared to hope.  

Sadly, my doctor with Kaiser couldn't prescribe a GLP-1 medication without me first trying 2 alternative medications.  Why?  Well, GLP-1 medications are VERY expensive and Kaiser doesn't want to cover them without proof that other medications have failed.  So, I was started on Metformin (the gold standard medication for type 2 diabetes).  

I was also prescribed Phentermine for appetite suppression. I knew immediately that the Phentermine wouldn't help because I didn't have an appetite problem.  Most days I "accidentally" do intermittent fasting because I'm just not hungry in the mornings so I don't typically "eat" until 12 or 1 pm - and even then, I have a  healthy homemade protein smoothie.  I tried the Phentermine for a week and it did nothing, just as I had expected.

That's when I decided to take matters into my own hands.  I began to research a variety of telehealth companies and found JoinFridays.  I began the journey to get prescribed a GLP-1 and pay out of pocket for the doctor and medication.  After my appointment, JoinFridays agreed I was a good candidate for the GLP-1 medication Tirzepatide (aka Mounjaro or Zepbound).  

Since I would be paying out of pocket, they recommended I go with compound Tirzepatide (which is the generic form of the name-brand medication).  This would make it more cost-effective (~$325/month vs over $1,000).  

And, here I am today, January 17th.  My medication arrived in the mail today and I took my first shot of the medication.  I'm really hoping this medication will finally help me overcome the hurdles I've stumbled through this past year.  

I welcome you to follow this new journey with me.  

Here are my stats for Week 1

 *cringe*

Highest Weight: 309.8 lbs 

Starting Weight: 297.8 lbs

I lost about 10 pounds after starting Metformin but my weight stalled at 297 and has been fluctuating between 297 and 298 this past week. I'm glad I got below 300 pounds because I was devastated when I broke the 300s.    

Here goes nothing!